(Reuters) – Central Coast Mariners’ new coach Mark Jackson is confident his team can enjoy a successful season despite kicking off their defence of the A-League title on Friday with a 3-0 loss against Adelaide United.
Jackson was appointed last month to replace Nick Montgomery after his fellow Englishman left the club to take over at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian, four months on from the Mariners’ Grand Final success over Melbourne City.
Goals from Ben Halloran, Zach Clough and Nick Ansell condemned Mariners to a losing start to the new campaign at Hindmarsh Stadium but Jackson backed his players to improve over time.
“I fully believe we’re on the right track, even though it’s early,” he said. “We’ve got a group of young players who are hungry to get better and go out and win football matches.”
Jackson has been handed the task of revitalising a squad that has been stripped of several of the players who delivered the club’s first A-League title since 2013.
Among those departing was winger Sam Silvera, who joined English Championship side Middlesbrough, while Jason Cummings, the club’s leading scorer last season, has moved to India to join Mohun Bagan.
“We know that we’ve lost players, but that’s what the model of the club is,” said Jackson.
“Players come in here, particularly young players, and they get given the opportunity and then they perform at a level where they can progress their careers in Europe, or abroad.
“We know that’s the case and that’s going to happen, but we want to be successful and we know the challenges that come with that and we know the pressures which are going to be on a young team.
“I fully believe in the squad, even though I’ve been with them a short period of time. I fully believe that they can get better as individuals and then as a squad you develop as well.”
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Stephen Coates)
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