Beware The Mariners

[midfielder]

HMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm if you listen to the media, the Mariners, are a tad above cavemen status when it comes to playing..

Heard it all before, Fozza analysis was one lower English league defender signed, coached by a Scotchman ... Wow we are gone... NOTHING could be further from the truth ..as FFC Mariner only if we change our name to Athletico Gosford, would the media give us some cred.

Our true position, we have signed five players and still have a number on trial.. Signings to date  are Michael McGlinchey (an Attacking mid /striker), Shane Huke (defensive mid), Nick Travis ( box to box mid), Chris Doig (central defender), Matthew Lewis (youth league mid), plus we still have a number of people trialling. 

McGlinchy was offered a place at Man U & Celtic just over three years ago, took Celtic and has played  for Scotland under 20. Injury has kept him out the last couple of years ... Travis will be the surprise packet of the league fast, great pass ,and again young only 22. Both players attempting to rebuild there stalled career after injury. Many football folk have judged Huke as a potential Halroo he is very good at closing play down an excellent signing. Doin & Travis have an essential ingredient all clubs need and the Mariners have lacked to date. They are players with a little mongrel in em.  Returning from injury, Elrich, in 2006 the next on the plane to the WC has a lot to prove. Mrdja another highly skilful player, said to be free from injury this season.

We will make the finals and our midfield is very similar to the Man U midfield that took the treble..

Beckham, Scholes, Keerne, Giggs ... Elrich, Travis, Huke & Caceres... Elrich will provide those balls into a fast running attack of Simon & McGlinchy, Travis is like Scholes a great box to box mid with a little mongrel. Huke like Keno our defensive hub, and finally Caceres to attack and run at players like Giggs... 

It is an interesting and has gone under the radar that the Mariners have signed two players..  three years ago. who where possible bench players in the EPL.. but their careers as I said before stalled by injury.. our medical staff believe they have recovered. This strategy of using young players attempting to prove they are EPL ready could or will add a dimension to the Mariners the like of which the A-League has never seen before.. 

Meaning we have two players in Travis, McGlinchy who will be playing to prove they are ready to return to the EPL.. Huke also wanting to go back to Europe... add the return of Elrich who wants his Socceroo right mid position back the Mariner signings have the potential to tear the A-League apart.

In closing every year we are written off as having no hope .. this year it has been a constant attack.. we dont mind being underdogs .... We do tire of the some of the Media and there analysis .. Not because there may not be some grains of truth in what is said more when things are done very well no comments are made.The perfect example the Mariners Centre of Excellence a 60 + million investment in technical improvement rarely if ever talked about. 

I remember a chant from Hal 1 that is as true today as it was in Hal 1 It goes  

Nobody rates Us

      WE dont Care

 

[Arabmariner]

We'll find out on Thursday MF!

 

[Jazzie]

Well thought out and written post, midfielder. I was half listening to a Fox Sports interview the other night, pertaining to the HAL. The Fox interviewer could barely keep the snigger out of his tone when mentioning the Mariners.

All I can say is let the bellicose Clive Palmer and the GCU have all the limelight. The Mariners will do it their own quiet way. I too believe the Mariners will be a surprise packet this year, for all the right reasons.

 

[Roy Law]

All the logic tells me the Mariners will finish 7th at best so I have been trying to find the argument that says they will make the play offs. Thank you for enlightening me. Brings a smile to the face. BTW we have also signed a Brazilian, Adamo Kwasaldinho...

 

[serious14]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

 

[Kareem]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

i think MF belongs to the school of thought tha Hutch was our only option in the holding sort of role ie. backpassing.
It has some merit (was discussed in McKinna Out thread)...we shall see, because we definately have other options now- eg. huke, bojic and even travis (although would like to give him a more advanced role...ie. MF's box to box midfielder description)



My lineup (which I feel will not be played once this season)(mainly due to Hutch's position and that I doubt Bojic will play at RB)
4-2-3-1
                          Vukovic
Bojic        Wilko              Doig            Heff
                            Huke
                Travis
  Elrich            McGlinchey        Caceres
                        Simon

This has Huke and Travis as the 2 in midfield with Travis given the more adventorous CM role (eg. like Australia, Culina slightly more advanced then Grella)

 

[Gopher of Pern]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

Maybe because McKinna might have learned something from last season?

And if Hutch is the form player in that position, why shouldn't he play?

 

[Atomic]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

i think MF belongs to the school of thought tha Hutch was our only option in the holding sort of role ie. backpassing.
It has some merit (was discussed in McKinna Out thread)...we shall see, because we definately have other options now- eg. huke, bojic and even travis (although would like to give him a more advanced role...ie. MF's box to box midfielder description)



My lineup (which I feel will not be played once this season)(mainly due to Hutch's position and that I doubt Bojic will play at RB)
4-2-3-1
                          Vukovic
Bojic        Wilko              Doig            Heff
                             Huke
                Travis
   Elrich            McGlinchey        Caceres
                         Simon

This has Huke and Travis as the 2 in midfield with Travis given the more adventorous CM role (eg. like Australia, Culina slightly more advanced then Grella)

Isn't Huke out with a dodgy knee?

 

[midfielder]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

Hutch will have to earn his place or others loose theirs ... Travis, McGlinchy bring a potential to our side the like we have never seem before and that includes Tommy P...Huke is a defensive mid or Central defender .. my main concern is the wide backs especially right ... in fact I would even thing Huke & Doig in central defense with Wilko at right back and this would put Hutch back into the team...


Given Huke is out as I understand it .. Hutch will more than likely start the first game .. but he has to earn his place... but I still hold by my mid field 4 of Elrich, Travis, Huke & Caceres.

 

[Jesus]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

Hutch will have to earn his place or others loose theirs ... Travis, McGlinchy bring a potential to our side the like we have never seem before and that includes Tommy P...Huke is a defensive mid or Central defender .. my main concern is the wide backs especially right ... in fact I would even thing Huke & Doig in central defense with Wilko at right back and this would put Hutch back into the team...


Given Huke is out as I understand it .. Hutch will more than likely start the first game .. but he has to earn his place... but I still hold by my mid field 4 of Elrich, Travis, Huke & Caceres.

Hutch looked pretty good in the hit outs i have seen. Certainly I dont think caceras has looked nearly that good for ages, and if Kwas is up front, no one will be pushing hutch out of the LM position unless little mac moves wider.

Elrich and Caceras were both poor from what i saw and caceras did not even make the bench for the nix game, and Lawrie felt no need to bring on elrich. I doubt without a serious change in the 2 players motivation, or alot of injuries, that you will see either in the starting line up this season, yet alone both.

 

[FFC Mariner]

No one likes us, we dont care.

Hutcho to lose the pics that he has used to keep his place - and be relegated to the bench.

4th or 5th for us

10th for the scum

 

[clarence]

MF - again, you seem to think Hutch won't start every game (as per your listed midfield), regardless of form??  We've all seen the precedent set my McKinna with regards to this situation, I'm just wondering what you think will change this season??

I have been with you in criticising McKinna's tactics and keeping Hutch in the job to date. Seemingly when even out of form.

However, with the start of the new season we also see the new squad.

I do believe that the current squad is more consistently solid and there are equals instead of starter and sub in most positions.

For example, on Hutch's left mid. We have brought Kwassi in who is a proven performer at this level, and there's also Caceres also run out on the left midfield (but does tend to go more forward than Hutch and run into the centre more). The first time I saw Caceres in Mariners colours he was, in fact, on the left mid, with Elrich on right mid.

By adding McGlinchey and Travis into the squad we have doubled up on Centre mid players and Lawrie can now afford to put Caceres out on left flank if he wishes to, or Kwassi for that matter.

Huke and Pedj will possibly share the defensive centre midfield role this season, and once Huke is back that places pressure upon Heff to retain the LB role (Pedj can fill in at that role and will relish the chance to play alongside Doig), or Lawrie may care to run Heff at Left mid too (which will relieve the backline from technical lapses from Heff - which he is prone to).

The only weaker spot I see is the Right Back role. I think Lawrie is having to put Boogs there for the better defensive player, and have Porter as backup with also Clark as another back up.

But Boogs' speed (or lack of it,  off the mark to be precise) is a worry, hopefully Doig can work Wilko into a better Centre Back combo so they can mop up any slips around Boogs.

I believe, from what I have read here, that Doig is indeed a backline leader and does tend to stay back, so it may well come to conceding a bit of speed at RB for the better tackler in Boogs, and if that fails ensuring that Doig and/or Wilko are covering Boogs in CB and can take on anyone that slips through.

I do think we are a more all round squad this season.

However, the A-League has been improving from season to season (which is actually a good thing).

This season we see current Socceroos coming into the A-League (Coyne, Culina, Sterjovski) & two new teams that are a question mark at this stage. Luckily for us, Gold Coast have Miron, and NQ have a team of well known A-League players + God but not much more other than the managing guile of Fergie.

To me, the question is whether the recruitments and preparations that the Mariners have made for this season is enough to put them into contention come the Finals time.

Even though we have a short season compared to other Football comps., injuries have still impacted heavily upon the Mariners and other teams in the A-League in seasons past.

I think Lawrie has done well to provide a more adequate cover for current starters in our lineup and there may even be some from last season who may wind up relegated to NYL matches and bench duties.

McGlinchey, if he's a success here, will press Caceres for his beloved Attacking Centre mid role. Travis will press there too and maybe on the right side.

Also on the right mid there's Porter the present incumbent due to last season's injury to Elrich, and time will tell if Ahmad can regain full fitness and press for his spot back. Elrich can also play forward, and Mrdja is no longer a certainty for a  start if fit, with Matt and Macca demanding equal time too.

Seasoned English lower league players like Travis, Huke, Pedj and Doig will definitely stiffen the resolve of this team in the place of Owens, Osman, O'Grady, Gumprecht in latter years, and an about to retire Clark.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

And good thread midfielder. I love the whole spirit of such threads!

 

[MARSHP1]

Yes, good one.Let's keep up the positivity! I really believe we have our best ever squad this year.Probably don't have the two or three standout players that some other teams have but at this stage we don't know the quality of the likes of Travis,McGlinchley and the one other that will most likely be signed(Jamaican?). Lot's of variables.....is this the season we see the best of Nik Mrjda? Will Elrich be injury free and return to his old form? Will Doig solve our defensive issues? Will Simon make the step up from raw talent to finished article? Who will get injured? Will people get off Hutch's back? Will we regain the confidence/belief we had? I think we will finish around 4th. As for the so called experts, they really don't appear to have done their homework and are writing off alot of teams that will be in the mix. Whatever, let's get behind the boys and make it a great season.

 

[fedelta]

tbh i wouldn't liken elrich to beckham

 

[UnitedsNo9]

I would give Hutch a starting spot definately, he deserves it at the moment. If others are better throughout the season they will swap, thats why you have a squad.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Walked into work this morning to be told by a couple of SFC members that they think we will get done by 4 or 5 against Melb.

I pointed out that we will (as usual) be a lot more competitive that the media have suggested (as usual) and whilst we may not beat MV and may indeed lose, we wont be disgraced.

I ended up with telling them that we will have our "usual" season............and so will they.

 

[fedelta]

then jabbed them in the head

 

[MARSHP1]

Yeah, not sure why we are always been written off? To be honest i think they can't see past the fact that we are a relatively small region and have no right to be competing with the "big" teams. Whenever the "experts" predict the top few it is always Melbourne,Sydney,Adelaide,Brisbane...this year add Gold Coast and Perth. It'll take a few years to change that perception.

 

[bulldogmariner]

It will never change whilst football pundits such as Craig Foster are around who bag the football club at every opportunity. Expectations of this club are very small compared to others in the league even though the local community expect that they will do well.
The Mariners have in theory to many pundits over achieved in the first four seasons. Lawrie and his men were top of this league @ the start of 2009 after everyone predicted they will finish mid table or worse.
The Mariners have a stronger squad than last season and have got players from lower leagues in the UK. Get what the A-League is comparable with the mid-table of League 1 and bottom of Scotland's SPL. So mainly the players who have come here are above this level. Just look at Shane Smeltz or Grant Brebner or even the much feared Kevin Muscat they were not in the top leagues when they came here and have been fantastic for their clubs.