Okon masterminding a Mariners renovation

Australia loves a renovation.

Take a cursory glance at the TV ratings for the last few weeks and you’ll see Channel 9’s The Block at the very top, with Australian seemingly hooked on watching ordinary Australians transform ugly duckling homes into glorious, high end real estate.

Paul Okon is no ordinary Australian, having represented and captained his country with distinction in a long and illustrious career that included stints with clubs in Belgium, Italy, England and Cyprus.

But the burgeoning tactician is hoping to oversee a similar transformation at the Central Coast Mariners which, like the properties on The Block, had faded into a state of almost disrepair.

The name ‘Central Coast Mariners’ used to mean something. It used to stand for excellence, for community, for development, for the underdog. It was David in a battle against Goliath, and it was winning.

But since Graham Arnold’s departure, the floor has fallen out from underneath the club and the name ‘Central Coast Mariners’ has come to mean something completely different. Truth be told, the club has been a laughing stock of the league for the best part of the last three years.

Their dismal efforts on and off-the-pitch were the catalyst for a lot of the discussion around a second division and promotion and relegation that we currently see.

It’s no small feat Okon is currently undertaking, and there were signs in his first season that he’s at least steadied the ship, going from 10th place in 2015-16, with a paltry return of just three wins from 27 matches to 8th place in 2016-17, doubling their wins tally and almost doing likewise with their points tally.

That was step one of the renovation, but as the contestants on The Block are learning, the demolition and planning are the easy bit. What makes a renovation work is the fixtures and fittings, making sure it works and flows in a cohesive manner. That’s where the real skill is, and that is Okon’s challenge this season.

He’s done the demolition by getting rid of those players who don’t meet his requirements, and he’s put the plan in place. Now he’s got to get the right players in to execute the plan, to make it all come together as one beautiful finished product.

And despite last week’s hiccup, and there’s always a hiccup in any renovation, when they lost to Blacktown City in the FFA Cup Round of 32, the early signs are promising. Of course, football matches are won on grass, not on paper but the squad at Okon’s disposal is arguably the best the Gosford club has seen since Graham Arnold’s time at the club when they were regularly challenging for titles.

While the squad isn’t at that level and no one realistically expects the Mariners to once again be competing at the top end of the table, given their eighth place finish last season and their expected improvement again this season, finishing inside the top six should be their aim.

The work done by Okon and his football department this off-season should be applauded. The signings of Dutch duo Tom Hiariej and Wout Brama, the latter convinced to join the club from former Mariners defender Trent Sainsbury, who Brama played with at PEC Zwolle, are impressive and more than a step above the likes of Mikael Tavares and Jacques Faty, who were both well past it by the time they arrived in Gosford.

(AFP PHOTO / William West)

Spaniard Alan Baro, who after a slow start was a standout for Melbourne Victory, adds some steel and experience to a young defence, as does Josh Rose, who returns to the club after a season with Melbourne City. Fiery Irishman Roy O’Donovan may be gone, but in his place steps Asdrúbal, a Spaniard with La Liga experience.

The biggest signing for the Mariners, though, is that of former teen starlet Daniel De Silva, who links up with Okon who coached the former Perth Glory youngster during his time with the Young Socceroos.

De Silva, despite a quiet few seasons in Europe, is still considered one of Australia’s most promising young talents. In their hey day developing young talent was in the Mariners DNA – think Tom Rogic and Mustafa Amini – and De Silva will be hoping to join that list.

And while renovating the Mariners image and performance is his primary job, Okon will also be looking for some personal redemption after his spell with the Young Socceroos ended with serious question marks over his ability as a coach. In a way his case is similar to that of Arnold, who took over the Mariners after a stint with the Socceroos, first as head coach and then assistant. He has since gone on to prove himself to be one of Australia’s best coaches and Okon will be hoping to do the same.

If he can turn the Mariners around, and take them from the league’s laughing stock to a serious finals contender, then he’ll prove himself to be one of Australia’s master renovators.