Technical quality (or there lack of)

While Mariners v Adelaide in front of a sparse crowd on a late Sunday afternoon never really screamed ‘edge of your seat thriller,’ the game was nonetheless a let down.

Neither side was able to show any consistent quality on the ball, whether that be through quick passing or individual skill. Combine that with the inability to make basic passes and you’ve got yourself a relegation quality scrap (minus the actual threat of relegation).

This is all the more surprising when you consider that Adelaide sit in sixth spot, albeit with Newcastle Jets a significant gap behind in seventh spot.