Paul in or out no fence sitting

[Big Al]

Discuss and Vote

 

[adz]

to clarify -
resign as in "voluntarily leave a job or office."
or
re-sign as in "to renew or extend a contract."

??

 

[Big Al]

I’ll start.

I would like a decision made either way very soon. I am 60/40 on the Paul out side.

He lacks a lot of game management skills which can be put down to his short history as a coach.

I’ve seen big improvements but also big steps backwards at the same time.

He has been let down by some players but also restricted others with a poor game plan.

I would be ok with him getting an extra year to complete his squad but he needs to loose some of the power. He needs an experienced advisor where he likes it or not. He hasn’t earned the right to be the sole captain of our ship

 

[Big Al]

to clarify -
resign as in "voluntarily leave a job or office."
or
re-sign as in "to renew or extend a contract."

??

Sorry re-sign. I can’t seem to edit that part @adz

 

[adz]

Sorry re-sign. I can’t seem to edit that part @adz

Have edited

 

[Yoda]

Paulo in, but he needs the support of the owner to spend and improve the front third. He has made definite progress this year with recruitment, solidifying the spine. With improvement in the final third next year the team can be more than competitive. I said when he was hired, Year 1 he is hamstrung by the inherited squad, Year 2 the rebuild can begin and Year 3 is where he should be judged. Having said that, if he has already made the decision to leave to Sydney FC, let him go now.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Positives
I have been massively impressed by his recruiting. It has been the best since the Arnie days.
He had us playing some great attacking football.

Negatives
I am concerned about rumours of him only talking to favourites.
I am not very impressed with players being put in wrong positions. eg Appiah striker.
I do not like how he has our fast wingers cutting back into dead ends rather than taking the ball to the by-line before either coming in, cutting back or crossing.
I am disappointed by DDS' lack of progression.
I am concerned by the team playing like a bunch of headless chooks over the last few weeks.
I still worry about his upset with Amini, one of our Australia's best prospects, in the past.

General
He is obviously still on the lower rungs of the ladder in learning to be a manager/coach.
I have watched Arnie progress as a coach since the "Arnie out" days at Spirit, to where he is now and seen a progression to competency (about 20 years). Can we wait all those years?
If he is to stay HE MUST LEARN from the mistakes he has made in all the aspects of being a coach/manager and not just listen to Ange about sticking to his guns and do it "the only way".
If he can progress, take varied advice, and learn I will be happy to give him another year, with some more good replacement players. It was not all that long ago people were demanding the club extend his contract before SFC grabbed him.
If he is to go he must be replaced by an experienced quality coach and I worry that we could find one who will come here for the money we will obviously offer. I do not want to see Miron, Van Egmont, Kossie, Branko or any other failures nor do I want to see another attempt at a coach just off their training wheels, eg Rudan, Hutch or Patrick (Kisnorbo or Swanny).

Conclusion
I will sit on the fence. If he is given another year I will give him the benefit of the doubt and pray he can straighten the mess out.
If he goes I will not shed any tears.

Tend towards one more year for want of a better option.

 

[tim...]

Without a viable alternative that is demonstrably better I don't see what turfing him would achieve. He needs to be given better resources from above. That could undoubtedly hinge on what happens next with FIFA/FFA.

As others have said though, if his mind is elsewhere he can toddle off quick-smart and we find the next coach, for better or worse.

 

[BrisRecky]

His win loss stats are no better than Moss or Walmsleys and his arguably got a better squad, plus after the way the teams going he lets them get on the piss and gives them days off ......so using that math he should get the flick

 

[finally retired]

I agree with Yoda....when we really play, we are so much better than we have been over the last 3 years....and I think if our owner had splashed the cash on a couple of players we would be asking why MC has not already signed PO for a long term. I truly hope he has NOT agreed to coach Sydney and that he has HIS Mariners squad (in Gosford...not at Alianz) running hot next season.
I'm in the Paolo re-sign camp..

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

I think Paul Okon is more than capable of being a successful coach in the A-League, on the level of Popovic or Merrick, but with our limited resources I don't think he is capable of achieving that. Unless we're spending the cap with a marquee next season then it's time for Okon to move on, at our best he has us playing some magnificent football, but with our lack of depth through lack of spend that style of play cannot be maintained throughout the season. Even Victory struggle to maintain a similar sort of style when they have a few players out, or out of form. If we had managed to hold on to Galloway and O'Donovan I think we would be at least top six, but our lack of spend means any team that Okon builds will be swiftly ripped apart. That will just continue if we cannot afford a full cap spend.

I think there are some terrific NPL candidates for the job, coaches that have shown they can improve players and not necessarily rely just on expensive signings. People like Arthur Papas, Mark Crittenden, Ben Cahn. We need a coach that can improve players and build a game plan around the players we have rather than the players we wish we have.

 

[MagpieMariner]

I would like to see him re-sign for at least one more year, hopefully he can recruit a front 3rd to the level of the defence he brought in this year.
If however his action is without the hyphen, then do it right now. Bring Monty in as interim coach and start looking now for someone (if Monty isn't considered ready yet). Maybe someone like Damien Mori.

 

[Gratis]

I've advocated recently for #Okonout. When push comes to shove - if he shows the ability to learn and adapt, and/or he gets some more resources, I won't be unhappy if he re-signs.
Currently, however, squad choices, subs and strategy are not making sense and are not working (except for when we play SFC) - and there are no clear signs of any kind of adjustment or progress. We can't seem to win a game against 10 men with a 2 goal headstart.

Fair or not, the impression I get is he has lost interest for whatever reason and is not driving the all-important team spirit.

If further investment is coming and he can finish tailoring his squad I would rather extend his contract than risk simply replacing him with a dud. Even a solid, old school 442 coach who wins us 50% of games would be preferable right now to winning 17/101 games

If the gormless rubbish we're being dished up is simply set for rinse and repeat I'm up for the gamble of trying someone new.

 

[Coastalraider]

I think the biggest issue with Paulo is that he is trying to have a champagne dinner on a beer budget. The curriculum he is trying to implement was not effective with the best that Australia has to offer under Ange - I cant see how it was ever going to be effective with the lowest cap spend in the league.

I think we need a very simple playing style - hard nosed backs and a quick from 3 to play on the counter - and go away from trying to smother teams with possession and play through the defensive line. We simply will never have the squad spend to outplay other teams with this style.

So while Paulo may have a higher ceiling as a coach than what we may or may not be able to replace him with, I think we should be able to source an experienced 'solid' coach who can implement a simple playing style to suit our squad.

 

[Gratis]

I think the biggest issue with Paulo is that he is trying to have a champagne dinner on a beer budget. The curriculum he is trying to implement was not effective with the best that Australia has to offer under Ange - I cant see how it was ever going to be effective with the lowest cap spend in the league.

I think we need a very simple playing style - hard nosed backs and a quick from 3 to play on the counter - and go away from trying to smother teams with possession and play through the defensive line. We simply will never have the squad spend to outplay other teams with this style.

So while Paulo may have a higher ceiling as a coach than what we may or may not be able to replace him with, I think we should be able to source an experienced 'solid' coach who can implement a simple playing style to suit our squad.

Exactly. I was arguing this in another thread. We don't have the players for this system and likely can never afford them. Our system needs to change and the buck stops with the coach.

 

[VicMariner]

Re-sign (IN)
IMO we wouldn't be having this discussion if we had a decent striker.
Losing has given the boys lack of confidence which breeds more losses.

If we sack Okon, who can do a better job with a bottom of the barrel squad?
I just don't see a way out of our predicament without MC spending a bit on players.

 

[Tevor]

Don’t think he is a suitable manager for the Mariners, has good ideas etc as a lot have mentioned but I find him very frustrating. Simple things like not seeing the team running out of juice and getting fresh legs on the park to lift the team, not waitung until the other team builds up momentum. He has a career one day in coaching i’m sure but very green and gets out coached by the more seasoned managers regularly. Would love a Marco Kurz now that guy knows how to build team spirit and get the most out of players. Not sure he will change at all if he gets an extension so he is out for me.

 

[TedShot]

Out - keeps naming roux in the team. That’ll do me

 

[MrCelery]

Out. Was a fan early on with the better style of play. But we've gone backwards since the early rounds, while other teams have improved. There is talent in the squad, but it is not translating to the park. The coach has to be accountable for that.

Interestingly, I would have accepted a loss against Adelaide away last weekend, yet we nabbed a point. But there is no excuse for that second half display against 10 men at 2- 0 up. The buck stops with the coach. And to be fair to the gaffer, the Club's owner.

The Club is a shadow of it's former self right now, and despite the efforts of the promotional team, it is a chore to attend matches at the moment.

The only positive is that it can't get any worse. Can it?

 

[Insertnamehere]

As at the start of the season I think we have a good enough squad for top 6, maybe could have nabbed a flag against SFC..... Problem being is we are out played and out coached week in and out. I've kinda been off the style of play for while, well before most, because it's not consistent. It's keep ball, boring transition garbage.
Nash has done a great job and I think balder should stay but flick the rest. Either get a man in who has been round the traps with a young up comer to grown as his successor or vice versa. But get someone who wants to play their own style that suits our history and our local culture. This curriculum football is putrid.
I'd say keep okon as he is probably a future gun, but he's showed zero flexibility or adaptability and probs wouldn't change with a change of staff.