Tommy Pondeljak

[yellowcake]

serious14 said:

*is sad to see Tommy P rotting/wasted on the bench*

I felt sad for Tommy too, seeing him warm up for 30 mins at the scoreboard end and then it was time to go home.

I guess it's a strength of the squad and the sucess of our current shape that players of the calibre of Tommy (and Gumps, but I'd be surprised if the impact of his contribution doesn't get him more time, if not a start next week) are relegated to the bench.

I don't question Lawrie - see the results but I would loved to have seen Tommy come on, probably for Mori, later in the game. Mori was being consistently beaten trying to chase down the long-ball shit supplying him and surely Tommy could have taken advantage of a tiring defence.

[marinermick]

yellowcake said:

serious14 said:

*is sad to see Tommy P rotting/wasted on the bench*

I felt sad for Tommy too, seeing him warm up for 30 mins at the scoreboard end and then it was time to go home.

I guess it's a strength of the squad and the sucess of our current shape that players of the calibre of Tommy (and Gumps, but I'd be surprised if the impact of his contribution doesn't get him more time, if not a start next week) are relegated to the bench.

I don't question Lawrie - see the results but I would loved to have seen Tommy come on, probably for Mori, later in the game. Mori was being consistently beaten trying to chase down the long-ball shit supplying him and surely Tommy could have taken advantage of a tiring defence.

I was very surprised that he didn't come on for one of the strikers late in the game, even just for a time consuming exercise.

Maybe Lawrie was trying to fast-track Mori's game fitness.

[DJ]

marinermick said:

yellowcake said:

I felt sad for Tommy too, seeing him warm up for 30 mins at the scoreboard end and then it was time to go home.

I guess it's a strength of the squad and the sucess of our current shape that players of the calibre of Tommy (and Gumps, but I'd be surprised if the impact of his contribution doesn't get him more time, if not a start next week) are relegated to the bench.

I don't question Lawrie - see the results but I would loved to have seen Tommy come on, probably for Mori, later in the game. Mori was being consistently beaten trying to chase down the long-ball shit supplying him and surely Tommy could have taken advantage of a tiring defence.

I was very surprised that he didn't come on for one of the strikers late in the game, even just for a time consuming exercise.

exactly what I said to froggy - bring him on to waste some time at least.

We don't see how Tommy is training (could be lazy and out of form), plus it's hard to break up a winning team.

It is surprising thou considering he had a good pre-season IMO

[shipwreck]

Coming off contract at the end of this season i would really hate to see him snapped up by another club where he is guaranteed a starting berth (Tommy could walk into most a-leagues first 11 im sure) and be a star player..

I wonder if greg owens was expecting to be so inactive when he signed with us, he was a regular for adelaide wasnt he?

[DJ]

shipwreck said:

Coming off contract at the end of this season i would really hate to see him snapped up by another club where he is guaranteed a starting berth (Tommy could walk into most a-leagues first 11 im sure) and be a star player..

I wonder if greg owens was expecting to be so inactive when he signed with us, he was a regular for adelaide wasnt he?

he was but had an injury just about all pre-season, and has only just recovered from another knock.

Owens problem is we are winning so it will be hard for him to work his way into the team. I'd like to see him in Hutcho's current role, but then I'd like to see Tommy there too

I'd be surprised to see Tommy with us next year.

[midfielder]

I think Lawie is being smart and is saving Tommie for lthe business end of the season and ensuring he does not get hurt.

As for Owens its same old same old, how does a new boy break into and established winning team. Wait until someone is hurt and play like heck so when they recover they have to move you from the team.

[marinersman]

I am an big, big fan of Tommy's. I've been watching him play going back to when he was a young bloke for Melbourne Croatia right through to Glory in the old NSL.

IMO, there are few players (almost none) in the A-League who are in his class when he is at his best. Maybe I'm going overboard here, but I think he is almost on a different plane to his team mates inasmuch as the things he sees on the pitch, where players should be positioned to meet his passes but often are there not.

It seems to me he is the type of player that when he's not starting week in, week out he finds it difficult to be at the top of his game. He needs to be on the pitch and given time to find his form. I know at the moment it is almost impossible to drop anyone in the midfield but I think with Tommy in the team we would be even better going forward than we are now.

I'm worried about us losing him at the end of the season. I'm beginning to wonder if he figures in Lawrie's plans.

As good a coach as Lawrie is, I think he's making a big mistake leaving Tommy out. I'd hate to lose a player of his class to an opposition team.

He has more footballing ability in his big toe than some of the plodders in the A-League (Roar, Bling and Glory).

[mortez]

I doubt Lawrie is saving Tommy for the business end of the season.

Lawrie has shown on past performance that he does not like to fiddle with wining sides to much.

[DJ]

Tommy is on good money - could it be better used next year? It all depends on who is available?

He also turns 32 next year (end of this season), I know that's not old but it depends on whether (as you said) Lawrie feels he still has something to offer the Mariners?

Time will tell, I'm not convinced he has reproduced his NSL form in the HAL in 2 and a bit seasons? Seen climpses but not consistency apart from before he broke his wrist in V1.

Definite ability, only Tommy can prove he's worth it.

[mortez]

The Mariners will have to upgrade a few of the younger players contracts to keep them next year. ie Jedinak, Boggs etc.

[DJ]

mortez said:

The Mariners will have to upgrade a few of the younger players contracts to keep them next year. ie Jedinak, Boggs etc.

exactly - comes back to my point can money be better used somewhere else?

[midfielder]

mortez said:

I doubt Lawrie is saving Tommy for the business end of the season.

Lawrie has shown on past performance that he does not like to fiddle with wining sides to much.

Not sure Tommy is in a class of his own and I think our best player but a bit prone to injury I still think Lawie is saving him.

[Foriegnmariner]

I think Tommy just plays the postion on the park where we have the most depth and as i firmly believe in not changing a winning line up he just hasn't been able to start.
I think while were on this winning streak he should be used as a timmy cahill like player, Coming of the bench with 25 to go and having that knack to be at the right place at the right time when a winning goal is needed or picking up a ball when cleared out of defence and running it into the corner to waste time.
At the end of the year well im sure we could offer a 1 year deal on a little less money and use the rest to reward jedi and boogs on there form.

[greenpoleffc]

I am a huge Tommy fan, him and 10 other blokes and you have a team :-)

Thought last nights game would have been perfect for him, someone with some class was badly needed.

[roylaw]

The standard of the league is fast out growing Tommy P. I don't care where he ends up next season, he won't crack a first team spot. 32 yrs old, thanks and time to move on.

[pjennings]

I know I will get bagged out again - but I would love to have seen Tommy come on as the replacement for Osman. He is very good defencely and I would love to see him surging forward on the right. With him on the right and Heff on the left we could quickly counter on either flank.

[Ursus]

I too would like to see him in the team, especially in the first half last Sunday when we appeared to lack penetration in the midfield. The only place I could see him filling is Browny's.
While Tommy would have more attacking flair, I have not seen the work rate to match Browny's for a long time.
I think his time will come when injuries and suspensions begin to happen in the midfield. He will then have to grab it with both hands.
A good sub by Lawrie with Gumps. Personally I would have done it earlier.
Gumps may now become our off the bench, impact player for when the opposition is tiring. Could prove invaluable.

[brett]

Great post by marinersman in this thread, summed most of it up for me.

I would add that Tommy is that sort of tempo-dictating playmaker, and would be at his best with the play running through him. When he only gets to come off the bench or gets put out wide, he can't have the same influence. Also, when it looks as if he is out of favour, maybe it is hard to come on and then take control of the game.

Think of Nick Carle, in season one the Jets weren't playing his game and he was ineffective. In season two GVE built the whole attack, the whole style of play around Nick. He got as many touches as possible and ran the show from the front of the midfield.

Tommy is similar in my opinion.

In saying that, our style of play doesn't suit an old school number ten, we play with men running forward from many different points to create overloads and generally attack wide. The best use we'd get out of TomP would be in Kwasaldinho's position should something happen to him.

[Jeff (LouMacari)]

greenpoleffc said:

I am a huge Tommy fan,.......

there's always jenny craig Greenpole

[greenpoleffc]

Ah, you picked me out in the pic at EAS away then??