DAVID ELLIOTT blogs on the Mariners for BPL. Click here to blog on your favourite team.

Promises, promises. If the Mariners continue to play like they did on Saturday in Wellington, it's going to be another long and frustrating year for the supporters of Graham Arnold's Yellow Army.

After such a great showing against the Heart in Melbourne and then the mongrel showed against Adelaide, you could forgive the Mariners faithful for being optimistic that we might have actually broken out NZ hoodoo.

But alas, Arnold's charges put in a timid, less than inspired showing against a well coached side Wellington side capable of being there in February. Seriously, one striker? One striker? Against a side that leaked three in their first game of the season the week prior?

Sure Matty Simon ran his heart out as he does all week, but far too often the distance between himself and that of his supporting midfield players was too great. Too many times McGlinchey and indeed Hutchinson were caught in possession deep inside the second third which lead to the back four being under constant pressure.

Always a little slow into the game, the Mariners defence was poor to let Wellington score inside the first ten minutes. That said, the high line deployed by Wilko and his fellow defenders in the first half was doing the trick, constantly catching Ifill and co offside. And no-one can fault Ifill's finish for the second on the hour.

After going down 2-nil, Arnold brought some strike-power on through Nik Mrdja but at that stage the game was already lost. And if we continue with the midfield pairing of McGlinchey and Hutchinson you get the impression it will be the same result against Sydney. The two are simply not creative enough and are far too slow in moving the ball forward.

As usual there were some positives, Oliver Bozanic for one. When he took the impetus to run at the defenders only to be let down by the off the ball movement of his team-mates.

So what's the answer? Well one would think it lies with Patricio Perez, although as someone put over the weekend, I'll believe he exists when he finally runs out onto the park.