The embattled coach has spent the last few days in Melbourne checking out  VPL talent. At the same time, he has feelers out in Holland, Brazil and Scotland as he desperately searches for an answer to the club's awful 2009.

"We really want to see who we sign in person," McKinna told au.fourfourtwo.com. "We want to be sure."

New signing Chris Doig is expected to have his paperwork through in the next week. The Scot, who is skipper at Northampton Town, is expected to inject defensive nous to a side badly down on confidence after failing to win a competitive game so far in 2009. 

Doig could play in the friendly against Sydney FC on July 6 at Knox Grammar in Sydney.

McKinna has also trialled defender Pedj Bojic in the holding midfielder's role in recent weeks but is expected to continue the search for a player in that position.

Gary Wales, a 30-year-old Scottish striker recently trialled by North Queensland Fury against Singapore, will also spend time in Gosford on trial.

And Mariners youth may get a chance this season with talented duo Matt Lewis and Nathan Sherlock in the frame for a first team squad spot.

With money tight at the club, Sherlock may be given a development role with local private schools to help fund his career, enabling him to train full-time with the squad.

"If it means he can be with us full-time then great for him and us," said McKinna.

He added that talk about his succession as coach at the Mariners is nothing new with a move upstairs to a football director role an option that's already been explored and nearly happened earlier this year.

Assistant coach Ian Ferguson may have taken over as senior coach and McKinna drafted into a football operations role, which takes advantage of McKinna's other skillsets outside of coaching

It's a scenario Melbourne Victory have utilised with Gary Cole taking over the transfer side of things amongst other tasks, enabling coach Ernie Merrick to concentrate on team matters.

 However when Ferguson was given the job as coach of new A-League franchise North Queensland Fury that succession plan was abandoned.  

And McKinna played down the Graham Arnold link after it was revealed the club held discussions with the Socceroo assistant.

"There have been other coaches that have been looked at, not just Arnie," he said.

The  Mariners may decide to bring in a talented but inexperienced up-and-coming coach rather than the controversial former Olyroo coach.  

Names such as Milan Blagojevic, who has been linked with the club in the past, and Aytec Genk are possibilties as former Socceroos who are considered quality young coaches outside the A-League.

Other potential names could be Nick Theodorakopoulos from Sydney Olympic (formerly of the Jets and NSL club Wollongong) and former NSL and current Marconi coach Lee Sterrey.