Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Mark Jackson had some strong words after our 4-0 defeat to Yokohama F. Marinos on Tuesday evening.
After a disappointing defeat, our Head Coach was clearly not happy, especially with our first half performance as we went in 3-0 down at the break.
Mariners fall to Champions League defeat
“It was very, very disappointing, particularly our first half performance. We felt like we were prepared and we had a plan of how we wanted to play.” Jacko said.
“The previous game against Vissel Kobe, even though we lost the game we put in a very good defensive display and we knew we’d have to do that tonight.
“But to do that against a top team like Yokohama, you have to all be willing to work, stick to the game plan and stay connected and in the first half we had some players who didn’t want to do that, that’s why we went into the break 3-0 down.
Our culture is we work for each other, the shirt, the supporters and the club, that has always been our mantra.
“When everybody is not doing that, against lesser teams you might get away with it but against top teams you don’t. You’ve got to be fully committed in every moment, in every action of the game. If you miss a few pieces of the jigsaw, you lose goals and that’s what happened to us in the first half.” Jacko explained.
Positives to take from the second half
Individual performances, including the returning Christian Theoharous and 16-year-old Haine Eames, were among the positives Jacko can take into Sunday’s match against Sydney FC.
“I thought all the players who went on in the second half worked well, they had a go and that’s all you can ask for with a mountain to climb at 3-0 against that type of team.” Jacko said.
“One thing I said [at half time] is we want everyone to run and do their jobs for the team because that’s what’s most important, not individuals. Individuals shine when they’re working for the team.”
Theoharous brought a renewed energy to the Mariners after the break and did pose a threat to Yokohama, as proven by the fact that he ended the match as the most fouled player on the pitch despite only playing 45 minutes. He also won the joint-most duels from a Mariners player.
“The full eleven in the second half worked hard and Christian was one of them. I was pleased to see him back.” Jacko said.
He’s had a tough time wth injuries and a few set backs but he’s been working hard in training, we’ve been pushing him and he came on and showed a desire to work, run and do what we want him to do.
Eames was once again impressive off the bench, showing bravery to get on the ball against an aggressive Yokohama team, he had 27 touches of the ball in 45 minutes and ended the game with 95% pass accuracy.
“Playing against the calibre of teams in the Champions League will do the young players the world of good, they will see what it takes to play at the top level and we’ve come up against some top teams and top individuals.” Jacko said.
“Every young player on the pitch today, in particular Haine Eames who went on in the second half, showed courage. We knew he would make an impact, we knew he’d be calm on the ball and work hard for the team. He showed that.”
“The team that went out in the second half collectively worked how we wanted them to work but we just didn’t have enough to get ourselves back in the game.” Jacko said.
The step up from AFC Cup competition
“The level of teams and players, the individuals is way above where we were competing last year,” Jacko said.
“In games we’ve played in this campaign, we’ve had moments, but today we didn’t. We had a plan where we fully believe if we stuck to that and started off on a better foot collectively, we would have been in the game.
“We knew we had to be nine or ten out of ten defensively, then when we had transition moments, that’s where we felt we could hurt Yokohama, we had to be clinical and that’s something we haven’t been this year,” he said.
Jacko’s message to the fans and players
Jacko finished with a message to the fans and revealed what he will be demanding from his players for the remainder of the week in training ahead of another tough match-up against Sydney.
“From my point of view, it was really disappointing. I’ve never had to do this but I say sorry to our supporters because that first half performance wasn’t acceptable but the team that went out in the second half had a go and showed some glimpses, that I’m pleased with,” he said.
“There are a few things I need to address and the players certainly knew how I felt at half time.
“We didn’t win what we won last year because we had the best players, we had good players but we were the best team, we worked together and we put graft in. That’s why we had success.
“As soon as we start coming away from that, we’ll fall short. My message to the players will be exactly that. We have to know who we are, what we are and how we can be successful and stick to that.
“It takes a lot of hard work, fitness, desire, mental strength to run and sacrifice yourself for the team. That will be my message when we’re back at the training ground and I expect to see a response, quickly.”
Watch the full press conference via Central Coast Mariners on YouTube.
