Review of 2013/14.

[pjennings]

If you told me before the start of the season the squad would lose the best young keeper in Australia, the best CB pairing, the golden boot winner, their head coach, fitness coach as well as myriad of other squad and back office changes and still be close to the knockout stages of the ACL and a week away from the Grand Final I would have grabbed it with both hands. This should have been a year when we limped along while we rebuilt. We didn't - we rebuilt (or began rebuilding ) but still competed at a very high level.

I also think the 'defensive attitude' that is being complained about with Monty in front of the back four a la Steve Gerrard is simply part of the rebuilding. Imagine if we can keep Bernie and we get Wee-Mac back we could set up like

Roux----CB-----CB-----Rose

------------Monty

---Caceres McGlinchey

Ibini ----- Duke---- Fitzgerald

I think that team is anything but defensive. The fact that Adelaide and WSW in successive weeks continually fouled as we tried to break quickly is testimony to that, a tactic that refs will learn to police better over the course of a full season.

My only concern is the lack of an aerial threat. Something that we always had with Jedi then Griffiths then Patrick.

 

[Wombat]

I would be happy with that side as long as Bernie and Fitz were actually alongside Duke when we go forward not dawdling on the half way line.
Looks good.

 

[Kareem]

I think the biggest thing we need to review is the way we manage our club in the future

We had a lot of mid-season disruptions...much worse than any team in the a-league has seen before!

I understand that a lot of the events were most likely "one-offs" involving a bit of bad luck for us.

And yes, we came 3rd which is AMAZING!!! A team in transition, and with so many distractions.
And to compare to the "most successful team in the aleague" aka brisbane...they came 5th in their season of transition in 2013...

But it could have been much much worse!
And if this ever happened again in the future...we could have a massive club crisis.

Events to review:

1) Losing Our head coach: I would like to think this was a special unique deal that we wouldn't offer to any future coach apart from Arnold... Or someone extremely talented (ie. at the Arnold/postecoglu level).

2) Losing weemac overseas- his age (getting older) combined with personally knowing Arnold, a man in charge of a foreign club.

3) Clarke: this is impossible to prevent.
It was totally out of our hands...so I don't think this needs to be addressed!

4) losing mcbreen midseason...a tough one due to his age...but he was our golden boot.
It was probably the least damaging out of the events...and it's hard to say it this affected us...

5) Losing sainsbury mid season for a World Cup year (I think he would have stayed 6 more months if there was no World Cup spot to fight for).


To summarise
We should ensure that in the future we never suffer 5 big losses during the same mid season period.
A well managed football club should be ready to manage 1 or 2 problems that arise...not 5

 

[Kareem]

Also I think
Bernie deserves an A-

Had at least 2 match winning performances (heart and wanderers)
If we didn't have him we would have got 38 points maximum IMO

6th place

Who knows Maybe we would have had less points.....(he was key for the brisbane win as well..

If any player saved our season it was him!
Kim and Bosnar didn't manage to have the same impact!

Nb: I know it can be bold to make statements based on hypothetical scenarios...but I think in this case it's not too far of a stretch!

 

[eenfish]

Also I think
Bernie deserves an A-

Had at least 2 match winning performances (heart and wanderers)
If we didn't have him we would have got 38 points maximum IMO

6th place

Who knows Maybe we would have had less points.....(he was key for the brisbane win as well..

If any player saved our season it was him!
Kim and Bosnar didn't manage to have the same impact!

Nb: I know it can be bold to make statements based on hypothetical scenarios...but I think in this case it's not too far of a stretch!

Totally agreed. Bernie was sensational and crucial for us getting into the finals.

 

[priorpeter]

Great idea for a thread Wombat ... will add more latter...

However the biggest thing for me was the band ... great guys and he is the Portland copying us .. well maybe...

The best call of the lot especially when they snake around the stadium... over to the Timbers...

Haha. Portland is actually where I pinched the idea from.

 

[sydmariner]

Haha. Portland is actually where I pinched the idea from.

you made it sound better though

 

[eenfish]

Haha. Portland is actually where I pinched the idea from.

I remember. It didn't sneak past me, Pete.

 

[scoober]

Haha. Portland is actually where I pinched the idea from.

I thought RBB were the source of ALL football related chants ?? So Portland copied RBB and we copied Portland…….. I get it now

 

[bikinigirl]

Wombat, thanks for posting this topic. I was planning on making a similar post but have not had the time … and that is partly because I tend to carry on a bit too much. Anyway, without reference to anybody else’s posts I have finally compiled my own review … but to allow you all to ignore or consider, as you see fit, I have broken it up into component parts. I will try to avoid too much duplication (although I am sure I have probably said most of this throughout the season) … but will post ‘bits’ over a number of days. I hope that is OK.

Because it has taken me so long some it is now slightly out of date, but I can modify or update when I post.

 

[bikinigirl]

Summary

I believe most fans were realistic enough not to expect big things this season and I think if people were to look back to last October they would be pretty impressed with what the Mariners achieved this season. If you then consider how things had become a whole lot worse in January and hit a new low as the ACL games started with us setting a new record of losses … it is hard to be disappointed with finishing 3rd, only pushed back on goal difference.

For the second time in three seasons it was almost a relief to bow out the week before the Grand Final to save me from the difficult decision of whether to return to Brisbane again.

We are all aware of the player losses, the coach and the fitness guru – but we have also seen enormous change in other critical roles over the last 12 months or so. The ownership has changed, the CEO position was vacant for some time and the Football Director was moved on as well. For a club rightfully proud of its stability these are massive changes not to be underestimated.

At the close of the season we can look back on some new ideas which worked well (the band and cannon) some unnecessary distractions (NSO & Brookvale) and what appears to be a more stable back of house. Only time will tell if success and support continue … and continue to grow.

 

[Roy Law]

Summary

At the close of the season we can look back on some new ideas which worked well (the band and cannon) some unnecessary distractions (NSO & Brookvale) and what appears to be a more stable back of house. Only time will tell if success and support continue … and continue to grow.

My thoughts were when Peter Turnbull moved on that we needed the equivalent of an Arnie in the back office of the club. Much as I am unsettled by NSO and Brookie I believe that Charlesworth is right to get the club to stand on its own two feet financially without his support. We should be aiming for a realistic model that pays its way and that by itself will provide stability. While we supporters, who know nothing about the inner machinations of the club, fret about issues such as not retaining Flores, Phil Moss seems to be pretty happy and has mentioned the support he does get from behind the scenes.

 

[bikinigirl]

Tactics & Structure

It was clear from the start … and Arnie didn’t hide from the fact …. that we were re-building this year – his three year cycle was complete and the next three years was to begin. The foundations of whatever playing style he was going to adopt was the same – work on the defence first and build throughout the season. Of course this was not as simple as it had been in the past.

Originally he had his captain and Mariners stalwart in Wilko partnering up with our new and vastly experienced European veteran in Patrick. Now we had rising star Sainsbury and an opening for another youngster to cement a spot … or a hopeful reliance on finding a Patrick replacement. This of course was coupled with a new right back and a change in starting keeper … there were no guarantees.

If we were to build our structure through the defence it was likely to take some time and so it proved. A lack of cohesion was evident across the park (as you may expect with so much change) but our foundation has always been the defensive structure and this is where the lack of cohesion was most evident from a confidence point of view. This was compounded with continual change in the starting eleven to try and find the right answer.

Unfortunately one issue was feeding another and our midfield sat deeper to try and shore up the defence. In my view this only contributed to the uncertainty as the lack of confidence was publicly displayed and teammates literally got in one another’s way, they were playing that close together. This then contributed to the problems we were having further up the pitch as there was no means to relieve the pressure … support from the midfield was often too late – if it arrived at all.

These problems seemed to persist throughout the season but as confidence and cohesion grew we were able to create a bit more space. This was down to both the structure and the personnel, once there was a little more space between the two defensive lines there appeared to be fewer cases of ‘should I or shouldn’t I’ … the roles became more clearly defined.

This had the happy coincidence of drawing the midfield closer to the front line helping our attack … although not always mobile at least they were within passing distance more often. Personally I think this stepped up a little when Monty dropped back into a five man defence – as odd as that may sound. The benefit was that it allowed Caceres and Hutch (yes Hutch) to push forward a little more readily.

This may have been to accommodate all three defensive midfielders … I don’t know … but it may have provided them with a little more comfort and with comfort comes confidence. Hutch’s origins are more attacking and Caceres has always been billed as a defensive midfielder with attacking flair rather than a ‘number 10’.

The flow on of this structure is that Monty provides defensive cover for the two centre backs, something we haven’t needed in the past. This is not necessarily a criticism of the players but is a reflection of their attributes and style. Bosnar for example rushes out of defence and Zac just seems to have so much bulk to move – both can be slow to recover … and many easily forget how many times Wilko or Sains (even Pedj) were there to clear up similar imperfections in Patrick’s game.

Perhaps unperceived by most I think this did help our attack … yes we were playing counter-attacking football (and to be fair we have always attacked quickly) … but it suited our personnel. I am getting a little carried away here with specifics so I will carry on further later.

Suffice to say we have not played with two up front for a couple of seasons now (and this is not trying to encourage Wombat into further debate on the merits of 4-4-2) … but some things really frustrate me. The TV broadcasts continually representing our line up with a 4-4-2 diamond has no real basis in reality.

But then to have people (such as a WSW fan recently) saying that Mossy threw the game away by changing his structure towards the finals does not follow logic. This particular argument was based on us switching from two up front to add another man to the midfield … despite us playing with one up front and a five man midfield during the entire existence of the WSW (with the occasional tactical switch of course). My frustrations come from the fact that many of our own fans are confused about our tactical approach because of this … and they become frustrated and overly critical.

Will we see an evolution of this system or a complete change in structure next year? We will have to wait and see. But one thing Mossy appears to have come to terms with is playing people in a role they are comfortable with … a role that suits them and fits their natural game and attributes and I don’t think we have seen enough of that in the past. Sure, players need to be adaptable and of course the squad needs the right balance but playing people ‘out of position’ to suit a structure is not always the best solution. Broadening the player’s capabilities (gradually) and tweaking the structures to suit the squad’s strengths is preferable to me.

 

[Big Al]

Excellent BG

However Arnie's recruitment of Seip was probably the main cause of all of those issues apart from losing the fluid movements that come from knowing what your team mate will do (because they all left).

Not only did we switch to often (defence to fill the hole, striker/winger) by being impatient or even guilty of having an even squad where one was no better than the other.

Trent became the man with Zac or Seip to be his partner - then Trent left & Zac was made the man more from default than anything & then we constantly swapped trying to fill the LCB as Seip wasn't what we need or were used to.

Hutch lost trust & dropped to deep, unlike Monty at the end of the season it wasn't by design.

We then lost the link from backs to forwards. Also our backs distribution is no where near what it was last year. Zac is quite unsure on the ball, Reddy tries but is no Mat Ryan (hey no one is) & seip was terrible as well & griffo would try things at least but turn it over.

Also Rosey seemed to be effected & wasn't as comfortable to go forward & was also ordinary for most of the year.

Now that the defence is set for next season we should get off to a better start & allow us to be more attractive in the midfield/wings

Hopefully this leads to better service.

One thing I'd like Storm to do is cross the ball early. He sometimes takes it to far & loses the oportunity. Last night was a good example sometimes Lecky took the ball to wide & lost the rythem when couldn't get past his man & throwing a cross in to one striker when the defence is set & the ball is in front of them was a waste of time. Storm can improve his delivery we will see Simon get better chances to use his size.

The steady offseason will hoprefully take us to a good start early in the season against teams on the up like SFC & AU. Hopefully us & WSW don't fall back.

 

[bikinigirl]

The Squad

Of course there was huge change this season and we used a large number of players and we are all aware of the reasons why. Obviously (as already discussed) this had a huge impact on the cohesion, the confidence of the players and the structure and tactics with which we played the game.

Throughout the season we had very few regular starters which is telling in itself. Form, preferred combinations, squad changes and ultimately balancing the demands of the ACL and finals football all played a role. The closest we came to regular starters were veterans Monty, Hutch and Rose … but these guys were not guaranteed a start either.

Following is my interpretation of how the season and the squad evolved by considering the individuals involved.

 

[bikinigirl]

The Keepers

To me the single biggest loss we have had over the last 12 months is Mat Ryan. The most obvious role of a keeper is to stop the opposition from scoring … but this is not what we have missed most. What we really lost was the best sweeper in the league and quite possibly our best passer of the football. He was the man that set the tone for our whole playing structure … confident with the ball on either foot and bloody accurate with his quick distribution.

At the start of the season I, like many I am sure, was hopeful that Justin would get the gig ahead of Reddy … hopeful that his time deputising for the younger Mat Ryan and under the expert tutelage of John Crawley would see him grab the opportunity and make it his own. For many Reddy’s past indiscretions were a real concern – a lot of fuss was made about the ‘plane incident’ but that was insignificant as far as I was concerned … the bigger issue was his indiscretions against the Mariners.

Justin Pasfield

Justin did get the nod at the start of the season and despite being often criticised by the fans performed quite well in the early rounds … making some great saves and keeping us in a few matches when we may not have been deserving. Although he may have looked ungainly his distribution was quite good but there was a high standard to live up to.

He was far from perfect but the defence in front of him was a shambles at times and therefore attracted some unfair judgements. I can’t help but wonder how well Maty would have performed with such a different backline in front of him.

Ultimately Justin was brought undone by one major embarrassment … letting a back-pass trickle across the goal line. Personally I wouldn’t have dropped the guy for one stuff up (regardless of the magnitude), but Arnie deemed his confidence too low to hold faith. My thoughts were that it would have lowered his confidence even further … a reasonable consideration if he was needed as a substitute. It would be tragic if one stuff-up was to end his career (especially considering the chequered past of the man who replaced him).

EDIT: We are now aware that Pasfield will not be with the Mariners next season. Good luck in Singapore.

Liam Reddy

Reddy swaggered into the side with all the confidence expected of someone with an egotistical reputation and he was determined to make the most of his latest chance … and shot at redemption. He made a solid start and continued to impress. Many fans suggesting he was worthy of player of the year honours.

His distribution was pretty ordinary to start with but did improve as he became more comfortable with the ball at his feet … but often he was too slow to release and his accuracy was not what we had become accustomed too. He made some great saves (including a couple of penalties) but I think he somehow made the good look great on occasion.

While Justin was brought undone by ‘the bounce of the ball’, Liam was often fortunate (especially in his early starts) that the fumbles and parries did not result in goals – I think this was more a reflection of the improving defence, but may have involved some luck as well.

Ultimately he was rewarded with an extended contract with almost universal praise and some begrudging acceptance from the fans.

EDIT: Mariners medal and Supporters Club Player of the Year ... not bad additions to the contract extension.

 

[Wombat]

Great work so far BG but your appraisal of Reddy sounds like Scrooge saying he loves Christmas.

He had an outstanding season in a rather average team. I can only remember one bad game (against Wellington) all year.

Give credit when it's due.

 

[pjennings]

Great work so far BG but your appraisal of Reddy sounds like Scrooge saying he loves Christmas.

He had an outstanding season in a rather average team. I can only remember one bad game (against Wellington) all year.

Give credit when it's due.

It is a tough ask to follow Maty though.

 

[Roy Law]

"Ultimately Justin was brought undone by one major embarrassment … letting a back-pass trickle across the goal line".
I get annoyed when I read this nonsense; hating Reddy just brings out blind prejudice (and apologies to BG whose opinion and posts I respect and enjoy). Pasfield was directly responsible for four goals conceded by the Mariners; two in round two against the Heart and two in round four against the Jets. That is four goals conceded in four rounds; it was the accumulation of errors that cost him. No professional football club which has two keepers genuinely competing for the one spot would allow Justin Pasfield to retain his position. Reddy, having been signed on his last chance, had to be given that chance after Pasfield opened the door.

 

[eenfish]

Well said, Roy. You could visibly see Justin mentally cracking, or at least getting extremely frustrated. If Reddy came in and performed as badly as Justin did then I imagine Justin would have had another shot. But he didn't and that is why Justin never got another look in.