Central Coast Mariners coach Tony Walsmley says full commitment to his approach is required from players

BOTTOM of the ladder, there’s only one way for the Mariners to go now.

GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 22: Mariners coach Tony Walmsley during a Central Coast Mariners A-League training session at Central Coast Stadium on January 22, 2016 in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

THEY’RE bottom of the ladder, yet Mariners coach Tony Walmsley believes the club is in a much better position than at the start of the season.

In his nine months as head coach, Walmsley has overseen more than a team’s worth of players leave the club and brought almost a similar number in.

Given the relationship of consistency to success, it’s no surprise the Mariners are fighting to get off the A-League mat. That kind of upheaval would floor any club — as it did the Wanderers last season.

But given 18 months and a directive to remodel the Mariners’ style of play, results and a divided playing squad quickly showed Walmsley that change would have happen sooner than expected.

“We were going into a new direction, a new entertaining style from a more possession-based deep-lying approach,” Walmsley told The Daily Telegraph.

“We operate from the floor of the [salary] cap and the reality for me was we had about $250,000 to spend on players next year.

“So I inherited a divided dressing room and a squad at least another season away from being able to be changed significantly.

“We weren’t getting enough buy-in [from the players] so we had to lift the bar — and the best way to do that is on the pitch.”

The result is a Mariners squad almost unrecognisable from the one that turned up for preseason training back in August, with the loss of some hugely promising and experienced players to A-League rivals.

But the key for Walmsley is having a squad committed to the club’s philosophy. And there was little room for sentiment, as some hardened pros soon discovered.

“It’s a work in progress,” Walmsley said.

“We’ve done good business with players going either bringing money in or saving on the salary cap for next season. The players coming in fit the profile we want and the financial structure we’ve got.

“Everybody’s been given a fair chance but there’s no tolerance for anyone, however good, for not buying in. It’s a team sport and it’s very clear now what behaviours are acceptable and what’s not.

“And an example of it not happening was the first half against Adelaide — we were flat, lack of leadership on the pitch. The message is we’re a team moving forward together and you’re either with it or you’re not.”

O’Donovan ban appeal dismissed

Meanwhile, Central Coast striker Roy O’Donovan will serve his full eight-match ban for a headbutt after losing his appeal on Friday night.

O’Donovan was given the ban for an off-the-ball incident involving Wellington Phoenix defender Manny Muscat on New Year’s Eve.

The Irishman was charged with violent off-the-ball conduct but argued there were mitigating circumstances, (an earlier high elbow by Muscat) an argument rejected by the FFA appeals panel.

The panel earlier ascertained the incident, that while different in nature, was worthy of the same level of punishment as Kevin Muscat’s brutal tackle on Adrian Zahra in 2011.

While Manny Muscat received a two-match ban for his part in the incident, O’Donovan will not be eligible to play until round 22 in a massive blow to the already last-placed Mariners.

Originally published as Central Coast Mariners coach Tony Walsmley says full commitment to his approach is required from players