Mariners pay for poor choices: Mulvey
FOOTBALL: No wonder Mike Mulvey wants to put a brave face on it. When the Mariners boss says his team is one win away from “shooting up the table”, he has to believe it – and hope his players believe it.
This wasn’t the start Mulvey envisaged when he took on the job of rebuilding the Mariners, a meagre tally of two points from six games that is officially the club’s worst start to a season.
It is also the A-League’s joint worst start to a campaign, albeit in the company of six other teams who had themselves accrued only two points from six games.
At times the Mariners have appeared like lambs to the slaughter, but at others – witness last week’s display against Sydney – they have deserved far more out of a game.
“It's a very even league. The biggest discrepancy is decision making,” Mulvey said ahead of tonight’s clash against Western Sydney. “We've made some decisions at the wrong times in games that have cost us goals.
“The players are learning from that and it's a question of how quickly do we learn from it. If we can make that decision making better, we get a win, and that builds confidence.
“I'm sure the next win is around the corner and once we get that we'll start shooting up the table.”
If there is a silver lining, it’s the fact that the Mariners are undefeated in three visits to Spotless Stadium, and are facing a Wanderers side themselves desperately lacking confidence.
Mulvey can recall Kalifa Cisse after suspension but Ross McCormack is almost certainly out, joining Tommy Oar on the sidelines.