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Fresh from their heart-breaking penalty shootout loss to the Brisbane Roar in the 2010/11 Hyundai A-League Grand Final, this term the boys from the Central Coast are even hungrier for success not only in Australia, but also on the continental stage with the Asian Champions League.
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| Pellegrino playing for Perth Glory. Credit: Nick Guoth |
During the longest off-season in the competitions history the Mariners have embarked on a strong recruitment drive to ensure the club can reach the next level this season.
One of the prized offseason signings is Adriano Pellegrino who has arrived at the Gosford club after three successful seasons at Perth Glory. The midfielder has already showed his worth during his standout performance in the 3-0 win friendly win over Blacktown City where he impressed throughout the match and capped his performance with both a goal and an assist.
The versatile midfielder, who was a crowd favourite at the Glory, received the Perth Glory Most Glorious Player award in his debut season for his exciting attacking play. Now four years later Pellegrino is after a new challenge and is chasing silverware with Mariners.
“It (the Mariners) is a fresh start which I needed especially with a club that has had a proven track record of success and a great chance of being more successful,” he said.
“In my first season at Perth it was great to win that award and at the end of the day I felt that I was successful during my time at Perth. The Mariners have given me a new challenge and opportunities to win competitions and compete in the Asian Champions League which will be really good for myself as a player and the club.
“The boys were unlucky not to win last year and that can only make the squad hungrier for it this year.”
In a year where the Mariners were expected to struggle the Mariners performed above expectations and finished runners up under the leadership of newly installed head coach Graham Arnold and his assistant Phil Moss. However according to Moss the players deserve unprecedented praise for their success rather than the coaching staff and that the capture of players such as Pellegrino can only boost the clubs bid for its maiden title.
“The players deserve so much credit for the season we had because everyone outside the dressing room and the club had us tipped to come second last. That was never going to happen with the squad we had and it was an enjoyable challenge proving it,” Moss said.
“Pellers has been fantastic. He is a character in the dressing room and has made the effort to fit in right from the start.
“He’s been around the traps and knows what professional football is all about and I think he brings a fair bit to our squad - he’s technically good, can see a pass and is also quite direct and positive with the ball.”
Despite being a firm favourite with the Perth Glory fans Pellegrino knows he will have to start over and prove himself at the Mariners. With a host of midfield talent at the club, including Olyroos captain Bozanic, young-gun Amini and New Zealand international McGlinchey, Pellegrino is aware that he will have to fight for a place in the starting line-up.
“It’s going to be very hard, not for one second did I come here thinking I will play first team football. I’m going to have to train hard to prove myself to achieve that,” he said.
“We have lots of depth which is what Arnie is trying to achieve to make sure we have three players that can slot into each position.
“It’s a very competitive squad and that helps you as a player to perform as you know there is always a player that can knick your spot in the team.”
One aspect of his game that may favour Pellegrino is his versatility to play almost anywhere across the middle of the park. Although beginning his career as right midfielder his spell at Perth saw Adriano adapt his game and fill in on the left flank and the centre of the park.
His versatility is highly appreciated by the Mariners who are building a flexible squad which will be able to cope with the rigours of the Hyundai A-League and Asian Champions League seasons.
“Every squad needs versatile players it’s the way the modern game is heading now. We have several players who are adaptable and it gives us options depending on who we are playing or how we want to play,” Moss said.
“Adriano can do a job just about anywhere in midfield but we have other players too, like John Hutchinson and Oli Bozanic, who are also adaptable.”
With an ability to play anywhere across midfield Pellegrino looms as an attractive option for Arnold for a first team role, however Pellegrino strongly reiterates that in order to secure first team football among a talented Mariners midfield he has a lot of work to do.
“Being versatile I can be used to fill in anywhere,” he said.
“I have played in a lot of areas in midfield from the right, left and centre, but I won’t be walking into any position and I still have it all to prove.”
With a strong squad being developed in all areas on the park many pundits believe the Mariners, like the Brisbane Roar, are in strong position to create an A-League dynasty where the two sides could dominate the competition in the coming years.
Despite Roar head coach Ange Postecoglou being publically vocal on his attempt to create a Brisbane Roar Dynasty, Moss remains coy on the issue.
“I think ‘dynasty’ is a strong word, but I’m confident that Graham Arnold and the coaching staff have put together a squad that keep the Mariners at the competitive end of the HAL for years to come,” he said.
“When Arnie and I came in last year our main focus was to build a well-balanced squad in terms of age and competition for places that could take the club back to where it belonged – in the finals.
“The goal this season is to improve on last season and be more consistent and if we achieve that then anything is possible.”
With the development of the Centre of Excellence well underway there is certainly an air of optimism currently surrounding the future of the Mariners and the Central Coast region. The Australian Labor Government has committed $10million dollars to the Centre of Excellence to be based at Tuggerah. Once completed the Mariners will be able to boast their position as one of the most pre-eminent sporting clubs in the country and will be the first Hyundai A-League club to have full and independent access to their training facility.
The $39million facility will include two full size football fields and grandstand, a function/event section for the club and community use, ten all-weather courts for five-a-side soccer and other sports, a heated indoor pool and hydrotherapy centre, a gym and fitness centre, facilities for delivering educational learning programs and a sports medicine centre.
The complex will be crucial for not only the Mariners to build for the future, but also for football in the Central Coast Region.
“The Centre of Excellence is a massive part of the club moving forward because it puts the Mariners and the Central Coast region on the national and international football map,” Moss said.
“To take that base to a state of the art level and have the best of everything you need at your fingertips is going to take the club to a whole new level and help us attract the best players to the club from Australia and overseas.
“First and foremost it gives the HAL club a truly state of the art training facility, but it’s not only the Mariners that will benefit, the whole idea was to give the Central Coast region a state of the art facility to use and be proud of.”
The development of The Centre of Excellence in Tuggerah is a testament to the club. Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government Simon Crean announced the development in 2010 and added that the “Central Coast Mariners are one of the success stories of the Hyundai A-League,” and he is not wrong.
The Mariners have not only been a success on the field, but off the field the players are also enjoying the benefits of being part of a well-established football club. Since the A-League's inception many clubs have lacked stability, which has often impacted on the performance of the players on the pitch. On the other hand, the Mariners are a model football club for any A-League franchise. A stable backroom has helped players like Pellegrino relax and concentrate fully on their football.
“Stability at the club makes it much more comfortable for the players,” he said.
“At times at Perth when a new manager came in I was on the outer and found myself on the bench for a few games before I managed to work my way back into the side.
“Arnie and Phil have been excellent. I had heard great reports and they really helped me to settle in well. The way Arnie gets his messages across to players is clear and it’s good to be able to adapt and learn from his experience.
“It's good to have a coaching staff that is always willing to help and back their players.”
Pellegrino’s praise is also mirrored by that of his coaching staff who are positive that he has the potential to become a favourite with loyal Central Coast fans the Marinators.
“Pellers has been fantastic and he’s adapted pretty quickly to what Arnie has asked of him tactically in sessions too which is a bonus,” Moss said.
“It’s been great to work with him on a daily basis and I’m sure he will be a hit with our supporters at Bluetongue Stadium.”