Where do you want CCM to be?

[David Votoupal]

OK, there's been a couple of threads on these issues before. However, with the ACL campaign over, and the warning signs there since the start of the year, it's time to go over this again and ask yourselves: where do you want CCM to be?

There's no doubt that McKinna and his troops have done well to be competitive through the short history of the A-League thus far, with two Grand Finals and finals participation in all but one season of the league thus far. And people will say for a club of this size, that's pretty damn good going. But in the wider picture, in a league where half the teams qualify for finals anyway, and with the complexion of the league about to change, how good has it been?

What should not be accepted in an open league like this is mediocrity, and tiresome cliches. The club has tremendous potential to be a leader in Australian football, but this opportunity is in danger of being wasted due to the increasing staleness of things that have become painfully evident on the field since the start of the year. Because it's been a long time coming if one is brutally honest.

There's also the issue of McKinna and coaching. There's plenty of reasons for sticking with Lawrie, but there are also plenty of reasons to suggest that he has taken the club as far as he possibly can, that he and his troops have run their course and it's time for renewal.

But which is it?

 

[FFC Mariner]

If you have a failing group of people (in any field not just sport) you need to shake them up and you do that by replacing the person paid to be responsible for the results.

End of

 

[northernspirit]

To be fair the club has publically said theyre aware of this, its not exactly a newsflash!

We need to address some key areas:
1: A leader at the back, we are soft as butter at the back
2: A central midfielder with some flair to get things happening
3: Pace! Through the left and right midfield
4: Support for Matty
5: Get rid of Mrdja, Elrich please!

So by my reckoning thats: 1 central defender, 1 central midfielder, 1 left midfielder, 1 right midfielder, 1 striker

Thats 5 positions, club says 5-6 spots are up for renewal, if there is a 6th then perhaps another defender is in order.

As for the manager, he seems to have lost the ability to lift the team - Time for a change imo

 

[Sean]

I was hoping there was some way we could keep Lawrie and push for a top notch technical director or coach.

 

[David Votoupal]

Exactly. It's becoming a dangerous transgression from stability to stagnation which will see the club left behind in the longer term.

Accepting cliches like "oh but we're doing OK considering what we've got" simply don't wash in the A-League like they would anywhere else due to the setup of the league. Even the performances of the past few seasons needs some scrutiny. Because the league is advancing and keeping thigns the way they are isn't going to be sustainable.

 

[mickeverton]

GET A BIG BROOM

 

[thomas477]

As a Jets fan i want CCM at the bottom, but more over as an a-league fan, i want them to be competative.

You need a good CB to partner Wilkinson, as well as a commanding CM (ala in the Jedinak mold), as well as a half decent AM.

 

[Jesus]

Lawrie out has to be the first port of call.

New cb.

Get wilko the f**k away from captain. Have him team spokesmen if you want, but get him out of their for someone with leadership and backbone. Wilko is too nice for that

But i feel, it is a case with wilko and lawrie, that their presumable pr is of more importance than their football related abilities.

 

[BigNuts]

Where do I want CCM to be? I would love for the Mariners to be at the top of the A-League every season, win the toilet seat, to win the ACL and World Club Championship.

Realistically we are a long way from this, however I don't think it is all doom and gloom. I am dissappointed we have wasted an ACL opportunity by not bringing in new players but if you think about it we were top of the A-League as recently as the 1st of January. Our poor run can be attributed to losing our best player in Jedinak and our key players (Macca, Danny, etc.) drastically losing form.

I have faith that the club is currently doing the necessary things to turn our performances around (Lyall's clearout of players who aren't up to standard).

In saying that, I am pretty annoyed that Lawrie took Kwasildinho off after scoring 2 goals. I really can't understand that....

 

[bjw]

Sign some young players. (the whole sheffield thingo )
Get rid of Hutch, and other dead weight we're dragging along

get a new captain, new striker, new defender...
Re-Haul the whole squad basically.
sign Huke for Season 5 aswell.

Lawrie....... out

 

[dibo]

I just want us to be in a situation where every match isn't followed by the mass f**king waaaaambulance having to come through and hand out hankies.

At the moment, I'd settle for mediocrity. It'd be a step up from the three Ds - debacle, disaster and disgrace.

 

[David Votoupal]

The way the league is, and the stage the league is at and the game is at, accepting mediocrity simply isn't going to cut it.

When the warning signs have been there for some time now, they are impossible to ignore, that the way things have been with regards to playing and coaching staff may have run its course. When stability gives way to stagnation, decisive action is required for renewal and revitalisation.

 

[dibo]

You missed my point bucko.

 

[ballantyne]

I agree we need some new players in the critical positions already mentioned. I worry that we won't be able to attract those players with the current coaching set-up. As a putative Mariners player you'd surely worry about the fact that we never seem to have any set pieces or be able to defend set pieces, which is a coaching issue. I think McKinna has the respect of the players and is a good manager, but the coaching seems crap.

 

[FFC Mariner]

As a Jets fan i want CCM at the bottom, but more over as an a-league fan, i want them to be competative.

You need a good CB to partner Wilkinson, as well as a commanding CM (ala in the Jedinak mold), as well as a half decent AM.

You might have some pretty stiff competition for that spoon this season mate

 

[fedelta]

GET A BIG BROOM

/thread

 

[Wombat]

Huge broom needed.    Nothing is working but nothing really changes.

Dreadful defence with no rudder.
Toothless and poor quality midfield.  Hutch is dragging us down.
Simon isolated up front.

The coaching is appalling.  A friend of mine used to play for South Melbourne in NSL and told me they were fully screamed at for turning their backs on the ball or not closing down.  Something we always do.  But nothing changes, Lawrie probably gives them a cup of coco and says..."Tough luck son".  FFS Heffernan doesn't even look at the ball when going for a header.

I'd settle for a top four finish but next year with this rabble i'd settle for 7th spot and crowds not going down drastically.

 

[dibo]

Lawrie probably gives them a cup of coco and says..."Tough luck son".

I'm sure that's exactly what happens. : It's *cocoa* too, for those playing at home.

We're clearly in the shitter at the moment and the coaching obviously can't be up to scratch because nothing's up to scratch. We're utterly dire. Today was no exception. We scored two goals from scrapping (Kwasnik working harder than anyone else, much as Matty was doing for much of last HAL season) but were simply not good enough to make that into three points.

Subbing off Kwasnik was a mystery. The "Heart and Soul of the Coast[sup]TM[/sup]" did some neat things in the first half but was anonymous in the second half while Kwasnik scored a double. Hutcho put his melonbutt on the line and played plenty of safe balls, but simply didn't create. Macallister seemed to be too far from goal but too far from the play as well. He was caught having to run away from goal towards the near corner flag a few times just because that was the only space he found. Never really looked likely to score.

Huke was the only one game to try things in the first half with his long range efforts, whether he was pulled off because he was injured or because having a crack from range wasn't part of the plan is for those in the dressing room to know I guess.

Last group match we should be opening up the screws and seeing what we can do. Players not part of the 2009/10 plans should not be playing. This is the first match of our new season preparations. Obviously the squad isn't in its new season shape as we've got some ballast to shed and some quality to pick up. But there should be at least the start of a transition. This last match is a job interview for everyone, or maybe more accurately a show cause. Every member of the squad and coaching staff need to show that they should still be a part of the club into the future, or they need to go.

 

[Arabmariner]

No dead wood in the next game imo.

If they're not going to be around into the new season we may as well give 2 or 3 kids a go.Even if there is some doubt about a kids ability it's the perfect time to have a look.

Looking beyond the next game.

FFS FIX OUR DEFENCE!!!

Our well documented problems in this area can be traced as far back as the 5-4 Sydney game a year and a half ago.It hasn't been fixed.

That's a coaching issue.

Time for someone to bite the bullet and tap Lawrie on the shoulder.

 

[marinerbhoy]

Time for someone to bite the bullet and tap Lawrie on the shoulder.

amen. enough is enough