The Central Coast Mariners are in themselves a grand juxtaposition. It’s a Jekyll and Hyde kind of game.
For breakfast on Tuesday morning I read of an upgrade of up to $700,000 for Central Coast Stadium amid ongoing talks of their bold bid to be the only tenant.
For lunch I was shocked, albeit for a brief moment, that the club decided after a heated board meeting and some key disagreements that manager Paul Okon’s position became untenable.
I don’t have too much sympathy for Okon. In the second year of a two-year deal the 28-time Socceroo and former captain couldn’t put the Mariners back onto the path and for the fourth excruciating year, the Mariners have finished outside the top six.
A struggling first year can be forgiven considering Okon was working with Tony Walmsley’s scrapheap. However even with a whole pre-season, Okon’s recruitment was hit and miss as he attempted to develop a strong spine with foreigners like Alan Baro, Tom Hiariej and Wout Brama.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
They had no goal scorers. Asdruval Padron was a failed venture while Connor Pain and Andrew Hoole aren’t consistent enough to be goal scoring outlets at A-League level. Attacking talent like Danny De Silva couldn’t show half his ability with the poor recruitment around him.
With four matches to go and currently sitting on 20 points and in ninth place, a the same position as last season, Paul Okon has shown he’s failed to help the club turn a corner.
According to The Australian’s chief football writer, Ray Gatt, who spoke with Fox Sports, Okon’s quarrels with the board which lead to his exit “reportedly included less of a say in the direction of the club’s recruitment strategy and focus.”
The Mariners are now back to square one… again.
Central Coast Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp, in a statement made by the club said that their next move is the “most important appointment in the club’s history.”
If there is anything they’ve got right, it’s that. The Mariners cannot afford anymore slip ups following three years of unwanted records, poor results and fan disillusionment.
There is no more room for mistakes or another botched appointment for a club that has trophies in the cabinet, ever-so loyal fans and infrastructure that trumps the majority of fellow A-League clubs.
Should they look long or short term? Can they promote in house or scout overseas? There are many questions that will rise in the coming weeks.
If chairman Mike Charlesworth and Mielekamp are worth their salt, they’ll conduct a polished search for a proper manager to get them back into the finals before an expansion tidal wave hits, whenever that may be.
It’s important Mielekamp understands and acts upon mistakes, but don’t let the words “It’s a tough time for the club. We can’t make a mistake,” become the clubs mantra.
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Roar Guru
The whole point of a salary capped league is to give clubs opportunity to all sign good players and for their not to be a monopoly at the top. It didn't stop the Mariners from winning a Grand Final in 2012, why all of a sudden does it matter now?
Reality Check
Guest
Okon is a crap coach his record in the aleague and his time with the young Socceroos speaks for it self was against him getting the gig to start with
Kangajets
Guest
Both are good podcasts. I like the understated wit of Barry Glendenning, would love to hear him commentating on A league games as the co commentator .
Buddy
Guest
or even Mr Glendenning. It would not give me access to make the correction.
Buddy
Guest
so you like the dry wit of Mr Gendenning too? I never have anyone to discuss that podcast with although I do listen to James Richardson too now he has moved
Johnno
Guest
NPL is there future perhaps
Kangajets
Guest
In football matters totally unrelated to central coast . I’m lead to believe that Barry Glendenning ( the best voice in football) will be on the Santo Sam and Ed podcast this week. Normally glendenning is on the guardian football weekly podcast which is also a good listen .
Griffo
Roar Guru
I think mentally De Silva needs a good squad around him rather than him pushing himself into controlling games. I do wonder if being touted as something special and complete early may have affected him...
Griffo
Roar Guru
I think Onside's comment is the truth 'somewhere in between' Okon being poor, and CCM having poor resources. Are the Mariners promoting youth from the COE, or recruiting elsewhere some poor quality players in the hope of a bang for buck ideal? Okon looked to have dogmatically stuck to his philosophy but it comes back to the quality vs resource question of how effective the team he chose was in realising it, given the resources he could use. I think CCM has, notwithstanding obvious availability of resources, some important decisions to make for the next coaching appointment. Because from our experience poor decision making coupled with poor resources gives you a firm footing on the season table. Hoping CCM have some good news in the next few weeks on getting a greater pool of funding. They're the team everyone wants to see do well, especially teams outside the A-League looking in.
Griffo
Roar Guru
...a Japanese or Korean coach would be out there, but an interesting development if it occured.
Mark
Guest
I understand the point entirely, but I don’t think you understand how transfers work in the real world. There is a reason so few players are transferred with six months or less remaining on their contracts. There is rarely any point in a club paying for them compared to waiting until the end of the season and getting them for free. Certainly not in the case of the Jets last year, whose best case scenario was scraping into the 6.
Kangajets
Guest
* re write history Auto correct grr
Kangajets
Guest
Mark You can’t remember write history. You might need to have another look at last season . In January 2017 the jets beat Melbourne City at Coffs Harbour and were most definitely in the running for finals . The fact they didn’t win again all season is why they missed out on finals . The previous season the jets were still about 7 th position when David Carney left for Sydney mid January without a transfer fee. The point of this is not about the jets , it’s about transfer fees between a league clubs .
Mark
Guest
I don’t have a problem per se with transfers between A-League clubs, but with the short nature of A-League contracts and financial situation of most clubs I think some people massively over-estimate the impact it would have ie. how many players would be transferred and what clubs would pay for them. There is absolutely no way O’Donovan would have been sold to Newcastle in the January window last year. Newcastle had no reason to buy him immediately - they weren’t in serious running for finals, and they could sign him up to join at the end of the season for free.
Kangajets
Guest
Yep I knew and the rest of Newcastle I think too knew that o Donovan was leaving ccm a long way before the last season was over Therefore Ccm could have sold him in the January transfer window .
Waz
Roar Rookie
O’Donnovon was off contract therefore there is no transfer fee.
Onside
Guest
A CCM board appointed Paul Okon who would have outlined both his preferred style of playing , plus the players and staff he needed to implement his plans. As the CCM board must have considered before agreeing to Paul Okons then vision , he is neither alone , nor singularly responsible for CCM's position.
Kangajets
Guest
The A league is not an even playing field , and I’m not suggesting that it should be either , but I don’t think a total free market is the go just yet . In ccm case the Salary cap is not totally even because the mariners only spend 90 percent of their cap That 10 Per cent not spent equals the wages of a player you would expect to be amongst your best Also marquee wages are exempt from salary cap , there is nothing to suggest that ccm are paying overs for marquees. Ccm received no transfer fees for Mitch Austin or Roy O’Donovan,who I’m sure they would have sold in a transfer window ( to receive a transfer fee if the rules allowed it ). once it was known they were not going to renew their contracts. There is definitely not an even playing field , however I don’t believe that ccm have punched above their weight in the last 4 seasons . They have placed exactly where their budget allows them . What I will recognise is that ccm most definitely punched above their weight in making 4 grand finals in the first 9 seasons .
Joey
Guest
We need to get Poppa and a new owner for the club.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Can’t argue with that.