It’s time for the Mariners to break the shackles
Roar Pro
By Paddy Higgs, 24 Apr 2009 Paddy Higgs is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- ACL, Asian Champions League, Central Coast Mariners, football
Central Coast Mariners John Aloisi is challenged by Newcastle Stuart Musialik. AAP Image/Paul Miller
Like the rain that fell on them on Tuesday night during their 2-1 loss to Kawasaki Frontale, the situation for the Central Coast Mariners is decidedly dour. The loss means Lawrie McKinna’s men are still to win in any competition this year.
Make no mistake – the Mariners are struggling.
Executive chairman Lyall Gordon conceded as much this week in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald’s Michael Cockerill.
He also admitted that – with twelve of the Mariners squad still foundation members – it was in dire need of a vast revamp.
“I think 12 of our players have been there since day one, which is probably the highest of any club in the competition, and there’s no doubt it’s time to refresh things,” he said.
“That’s not to say anything about the existing players, but I’m convinced the competition (A-League) will be stronger than ever next season, and we have to keep pace.”
He’s not kidding.
Holes in McKinna’s squad surfaced soon after midfield lynchpin Mile Jedinak’s departure for Turkey in December.
It must also be said that the recruiting drive for the Asian Champions League campaign failed to address the holes, and if anything made them more obvious.
Shane Huke may well turn out to be a servicable player for the Mariners, but a ready-made replacement for Jedinak he ain’t.
Nick Rizzo’s signing always threatened to be underwhelming, and his performances for the club have done little to remedy that suspicion.
As much as missing Jedinak, the Mariners are also lacking commanding defenders.
Asian teams are noted for their technical ability, but that hardly explains the amount of goals McKinna’s men have conceded from set pieces.
Central Coast has long been regarded as one of the more organised of A-League outfits.
The club’s link up and plans with Sheffield United are groundbreaking for an Australian club, and puts to shame other “partnerships” A-League rivals have attempted to strike up with foreign clubs.
But the Mariners are also the most reserved of domestic clubs. Tony Vidmar and John Aloisi aside, McKinna’s focus has always been low-key and industrious.
It leads many to believe that the Mariners have overachieved in the league’s short history.
So perhaps it’s time for McKinna and company to shrug the shackles.
They could take a leaf out of North Queensland’s book, which has showed how to combine reserved expectations with powerful statements such as the signing of Robbe Fowler.
The ACL campaign is all but lost. But with 104 days until the start of the new A-League season, Central Coast has plenty of time to swing the changes.
With statements like Gordon’s, it appears it may already be underway.
It’s the least their suffering fans deserve.
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DS said | April 24th 2009 @ 10:46am | Report comment
The writing was on the wall for the Mariners in the two legs of the semi final against the Roar, during which they were completely outclassed in every respect. Predictable, unspiring and ponderous, with an alarming tendency to resort to primitive thuggishness in the tackle when the the chips were down, it was not only the team that looked past its useby date, but also McKinna’s whole approach to football. One thing is for sure, McKinna is going to have reinvent not just his team but himself as a coach too if the Mariners are not going to end up propping up the table in the coming season. Right now they look like dinosaurs from a bygone era; the next stop is a museum.
StiflersMom said | April 24th 2009 @ 11:02am | Report comment
I’ve been saying it for months, they have done nothing to bolster their squad for the ACL and its taken some embarrassing performance’s for them to realise it. You’ve hit the nail on the head, 12 foundation players (some not worthy) and they will be in big trouble this season if they don’t do anything soon.
At this early point with the current squad I’d comfortably predict they’d be contenders for the wooden spoon.
Midfielder said | April 24th 2009 @ 4:40pm | Report comment
Paddy
Good article and you have nailed many of the points that are affecting the club at present.
I think six new players is a major overhaul… what is good is that issues are being talked about and changes made… if management had said everything is in order then I would be worried and remember its six after signing Huke / so 7 players to go and 7 new players in… as I see it the figures speak for themselves ..as well as the change in policy towards imports …
I want to see a review of the coaching staff not just the players. If Laurie is saying the right things to the players but the message isn’t getting through then perhaps the message is getting stale and perhaps its time for him to move to another role in the club. I question what contribution Tobin is making given that our defense remains so poor; you would imagine with a record 87 caps for the Socceroos as a defender he would have some knowledge to impart yet the defending is brainless. And I really want to know what credentials, apart from being a good bloke, Damien Brown brings to the youth team. I want to see a defender coach, a finishing coach and a sports psychologist added to the staff.
More reasons we should be looking at the coaching structure given our inability to bring through any youngsters over the past few years. Matt Simon is the only one we have brought through and the big improvement in him was after spending the time between V3 and V4 with the Australian squad.
I’m just happy that someone from within the club has finally made some sort of statement because it seems to me people are losing interest in the Mariners, our home crowds of late haven’t been good at all and i guess it is a lot to do with the sub-par performances of the team but we also need to be playing sexy football, a lot of people would stop paying their hard earned coin to watch a bunch of guys hacking it up the park ala MAA6 style, no offense to anyone in AA6 divs.
For me these are the six new changes we need.
3 backs
2 center mid’s one defensive one offensive
1 Striker.
Finally it must be remember that the CC is a rugby League heart land area… further their are six leagues clubs with poker machine revenue to support them… against this they have built a loyal following and are in the process of building Australia’s best sporting academy and it will be for football only … and with next to no state or commonwealth funding… Our off the park work is second to none … our commitment to the CC and and burying roots deep into the community is well known but we must start to play a better game … and now the club has acknowledged it and that can only be a good sign for the future.
Jaime said | April 25th 2009 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
Not a bad article Paddy, however just a few points. Rizzo hasnt played 1 minute for the mariners in competitive football so how can his performances be of any value if McKinna hasnt given him a go. Instead he insists in using stale players that dont contribute much, eg Clarke and players that are not close to the technical standards required to play against teams such as the Japanese. Sure Australia struggles with technical players but you definately have one in Rizzo. Just a thought!
Vicentin said | April 25th 2009 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
Good article Paddy and excellent post midfielder – I know you to be a loyal supporter and I always think it great when a supporter is actually constructively critical of their team Excellent point about Tobin – his experience clearly isn’t translating to his teachings.
Jaime’s got a good point too, but frankly Rizzo really isn’t the kind of player that McKinna has traditionally gone for – to put it blunt he may be skilful but he’s short. Look around, apart from Gumprecht – who only starts semi-regularly these day, the main criteria seems to be “must be 6’2″ (sorry if I’ve had a Spinal Tap moment there – my imperial measurements are a bit dodgy). Height and physical presence always seems to come first in Laurie’s world and then skill – he got very lucky with Jedinak! Cheers.
whiskeymac said | April 27th 2009 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
I have to agree with Vincentin (and before this article is consigned to history) good article and good posts – CCM are, for me, the most interesting club in the HAL. They aren’t the best (whatever you wish to objectify that as) or the most attractive but In many ways they represent football in Oz. a small club in a hard market punching above its weight for a few years, and now struggling and needing to implement some technical changes, but with a sound management and continually improving infrastructure and support they can do it… is it just me thinking this is analogous to the HAL developing in the code rich Ozzie market…?
a change of staff might help, but certainly new players would be good. especially because, if simon goes, the CCM will struggle next season…. hopefully they can recruit wisely and just see the last 5 months as a bogus blip on their otherwise most excellent adventure.