FM10: Central Coast Mariners Thread (a-league) - the home of the kick and chase

Basic Info

Club: Central Coast Mariners

Competition: A-League

Continental Competition: Asian Champions League

Chairman: Lyall Gorman

Established: 2004

Honours: Runners-up in 2005-6 & 2007-8, Minor Premiers 2007-8

Rivals: Newcastle Jets, Sydney FC and Gold Coast

Ground: Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford 20,119 cap.

Wage Structure: Salary Cap in place

Transfer Budget: $50 000

Information

Central COast Mariners (CCM) are a foundation member of the Australian A-League although this isn't saying much because the league has only been around for 5 years. They are generally viewed as a pretty unfashionable club who get by on hard work, determination and strong community links. They are generally cast in the shadow of close neighbours Sydney FC who have the glamour reputation (and accompanying dramas to go with it!) but have actually been much more consistent in terms of results over the history of the A-League.

CCM have gone the conservative route in terms of player recruitment with the local state leagues and lower leagues in the UK being the main pipelines for talent. While other clubs have sought to bring in famous names to create a buzz, CCM have shunned the Marquee player concept. Instead, the club has received deserved credit for bringing along local (and often unknown) youngsters like Matt Simon, Danny Vukovic, Mile Jedinak & Michael Beauchamp and turning them into internationals.

CCM's style of play has been derided as simplistic and British-centric but their system of hard work and closing down in the midfield combined with fairly direct passing and strikers with a strong physical presence has proven very successful in the A-League.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Danny Vukovic

Matt Nash

Andrew Redmayne

Defenders

Dean Heffernan

David D'Apuzzo

Pedj Bojic

Alex Wilkinson (club captain)

Nigel Boogard

Chris Doig

Andrew Clark

Midfield

Mike McGlinchey

John Hutchison

Brad Porter

Adam Kwasnik

Matt Crowell

Shane Huke

Ahmed Elrich

Nicky Travis

Forwards

Matt Simon

Nick Mrdja

Dylan Macallister

Analysis

First a couple of things about the A-League:

1. There is a salary cap in place + one Marquee player who is paid outside of the cap. The cap is very tight so be careful who you sign/bring in. As was stated in the Melb Victory thread try to sign players to low wages but max incentives/bonuses to get around the cap

2. There is a 5 player foreigners limit + 1 AFC player.

3. You can't buy players from other A-League clubs so it is important to scour free players from overseas but most importantly looking for Australian players both at home and abroad who have expiring contracts. Most A-League clubs have very limited transfer budgets so you must have your filters set up well and your scout teams active as this is the only way to build your squad.

CCM Analysis

CCM have a decent squad that is capable of winning the title with a few tweaks. I'll go through the side position by position.....

Goalkeepers

Vukovic is quality and the best or second best keeper in the league. Overseas clubs will come in for him though so its a good idea to have a backup plan in mind once they start sniffing around him as Nash is rubbish and should be transfer listed and Redmayne is still a couple of years away. In my game I was forced to sell him after Season 1.

Right Back

Pedj Bojic has fantasic physical stats and can do a really good job at right back and even at centre-back, especially if you intend to play a high line he has excellent speed/acceleration to cover back. Andrew Clark is very old and should only be used in an emergency (actually he is a decent fitness coach and I offered him the role so that I didn't have to count him against the salary cap). My other suggestion would be to re-train D'Apuzzo so he can play right back as well as left back as he has a fair bit of potential and you don't want him stuck behind Heffernan and not getting any game time.

Centre Back

This is a problem area - Doig is ridiculously slow and should be transfer-listed immediately as he takes up a valuable foreign player spot. Boogard is also very poor and whenever I played him the team just shipped goals. He is cheap though. Wilkinson is decent enough and probably one to hang on to but unless you are going to play Bojic here it is a must to bring in another centre-back. I used a foreign player spot here and bought in Boris Zivkovic on a free and he was pretty good although my first choise was to be Glauber but I just couldn't get his salary under the cap.

Left Back

Although a bit injury-prone Dean Heffernan is one of the best players in the squad and is perfect for the high tempo, balls into the box game that you will need to play with CCM to be successful. D'Apuzzo is a nice backup here with good potential.

Left Midfield

Kwasnik is just like he is in real life - capable of some good general play but a total choker in front of goal and in big matches. I used Mike McGlinchey mostly here and he is quite handy. While he mostly plays centre-mid in real life in FM his lack of technical skills make him much better out wide where he can use his speed and acceleration to good effect.

Right Midfield

Ahmed Elrich is pretty decent here if you can ignore the outrageous Marquee salary that he is making. He is injured at the start of the game but can cross a ball which again suits the style that you will need to play. There isn't much else here to be honest. Give Mitchell Mallia from the youth side some game time if you can as he has developed quickly for me and is the starter going in to season 2. I used a foreigner spot here to bring in Steven Bryce from Cost Rica here but he was only average and then sooked towards the end of the season when Mallia took some of his time towards the end of the year. Don't resign Elrich though as he asks for way more money than he is worth by the end of the season.

Defensive Midfield

One of the keys to success with CCM IMO is to use Brad Porter as a deep lying playmaer where his good passing is highlighted and his slowfootedness is hidden. He actually allows the team to retain possession and dictate the tempo - without him there CCM descended from a 'direct passing game' into a 'hit and hope passing game'. Crowell is useful here as a backup or in the other midfield spot because he can tackle but he lacks stamina so tires noticeably in the closing down style of CCM. Brendan Griffin is one to watch here from the Youth side as his workrate and passing give him the potential to succeed in the CCM system.

Attacking Midfield

I used John Hutchison in the first season here as his combative style suits CCM down to the ground. Travis is quite OK here too but it is an area to look to improve heading into the second season - especially if you are looking at the ACL during the following off-season.

Strikers

Dylan Macallister despite not doing much IRL is a gun in the game. His heading and ability to hold up the ball make him a perfect fit for the way CCM play. I play him as a target man in difficult away fixtures and play it too his head and try to get flick ons for Simon and McGlinchey. He ended up Player of the Year and Golden Boot for me and caused non-stop problems for opposing defences in both playing others in but getting on the end of crosses to score himself. Use Simon's workrate to your advantage and have him chase down the ball and defend from the front. Because of the high line that suits CCM it is important to pressure from the front and Simon is expert at this. He is also pretty decent at getting on the end of flick ons, through balls and crosses as well. In short, his energy and physicality is a perfect complement to Macallister. Problems emerge after these two - Mrdja is OK but is perenially injured so a poor choice as a backup. This is definitely an area that needs investment as there is nothing in the Youth side either. I used McGlinchey as a backup striker ended up signing Ben Vidaic from Marconi on a free halfway through Season 1 to be a backup but this was still an unresolved problem for me partway through Season 2. Also clubs started sniffing around Macallister after Season 1 so have a plan B - I ended up signing Eugene Dadi on a free to be a backup plan as a target man if we lost Macallister.

Finally.....

Just to echo what was written in the Melb Victory thread - it is critical to use your filters to scout young players and then sign the ones who have potential. It is also crucial to use your filters to find players who are Australian and out of contract both home and overseas based as guys like Rhys Williams, David Carney, James Holland, Neil Kilkenny, Patty Kinsnorbo etc are prepared to come back if they are not getting a go over there and would be excellent A-League players.

Have fun with the A-League!!!!!

Good OP with a relatively small team in a small nation ( obviously Australias not a small nation, i mean in terms of football )

Possibly you could post a few screenshots with the formations you think suit the team?

Im actually really impressed with the detail uve gave on the players

Agreed a good op

hey thanks alot guys. I will sit down this arvo and do a few screenshots and description of the tactics that I used. cheers.

excellent mate, in previous fm`s ive went adelaide lol, only purely coz i have family there, and it was a selfish choice hehe

Impressive challenge to get great players

and by this arvo im gona guess its close 2 13.15 over there, adelaide time mate

Haha yeah Mcgougan you are right about the time. I am in NSW so am 30 minutes ahead. Adelaide Utd have had a rough season this year - seems to have been some stuff going on behind the scenes that has effected the team on the pitch.

but anyway back to the topic - tactics that I use for CCM. I take a similar approach to the real life Mariners. A fairly direct high tempo 442 with a deep playmaker and pretty high defensive line.

Because of the high line employed and the high closing down there are a couple of important issues....

1. Fitness is a key component so adjust training accordingly

2. Make your keeper a sweeper-keeper to clean up behind the high line

3. You MUST press and tackle all over the pitch for it to work so don't even consider buying players with low stamina and work rate or the tactic will fall apart instantly.

4. ideally all but at least 3 out of your back 4 must have good pace to be able to chase back once the ai figures out your tactic and tries to lob into the space behind

5. In difficult away games I cross early and often and basically just aim for Macallister's head and am not too adventurous.

6. At home I play with more width and try to push the fullbacks on but still focus on getting balls into the box for maccallister and simon

7. Porter or someone similar is set as a deep playmaker and Macallister as a deep forward/target man and they link the lines and play through balls either wide to set up crossing opportunities or centrally to Simon or wingers cutting inside

These tactics have worked fairly well for me but I have still had troubles as the AI has figured out my tactics a bit and done things like dropping their defensive line and man-marking porter. It has been a bit of a struggle to adapt the side because as a group there are not many good all-around players - they tend to be specialists who are only good at one or two things so when I try to play a more possession-oriented game to counter the ai countering me it has been a bit of a shambles.

At the end of the day CCM play best with a fairly stock standard 442 with the proviso that closing down in midfield, high d-line and direct passing are crucial - i guess its the staple of teams that are not overly endowed with technically gifted players but at the level that they are playing at it works pretty effectively.

ps when i get a chance i will upload some screenshots

Good explanation of the tactics for the team, i will give you a pm for a helping hand Although you are doing excellent on your own and by no means am i correct!!

Sorry to post this here as I am assuming that interest in the a-league is fairly minimal on this forum but I juts had to pass this on and those familiar with the A-League I'm sure will appreciate it......

About halfway through Season 2 of my game, Sydney FC appear to have spent beyond their means (shocking I know ) and are about to go into administration when their white knight rides in to save the day and its Simon Jordan - yes THAT Simon Jordan (of Crystal Palace fame). He of course sacks all of the coaching and support staff and brings in his preferred choice as Manager - Ian Rush!!!!!

Anyone who knows Sydney FC and their history and attitude will likely agree with me that the FM guys have it just about right and that someone like Jordan would fit perfectly with them. Good work SI!!!! Funny stuff.

I wish jordan would take over the fury Wouldn't matter to me if it was simon, michael or the model, either one would be better then the current one

Great post and good to see the A-League getting out there in the world of soccer. Hopefully a few more team write-ups will entice more people to give the A-League a go on FM

and by this arvo im gona guess its close 2 13.15 over there, adelaide time mate

yeah, 13:15......1983! Oh well, I am sure Adelaide will catch up with the east coast one day

Lol im sure it will, im scottish though so weve advanced aswell

I have started a new victory game and for some reason CCM has released Crowell. He is class for the A-League!

Anyone else been playing this ??