One win all season, record-low crowds, and suffering two 8-2 defeats at home in one year.

The Central Coast Mariners had hit rock bottom. The once proud club successful club was in its darkest days.

Mike Mulvey was gone after promising “the period of mediocrity is over”. Mediocrity would have been an improvement on this season.

However, they say it’s darkest just before the dawn, and a new dawn emerged last Saturday night when new interim manager Alen Stajcic won his first game in charge of the Central Coast.

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The appointment of the former Matildas coach seemed by many to be out of left-field, with assistant manager Nick Montgomery the expected choice.

However, appointing Alen Stajcic was a masterstroke by the Central Coast Mariners. Somehow, amidst all the chaos and dark times, they managed to find someone willing to take the gig. Because that was a genuine concern for them – who wants the Mariners job? The answer (at least in the short-term), Alen Stajcic.

It is unclear whether Stajcic will be appointed the role long-term, or even if he is seeking the permanent managers position at the club. Speaking in the press conference post-match on Saturday he was very vague about his future.

“There are so many things we have to focus on and think about,” Stajcic said.

So many elements of the club, the team, on the field, off the field – so to worry about what’s going to happen in three months’ time is really just losing energy.

“Our aim is to show we have a good foundation to build the team for next year, for whoever’s going to be here”.

Regardless, simply attracting Stajcic to the club was a huge coup for the Mariners, who in truth have never really struggled to find someone willing to take the job.

Perhaps one of the reasons Stajcic resonated with the Mariners was because of the fact they were at rock bottom. Stajcic has also been going through a tough time personally following his brutal and unexpected sacking from the Matildas just months away from a World Cup.

“My individual circumstances and the club’s have probably paralleled each other in a lot of ways”, he said.

“They’ve had a lot of ups and downs and so have I.”

These comments are perhaps the key for a new wave of optimism and character to be shown by the Central Coast. Having a manager who can relate to the struggles and hardships of professional football, on and off the pitch, can be really motivating for the dressing room and shed a new light on a dim atmosphere in Gosford.

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The former Sydney FC man has a wealth of experience managing at the top level of the women’s game but is unproven in the men’s game. This will no doubt add extra motivation for Stajcic.

He will no doubt use his player management to his benefit, too, as many of the current Matildas squad have praised him for how he treats every single player and meets their specific needs without compromising the rest of the squad. This will be crucial to lifting the spirits of a team who are hurting, and hurting badly.

Many have already pencilled in the Mariners for the wooden spoon, and probably quite rightly. However, just five points from ninth placed Brisbane Roar with five games to come could see the Mariners close the gap yet again.

With the arrival of the ex-Matildas boss on the Central Coast, many are seeing it as a clean slate for many of the players, the fans, and the club.

And the fans on the Central Coast deserve a lot better than what they’ve been getting since the rapid decline of the club in 2014. There is a passionate supporter base in Gosford desperate for success, and perhaps Stajcic could be the man to re-build the Central Coast back to their glory days if he is appointed long-term.