FFC Mariner
Well-Known Member
From the SMH (with sauce of course)
http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league/heffernan-planning-miracle-comeback-as-mariners-prepare-to-go-on-the-offensive/2008/01/30/1201369227904.html
1) Fringe footballeroo my arse, he would walk into that side if fit
2) 3 up front next week???
Heffernan planning miracle comeback as Mariners prepare to go on the offensive
Michael Cockerill
January 31, 2008
FRINGE Socceroos defender Dean Heffernan is aiming to make a miracle comeback from a broken leg if Central Coast Mariners make the grand final.
Heffernan has been sidelined since the weekend before Christmas after coming off second-best in a collision with Sydney FC midfielder Ufuk Talay, and it had been assumed he would be out not only for the remainder of the season but for much of the off-season. But Heffernan's swift recovery has stunned his doctors, and yesterday he admitted he was dreaming of the seemingly impossible - a cameo role in the title decider on February 24.
"It was a clean break, which obviously helps, and I'm now walking OK, and feeling pretty good," he said.
"It's been six weeks so far, the doctors told me it would take 12 weeks, and that's got me thinking, 'Why not make it nine weeks?' Playing in the grand final has started to cross my mind. We're not talking 90 minutes, and I won't do anything stupid. But if I can get back to training with the boys in the week before the game, why not 10-15 minutes off the bench? I know it's a long shot, but that's the target."
Whether Central Coast can make the grand final remains to be seen after they lost the opening leg of the major semi-final against arch-rivals Newcastle Jets last weekend. The 2-0 defeat leaves the Mariners needing to score three times in the return leg at Gosford on Sunday week to guarantee a grand-final berth - otherwise they could drop into a sudden-death encounter with Sydney FC or Queensland Roar.
Coach Lawrie McKinna insists winning the grand final remains a "burning ambition" of the club even though the primary goal - the minor premiership and a place in the 2009 Asian Champions League - has been achieved.
Asked whether there was a danger the players felt the job had already been done, McKinna replied: "In my own mind, there's definitely satisfaction that we've achieved what we set out to do by getting into Asia. But the job's only half done.
"I've never won a grand final, and there's plenty of boys in the same boat. There's a bit of pride at stake, we want to prove we're the best team not only over the season but also over the finals series. We came so close in year one [Central Coast lost the 2006 grand final to Sydney FC], so there's some unfinished business there. There's a burning ambition to win it because we want the title of champions. If we don't do that, it will still be a huge disappointment for us and the fans."
The more immediate focus for McKinna is how to peg back the two-goal deficit against the Jets, and he concedes he's considering tinkering with his preferred 4-4-2 formation.
"If we can get can early goal, hopefully the pressure will mount on Newcastle," he said. "We definitely believe we can score twice at home, but it's how you do it that's got me thinking. We can look at maybe changing the shape a wee bit. We still created a lot of chances up there [Newcastle] with the shape that we've had for most of the season. So do you try and change it to get better chances or do you just keep going the same way and hopefully convert the chances you get?
"When all the boys are back in next week, we'll start to dabble a wee bit. Maybe playing three up front, and really having a go, really pinning them [Jets] back a bit."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league/heffernan-planning-miracle-comeback-as-mariners-prepare-to-go-on-the-offensive/2008/01/30/1201369227904.html
1) Fringe footballeroo my arse, he would walk into that side if fit
2) 3 up front next week???
Heffernan planning miracle comeback as Mariners prepare to go on the offensive
Michael Cockerill
January 31, 2008
FRINGE Socceroos defender Dean Heffernan is aiming to make a miracle comeback from a broken leg if Central Coast Mariners make the grand final.
Heffernan has been sidelined since the weekend before Christmas after coming off second-best in a collision with Sydney FC midfielder Ufuk Talay, and it had been assumed he would be out not only for the remainder of the season but for much of the off-season. But Heffernan's swift recovery has stunned his doctors, and yesterday he admitted he was dreaming of the seemingly impossible - a cameo role in the title decider on February 24.
"It was a clean break, which obviously helps, and I'm now walking OK, and feeling pretty good," he said.
"It's been six weeks so far, the doctors told me it would take 12 weeks, and that's got me thinking, 'Why not make it nine weeks?' Playing in the grand final has started to cross my mind. We're not talking 90 minutes, and I won't do anything stupid. But if I can get back to training with the boys in the week before the game, why not 10-15 minutes off the bench? I know it's a long shot, but that's the target."
Whether Central Coast can make the grand final remains to be seen after they lost the opening leg of the major semi-final against arch-rivals Newcastle Jets last weekend. The 2-0 defeat leaves the Mariners needing to score three times in the return leg at Gosford on Sunday week to guarantee a grand-final berth - otherwise they could drop into a sudden-death encounter with Sydney FC or Queensland Roar.
Coach Lawrie McKinna insists winning the grand final remains a "burning ambition" of the club even though the primary goal - the minor premiership and a place in the 2009 Asian Champions League - has been achieved.
Asked whether there was a danger the players felt the job had already been done, McKinna replied: "In my own mind, there's definitely satisfaction that we've achieved what we set out to do by getting into Asia. But the job's only half done.
"I've never won a grand final, and there's plenty of boys in the same boat. There's a bit of pride at stake, we want to prove we're the best team not only over the season but also over the finals series. We came so close in year one [Central Coast lost the 2006 grand final to Sydney FC], so there's some unfinished business there. There's a burning ambition to win it because we want the title of champions. If we don't do that, it will still be a huge disappointment for us and the fans."
The more immediate focus for McKinna is how to peg back the two-goal deficit against the Jets, and he concedes he's considering tinkering with his preferred 4-4-2 formation.
"If we can get can early goal, hopefully the pressure will mount on Newcastle," he said. "We definitely believe we can score twice at home, but it's how you do it that's got me thinking. We can look at maybe changing the shape a wee bit. We still created a lot of chances up there [Newcastle] with the shape that we've had for most of the season. So do you try and change it to get better chances or do you just keep going the same way and hopefully convert the chances you get?
"When all the boys are back in next week, we'll start to dabble a wee bit. Maybe playing three up front, and really having a go, really pinning them [Jets] back a bit."
it would be nice but it would be risky to sub checkers .thats great heart considering he would rather be playin elsewhere to begin with.
