So Matt Ryan has been asked to stand up and perform at a higher level this year. Graham Arnold appears to have placed a great deal of trust in Ryan this year so why does it seem some of the players have been mistrustful of the very same keeper in the past few weeks.
It has become evident from watching the last four games of the Mariners so far this year (since the Victory match) that there is a player in the back four that appears to think Matt Ryan may not be up to the task. Most embarrassingly the player who is showing the least trusting of the young keeper is our club captain and previous Mr Reliable Alex Wilkinson. Three games straight the captain has shown with his actions that he does not have complete faith in the man between the sticks. Perhaps the most ironic thing about this lack of trust is that it has directly led to goals being scored against the Mariners in the last few games.
To illustrate this statement let's look at the debacle that was the game on Sunday afternoon (which shall forever be known hence forth as Roar Sunday) Wilkinson was directly responsible for more goals than the one that came from his boot to find the back of the net. For example in the first nine minutes of the game the Brisbane team scored a goal that was almost just a practice drill.
The wide players driving to the bye-line and cutting it back through the 18 yard box to the late arriving midfielder for a strike. However on this first occasion unlike the second and third Mat Ryan made a good stop on the ball headed between the posts. However as he was on the move across the goal mouth he was unable to hold the ball. So as he reacted and tried to regain his balance and footing he looked up only to find a goal poacher standing a foot to his left, the poacher as all good poachers should stuck the chance in his kit bag and headed for the halfway line. But wait all the Mariners defenders hands are up for offside. The shot came from McKay next to the penalty spot and Solorzano was no more than three yards from the goal line, he must be offside. But as they all peer to the assistant referee with their hands raised high the Mariners players view is blocked by Alex Wilkinson who is standing closer to the keeper than any defender should ever be. Why is he there?
For some reason only known to the man himself Alex Wilkinson was playing way too deep and falling back too quickly. The net result of course was while the rest of the line was trying to hold a higher line and Wilko pulling back, Roar could just keep pushing the lone forward in behind our defensive line and have one on one situations at will. Additionally Alex seemed to be very reluctant to follow the keeper's instructions. I have noticed a number of times in the last four games when the keeper has called for a backpass, a back header or just called for a ball to be left, Wilkinson has ignored the call and taken the ball.
In fact that fateful error that gifted the ‘glitter strip' boys a third goal to go along with the three points could have been avoided with a deflection back toward Ryan or even to headed ball back toward the 18 yard box. I would by no means say that it was the only option he had and in fact I think he took what would probably be the safest option except his touch failed him. Did anyone ever notice Wilkinson defy or ignore directions from Vukovic, Vanstrattan or even Bosnich?
Maybe this seeming lack of trust from the captain in his young keeper is actually just another manifestation of the poor form Wilkinson seems to be producing. Maybe Alex does not trust himself to do the job that he is supposed to be doing. I guess there could even be a possibility that the tactics being employed are coming from the coaching staff and I am unfairly blaming Wilko. No matter what the reality is the trust issue has to be solved, the team and in particular the defensive unit needs to get back to the style and patterns they had at the start of the season. If they do not it could be yet another long post New Year hangover for the Mariners.
Just one last thought about the Roar Sunday game before I commit it to the blocked memories compartment of my mind.
Graham Arnold surely needs to rethink the idea of changing the tactical formation of the team when so many things are against him. I know I credited Arnie with training the squad so well he was able to have the team switch gears and tactics mid game during the Victory match. And I truly meant that compliment and I believe it still stands.
However I do not think it is a good idea to completely change the tactical formations of the squad despite the numerous reasons he obviously had. I certainly believe these reasons, the most obvious one being that he was worried about the way Roar could take his team apart were outweighed by the reasons against the change in formation. The team were coming off this huge schedule of games over the last few weeks which meant they had at most three days to train in a formation they have not played all year.
The team is also injury ravaged and has more young members than normal and the most telling reason why Graham should not have changed the formation, it didn't work for Pim or the Socceroos. The change of formation and resulting wholesale slaughter reminded me of that other game I never wanted to remember, Germany in South Africa 2010.
We all remember how well the change in formation worked out for Pim and Arnie that night...
