Herbert Doing Fine

Herbert Doing Fine

Alot of people have been on here slagging off Herbert which I think is unfortunate and often misguided. TouchMe2009-06-22 16:50:35

umm youd not mind mentioning some of these milestones would you ....Im old, drunk , and cant afford really good P 

First win in Europe under him (3-1 over Georgia in Gilsenkirchen).
First point in a FIFA tournament for the All Whites.

I must say, if the third game, against Iraq had been anything like the South Africa game then I'd have wanted him gone, but it was a vast improvement.

I'd also consider our result against Wales as a milestone as i believe it was our first points ever earned against a UK nation.

The reservations I have about RH are that the areas where he is lacking, tactics, team selection and substitutions are the same weaknesses that he had exposed at the start of last season with the Phoenix. His loyalty to Mulligan, Christie and Brown during the tournament was admirable but he is seeing something positive in their performances that is not apparent to the casual observer. Thought he might have developed a bit more.

I believe this is called Mt Herbert.

I think he's doing well.
We should be supporting an NZ coach rather than getting an expensive import.

He is pretty good with the media, though he seems a bit quick to make excuses (although more so for the national team rather than the Nix)

The players seem happy under him.
And he was quick to clear out Cleberson and George and Old who weren't performing at the Nix.

I agree his team selections often aren't what we as fans would want e.g. last year it took him a long time to move McKain into DM when it was obvious that centre back was our strongest position.
Also he could be quicker with substitutions, and make more tactical/game-changing substitutions.

What do you think are his strengths and weaknesses?

How do you think he's improved in his years as a coach?

What do you think he does better now than he used to?

Forgot about that.  Should probably add the result against Italy to our list as well.

Australia always had issues with beating Asian sides when it was in Oceania, I think its good that NZF realized Herbert needs help and i cant knock them for that.
With the right help from the right resources who knows how successful he and his team can be for the play offs.convict2009-06-22 18:57:21

Still noboby have given any names of a possible replacement.

Rufer brothers..

Maybe.  But they don't have one thing...money

There is but they would rather play for another nation.

I dont think we should get a kiwi coach. Lets get someone with a different perspective of football rather than kiwis that think they know it.

well we've always had foreign coaches in the past. Aint set the world on fire

If Herbert takes us to the world cup, then surely that would be the end of it, as far as him being sacked goes. If he doesn't, then what respectable coach from overseas is going to come down to coach a side who is unlikely to play a game in 2010, and further more probably only play Oceania opposition until the next confeds cup.

And where is the money going to come from to this over seas coach?

Herbert was appointed All Whites coach Feb 2005 at which time NZ's FIFA ranking was 98 (Australia 58). June 2009; NZ's ranking 82 (Australia 29).

I didn't know you could win points in friendly matches.

If you have a look at the other coaches that NZ have had
--- none of them are Kiwis. Perhaps RH is as good as any of them.It takes many games etc. to become experienced.
Riki has not got there yet but I reckon he will.
He will then see that Brown, Christie and Lockhead are not good enough.

I wouldn't call Georgia weak Marius - they're certainly not a top side, but are better than some of the countries that emerged from ex-USSR (eg. Moldova, Armenia, Azerbeijan, probably Kazakhstan too), and have had decent results against some good European opposition.

georgia had ac milan defender kakhaber kaladze that day too, but i agree with the sentiment, that this wasn't really the result it was hyped up to be. reg222009-06-22 21:24:23

sure, hence 'relatively weak'only.

I do think that milestone got played up just a touch.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a win in that game, so maybe my recollection of it is somewhat fonder than it should be.

I agree with the Rufers.Or why not give John Herdman a crack he's taken the NZ womans teams to a knew level and they have shown they are as good as most teams in the world. I realise it wouldn't be so easy in Mens football. But I think he deserves a crack.

The Rufers ?

Oh FFS.

6 minutes? What were you waiting for News?

Interweb connection is playing up.

and here i was thinking you were doing the washing.

I agree it would be interesting to see how he goes with an NZFC team.Send him down south again to coach Otago United. And I must say he did do pretty well with Southland if you consider where Southland are these days.

I dont like the way Rikki seems to be in a dreamland when it comes to our results. I actually an amazed by him sometimes, like at the start of last year, can't remember what game it was, but we were played off the park and he utters "we were unlucky not to grab a point". The fact is we went over there and were unable to score a win, but i suppose that was a "relatively" good effort

He was the bald coach with the funny red spot on his head...

Any overseas coach wouldn't know half our players because they don't start for their teams, that would make it hard to see them play and get familiar with them.
At least Ricki knows what players we have to offer and as he said - show me a list of (other) players we can use and I'll use them.

Well well....
ESPN's  Tommy Smyth just had a complimentary word or two for Ricki Herbert and NZ on the latest edition of Soccernet Press Pass tonight.
He said he had been pretty scathing about NZ earlier in the week after the first 2 games but was pleased to see Ricky use the height advantage of the NZ team to good effect in the Iraq game.

He also said what sounded like..". if NZ play that way in their WC Qualifiers they'll go close, but it won't be easy...."
its hard to tell exactly what Tommy's saying half the time though...
RedGed2009-06-23 00:31:32

He's done OK considering what he's got to work with, but as others have pointed out his selections and subs can be odd to say the least.