Now that I am a bit older and maybe wiser (probably not), I find that I am starting to pick up some of those terms I have previously criticised people for rolling out. So I've seen heaps of late teens and early twenty something's out pissed in the street doing something dumb, only to find myself either saying or at least thinking "I can't believe the youth of today".
So last night watching the Mariners take Glitter United apart I found myself again saying "I can't believe the youth of today".
Only this time I was yelling it at the TV screen as I jumped up with both arms in the air and my beer spraying the wife and dogs. The performance of the Mariners youth players against the Gold Coast was nothing short of breathe taking. It gave every Mariners supporter a very warm and fuzzy feeling when all three goals scorers had the joy of not only scoring but scoring their maiden senior team goal in the A-League. February 9th 2011 will be a night to remember for all the young guys in that squad and the Mariners supporters as well. If only they could have done it here at Blue Tongue so we could congratulate them in person.
Well done Musti, Bernie and Duke. A special mention also to Sainsbury who was so close to completing the quadruple goal scoring bonanza, keep it up.
So on to the topic I was actually going to write about before that fantastic game last night.
I thought in this last week of the regular season it might be a good time to review the season performance and give Graham Arnold his report card for the first season as manager of the Central Coast Mariners. So I thought through the grading of a gaffer and came up with the report card format. I thought about calling the Mariners to see if Graham was available for a parent teacher interview but thought the restraining order may be a bit of a problem when I work so close to Blue Tongue Stadium.
Subject - Defence
Mid Season Grade: A+
Full Season Grade : A
Comments: There has been a remarkable improvement in the performance of the Mariners team from last year. In the start of the season the Mariners looked like they may have been the top of the class in this subject however after a few tests where they performed below standard (Brisbane 5-1) the Mariners have slipped down slightly since the mid way report. However this is still a great effort.
Subject : Passing
Mid Season Grade : B
Full Season Grade : A
Comments : The team started out this season a little below standard in the passing areas. This may have been the only real weakness in this team's performance at the start of the season. In fact the Mid Year comment was ‘Could try harder' however in the second half of the season this area of the Mariners education has really come on. The passing and understanding of the players in the Mariners squad this second half of this season has been impressive.
Subject : Shooting / Scoring
Mid Season Grade : C
Full Season Grade : B+
Comments: Although the Mariners have not quite achieved the scoring heights of some of the other teams this season they have certainly improved on previous seasons. The team started out this season with a slower scoring rate and at times struggled in front of goal. However over the second half of the season they have found some real scoring touch and they should continue to improve if the skill and touch of the junior players continues into the future.
Subject : Development
Mid Season Grade : A
Full Season Grade : A++
Comments : The development and training of the youth in the Mariners club under Graham Arnold has gone from strength to strength. This development first showed itself in the early form and play of Matt Ryan, followed by the strength and play of Mustafa Amini. However the end of the season has shown that these are not the only two shining lights in the Mariners youth setup. The number of young players who look like they are ready to make the step up to the seniors over the next one to two years is astounding and spreads across the park.
Subject : Recruitment
Mid Season Grade : A
Full Season Grade : B
Comments : The off Season purchases by Graham Arnold were nothing short of stellar. Perez and Zwaanswijk were the two big off season purchases, however it has been the other players who were brought in with much less fanfare that have shown the real skill in the recruitment effort by Arnold. Rose and Bozanic have been just as important to the rise and rise of the Mariners so far this year as the big two. Unfortunately the January transfer window did not show as much polish with the only purchase being a striker who has not shown much return as yet. Maybe this purchase will pay off over time and show that this second half grade was a little low.
Subject : Media and Stakeholder Engagement
Mid Season Grade : B+
Full Season Grade : A
Comments : This was one of the areas I think most people expected Arnold to fail with in his return to the A-League. This was the criticism of Graham as the Australian and Olyroo coach, most felt he offered little to no insight or connection to either the fans or the press. However this year at the Mariners Graham Arnold has been as good as any other manager in the league at talking with the press with one exception, he does not tend to offer many excuses outside of the team and himself. Although many other coaches blame factors such as referees, the ground or the injuries, I have not seen this from the Mariners gaffer. Additionally he is always the first man to point the players toward the crowd after every performance and seems to be carrying on the work of McKinna in ensuring players engage with the local supporter base.
Overall Comments : Although the Mariners have not finished the season as the top of the class before the final exams they have far exceeded most people's expectations and even some of their own supporters desires. With the prep and lead up they have had before the final test of the season it is possible they can go on and top the tests to finish with the ultimate prize.
We can only hope, and support them in their quest.
