Magnificent Mariners
Or that should read magnificent Tony Tannous from the Half-Time Heroes.
Was he the only football writer in the country to have any real analysis of the opening game?
He picked the Jedinak factor as being important, no surprise their but unlike any other football analyser in the mainstream media he solved the problem, or least found out the solution from the man who knew, Laurie McKinna.
And McKinna out thought Ernie Merrick, but clearly even I could have, given the dreadful Victory line-up and the same old, same old tactics for about five years from Melbourne.
Of course a Melbourne team with Grant Brebner, Leigh Broxham and surely in Evan Berger the most useless left-footed crosser in the country, although I'll wait to see Stefan Stefanutto, meant McKinna must have been laughing his head off.
No width or Berger gave them plenty but he clearly spent no time practicing crossing in the off-season. Is it possible to play left-sided with a left foot and produce that sort of cross time and time again?
And what nob let anyone other than Carlos Hernandez take the corners and free-kicks. Late on Hernandez drove one into the box but before them Broxham seemed determined to match his mate Berger.
Ped Bojic replaced Jedinak, as Tony Tannous predicted and clearly in an away game he is a solution of sorts. Still not much football from the Mariners but a win's a win and something to build on.
As for Melbourne, we've watch Carlos and Archie for years it seems. Any Coach knows how they play and who they play with. A midfield that cries out for something more, a defence not worthy of winning anything, and Kevin Muscat already showing his age as he came off early.
Time to change the style Melbourne, we've seen it all before. Even Laurie can out think you! For Melbourne it may already be too late.
4 comments:
I am one very happy Mariners Fan!
Good to see the smile back on Lawrie's face.
(PS thanks for the tips re HTH - a printer and some glasses. Wow! :))
I'm a very pleased Mariners fan as well. Hopefully it will help breath some life back into things on the Coast and get the big crowds back at Blue Tongue. I can't wait to see them play here in Canberra!
Good game. So why couldn't Simon, Hutchinson, Heffernan, Wilkinson etc reproduce that kind of commitment in ACL and for the Asian Cup ALeague Socceroos? And the very disappointing crowd - Thursday night, not exactly a good night for a game even in Melbourne (unless it is Anzac Day). Surely we won't have regular Thursday night games - stupid! Melbourne was one of my tips for the ALeague this year. After this game, put some money on the Mariners if the two imports McGlinchey and Doig continue in this form - looking at first glance to be the best (and least heralded) buys of the seaon. Victory beginning to show their age - after a non-stop performance last season, looks like Muscat may be out for a while; Allsop did absolutely nothing (Doig had him wrapped up) - Victory fans probably wish it was him rather than Muscat who had a hammy. berger's crosses were 90% awful, but at least he did what Archie was supposed to do - run at the defence!
Anyway the season is off and running!
I think Simon was the only Mariner who did play well in the ACL. The reason the others didn't, in my humble opinion, was a marked lack of confidence following departure of Jediank. Now with new recruits and a big presence at the back in Doig the Mariner's Mojo is definitely back. As for the crowd, pretty decent - AFL season sill on so many won't spend extra dollars and most school kids would not be able to go.
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