Robbie Slater: Mariners’ historic run proves they are A-League’s blueprint

A massive month is on the horizon for Central Coast Mariners with the opportunity to win three major prizes. Socceroos great Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde discuss their incredible run, and the biggest issues facing football in On The Attack.

A massive month is on the horizon for Central Coast Mariners with the opportunity to win three major prizes.

Former Socceroos great Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde discuss their incredible run, off the back of a squad refresh, along with the biggest issues facing football.

Majestic Mariners

MM: An historic month looms for the Central Coast Mariners. Three prizes ­– the AFC Cup, the A-League premiership and the A-League championships ­– are all within their grasp.

RS: Yes, but now without Angel Torres, it will be an extremely tough task but it’s not the first time the Mariners have had to overcome the loss of players.

Since winning last season’s grand final, they’ve lost Sam Silvera, Jason Cummings, Nectarios Triantis, Marco Tulio and a couple of others, not to mention a coach in Nick Montgomery.

Yet they continue and a lot of credit must go to the man that replaced Montgomery, Mark Jackson.

A historic night for our football club 💛💙

YOUR MARINERS, AFC CUP FINALISTS 🔥#CCMFC#CCMvABD#TakeUsToTheToppic.twitter.com/mYYFNRe4S9

— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) April 24, 2024

A lot of people were asking if Jackson was the right man for the job after they lost their first four games of the season.

He’s definitely proved he was indeed the right man.

MM: There is no doubt about that.

Mariners’ fans couldn’t have asked for much more than to have their team in contention to win three trophies with a month of the season remaining.

RS: Jackson, his team and the entire Mariners organisation are the blueprint for every other A-League club in these challenging times.

MM: I think it’s great the Mariners and Phoenix, the two teams still in premiership contention have matches at the same time on Saturday.

Joshua Nisbet stepped up in a big way for the Mariners. Picture: Getty Images

I wish that every game in the final round of the regular season kicked off at the same time.

It would add to the excitement of only the race for the premiership, but also the battle for the sixth and final playoff spot.

RS: Yeah, that would be ideal but we’re in a different universe to the majority of the football world at the moment due to the financial landscape of our competition.

Let’s just be happy that the Mariners and the Phoenix are playing at the same time.

MM: Yes, it’s all to play for.

Even though the Mariners have a catch-up game next Wednesday night against Adelaide United, the premiership could be decided on Saturday night.

How much would Newcastle love to spoil the hopes of their arch rivals by winning the F3 derby!

Must-win for Wanderers

RS: Saturday is also huge for the Western Sydney Wanderers.

To have any chance of playing finals football they have to beat Melbourne Victory. They then need Western United to avoid losing to Melbourne City on Sunday.

Wanderers must beat Melbourne Victory, and hope Western United don’t lose to Melbourne City, to be a chance of playing finals. Picture: Getty Images

MM: That’s right because if the Wanderers win, and Melbourne City draw, they will both finish on 37 points but because of that stupid rule the A-League brought in this season in which the number of wins for the season will be the deciding factor ahead of goal difference for teams that finish on the same points, the Wanderers would finish in sixth place ahead of City ­ - who have a better goal difference – because they would have won 11 games to City’s 10.

I feared that something like this could happen.

Hopefully that rule is binned in the off-season.

RS: I’ve got my doubts it will come to that because City should beat Western United at AAMI Park, however the Wanderers can’t worry about that result.

What they must do is focus on beating the Victory, which will put pressure on City to beat United.

Socceroos great Robbie Slater expects Melbourne City to get the job done against Western United. Picture: Getty Images

No more howlers

MM: Let’s hope there a refereeing howler doesn’t play a major part in deciding who finishes where on the ladder.

Last weekend was a debacle, but at least referees boss Nathan Magill admitted a blunder had been made with the decision to send off Macarthur’s Ivan Vujica, who had his red card rescinded, which allows him to play against Wellington on Saturday.

Ivan Vujica had this red card rescinded, but the fact it was shown in the first place has raised concerns a refereeing blunder could decide the finishing position on the ladder. Picture: Getty Images

RS: It still doesn’t make up for the horrible decision but at least Magill admitted the VAR got it wrong to interfere in the decision.

Referee Daniel Elder didn’t make a “clear and obvious error” in his original decision to award Vujica a yellow card, so the VAR should never have got involved.

MM: Exactly, and let’s hope the end-of-season review of A-League refereeing standards that Magill announced irons out the match-officiating problems that have plagued the competition all season.

We can’t afford for things to be as bad again next season because it turns people away from the game, and the A-League needs all the fans it can get.

Farewell “Broxy”

RS: Speaking of next season, it’s going to be strange to see a Victory squad that doesn’t include Leigh Broxham after he announced this week that he would be retiring at the end of the current season.

Melbourne Victory stalwart Leigh Broxham has announced this season will be his last. Picture: Getty Images

MM: Well done to him on a fantastic career all with the same club. It must have been hard for him this season, hardly playing at all, but it doesn’t take anything away from what he has achieved over close to 20 years.

RS: He has got everything possible out of himself in a career that’s included A-League titles, Australia Cup glory and a Socceroos cap. Congratulations “Broxy”.

Originally published as Robbie Slater: Mariners’ historic run proves they are A-League’s blueprint