Scripting a Mariners A-League fairytale

re the diving – like Mauk? everyone who followed the Matildas closely has complete respect for Staj, and little faith in our administrators past

They should've pulled the pin last year, and now sit 7 points clear this year.... As for it being results based your right to a point,the game at a professional level is money based. The mariner don't have alot of it so time should be given to implement a plan. I'm pretty sure the last 3 games last year save staj, but I'm glad we stuck by him.

The Mariners turn around this season has been brilliant. Despite the wooden spoon there were already signs late last year that Staj was laying the right foundations, the most important was changing and strengthening the coaching ranks. Before last season the Mariners didn't have a video analyst and their strength and conditioning coach was part time. Many players we wanted to keep were leaving to go to more professionally run clubs. The first sign for me, for less cautious optimism of where the club were heading was the re-signing of Birra in goals. At last one of our better players wanted to stay. From there, we had the hope of competing for the top six knowing we were keeping a core of mainly young players that now had a couple of seasons of experience under their belts and the fire in their bellies to turn things around. We'd freed up a lot of budget getting rid of the highest paid players who weren't providing the output. So who could we bring in as an older head to guide the younger brigade? Oli has been a revelation. Suddenly our whole defensive line, with only one change in personnel from last season is playing with calmness, structure and unity. Our imports last year were certainly a good standard, but not a good fit, one playing half fit when he could play, the other unable to play with the same discipline or orchestrate tempo the way Oli does. This season Urena has formed a fantastic partnership with Simon and without scoring many himself, regularly plays key, dangerous passes to set up players around him. Janota is taking longer to settle in but is clearly quality and a team man first. But still, how has Staj turned around our core from promising youngsters that showed glimpses of talent but no consistency in the level of their performance? How has he turned woefully performing older players other terms wouldn't touch, Simon and Clisby, who'd lose their heads due to frustration and cost us games? I would never have believed either player could play to the standard they're showing this year. How has he changed DDS from an energiser bunny who used to run in circles and into dead ends into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league? Focus? Either Staj and the team are master psychologists or perhaps they've brought one in, Birra has already talked about being counselled to stay in the moment and not get caught up in the emotion of the game as he was prone to do last season. As a Mariners fan, it's nice to have some time in the sun once more!

Then, entitled to be fined by the club, if the club has anti-diving policy, like Shannon Cole. Then, entitled to be attached with the innuendo throughout the career. Plain simple. Diver!

Was it openly known that he would receive a 2nd year after finishing last? That's what needs to be confirmed, if so that explains it. If not then being in a results based industry, they shouldve pulled the pin

But that’s the basis of the debate! If they sacked him they would have been at square one. They had to find a new coach, sort out the playing group, establish a way of playing and try and get it all together again. Instead they persisted or showed faith and things have turned around for the foreseeable future at any rate. Which option would you prefer as a fan? Not necessarily a CCM fan either!

If there's contact in the box, you are entitled to go down. Plain and simple

Are we not in a results base business? Did he not deserved to get sacked last year? They finished last! Any other team sacks the coach

That's right Popovic, Milicic and Rudan all from same Sydney United side

AA - interesting point you raise about whether A.S is lucky to have his job after last season's performance on the field. I'm not delving into whose squad it was, who recruited etc etc which is the normal debate when anyone wishes to attribute blame or responsibility for a particular predicament or position. The part that is interesting is in how long a management group are able to give an incumbent before they decide to try something else. I seem to recall there was an article in the press this week about a club that has gone through a multitude of managers in recent seasons. Certainly in the A league the honeymoon period has been relatively short but is that the wrong way to approach it? After all, without the heavy consequence of relegation, there is always a brighter future next season! One of the things that we as fans crave is stability within the club. SFC took a long time to learn that one and we saw a succession of managers almost on a revolving door. That leads to player movements and unrest generally amongst the fans; probably affects the sponsors too. Once they finally woke up to where their problems were, their fortunes changed. I'm not interested in how they fill their squad, nor how much money they have to spend over and above the salary cap - just that stability (a settled squad on longer contracts) and an end to the revolving door that saw far too many managers come and go, most of us acknowledge their success even if we do not admire the way they achieve it. Could it be that stability in coaching and clearer policies relating to recruitment and youth development are paving the way for success at CCM? A.S. has had time to make changes, tweaks and has things running how he wants to and in spite of our pandemic woes that have seen a most peculiar draw so far in 2021 - the fact remains that CCM sit on top and are well clear at present - consistency (the other thing we crave).

People do not like to target someone for sake just arguing. However, as someone has bought about diving, it is interesting to know if Adelaide United has the "no diving policy". Should the 3 penalties not given against CCM, CCM is 10 points ahead of the 2nd place MacArthur. Let's have a look at the decade old incident in which Shannon Cole was fined by his own club Sydney FC for diving in the match against GCU, https://greatmomentsofsportsmanship.com/%E2%80%98tis-the-season-not-to-dive-part-1/#:~:text=Australia's%20Sydney%20FC%20have%20taken,tumble'%20in%20the%20penalty%20box.&text=Sydney%20FC%20have%20a%20'No,fined%20Cole%20an%20undisclosed%20amount. Has Stefan Mauk been fined? Has Ben Halloran been fined? Innuendo? Who with?

I was at the 2013 A-League Grand final when CCM beat WSW. If the Mariners can crack the top 6 maybe another big chance to make the GF :thumbup:

this is the same coach that took them to last place the previous season right? lol and now he's lauded as some form of coaching messiah? Hes in the same over rated category of australian coaches like milicic. He's incredibly lucky to still have his job (any other team would've sacked the coach in the same position for finishing last) As for the matildas job, maybe i wont go too deep into that subject, because it got me on the moderation list lol. Regardless whether you believe any of the claims are/were true (and yes he did get his name cleared). All that innuendo will stick with him throughout his career, its no different to a player that dives; they will get the reputation of being a diver regardless if they dont dive ever again

Lionheart - his incident was reminiscent of that ridiculous "scorpion kick " goal of a few years ago, the same player could try it a thousand times and it would never re-occur, but it makes for good writing and reading material. However your comment re. "Staj" was well put (especially the history) he has made a huge difference to the performance but not any more than ,to me, the signing of the season in captain Oliver Bozanic, who, once again, is setting an example of the difference in players from "yesteryear" and the youngsters being given a "run" due to the virus. Cheers jb

Good on him. He'll live on it for a while. Staj is the real star - takes the Matildas to #3 in the world and our master administrators sack him. He'll be lost to us in a year or two, let's enjoy him while we can.