Central Coast coach Alen Stajcic modestly describes the Mariners’ start to the A-League season as a “small ray of sunshine”.
But after five years of dark times, they’ll take it.
The Mariners have logged their best start since the club’s 2007-08 title-winning season, beating championship fancies Sydney FC 2-0 on Friday to make it three wins from four matches.
While hardly a magical run for most sporting teams, it already equals the total number of wins from two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19) during that horror five-year stretch, which saw them also finish last four times.
The former Matildas coach Stajcic, who took over from the embattled Mike Mulvey in March 2019, said he can already feel the Central Coast getting behind the club as they eye a goal of finals football and Asian Champions League qualification.
“The characteristics within the team that I am looking for in terms of the effort, the intensity, the cut-through runs and just the all-up team spirit and mentality is ten out of ten at the moment,” Stajcic said.
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
“Everything in our club builds confidence. When you’ve conceded the most goals every year in just about the last five, lost the most amount of matches, then everything, every part of the puzzle, is important.”
While sitting atop a competition fractured by COVID, and working at a club whose ownership is still up in the air, Stajcic isn’t looking too far ahead.
“I’m a little bit pragmatic. It’s just the beginning for me and I know how much further we have to go to get real credibility in the league,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sydney FC will look to sharpen their attack ahead of the club’s next scheduled match on Saturday week against Macarthur.
The two-time defending champions have had a win, draw and loss to start the season but have been lacking a finishing touch.
Asked about the possible inclusion of talismanic goalscorer Bobo for the Bulls clash after he rejoined the club from the second division in Brazil, coach Steve Corica demurred.
“Next week? Hmm, not sure about that. Maybe a couple of weeks,” he said.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
If the coach was actually looking for all those things why didn't he give Nisbet more game time last season just for starters. The same coach with a bigger squad with more names last season got the wooden spoon. Why is that? Simple answer he prefers the wrong type of players. This season the Mariners are down to bare bones,maybe the cheapest squad ever in A-league history and yet they are top of the table. Its a happy coincidence the much harder working Simon is there just because Jordan Murray was bought by some club. I would say other players left because of the reduced money as well rather than any sense being shown. Of course they could still sabotage it will only take one or two of the coaches preferred lazy type of player to sabotage the current success and maybe he will use this success as leverage to buy lazy players to return to the wooden spoon. Corica has been very succesful in the past season despite him having some well past it aging players and never letting them go. Instead of cashing his chips he has doubled his bets by keeping the aging players on even further like he does not believe in the aging process. Wilkinson lack of speed and agility was embarassing and clearly responsible for both goals, and what was his turning his back for the second. Tongyiks speed on the other hand is a big asset for the Mariners. The idea that a 36 year old Bobo will save the day is bizzare. Even futhermore everyone is saying Sydneys problems are only due to losing La Fondre.
NoMates
Guest
When SFC get smashed i love it, when last years wooden spooners do it even better. So happy for CCM and there fans.
Melange
Guest
Well played by the mighty Mariners, cool in defence, limited them to only a couple of dangerous chances, calm and decisive in possession too. Early days, but a good start.