Don't concede, don't lose
The match in Napier on Sunday was a typical early season fixture between two sides who looked well under done in attack. Newcastle set out to occupy the Phoenix's passing channels and were mostly successful in preventing Carlos Hernandez settling on the ball in the attacking third. Paul Ifill was also closed down quickly meaning the Phoenix's two most creative players had very little impact on the match.
But what has been overlooked is the defensive turnaround quietly orchestrated by Ernie Merrick from a team that conceded 49 goals in 27 games last year at an average of 1.8 per match. Last season, when the Phoenix kept only 4 clean sheets, the team would almost certainly have lost that match when they had not scored.
Starting the match with 3 of Ricki Herbert's back 4 for the second week in a row, only substituting the inexperienced Reece Caira for Tony Lochhead, you would not have believed this was a side capable of shipping terrible goals at an alarming rate during last year's campaign. Last year quality A-League defenders Sigmund and Durante looked at times like park footballers, both making several poor individual errors. Under Merrick the same combination has looked organised and generally composed.
Sigmund has generally played with greater discipline tactically while still imposing himself physically and seems to have restrained his urge to push out from the back trying to win the ball further up the pitch. Caira looks solid enough and although Bertos's positioning is at times suspect, he's rarely been caught the wrong side of his man which was a problem last year.
If the Phoenix are to make the top 6 this year both attack and defence need to improve - but by completing the first three 90 minute outings of the season while only conceding three goals, perhaps there are still positives to be taken from a fairly mind numbing afternoon's football.
Reorganising mid-match has its limitations
Ernie Merrick was widely praised for his removal of Steyn Huysegems and reorganisation of the Phoenix midfield after 30 minutes last week against West Sydney. This week again he went to his bench early to make another tactical reorganisation removing Paul Ifill at half time to bring on Albert Riera. Riera, Lia and Muscat were all nominally defensive midfielders, although Lia seemed to have the most licence to push forward to support the attack. Riera had a good 45 minutes, economical in possession he seemed the most comfortable of the three with the ball at his feet misplacing only three passes during the half. With an extra body in midfield the Phoenix generally reduced the attacking threat from Newcastle and looked less open defensively.
But the removal of Ifill had a marked effect on the Phoenix attacking play. Perhaps as a result of the Belgian's furious reaction to his substitution against West Sydney, Merrick left the Brockie/Huysegems/Hernandez axis in place and it plainly didn't work leaving the attack unbalanced. All three prefer to operate centrally so the formation lacked width and Brockie especially seemed unable to get into the game. With no wide player stretching the play the midfield was congested and the game ended up a scrappy affair. Without Ifill's ability to create something out of nothing, and Hernandez targeted by Ben Kantarovski, Brockie and Huysegems resembled less a partnership and more a new couple awkwardly fumbling after a first date.
What this does show is the limitations of in-game management. Making pro-active changes during a match is an important part of coaching but it is far preferable to get your initial team selection right and stick with it. It would not be a surprise to see one of the Phoenix's two strikers benched next week and a third central midfielder added from the start but either way Ernie needs to get comfortable with his initial team selection.
Home and away
The crowd of 9020 in Napier was probably just enough to see the Phoenix return next year, but won't convince the sceptics that the entire exercise has little to recommend it considering that as many of a third of that number were from out of town and in the Hawkes Bay for the local under 19 tournament. Taking a match away from home is a significant commitment for the club, players and fans who all need to invest time and effort shifting the entire operation to another city. The novelty factor of the Wellington Phoenix playing live outside Wellington does seem to be wearing off.
The four figure crowd in Napier followed last season where a "home" match in Dunedin drew an embarrassing 3,060 (vs 4628 in the 2011 fixture) and the match against Perth at Eden Park an acceptable 11,600 (but fairly disappointing vs the 20,078 which watched the game against Adelaide in 2011). It's hard to see what the Phoenix get out the the exercise (aside from the match outgoings being underwritten by a council or a promoter). As a proportion of total income merchandise must sit fairly low down the list and building the Phoenix "brand" seems a particularly nebulous reason to take matches on the road.
The answer then, must be that matches at Westpac Stadium are generally still costing money to put on while crowds remain under the season average of roughly 9000.
Whether taking games on the road is seen as a genuine long term strategy, or is being used as a bargaining chip to negotiate more favourable terms from Westpac Stadium management isn't clear - it would certainly make more sense if the second were true. But it does seem to indicate short term thinking when it leads to situations like the side not playing in Wellington between 13 October and 9 December and the loyal fans that the Phoenix are happy to rely upon are the ultimate losers.
Passionate fans want to watch their team play, and only a portion of them are able to make a trip outside Wellington. Too long between matches and you begin to lose that bond which has formed the bed rock of Phoenix support (and which the club are more than happy to trade upon). That's something Phoenix management should mess with at their peril. Perhaps more time needs to be spent finding out why crowds in Wellington have dropped away and less time spent marketing one off games out of town.
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Monday, 21 October 2013
Some thoughts on West Sydney 1 : Wellington Phoenix 1
Getting the best out of Jeremy Brockie
Jeremy Brockie had a mixed game on Saturday - he struggled early from wide on the right taking several poor options and drifted in and out of the game after moving into the centre following Steyn Huysegems' substitution when Merrick added to the midfield. But he got the goal applying a tremendous finish after a piece of Ifill trickery to earn the Phoenix a deserved point in Sydney.
Brockie has always been most effective in a central role; he was inconsistent at Newcastle while used as a winger and he's never scored for the All Whites in 35 appearances where he's plugged gaps out wide, in midfield and even at wing-back.
Brockie is often criticised for a lack of work rate but that doesn't tell the whole story - when the Phoenix have possession in midfield his movement tends to be away from the ball, either to make a run off the shoulder of the last defender for the ball released quickly or looking for space away from the play to be in position to finish off an attacking movement. He rarely does the dirty work running the channels or holding the ball up in the way that Chris Greenacre specialised. In that respect he can appear "supply dependent", a player who needs others to bring him into the game in order to be effective.
What he does bring however is the ability to lose his man and create space - in the first half he ghosted on to a lovely pass from Jason Hicks which lead to a shot off target and his run in between the central defenders for the goal demonstrated his ability to find space in the penalty box in a way few A-League strikers can.
It's clear he needs to start centrally to be most effective. If he can add more variety to his movement and become a more rounded striker there is no doubt though that when matched with his natural goal scoring instinct he could develop into one of the best players in the league.
Bertos may have a Phoenix future - but not as an attacker
When Ernie Merrick announced that Leo Bertos wouldn't be used at right back because he was wanted as an attacking player and then barely used him in pre-season, this looked like the beginning of the end for Bertos' Phoenix career. But perhaps there's still more to come from Bertos - as a defender.
Bertos had a solid if unspectacular game at right back after backing up from the All Whites match against Trinidad and Tobago where he played as a wing-back. He dealt well with Mark Bridge and generally acquitted himself well as part of a back four that kept Wanderers quiet in the second half. There are times when he seems to be moving in the opposite direction to the rest of the back four but generally he seemed to position himself well.
Although he didn't contribute a great deal in an attacking sense he provided support in the final third and won several corners pushing forward. At the same time he showed why as an attacking player he's unlikely to see much time this year. Compared to Ifill, who makes up for a lack of pace with skill and movement, he looked unlikely to beat his man one-on-one. Bertos always relied on skipping past defenders on the outside to deliver crosses, and without pace he does look a little one dimensional.
If he retains his place in defence for the match in Napier and performs well it could mean Louis Fenton struggles to break into the side after injury.
When is a scapegoat not a scapegoat - when he's Vince Lia
After two rounds of the A-League, one player has been the focus for most criticism from Phoenix fans - Vince Lia. It doesn't help that Lia was expected to be replaced in the off season (and the long running search for a defensive midfielder indicates that Merrick did intend to line up without him in 2013). Two matches where he has been inconsistent in possession has seen a rising tide of invective directed towards Lia online and in a backlash against the backlash it seems Lia is now being defended as merely the latest Yellow Fever "designated scapegoat" after an improved showing in 70 minutes on Sunday after a frankly shocking first 20.
But just because Lia has become the designated scape-goat (and it does seem he has) does not mean he's not deserving of criticism.
The frustration with Lia is that he's clearly capable of doing some of the things an A-League midfielder should be able to do, some of the time. The problem is that his mistakes tend to lead to chances and goals. Lia can pass the ball but at times he gives it away with a casualness which suggests he doesn't understand that under Merrick, his position is possibly the most important on the pitch. The problem for Lia is that when faced with a high press like that from Wanderers on Sunday he will inevitably turn over the ball inside his own half two or three times a game. That led to several chances, including a late shot from Brendan Santalab that rattled the post with 10 minutes to go and would have seen the Phoenix almost certainly lose a hard fought point. For all his defensive quality, and he hassled and harried without fouling on Sunday which was admirable, he still lacks the calmness when playing under pressure that this team needs to thrive.
All this might be acceptable if Lia's all round game meant he was creating chances at the other end or was a creative outlet. But when his role is so simple, and his passing fairly mechanical, he can't continue making such basic errors and retain his place in the team.
Getting points in Australia - a simple formula
The Phoenix completed more passes than Wanderers attempted on Sunday which must have been a first in an away match for the club. Unlike under Herbert when possession seemed an after thought to desperate defence, with a fair share of the ball Phoenix were able to withstand pressure by controlling the tempo of the match. While the attack at times lacked precision this was to be expected when Merrick was forced into an early tactical switch, and has been unable to field his first choice starting lineup in pre-season. This was a mature display that bodes well for the rest of the season and suggest future away matches might not be the grim proposition of previous seasons.
Jeremy Brockie had a mixed game on Saturday - he struggled early from wide on the right taking several poor options and drifted in and out of the game after moving into the centre following Steyn Huysegems' substitution when Merrick added to the midfield. But he got the goal applying a tremendous finish after a piece of Ifill trickery to earn the Phoenix a deserved point in Sydney.
Brockie has always been most effective in a central role; he was inconsistent at Newcastle while used as a winger and he's never scored for the All Whites in 35 appearances where he's plugged gaps out wide, in midfield and even at wing-back.
 |
| Gooooooooooalazo |
Brockie is often criticised for a lack of work rate but that doesn't tell the whole story - when the Phoenix have possession in midfield his movement tends to be away from the ball, either to make a run off the shoulder of the last defender for the ball released quickly or looking for space away from the play to be in position to finish off an attacking movement. He rarely does the dirty work running the channels or holding the ball up in the way that Chris Greenacre specialised. In that respect he can appear "supply dependent", a player who needs others to bring him into the game in order to be effective.
What he does bring however is the ability to lose his man and create space - in the first half he ghosted on to a lovely pass from Jason Hicks which lead to a shot off target and his run in between the central defenders for the goal demonstrated his ability to find space in the penalty box in a way few A-League strikers can.
It's clear he needs to start centrally to be most effective. If he can add more variety to his movement and become a more rounded striker there is no doubt though that when matched with his natural goal scoring instinct he could develop into one of the best players in the league.
Bertos may have a Phoenix future - but not as an attacker
When Ernie Merrick announced that Leo Bertos wouldn't be used at right back because he was wanted as an attacking player and then barely used him in pre-season, this looked like the beginning of the end for Bertos' Phoenix career. But perhaps there's still more to come from Bertos - as a defender.
 |
| Leo Bertos |
Bertos had a solid if unspectacular game at right back after backing up from the All Whites match against Trinidad and Tobago where he played as a wing-back. He dealt well with Mark Bridge and generally acquitted himself well as part of a back four that kept Wanderers quiet in the second half. There are times when he seems to be moving in the opposite direction to the rest of the back four but generally he seemed to position himself well.
Although he didn't contribute a great deal in an attacking sense he provided support in the final third and won several corners pushing forward. At the same time he showed why as an attacking player he's unlikely to see much time this year. Compared to Ifill, who makes up for a lack of pace with skill and movement, he looked unlikely to beat his man one-on-one. Bertos always relied on skipping past defenders on the outside to deliver crosses, and without pace he does look a little one dimensional.
If he retains his place in defence for the match in Napier and performs well it could mean Louis Fenton struggles to break into the side after injury.
When is a scapegoat not a scapegoat - when he's Vince Lia
After two rounds of the A-League, one player has been the focus for most criticism from Phoenix fans - Vince Lia. It doesn't help that Lia was expected to be replaced in the off season (and the long running search for a defensive midfielder indicates that Merrick did intend to line up without him in 2013). Two matches where he has been inconsistent in possession has seen a rising tide of invective directed towards Lia online and in a backlash against the backlash it seems Lia is now being defended as merely the latest Yellow Fever "designated scapegoat" after an improved showing in 70 minutes on Sunday after a frankly shocking first 20.
 |
| Sunday's mixed bag |
But just because Lia has become the designated scape-goat (and it does seem he has) does not mean he's not deserving of criticism.
The frustration with Lia is that he's clearly capable of doing some of the things an A-League midfielder should be able to do, some of the time. The problem is that his mistakes tend to lead to chances and goals. Lia can pass the ball but at times he gives it away with a casualness which suggests he doesn't understand that under Merrick, his position is possibly the most important on the pitch. The problem for Lia is that when faced with a high press like that from Wanderers on Sunday he will inevitably turn over the ball inside his own half two or three times a game. That led to several chances, including a late shot from Brendan Santalab that rattled the post with 10 minutes to go and would have seen the Phoenix almost certainly lose a hard fought point. For all his defensive quality, and he hassled and harried without fouling on Sunday which was admirable, he still lacks the calmness when playing under pressure that this team needs to thrive.
All this might be acceptable if Lia's all round game meant he was creating chances at the other end or was a creative outlet. But when his role is so simple, and his passing fairly mechanical, he can't continue making such basic errors and retain his place in the team.
Getting points in Australia - a simple formula
The Phoenix completed more passes than Wanderers attempted on Sunday which must have been a first in an away match for the club. Unlike under Herbert when possession seemed an after thought to desperate defence, with a fair share of the ball Phoenix were able to withstand pressure by controlling the tempo of the match. While the attack at times lacked precision this was to be expected when Merrick was forced into an early tactical switch, and has been unable to field his first choice starting lineup in pre-season. This was a mature display that bodes well for the rest of the season and suggest future away matches might not be the grim proposition of previous seasons.
Monday, 14 October 2013
What New Zealand Football needs from its next manager
When the final whistle blows in Wellington on 20 November 2013 two things will almost certainly have happened. Mexico will have qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Ricki Herbert's reign as All Whites manager will be over. Assessment of his tenure can wait until such a conclusion, but planning for the future needs to start now. The task will fall to the discredited New Zealand Football board, in all likelihood under the influence of Frank Van Hattum and Fred de Jong, to appoint a replacement. What then for the role beyond 2013 - how do we manage the task of rebuilding a diminished side when the memories and money generated by World Cup qualification in 2010 have disappeared?
This modern All Whites team are almost entirely a Herbert creation, but the current state of the national side reflect the diminishing returns his one note coaching style has generated. For both club and country Herbert succeeded in building a were raised. His continuation with the 3-4-3 system for the All Whites, at times necessitating some bizarre positional selections has at times veered towards deliberate provocation - a rejoinder to critics. This is the man who conquered Bahrain, never forget - a symbolic "show me your medals". But letting the system govern the players has resulted in complete confusion - including it seems in Herbert, the brutalist 3-4-3 was a particular response to the strengths of the available players and a concentration of talent amongst central defenders and physical strikers, not a coherent approach replicable with another set of players.
Tactically, the first job for the new man will be to revise that style of play. New Zealand does have a more complete collection of attacking players than at any time since the 1980s - McGlinchey, Rojas, Barbarouses, Wood, Henderson, Brockie and Smeltz could all conceivably be starting for their clubs and scoring goals this season. But New Zealand sides will always suffer in an area of the pitch, currently fullback and defensive midfield - mean the job of the manager will require
This is not a job for idealists or ideologues looking to impose a pre-conceived tactical framework, dreams of "combination play" and midfield rotation must be subservient to an element of pragmatism.
The All Whites are in a strange situation, we start almost every international fixture as underdog and can expect to spend much of every match we play without the ball, other than in Oceania where we're strong favourites and must dominate the play. The requirement for a style of play flexible enough to adapt to either scenario is a challenge but has to be developed. Watching New Zealand out-passed by New Caledonia in Dunedin, able only to achieve an unsatisfying victory through an aerial blitz, was a kind of humiliation.
The end of this campaign should bring a major turnover in the playing group. While Herbert used more than 65 players in his last 60 matches in charge, he was in many respects an anti- reactionist . The majority of competitive fixtures included a core group of whom Leo Bertos, Tony Lochhead, Chris Killen, Ivan Vicelic, Ben Sigmund and Rory Fallon are all nearing the end of their contributions. Expect a spate of retirements or if this doesn't eventuate, the swift ending of some long careers.
To my mind, the coach of the Senior Men should also take this side to the Olympics, primarily because of the likely cross-over between the two. Storm Roux, Bill Tuiloma, Louis Fenton, Tyler Boyd, Alex Rufer, Matthew Ridenton, Luke Adams, Harry Edge, Ryan Thomas, Tim Payne and Cameron Howison are all eligible for Rio in 2016, at professional clubs and should figure for the All Whites at some stage before 2018. ASB Premiership players should be selected when absolutely necessary - our international prospects will only improve when all of our squad are making regular appearances in professional football.
Qualification for future World Cups will continue to prove extremely difficult, Bahrain was an outlier - New Zealand's World Cup appearances will be so infrequent that coaching performance should not be measured in World Cup cycles. Herbert convinced us that only one result counted, and that was the intercontinental playoff. He engineered a free pass for results in other matches - too late it seems we realised that the Honiara debacle indicated a downward trajectory that reflected his lack of new ideas. We need to overthrow the tyranny of low expectations which meant we accepted struggling through Oceania qualification. Performance levels need to be maintained in each of the major international tests - OFC Nations Cup, Oceania World Cup Qualifiers, Olympic Games and the Confederations Cup - and if they're not we'll never qualify for the World Cup anyway.
The kiwi football fan is a realist - we know our place in the football world (even if we allow ourselves dreams of glory from time to time). Whomever takes on the mantle of New Zealand football manager will not have unachievable expectations - all he needs to do is to develop a talented group of players into a football team we can be proud of.
Herbert's greatest achievement was gaining credibility, for himself as a coach and New Zealand as an international team. For New Zealand Football appointing a replacement to restore credibility to a hollowed out institution may be an equally difficult task.
| Ricki Herbert; sad |
This modern All Whites team are almost entirely a Herbert creation, but the current state of the national side reflect the diminishing returns his one note coaching style has generated. For both club and country Herbert succeeded in building a were raised. His continuation with the 3-4-3 system for the All Whites, at times necessitating some bizarre positional selections has at times veered towards deliberate provocation - a rejoinder to critics. This is the man who conquered Bahrain, never forget - a symbolic "show me your medals". But letting the system govern the players has resulted in complete confusion - including it seems in Herbert, the brutalist 3-4-3 was a particular response to the strengths of the available players and a concentration of talent amongst central defenders and physical strikers, not a coherent approach replicable with another set of players.
Tactically, the first job for the new man will be to revise that style of play. New Zealand does have a more complete collection of attacking players than at any time since the 1980s - McGlinchey, Rojas, Barbarouses, Wood, Henderson, Brockie and Smeltz could all conceivably be starting for their clubs and scoring goals this season. But New Zealand sides will always suffer in an area of the pitch, currently fullback and defensive midfield - mean the job of the manager will require
This is not a job for idealists or ideologues looking to impose a pre-conceived tactical framework, dreams of "combination play" and midfield rotation must be subservient to an element of pragmatism.
 |
| Marco Rojas; skillz |
The All Whites are in a strange situation, we start almost every international fixture as underdog and can expect to spend much of every match we play without the ball, other than in Oceania where we're strong favourites and must dominate the play. The requirement for a style of play flexible enough to adapt to either scenario is a challenge but has to be developed. Watching New Zealand out-passed by New Caledonia in Dunedin, able only to achieve an unsatisfying victory through an aerial blitz, was a kind of humiliation.
The end of this campaign should bring a major turnover in the playing group. While Herbert used more than 65 players in his last 60 matches in charge, he was in many respects an anti- reactionist . The majority of competitive fixtures included a core group of whom Leo Bertos, Tony Lochhead, Chris Killen, Ivan Vicelic, Ben Sigmund and Rory Fallon are all nearing the end of their contributions. Expect a spate of retirements or if this doesn't eventuate, the swift ending of some long careers.
 |
| Rory Fallon; elbows |
To my mind, the coach of the Senior Men should also take this side to the Olympics, primarily because of the likely cross-over between the two. Storm Roux, Bill Tuiloma, Louis Fenton, Tyler Boyd, Alex Rufer, Matthew Ridenton, Luke Adams, Harry Edge, Ryan Thomas, Tim Payne and Cameron Howison are all eligible for Rio in 2016, at professional clubs and should figure for the All Whites at some stage before 2018. ASB Premiership players should be selected when absolutely necessary - our international prospects will only improve when all of our squad are making regular appearances in professional football.
Qualification for future World Cups will continue to prove extremely difficult, Bahrain was an outlier - New Zealand's World Cup appearances will be so infrequent that coaching performance should not be measured in World Cup cycles. Herbert convinced us that only one result counted, and that was the intercontinental playoff. He engineered a free pass for results in other matches - too late it seems we realised that the Honiara debacle indicated a downward trajectory that reflected his lack of new ideas. We need to overthrow the tyranny of low expectations which meant we accepted struggling through Oceania qualification. Performance levels need to be maintained in each of the major international tests - OFC Nations Cup, Oceania World Cup Qualifiers, Olympic Games and the Confederations Cup - and if they're not we'll never qualify for the World Cup anyway.
The kiwi football fan is a realist - we know our place in the football world (even if we allow ourselves dreams of glory from time to time). Whomever takes on the mantle of New Zealand football manager will not have unachievable expectations - all he needs to do is to develop a talented group of players into a football team we can be proud of.
Herbert's greatest achievement was gaining credibility, for himself as a coach and New Zealand as an international team. For New Zealand Football appointing a replacement to restore credibility to a hollowed out institution may be an equally difficult task.
Thursday, 10 October 2013
Season Preview - Ernie Merrick's magnificent men
Let's get one thing straight - Wellington Phoenix will be a better side under Ernie Merrick than under Ricki Herbert. No more hoof ball, no more Tony Lochhead and thankfully, a new approach to away matches where a comfortable loss won't be good enough.
2102/13 was a horror year for the club which threatened to de-rail the steady rebuilding under Welnix. For both supporters and players alike a general malaise took hold mid-season and Herbert's inevitable departure, and the wooden spoon, book-ended a demoralising season conclusion where the tedium of an interminable off-season couldn't come quickly enough.
"Sir Ricki's" culpability continues to be debated - he remarkably still retains the loyalty of a rump of supporters - but there is no doubt that he departed leaving a demoralised squad peppered with players for whom continuing a career in professional football must be the most pleasant of surprises. That's not to say that Merrick's job is an impossible one, but it does temper expectations for a season where the Phoenix are rebuilding a squad almost from scratch.
Ernie Merrick's appointment as manager was warmly received in New Zealand and that positivity has been enhanced by his upbeat media persona and bullishness in respect of the local talent available to him, both inside and outside the squad.
Concerns raised by an Australian media in his ability to coach in a league he last won in 2009, in thrall to a new generation of Australian coaches, seem unfounded. Improvement in the overall level of the A-League has been significantly overstated; although there is no doubt that at the top end the influence of Ange Postecoglu at Brisbane and now Victory and Tony Popovic at Western Sydney has raised standards, the lower reaches of the table still contain some genuinely awful football sides (few worse than last year's Phoenix side).
Nevertheless, the squad assembled by Merrick to date seems to lack both the experience, but more importantly the quality, to aim much higher than 5th or 6th spot. He's taken a significant risk relying on his ability to get more out of the existing squad considering the bulk of players recruited will be in their début season of professional football. Consistency not talent is the question mark over a group of young players who have all turned in impressive displays at different times during pre-season. Each will need to be carefully managed.
Under Herbert, Tyler Boyd and Louis Fenton were introduced early, shouldered more pressure than was ideal and at times seemed to be selected for reasons beyond their on-field performances - both have huge futures and should benefit from Merrick's history in youth coaching.
Focussing on young players may be the only way that a club unwilling to spend beyond the salary cap can hope to compete in the medium term and Chris Wood, Marco Rojas, Kosta Barbarouses and Cameron Howieson show that the raw material is there within New Zealand. The club is in the early stages of managing players beginning their careers and whether the current coaching structures allow that talent to develop effectively remains to be seen.
A defence that conceded 49 goals must be improved but while both fullbacks and the goal keeper will be new faces, if anything the defence looks weaker than last year so long as Manny Muscat continues in midfield. Both Sigmund and Andrew Durante escaped criticism in 2012 despite regular lapses of concentration but will be under pressure to justify overly generous contract extensions that see both players tied to the club until 2014/2015.
Sigmund especially, reported to have struggled for motivation under Herbert, needs to channel his undoubtedly impressive physical approach into more disciplined displays. There will be an acceptance that the fullbacks, Fenton and Caira, will make mistakes defensively but both must mitigate that by contributing in the attacking third.
Midfield continues to be a problem. Vince Lia was an acceptable midfield starter for a new club in 2008, he just held his own in a team that by-passed midfield but does not have the technique for a team which aims to play on the ground quickly through midfield. His contract extension in 2012 was inexplicable.
Manny Muscat has limitations with the ball but his defensive tenacity can be extremely effective when partnered by a more creative option - a deep lying playmaker was assumed to be arriving in the off season and it remains to be seen whether the late acquisition of the Spaniard Albert Riera from Auckland City will fulfil that role.
A slightly strange signing, Riera is unlikely to push for a starting spot immediately coming from the amateur game, while as an import he prevents recruitment of a further starting midfielder which it was assumed the club was still searching for. Alex Rufer is the wild card - although only 17 his pre-season performances suggest he may get some time off the bench this year.
History show that if you score more goals than you concede, you will make the top 6. Undoubtedly Merrick has focussed the bulk of his available budget on attacking players - Kenny Cunningham will be needed to stretch the play and create space for the major off-season recruit, Carlos Hernandez, to operate in. Concerns about fitness seem unjustified - even his his pomp with Victory Hernandez never relied on pace and his long range shooting and set piece ability should improve the sides' potency from outside the box - while also introducing far more variety into the Phoenix attack.
Ultimately however, it's the old warhorse Paul Ifill who will be relied upon for the game breaking pass, cross and goals. The one player in Wellington consistently worth paying money to see, Ifill's form fluctuated last season while he more than almost any other seemed unable to motivate himself towards the end of the Herbert reign. Guaranteed goals if he stays fit, much will depend on the number of matches he's able to play.
But even in the strongest area of the pitch questions still remain unanswered. Jeremy Brockie, last year's golden boot, doesn't fit naturally into Merrick's 4-3-3 - neither entirely comfortable with his back to goal or operating from wide areas, and won't be guaranteed to start. Leo Bertos, another strangely handed a contract extension soon before Merrick's arrival, seems destined to spend time as a highly paid substitute after limited time and impact in pre-season. And Huysegems was prolific early on against weak opposition but has been well handled but more experienced defences - as well as New Zealand A and the "amateurs" of Auckland City.
This season feels like only the start of something very new in Wellington and with the squad assembled few, if any will be predicting much more than a top half finish at best. Merrick has focussed on solving problems in the side with his ability as a coach, aiming for improvement from the current squad rather than making wholesale changes through recruitment. But seeing a squad filled with young players, many of whom are Kiwis, feels like the beginning of a new era for the Wellington Phoenix.
Prediction: Head - 8th; Heart 5th
2102/13 was a horror year for the club which threatened to de-rail the steady rebuilding under Welnix. For both supporters and players alike a general malaise took hold mid-season and Herbert's inevitable departure, and the wooden spoon, book-ended a demoralising season conclusion where the tedium of an interminable off-season couldn't come quickly enough.
"Sir Ricki's" culpability continues to be debated - he remarkably still retains the loyalty of a rump of supporters - but there is no doubt that he departed leaving a demoralised squad peppered with players for whom continuing a career in professional football must be the most pleasant of surprises. That's not to say that Merrick's job is an impossible one, but it does temper expectations for a season where the Phoenix are rebuilding a squad almost from scratch.
Ernie Merrick's appointment as manager was warmly received in New Zealand and that positivity has been enhanced by his upbeat media persona and bullishness in respect of the local talent available to him, both inside and outside the squad.
Concerns raised by an Australian media in his ability to coach in a league he last won in 2009, in thrall to a new generation of Australian coaches, seem unfounded. Improvement in the overall level of the A-League has been significantly overstated; although there is no doubt that at the top end the influence of Ange Postecoglu at Brisbane and now Victory and Tony Popovic at Western Sydney has raised standards, the lower reaches of the table still contain some genuinely awful football sides (few worse than last year's Phoenix side).
Nevertheless, the squad assembled by Merrick to date seems to lack both the experience, but more importantly the quality, to aim much higher than 5th or 6th spot. He's taken a significant risk relying on his ability to get more out of the existing squad considering the bulk of players recruited will be in their début season of professional football. Consistency not talent is the question mark over a group of young players who have all turned in impressive displays at different times during pre-season. Each will need to be carefully managed.
Under Herbert, Tyler Boyd and Louis Fenton were introduced early, shouldered more pressure than was ideal and at times seemed to be selected for reasons beyond their on-field performances - both have huge futures and should benefit from Merrick's history in youth coaching.
Focussing on young players may be the only way that a club unwilling to spend beyond the salary cap can hope to compete in the medium term and Chris Wood, Marco Rojas, Kosta Barbarouses and Cameron Howieson show that the raw material is there within New Zealand. The club is in the early stages of managing players beginning their careers and whether the current coaching structures allow that talent to develop effectively remains to be seen.
A defence that conceded 49 goals must be improved but while both fullbacks and the goal keeper will be new faces, if anything the defence looks weaker than last year so long as Manny Muscat continues in midfield. Both Sigmund and Andrew Durante escaped criticism in 2012 despite regular lapses of concentration but will be under pressure to justify overly generous contract extensions that see both players tied to the club until 2014/2015.
Sigmund especially, reported to have struggled for motivation under Herbert, needs to channel his undoubtedly impressive physical approach into more disciplined displays. There will be an acceptance that the fullbacks, Fenton and Caira, will make mistakes defensively but both must mitigate that by contributing in the attacking third.
Midfield continues to be a problem. Vince Lia was an acceptable midfield starter for a new club in 2008, he just held his own in a team that by-passed midfield but does not have the technique for a team which aims to play on the ground quickly through midfield. His contract extension in 2012 was inexplicable.
Manny Muscat has limitations with the ball but his defensive tenacity can be extremely effective when partnered by a more creative option - a deep lying playmaker was assumed to be arriving in the off season and it remains to be seen whether the late acquisition of the Spaniard Albert Riera from Auckland City will fulfil that role.
A slightly strange signing, Riera is unlikely to push for a starting spot immediately coming from the amateur game, while as an import he prevents recruitment of a further starting midfielder which it was assumed the club was still searching for. Alex Rufer is the wild card - although only 17 his pre-season performances suggest he may get some time off the bench this year.
History show that if you score more goals than you concede, you will make the top 6. Undoubtedly Merrick has focussed the bulk of his available budget on attacking players - Kenny Cunningham will be needed to stretch the play and create space for the major off-season recruit, Carlos Hernandez, to operate in. Concerns about fitness seem unjustified - even his his pomp with Victory Hernandez never relied on pace and his long range shooting and set piece ability should improve the sides' potency from outside the box - while also introducing far more variety into the Phoenix attack.
Ultimately however, it's the old warhorse Paul Ifill who will be relied upon for the game breaking pass, cross and goals. The one player in Wellington consistently worth paying money to see, Ifill's form fluctuated last season while he more than almost any other seemed unable to motivate himself towards the end of the Herbert reign. Guaranteed goals if he stays fit, much will depend on the number of matches he's able to play.
But even in the strongest area of the pitch questions still remain unanswered. Jeremy Brockie, last year's golden boot, doesn't fit naturally into Merrick's 4-3-3 - neither entirely comfortable with his back to goal or operating from wide areas, and won't be guaranteed to start. Leo Bertos, another strangely handed a contract extension soon before Merrick's arrival, seems destined to spend time as a highly paid substitute after limited time and impact in pre-season. And Huysegems was prolific early on against weak opposition but has been well handled but more experienced defences - as well as New Zealand A and the "amateurs" of Auckland City.
This season feels like only the start of something very new in Wellington and with the squad assembled few, if any will be predicting much more than a top half finish at best. Merrick has focussed on solving problems in the side with his ability as a coach, aiming for improvement from the current squad rather than making wholesale changes through recruitment. But seeing a squad filled with young players, many of whom are Kiwis, feels like the beginning of a new era for the Wellington Phoenix.
Prediction: Head - 8th; Heart 5th
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Up and Running
So, I've decided to get the blog up and running again. I've added a number of archived articles that I wrote some time ago for Yellow Fever and I plan to blog weekly about New Zealand Football and the Phoenix.
As always, I'll be taking a sceptical look at the football scene from afar.
Watch out for my season preview which will be up later this week.
As always, I'll be taking a sceptical look at the football scene from afar.
Watch out for my season preview which will be up later this week.
Paying players in local football - Part 2
There are two main sources of income for football clubs,
subscriptions and charitable grants - very little money is made from club
bars, fundraising and sponsorship. Typically, a club will fund 30 - 50%
(although sometimes as much as 70%) of it's operations through community
trusts. Football is funded by pokies at every level, including the NZFC,
and the shortfall is made up by those who pay subscriptions, typically those
"social" players who actually pay subs below second team level. Do
any of them particularly care who is turning out for the first team? They
should, they're paying part of the wages.
I would like to hear a club
chairman justify the outlay on first teams. And if gaming money is to be
spent on semi-professional football, shouldn't it go towards the NZFC, which
requires substantial commitment of the players, at least draws some crowds and
has produced All Whites and professional players for the A-League?
One of the key themes in Capital Football's strategic plan
is a recognition of the aspirational nature of elite performance is a key
driver of mass participation. More simply, the desire to achieve at the
highest level in turn leads to more people playing the game.
But, this is balanced by a recognition that the distribution
of resources between mass participation and elite performance needs to be
balanced - as it states - one cannot be achieved without the other and
under-investing in either is likely to lead to poor results for both.
Rightly, the first team is the focus at most clubs. But the balance has
become completely skewed towards the elite (and that phrase hardly applies to
Capital Premier and the Central League), rather than a balanced approach to
raising standards across the board. At most clubs the return for your subs
is a used kit, a match ball and some muddy playing fields. No coaching,
no training and very little opportunity to improve or even learn something
about the game.
Club members at every level can have legitimate questions as
to what this football arms race has achieved. Training conditions are
still mediocre, very few clubs have access to indoor facilities.
Increased professionalism? A visit to Kitty's and Electric Avenue on a
Thursday will quickly disavow you of that notion.
Individual clubs have
their day in the sun while they splash the cash and attract players, but other
than Western Suburbs and Lower Hutt who lead the way in training facilities
very little has changed since the mid - nineties, other than the standard,
which has gone backwards. No club has said no, we're not going down
this route and recognised that short-term financial largess serves no-one's
interests.
Strategically, what are board members hoping to achieve?
And what is the succession plan for when the money runs out, or someone gets a
better offer from across town?
I recently spoke to a senior administrator in Wellington
sport about the future of the Phoenix, the NZFC and the recent failure of the
netball team the Wellington Pulse. His view? That there are too
many professional or semi - professional sports leagues in New Zealand and
that the current situation is unsustainable.
Economic reality deigns that
corporate sponsorship dollars will fall further. Gaming income has been
falling due to a combination of the smoking ban and recent government
legislation. Amateur sport needs to remain just that, amateur.
I have heard it argued that players at higher levels deserve
payment because of the increased commitment involved with playing in a
league. Yet predominantly the money is only secondary - footballers
play because they love playing the game and play for that reason. It
merely serves as an inducement to change clubs, players just want to play
football and if they can get some money while doing it then that's a
bonus.
It's a fallacy that money is needed to induce top players to
play football, a fallacy that clubs have bought into. As an example, the
first team at my club in London includes 10 players with NZFC, Northern Premier
League or Central League experience, and even one who was a full time
professional for two years in the old NSL.
There are no benefits to being
in the first team other than a newer strip. They pay subs like everyone
else, pay for their own tracksuits and boots and their own travel, usually on
public transport, halfway around and across London every Saturday in a long
season. Why? Because they love the game, they realise that they are
amateur players in an amateur league and that is the way things are.
Another valid comparison is club rugby. The demands on
club rugby players are arguably greater than those in football, many clubs
proscribe off season weights programmes and even dietary plans. Some
clubs have dry seasons. And yet,and yet, payment in senior club
rugby is unheard of.
But if clubs are going to hire players then they need to be
seen as an asset- merely turning up on a Saturday should not be
enough. Cricket has long had the tradition of the "club pro" who
plays for the first team while being responsible for much of the coaching at
the club and in the region. Any team in a club should be able to call up
and ask for a training session or advice.
To some people this entire article be considered an
overreaction, why rock the boat? But we are a game with limited financial
constraints and to see money flowing out, money that is desperately needed
elsewhere, seems shockingly counterproductive.
Ultimately, leadership and change has to come from our
administration. NZF, and locally Capital Football, must decide if this is
the future of the sport in this country. Already there is talk of the
NZFC being suspended next year while yet another review is commissioned.
Club based national competitions have been tried and failed for many of the
reasons set out here. If we truly are going to grow the game from the
grassroots up, spending money where it is needed seems a great place to start.
Paying players in local football - Part 1
The silly season has begun, cheque books are being waved and
frantic club chairmen are desperately seeking new blood in the hunt for glory,
or to avoid relegation.
Am I a month late? Hardly, the pre-season horse
trading that has characterised recent iterations of the Central League and
Capital Premier League has begun again in earnest. But with the financial
viability of the NZFC again in question, and considering the parlous state of
many grounds around Wellington it is time to question seriously the necessity
of paying players at club level and ask how it serves club members and football
as a whole.
As incorporated societies clubs do not have to file
financial statements (although some do) and as such it is difficult to gauge
the exact nature of the various amounts on offer at different clubs. But
all of us who've played football in Wellington are used to a familiar scenario;
an unusual face turns up in an unusual place for pre-season training fuelling
speculation that inducements have been offered. We all know players
who've boasted about some wedge in the back pocket, or served on committees
where the matter has been discussed.
The fact is, the majority of clubs
in Wellington pay players to play football, in grades as low as Capital
1. The sums are generally small, and often in the form of win bonuses.
But, at times the financial rewards are substantial, they are getting larger
and across all clubs across a season a significant amount of money is lost to
the game every year. How are amateur players in amateur leagues, funded
substantially by charitable gaming trusts expecting and receiving payment for
turning up on a Tuesday and a Thursday and playing on a Saturday?
I should at this point declare my own interest, I have been
paid for two seasons in Capital Premier. This is not a boast, those who
have seen me play will know that I have nothing to boast about, but a prime
example of how poorly judged the allocation of funding can be. Each week
we won it cost the club more than $600, more than $6000 for the season.
Not a huge amount, but meanwhile our second team played in a mismatched kit,
our training ground was ramshackle and when it rained we didn't train.
I enjoyed receiving the brown paper envelope with two twenties, which was often
spent over the bar at Karori Park. But I found it odd then, and I feel
much more strongly now observing the game from afar, it is a waste of money.
Let's get this straight. Bringing in good players in
an attempt to increase standards or to coach is a Good Thing. What I
object to is the routine and unnecessary payment of average players at amateur
level to do no more than turn up to training and play on a Saturday.
Recently, a well known Wellington player missed half a
season because no-one would meet his five figure price tag for Central League
football. Clubs in Capital Premier have offered substantial four figure
sums for players to transfer. By all accounts the Northern League is
worse - anecdotally many players have skipped the NZFC because they can earn
more playing winter football. Rumour has it that an ex-Knights player,
not good enough for the NZFC, has demanded a $4000 signing on fee at his winter
club this year.
In Wellington, clubs seem to believe that they need to pay
players to be taken seriously. Wairarapa United, one of the few clubs who
can argue that they have improved the region's playing stocks with the
signing of numerous pacific islanders, have stated their intention to attack
the Central League in 2009 with a budget of up to $160,000. Wharfies are
pursing players aggressively. Peering through club's financial
statements (which are available at www.societies.govt.nz)
some interesting gems appear.
In 2006, Naenae spent $45,500 on
"coaching" of their approximately $150,000 income (incidentally of which
around $100,000 was in charitable grants) and a further $6,807 on international
travel when their first team finished 7th in Capital 1. International
travel. For Naenae. In Capital 1.
Lower Hutt spent over
$100,000 on an unsuccessful 2008 Central League campaign including $41,000 on
coaching, more than the total spent on the rest of its senior club.
Napier's figure was $83,000. This is not a witch-hunt, I'm merely
highlighting some items of interest (which are similar at other clubs), but
these are astonishing figures in amateur competitions.
We now have a generation of footballers who expect to be
paid for their services, and are willing to tout themselves around the region
to get the best deal. But I don't blame the players. Players are
only worth what someone is willing to pay them, if the clubs didn't create a
market then the players themselves would have no bargaining power.
Although there is very little competition from outside the region for players,
and few if any would leave for footballing reasons alone, a thriving, and
frankly absurd, club led demand has developed.
Let's not forget that the NZFC was introduced because
clubs had demonstrated that the win-at-any-cost mentality pursued to seek promotion
to the old National League was unsustainable. Clubs have shown in the
past that given a sniff of success they will abandon organic growth and look
for a quick, and often disastrous, fix. In recent years both Gisborne
City and Richmond City have spent big money attracting out of town players in
the Central and Mainland Leagues respectively, and then had that funding conspicuously withdrawn, leaving them back where they started.
Gisborne were bankrolled by Auckland based businessmen,
employing Kevin Fallon and a host of Auckland based players and ferrying them
round on a private jet. Those days ended when an invitation into the NZFC
was not forthcoming.
Richmond brought Alick Maemae, Nelson Salae, Jeremy
Brockie and Benjamin Totori to Nelson in 2007 before a fraud investigation by
the Securities Commission led to the mid-season withdrawal of the backer.
The club was barely able to raise the funds necessary to complete the
season. The players involved never played for the club again and neither
Richmond nor Gisborne play in either of those leagues in 2009, life is back to
where it always was.
Although the money was provided by external sources,
the substantial financial investment had very little benefit to either club or
to football in general.
And all of this when our flagship semi-professional
competition that is on its knees through lack of funding and more and more of
the best young players overseas at college in the states. Players are
being paid more as the standard has diminished.
Where once players with
experience in professional environments were brought from overseas, guys like
Tim Butterfield, Graham Little and Spud Murphy, increasing the quality of play
we now have a finite pool of players moving between neighbouring clubs for ever
- increasing amounts (witness the recent exchanges between Stop Out and Lower
Hutt and the pursuit of New Zealand under 20 players temporarily in Wellington
prior to the Olympics last season).
How has the situation been allowed to develop?
New Zealand qualify for the 2010 World Cup
So we did it! Players, coaches and fans all
played their part and will all receive the ultimate reward - the opportunity
to attend the big show in South Africa as fully fledged
participants. But just as significantly, New Zealand Football can
advance without the reflection of the Road to Spain in 1982 clogging up the
rear view mirror.
Like the girl way out of your league that you improbably
pulled when you were 15, wistful reflection on a remarkable series of matches
in 1981 has undoubtedly been burnished by time and subsequent underachievement
(our group of wilful amateurs consistently overachieved but it can't be
ignored that their opponents such as Indonesia, Kuwait and China were far less
advanced in sporting terms 27 years ago).
No football moment has been able to compete with the romance
of the underdog nature of the campaign and never will, and an element of
snobbery is evident in regular unflattering comparisons between that side and
any subsequent. The Road to Spain has come to dominate every element
of every decision regarding football in New Zealand and symbolise the failure
of the game in our country. Until now.
Finally, a new brand of footballing success can be
acknowledged and allowed to develop.
For too long a reverential view of that campaign, the
conditions that produced the players involved and the players and coaching
staff has been perpetuated. Why is it that comment by players of the '82 vintage are always sought when someone like Vaughan Coveny, New
Zealand's record goal scorer, involved in the game for the last 20 years and
much more aware of the issues relevant today having experienced the
frustrations of playing for and in New Zealand, is never heard from?
Too regularly any positive steps taken in the intervening 27
years have been branded a failure simply for not living up to the memory of
that achievement. Many (but significantly not all) of our most
famous football team have wanted out of the limelight for some time and will be
relieved to see the mantel passed on.
Qualification also means that the system that produced not
only the players involved on Saturday night, but also the improving junior
Men's and Women's teams, may finally receive a more balanced
appraisal. The home and away triumph over Bahrain is only most recent
evidence of an improvement happening right across the
spectrum. That's not to say that many mistakes have been made, and
the system needs a lot of work, but the framework that produced and prepared
this group of players for the match on Saturday hasn't happened overnight and
that should be acknowledged. [more after the jump]
Will the Phoenix ever play in Asian Competitions?
Days after announcing the
transfer of the A-League season, and emphasising the gap between the NZFC and the
A-League, the Phoenix are again facing negative headlines. This time
though, the club is not to blame. Comments by the Asian Football
Confederation chief Mohammed Bin Hammam in an interview with Scott McIntyre of
SBS in Australia have cast a doubt on continued participation in the A-League
beyond the expiry of our licence after V6.
"Australia is engaging a non-Australian team in its
league," he said. "But we prefer the A-league to have only
Australian clubs.
"The A-League has permission from FIFA to do so but
only till 2011. Our Pro-League committee has approved this situation but
after 2011 all clubs have to be Australian."
The Asian Champions League is being expanded to 32 teams
with US$20million in prize money. However, Australia has not been awarded
any additional places in the expanded format. The AFC cannot instruct
Australia how to run the A-League. But more places in the expanded
competition is the carrot that it is dangling in return for compliance.
Firstly, the facts. The FFA is completely supportive
of the participation of a team from New Zealand in the A-League. Forget
the conspiracy theories, even with the relative failure of the Kingz, there was
never any doubt that if a competitive bid was put together New Zealand was
always going to have a place in the A-League. Similarly, so long as a
competitive New Zealand bid was assembled, another New Zealand franchise was
always the FFA's favourite to succeed the Knights. Sponsors were sold
on a trans-tasman competition and an extra potential audience of 4 million
kiwis does matter.
But it is because these comments have come as such a
surprise to the FFA that this threat must be taken extremely seriously.
Right now Australia are doing everything they can to ingratiate themselves to
their new Asian hosts. Why is it that the league expansion is moving
along at such a rate? The FFA has seen what it has to gain from being a
senior member of the Asian confederation, both on and off the park, and wants
to cash in.
More importantly, the Australian government is sitting up
and taking notice of the opportunities it can get through Asia on the back of
football, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd held off attending the G20 summit to press
the flesh with Sepp Blatter and Mr Hammam and lobby for Australia's bid for
the 2022 World Cup. For a country that has serious intentions of hosting
the World Cup, when its confederation chief speaks, don't believe for a
moment that Australia doesn't listen.
Bin Hammam is lampooned by many but as with any member of
the FIFA executive committee, his opinion carries great weight. Jack Warner,
the head of CONCACAF, and a similarly divisive figure is seen by many as the
king maker for Englandï's bid for 2018 - while many of the English game's
most powerful figures privately hold reservations about a man who is clearly
corrupt, a meaningless friendly was organised at the end of last season against
Trinidad & Tobago purely to curry favour and secure the 3 votes he wields
in the race for the 2018 tournament. These men have real power, and should
never be underestimated - for a start they played the political game well
enough to get to these positions in the first place. Whether these were
off the cuff remarks or a calculated attack on the structure of the competition
will be revealed in time. But we must not be so naïve to think that
this will go away quietly.
While to many football fans the murky realms of FIFA
politics is a disgraceful mix of back scratching, corruption and self-interest,
it is in the boardrooms that many of the games most important decisions are
taken. The Phoenix are in the middle of a political storm and while the
FFA may have some loyalty, when it comes to a decision between the Phoenix and
the AFC there can only be one winner. We need the unequivocal support of
the FFA, who do carry some weight in the region despite its recent arrival on
the scene. But political realities could easily see us cast aside, just
as direct entry for Oceania to the World Cup was granted by FIFA and then taken
away just as quickly. We are vulnerable.
Clearly, the club's most likely avenue is to argue that it
is an Australian club based in Wellington and Tony P has been quick to make the
point that we are not treated as a member of Oceania.
"Our players are registered in Australia and in the
eyes of FIFA we are not a club from Oceania but an Australian club.
"We are actually pushing to move forward through the
AFC. We have been working with the FFA to get the licence directly to
ourselves not sub let from New Zealand Football.
"We are working on becoming a fully fledged Aussie
club. We just happen to reside across the Tasman." Perversely, this discussion could finally settle the
argument surrounding the Phoenix's ability to participate in the ACL.
Unsurprisingly, despite this being of huge importance to New Zealand Football,
and NZF holding the Phoenix licence, there has been deafening silence on the
matter. We are going to need the heavy hitters on board to lobby the FFA,
the AFC and FIFA. Even the head of the Oceania Confederation could be a
useful ally. We need to play the game.
Let's just hope that the powers that be buy into our
argument. Because we are at a true crossroads in the short history of the
club we love.
Who needs assistance - the role of assistant managers and coaching opportunities in New Zealand
3-5-2. 4-5-1. 4-4-2. Numbers
on a page to many of those outside of football but for those who play and love
the game, three numbers paint a clear picture of personnel, attitude and what
makes a team tick.
Football tactics have come a long way over the years from
the 2-3-5 of the fifties and sixties, the fashionable but now obsolete 3-5-2 of
the nineties to the currently in vogue 4-2-3-1. (As an aside,
Jonathan Wilson�s excellent book Inverting
the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics is fascinating reading
for those interested in this sort of thing in a particularly nerdy kind of
way).
One of the most fascinating systems to have been attempted
in recent years was Manchester United's 4-0-6 of last year (or 4-6-0,
depending how you looked at it). Without a recognised central
striker, as many as six attacking players revolved through a range of positions
leaving most defences aghast as they struggled to cope with the fluid movement
of a talented bunch of players comfortable playing in midfield as well as
further forward, both wide and centrally. The results were there for
all to see as United won the Champions League and the Premiership in some style.
Much of the credit for this innovative system went to United
assistant Carlos Quieroz but the system was actually developed by Luciano
Spalletti at Roma. Faced with Francesco Totti as his only recognised
striker in 2005, a player who preferred to drop deep into midfield rather than
play off the last shoulder of defenders, he developed a system without strikers
based on continual movement through fixed zones to play to the strength of the
players he had available.
Carlos Quieroz has now left United to take over the helm of
his native Portugal (and incidentally has made a mediocre start
to qualifying), United have signed Dimitar Berbatov to play centrally and have
reverted to a more orthodox 4-4-2 with decidedly mixed
results.
After defeat at Arsenal on Saturday left United 8 points off
the pace in the Premier League, questions are being raised about how the loss
of Quieroz is affecting the style that United are playing, and the role of the
assistant in general. Quieroz converted Alex Ferguson, an initial
sceptic, to 4-5-1 in Europe in his first spell at the club and has clearly had
an influence on the new Iberian generation at United. In short,
he's been an increasingly important figure in recent years despite the title
of assistant.
It is no coincidence either that Sammy Lee's return as
assistant to Rafa Benitez at Liverpool has led to a more focussed approach in
the Premier League. Nor that Gianfranco Zola and Paul Ince's first
acts as Premiership managers were to appoint experienced assistants
(Chelsea's Steve Clarke and Scotland's Archie Knox respectively) and Luiz
Felipe Scolari appointed true-blue Chelsea man Ray Wilkins as Clarke's
replacement. Which makes Ricki Herbert's recruitment of Brian
Turner as unsurprising as Stu Jacobs' dumping at the end of last season was a
shock. Most managers need an assistant.
As well as providing a pathway into professionalism for
players, one overlooked consequence of the addition of the Kingz, Knights and
now the Phoenix is the pathway for coaches. Where previously the
limits of a coaches ambition was their local national league team and the All
Whites job (and it is worth noting that Ricki Herbert is the first New
Zealander to coach the side), coaching football is now a professional
opportunity just like playing football. But a quick perusal of most
leagues around the world shows that other than at the highest level, or for
particularly ambitious clubs, generally coaches are less mobile than players
(unless they achieve particularly noteworthy success in international
competition).
Therefore, for New Zealand coaches there is stiff
competition for jobs in New Zealand, and the opportunities in New Zealand are
limited when one man, Ricki Herbert, holds the two plum jobs. For an
upwardly mobile and ambitious coach like Stu, losing his job as Phoenix
assistant must be all the more galling when with Ricki in sole charge the team
have played far less attractive football, and
now, with (the admittedly part-time) Brian
Turner involved (also assistant to Ricki at the All Whites), there has
been an improvement in results. He's been involved since around
the time of the first win over Sydney and has to take some credit for the
subsequent change in fortunes but his appointment is tacit admission by Phoenix
management that the structure wasn't working.
And now another guy is occupying two high level roles.
The role of assistant is esoteric and
eclectic. At larger clubs the assistant will take many of the day to
day training drills while the manager spends time on the overall management,
liaising with scouts, signing players and dealing with the
board. The assistant might be a sounding board for tactics and will
often be the link between the manager and the dressing room, keeping a closer
eye on the attitude of players in training. And they may be the nice
guy that the players can confide in.
At a club like the Phoenix that exists on a smaller scale
clearly there is less of a need for the manager to be away from the training
ground. Anecdotally, Ricki's remit this year was to be more hands
on with the players after spending a little too much time "supervising" his
assistants last year. Wayne O'Sullivan was downgraded to a
"technical analyst" and it was expected that Ricki would do the bulk of the
coaching. But the results speak for themselves and Brian Turner is
well liked by the players - it seems unlikely that the Phoenix will operate
without an assistant again.
So where to now for Stu Jacobs? Currently
coaching Team Wellington, and still heavily involved with age group national sides,
Stu has plenty on his plate. But with the path to the two top jobs
currently blocked he may look to a different pathway. If
Wellington's well publicised financial problems see them fall further behind
the Auckland clubs, and if Auckland City again fail to topple Waitakere United,
he may well be tempted to try his luck at a club that almost guarantees
international exposure at the Oceania Champions League and may provide the
platform for a move to the highest level by competing at the Club World Championship
- in Auckland. Just don't bet on him going back to the Phoenix.
The two horse race in the NZFC - 2008
The consistent fascination with the concept of the so called
big four in England is an increasingly irritating fact of the Premiership -
Hull City's recent inclusion in the elite is a welcome interlude from the
identity of the usual protagonists. But north of the border, the usual
procession that is the Scottish Premier League has kicked of without fanfare on
Fleet Street.
Despite passionate fans, a genuine resurgence of young Scottish talent and the presence of Rangers in the final of the UEFA Cup earlier this year, the competition rarely resonates outside Scotland other than the Old Firm derbies.
I'm no expert in Scottish football beyond the musings of various London based scribes who report - with very much an us and them attitude - on the latest goings on in the city of Glasgow.
But I don't think I'm overstretching myself when I say that having bounced back from overspending in the 90s, and the collapse of ITV digital, Celtic and Rangers are once again dominating the competition in Scotland.
Two clubs, coffers swollen by frequent appearances in European club competition, steamrolling the competition in a two horse race - sound familiar?
The recent scaling back of the 2008/2009 NZFC season is another disappointing chapter in the various iterations of the national league in New Zealand. Even in my (relatively) brief lifetime at least four different versions have been played out with the only consistency being a familiar conclusion.
And blame for the most recent failures, manifested in Waikato scaling back operations to bare bones and last year's losing finalist Team Wellington limping across the starting line, is being laid, by some at least, at the door of the league's two most successful clubs, Auckland City and Waitakere United.
Similar to Scotland, two well funded clubs have dominated, cherry picking the best players from their less prosperous rivals. Their fans have even attempted a cringe-worthy comparison to the old firm rivalry.
Auckland City and Waitakere, for those of you who have better things to do on a Sunday than watch domestic football (although I have long argued that there is little better value for $7 than a sunny afternoon at Newtown Park) have between them won all 4 NZFC titles. But more importantly, both have represented Oceania at the Club World Championship, where a substantial prize money of US$500,000 is awarded merely for turning up.
While some of the money is shared between the players and staff, the league and the other franchises, undoubtedly this has led to a concentration of footballing power and financial clout in Auckland as a result of the influx of cash.
But blaming Auckland City and Waitakere for the failings of the league completely misses the point. They should be feted rather than criticised. Both have from day one been ruthless and professional, and as a result, successful.
Although aided by subsequent success, City initially assembled a squad with an eye on competing on all fronts and have been proactive, imaginative and impressive in their recruitment, with recent arrivals Ivan Vicelich and Xavi Roca complementing South Korean international Lee Ki-Hyung.
Waitakere brought Australian Shannon Cole out in 2005 (now playing for Sydney FC and recently selected in the Socceroos squad) and latched onto the failure of the Knights to rebuild after their one poor season, recruiting Darren Bazeley and Neil Emblen who have found the NZFC more to their level. Although boosted by their CWC windfalls, it is both clubs' bold strategies that led to such success in the first place. What is the preference, that all franchises sign poor quality players and the league remains stuck in a rut?
Clearly there are problems with the financial position of the league and the franchises themselves. Because there are no TV rights, league sponsor or prize money, the only income streams for the franchises are match day revenues (limited due to generally small crowds), sponsorships (limited due to the lack of exposure) and essentially donations, whether from gambling trusts, local clubs or wealthy benefactors (which are now drying up).
There is little that a well run franchise can do to match the income levels supplemented by competition in the Club World Championship. But to stay competitive costs money, and as usual, that is in short supply in New Zealand domestic football. Developing further sources of funding for all franchises is the only way forward.
Since tobacco sponsorship was outlawed in 1995 New Zealand Football has never had a corporate sponsor of the national league. NZF hyped the NZFC as a pathway to professionalism with better stadiums and better standards - "the new name for the global game". But four years in and the crucial elements that the league's administrators are responsible for, making inroads into television exposure, marketing the league to a wider audience and generating sponsorship are back to the levels they were in 1999 - virtually non-existent.
Of course it is a tough sell and domestic football has always struggled to penetrate in New Zealand. But that doesn't mean that something can't be done - the sooner the running of the league is handed over to the stake holders, the franchises themselves, the better. It is in their interests to succeed where NZF have consistently tried and failed. Crowds are still counted in the hundreds, there is very little marketing beyond that generated by the franchises themselves and the league is almost completely reliant on gaming trust sponsorship.
The fact that we are now looking at a league that requires saving, while currently hosting the under 17 World Cup is a terrible indictment on the current administration. A 14 match league is also clearly inadequate and is frankly disrespectful to franchise chairmen who have assembled playing and coaching staff for the coming season. Whether Auckland and Waitakere dominate again they should be tested over a full programme of matches.
Evening the competition by knee-capping the Auckland clubs is not an improvement and is symptomatic of some of the small time thinking that perpetuates the current malaise in the game at the highest level. Just as other clubs in the Scottish Premier League realise that their fortunes, and the fortunes of the competition as a whole, are tied to those of the Old Firm, the NZFC franchises outside of Auckland need to wake up. Because football in New Zealand may not have many further chances to get the domestic national league right
Despite passionate fans, a genuine resurgence of young Scottish talent and the presence of Rangers in the final of the UEFA Cup earlier this year, the competition rarely resonates outside Scotland other than the Old Firm derbies.
I'm no expert in Scottish football beyond the musings of various London based scribes who report - with very much an us and them attitude - on the latest goings on in the city of Glasgow.
But I don't think I'm overstretching myself when I say that having bounced back from overspending in the 90s, and the collapse of ITV digital, Celtic and Rangers are once again dominating the competition in Scotland.
Two clubs, coffers swollen by frequent appearances in European club competition, steamrolling the competition in a two horse race - sound familiar?
The recent scaling back of the 2008/2009 NZFC season is another disappointing chapter in the various iterations of the national league in New Zealand. Even in my (relatively) brief lifetime at least four different versions have been played out with the only consistency being a familiar conclusion.
And blame for the most recent failures, manifested in Waikato scaling back operations to bare bones and last year's losing finalist Team Wellington limping across the starting line, is being laid, by some at least, at the door of the league's two most successful clubs, Auckland City and Waitakere United.
Similar to Scotland, two well funded clubs have dominated, cherry picking the best players from their less prosperous rivals. Their fans have even attempted a cringe-worthy comparison to the old firm rivalry.
Auckland City and Waitakere, for those of you who have better things to do on a Sunday than watch domestic football (although I have long argued that there is little better value for $7 than a sunny afternoon at Newtown Park) have between them won all 4 NZFC titles. But more importantly, both have represented Oceania at the Club World Championship, where a substantial prize money of US$500,000 is awarded merely for turning up.
While some of the money is shared between the players and staff, the league and the other franchises, undoubtedly this has led to a concentration of footballing power and financial clout in Auckland as a result of the influx of cash.
But blaming Auckland City and Waitakere for the failings of the league completely misses the point. They should be feted rather than criticised. Both have from day one been ruthless and professional, and as a result, successful.
Although aided by subsequent success, City initially assembled a squad with an eye on competing on all fronts and have been proactive, imaginative and impressive in their recruitment, with recent arrivals Ivan Vicelich and Xavi Roca complementing South Korean international Lee Ki-Hyung.
Waitakere brought Australian Shannon Cole out in 2005 (now playing for Sydney FC and recently selected in the Socceroos squad) and latched onto the failure of the Knights to rebuild after their one poor season, recruiting Darren Bazeley and Neil Emblen who have found the NZFC more to their level. Although boosted by their CWC windfalls, it is both clubs' bold strategies that led to such success in the first place. What is the preference, that all franchises sign poor quality players and the league remains stuck in a rut?
Clearly there are problems with the financial position of the league and the franchises themselves. Because there are no TV rights, league sponsor or prize money, the only income streams for the franchises are match day revenues (limited due to generally small crowds), sponsorships (limited due to the lack of exposure) and essentially donations, whether from gambling trusts, local clubs or wealthy benefactors (which are now drying up).
There is little that a well run franchise can do to match the income levels supplemented by competition in the Club World Championship. But to stay competitive costs money, and as usual, that is in short supply in New Zealand domestic football. Developing further sources of funding for all franchises is the only way forward.
Since tobacco sponsorship was outlawed in 1995 New Zealand Football has never had a corporate sponsor of the national league. NZF hyped the NZFC as a pathway to professionalism with better stadiums and better standards - "the new name for the global game". But four years in and the crucial elements that the league's administrators are responsible for, making inroads into television exposure, marketing the league to a wider audience and generating sponsorship are back to the levels they were in 1999 - virtually non-existent.
Of course it is a tough sell and domestic football has always struggled to penetrate in New Zealand. But that doesn't mean that something can't be done - the sooner the running of the league is handed over to the stake holders, the franchises themselves, the better. It is in their interests to succeed where NZF have consistently tried and failed. Crowds are still counted in the hundreds, there is very little marketing beyond that generated by the franchises themselves and the league is almost completely reliant on gaming trust sponsorship.
The fact that we are now looking at a league that requires saving, while currently hosting the under 17 World Cup is a terrible indictment on the current administration. A 14 match league is also clearly inadequate and is frankly disrespectful to franchise chairmen who have assembled playing and coaching staff for the coming season. Whether Auckland and Waitakere dominate again they should be tested over a full programme of matches.
Evening the competition by knee-capping the Auckland clubs is not an improvement and is symptomatic of some of the small time thinking that perpetuates the current malaise in the game at the highest level. Just as other clubs in the Scottish Premier League realise that their fortunes, and the fortunes of the competition as a whole, are tied to those of the Old Firm, the NZFC franchises outside of Auckland need to wake up. Because football in New Zealand may not have many further chances to get the domestic national league right
The future is f**king fantastic - September 2008
JFK, Joe "Effing" Kinnear, 17th in line to the throne but thrust into the
role of Geordie saviour after the abdication of those in front, is the latest
punchline on the lips of football pundits this week after his spectacular rant
during his first press conference after his surprise appointment. If you
haven't heard it yet, do so here,
as it's the best piece of copy you are likely to see this year. Kinnear let
fly at journalists with both barrels with a rant which made me wonder how this
guy could have been out of the game for four years.
The build up to the NRL Grand Final last week was as much about the war of words emanating between Melbourne's Craig Bellamy and the NRL judiciary, and Bellamy and Ricki Stewart. Toys were thrown, accusations made and it looks like, despite an apology, Bellamy may be facing a lawsuit. For many of us news junkies stuck in credit crunch mad London with not much else to do apart from surf the internet waiting on every press conference, this is almost as good it gets. In fact, with the one sided nature of the grand final a suggestion made by another commentator that they play the matches mid-week and let the coaches have a go at each other on the weekend doesn't sound so far fetched.
It is one of the things that I notice when I look on from afar at the A-League, the competition is pretty, some nice football wrapped up in a professional package, but there is a distinct lack of controversy, barely a whiff of niggle and scarcely an interesting quote amongst what is an increasing amount of irritatingly banal media coverage (this is not a criticism of those doing the reporting either, they just don't have a lot to work with). The FFA run a tight ship, and of course, it has needed to keep firm control of the league in its embryonic phases. But it's maturing now, embedded in the public's consciousness and the sporting landscape. And it's time to let the players and staff off the leash.
The biggest controversy we've had this year was the Ryan Nelsen vs the Phoenix spat during the Olympics, and it took Ryan, based overseas to kick it off and state their mind - we don't do wars of words in the post NSL football world. There are some characters in the league, John Kosmina looks like he loves a yarn and his dust up with Kevin Muscat back in the day shows he doesn't mind playing dirty. Dave Mitchell has a beard and guys with beards are more often than not entertaining (or they work at the Department of Conservation, which is kind of the opposite), granted Ernie Merrick is a bit of a personality free zone but Frank Farina has had an outspoken past. Our Ricki isn't prone to particularly quotable sound bites but his celebrations after the win against Sydney showed he was feeling some pressure and he is human after all, it would be nice to see him hit back at his critics.
Which brings me onto Miron Bleiberg who has burst back onto the scene after a 2 year hiatus as coach of the new Gold Coast side. He's already stoking the Queensland rivalry by claiming that the Roar's players are overpaid. He's linked with every big name pro without a contract worldwide as well as half the A-League. And frankly he's not my cup of tea. But, despite every fibre of my being attempting to deny it, I've found myself liking him! He's good for the league. Not since Terry Butcher and Craig Foster traded blows through the Sydney Morning Herald has a player or a manager stepped away from the FFA line and cut loose like this. And it's refreshing to hear a man unencumbered by logic or reality and the simple fact that Steve Fitzsimmons was one of his first signings tell you that Gold Coast will win the league in their first season. Don't stop Miron, tell us what you really think!
So here's to unseemly spats being played out in the media, on field feuds having off field ramifications and outrageous pronunciations being made during the remainder of the season. Because it's all part of the game, we love it and wouldn't we all love this little exchange.
Ricki Herbert: Which one is John Matheson?
JM: Me
RH: You're a c**t
The build up to the NRL Grand Final last week was as much about the war of words emanating between Melbourne's Craig Bellamy and the NRL judiciary, and Bellamy and Ricki Stewart. Toys were thrown, accusations made and it looks like, despite an apology, Bellamy may be facing a lawsuit. For many of us news junkies stuck in credit crunch mad London with not much else to do apart from surf the internet waiting on every press conference, this is almost as good it gets. In fact, with the one sided nature of the grand final a suggestion made by another commentator that they play the matches mid-week and let the coaches have a go at each other on the weekend doesn't sound so far fetched.
It is one of the things that I notice when I look on from afar at the A-League, the competition is pretty, some nice football wrapped up in a professional package, but there is a distinct lack of controversy, barely a whiff of niggle and scarcely an interesting quote amongst what is an increasing amount of irritatingly banal media coverage (this is not a criticism of those doing the reporting either, they just don't have a lot to work with). The FFA run a tight ship, and of course, it has needed to keep firm control of the league in its embryonic phases. But it's maturing now, embedded in the public's consciousness and the sporting landscape. And it's time to let the players and staff off the leash.
The biggest controversy we've had this year was the Ryan Nelsen vs the Phoenix spat during the Olympics, and it took Ryan, based overseas to kick it off and state their mind - we don't do wars of words in the post NSL football world. There are some characters in the league, John Kosmina looks like he loves a yarn and his dust up with Kevin Muscat back in the day shows he doesn't mind playing dirty. Dave Mitchell has a beard and guys with beards are more often than not entertaining (or they work at the Department of Conservation, which is kind of the opposite), granted Ernie Merrick is a bit of a personality free zone but Frank Farina has had an outspoken past. Our Ricki isn't prone to particularly quotable sound bites but his celebrations after the win against Sydney showed he was feeling some pressure and he is human after all, it would be nice to see him hit back at his critics.
Which brings me onto Miron Bleiberg who has burst back onto the scene after a 2 year hiatus as coach of the new Gold Coast side. He's already stoking the Queensland rivalry by claiming that the Roar's players are overpaid. He's linked with every big name pro without a contract worldwide as well as half the A-League. And frankly he's not my cup of tea. But, despite every fibre of my being attempting to deny it, I've found myself liking him! He's good for the league. Not since Terry Butcher and Craig Foster traded blows through the Sydney Morning Herald has a player or a manager stepped away from the FFA line and cut loose like this. And it's refreshing to hear a man unencumbered by logic or reality and the simple fact that Steve Fitzsimmons was one of his first signings tell you that Gold Coast will win the league in their first season. Don't stop Miron, tell us what you really think!
So here's to unseemly spats being played out in the media, on field feuds having off field ramifications and outrageous pronunciations being made during the remainder of the season. Because it's all part of the game, we love it and wouldn't we all love this little exchange.
Ricki Herbert: Which one is John Matheson?
JM: Me
RH: You're a c**t
Day 1 at Phoenix HQ - 2007 Interview with Ricki Herbert
As we are shown out of the lift and admire the expansive
views from Terry Serepisos’ new waterfront offices it all feels somewhat
surreal. Two months ago professional football in New Zealand was
dead and buried. Now, out of the offices of this Wellington property
developer, a new football team is being created from scratch. At the
centre of it all sits Ricki Herbert. Charged with restoring
footballing credibility to a New Zealand franchise backed by long suffering but
demanding fans, he’s already well on the way to signing half of the 23 man
squad he will prepare to take on the Aussies.
As we are ushered through busy open plan workspaces to the
converted meeting room which serves as home base for the Phoenix management,
the magnitude of the task at hand begins to become apparent. Every
detail associated with a football club needs to be put in place, from a kit man
to a CEO, and at the moment multitasking is very much the order of the
day. Luckily, Herbert is always keen to share his insight into
football in New Zealand and gave us his views on the pressing issues in our
game.
One thing is clear with Herbert, he understands that this
team needs success both on and off the field in order to continue. He
describes the process of putting together a squad in these circumstances as “unique”
but there is a clear direction to the recruitment process.
“With Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea people relate
very quickly to what that team looks like from a product point of view - as
opposed to Watford or Sheffield United”.
“We want to play football that makes the supporters
proud. We don’t want a one dimensional, long ball, run and chase
type of game. We need to be better than that, a fluid, passing side
and be an exciting team to watch”.
This rhetoric has been reflected in signings to date, most
notably with the addition of Brazilian fullback Daniel. His pedigree
suggests he could be one of the finest imports seen in this country since Paul
Mariner and it is clear that South American talent will play a key part in the
Phoenix squad.
“Key people have done a lot of research into South America
generally for us, as we have done in other parts of the world, and we've made
some interesting contacts and had some very good discussions.”
With Herbert nominating Melbourne Victory’s Fred as the
player he would most like to have signed from V2, it is no surprise that
rumours abound that at least two more South Americans will sign, possibly
filling the striking berths. Herbert’s response to speculation on the
squad ”watch this space!”.
Understandably, formation of the squad has been the key
focus in recent weeks so further details surrounding the day to day running of
the club remain scant. The hunt is on for a training venue with Terry
in negotiations with the council, and other coaching staff are still to be
appointed. With Herbert due back in Wellington this week, expect
those details to be finalised soon.
Because of the unique nature of the dual roles that Herbert
possesses, both with the Phoenix and the All Whites, there is a possibility his
assistant may manage the Phoenix in his absence for All White
duty. Both the club and Ricki have been quick to place assurances
that there is no conflict in holding the joint roles. That has also
controlled the make-up of the team somewhat.
“From a national point of view there has been a really good
interest from a number of players. However, as the sums will tell
you, if we have 14 kiwis here, you won’t be able to put a team on the park
[during the mid season international qualifiers]”.
At the same time Herbert is confident in the crop of young
players coming through in New Zealand, while mindful of the challenges faced to
correctly manage their development.
“We have a talented group, and in New Zealand generally we
have some very, very good young players. We need to be able to find
them competition and environments to lead them into, say, an A-League team
based in Wellington. We need to find a solution, where do these guys
play when they come back from Canada [the under 20 World Cup] or Korea [under
17]? If they aren't in the NZFC they’ll be at schools or in a
Northern or Central League and that’s not good enough to prepare them to be
competitive. Or else they head to college in the United States and
we lose sight of them for three years.”
Add to the mix New Zealand born players representing other
nations at junior level, Winston Reid in Denmark and Michael McGlinchey at
Celtic spring to mind, and the possibility of an entirely New Zealand born team
in the A-League doesn't seem so far fetched. Especially now that a
more prominent national team may act as a carrot to attract these guys home, as
happened with Chris James.
“That would be a pretty cool outcome. I'm not sure
that it will happen in my time though!”
Aside from All White success in Europe in 2006, Herbert’s
stocks rose rapidly after orchestrating a major turnaround at the
Knights. Herbert is quick to acknowledge the role played by others
in the coaching staff who helped him. But the formation of a plan to
change a losing culture, and the execution of that plan, lay with the man
himself. Herbert drew on his own playing experiences in order to
stop the rot.
“I fully understand the disappointment of a team that is
losing every week. We wanted to erode everything that had occurred
through a completely different way of playing. We didn't want to be
sitting back absorbing the damage, we wanted to attack and be competitive to
show that we deserved a professional side. And we wanted to give
that responsibility to the players.”
Undoubtedly the Knights played a more attractive brand of
football after Herbert's appointment and the team spirit demonstrated during
that period surpassed anything seen before by a New Zealand team in the
A-League. It is worth considering that had those results been
different the FFA could well have headed to Townsville immediately rather than
give New Zealand its second chance.
As we depart I feel like we've only scratched the surface of
the intricacies of the footballing landscape in New Zealand. With a
dedication to the game and a desire to do things the right way, New Zealand
football seems to be marking a new path towards professionalism and
credibility. New influences, new people and a new club, 2007 is a
big one for the game in this country.
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