Worth a read of Waikato Times article Monday night 7th April particarly if you are a supporter of Napier City Rovers, Auckland City infact any club in the NZFC for that matter.
Claims Waikato 2008 best footballing team ever seen and played more attractive football than other NZFC teams just about and are way better than their position indicates.
Saw them a few times this year playing some pretty good Peter Pan stuff.
Rubbished other Waikato Teams ie last two years team finished 2nd to last. Forgot to mention team finished third in first year making play offs and finished with more points in the second year than his team did this year ......go figure...
Claims Waikato 2008 best footballing team ever seen and played more attractive football than other NZFC teams just about and are way better than their position indicates.
Saw them a few times this year playing some pretty good Peter Pan stuff.
Rubbished other Waikato Teams ie last two years team finished 2nd to last. Forgot to mention team finished third in first year making play offs and finished with more points in the second year than his team did this year ......go figure...
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And i spose the Player of the Year is none other than Sammy Wilkinson?
Three for me, and two for them.
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No Matt Williams. Had the brains to get out than be associated with that lot.
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I believe that player of the year for Waikato will be out of Sam Wilkinson, Ross Morley or Mooch
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Here is that work of fiction......
Waikato FC's final game of the season summed up their New Zealand Football Championship.
Great football, great goals, but silly mistakes at the back and a lack of concentration at the wrong time that plagued them all season.
Yesterday was no different.
Despite out-playing their Hawke's Bay United opponents at Napier, Waikato twice gave up the lead to finish in a 2-2 draw.
The draw was enough to secure fifth in the eight-team league for Waikato and coach Roger Wilkinson said the season was a pleasing one.
"I thought we played well," he said.
"The last two seasons we finished second to bottom, but this time we played good football. We played well against the top teams and pushed them each time we went up against them. We just didn't score enough goals and we lacked concentration at important times."
Wilkinson said the lack of goals came from not being able to stabilise a permanent partnership up-front.
An injury-plagued season tested Wilkinson's ability to fill gaps and the players' ability to adapt to different roles.
Import striker Robert Gill started the season as a lone man up front and once Steven Holloway was fit enough to join him, Gill was injured and went back to the UK.
The same happened at the back with Che Bunce and Jeff Sole playing just two games together all season. Both offered a wealth of experience and if they'd been able to pair up more, like Holloway and Gill, the team would have had a more settled feel.
As it happened, three players impressed enough to make the New Zealand under-23 team and a number of opposition fans said Waikato were one of the better teams at actually playing football and moving the ball around the park skilfully while others, including the Auckland sides who are both in the finals, often resorted to long-ball, ugly football.
Holloway scored both goals yesterday in Napier to take his tally to nine goals from just 14 matches this season, but in general, the team struggled in front of goal.
Wilkinson, who the Times understands is due to have a review with Waikato FC officials this week over his position, said he'd learned a lot this season and knew a solid up-front partnership would make a big difference. "I want to stay because it's a job unfinished. I'm pro Waikato and if they want me, I'm here, if they don't I'll help where I can."
Wilkinson chose not to respond when asked if he thought he deserved to keep his job.
"I was most pleased with the way we played the game. We played some really good football this season. We scored six goals in the last two games."
The problem was, too many goals came at the other end.
If Wilkinson is retained, which he should be, his most important job will be to retain the services of Bunce and Sole, as well as the Auckland pairing of Hone Fowler and Michael Gwyther, and one of the standout players of the season, busy goalkeeper Dan Robinson.
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I believe andy irvine actually scooped the award.
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Saw Bhe Cunce play recently sort of confirms that "use by date" theory in football.
In relation to you Rilkinson, Wam looks as though he has lost the dream of playing Pro football and like his old man relegated and doomed to stay in the lower leagues wherever he goes and talk about how good he was/is.......
Shame really...
In relation to you Rilkinson, Wam looks as though he has lost the dream of playing Pro football and like his old man relegated and doomed to stay in the lower leagues wherever he goes and talk about how good he was/is.......
Shame really...
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Is he still playing? I played with him at Mt Maugnaui in 96/97 and he was getting on then!
Talking about Andy Irvine here.
PROAK2008-04-09 15:08:38Peoples Republik of Aucklandia
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didnt waikato deserve to win every game according to woger, they outplayed the other team and was either refs or mistakes that cost them first place!
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hello there. It seems a lot of posters here are not interested in sensible discussion of Waikato FC matters - they just want to have small-minded cracks at Roger or Sam Wilkinson for reasons best known to themselves.
But here are a few thoughts anyway....
I'd argue that finishing position is probably a better overall barometer of a team's acheivement than points accrued, when making season-against-season team comparisons. Becuase it leaves the comparison less open to skewing by the non-achievements of the dog and lemon teams. (ie in 05-06 Hawke's Bay recorded just five points from 21 games - far and away the lowest tally in NZFC history -- which inevitably bolstered the take of every other club.)
I thought it was a remarkable achievement by former coach declan edge to get his Waikato team up to third in the opening NZFC season: their squad (including regular starter sam wilkinson, incidentally) was a mix of youth and those on their last legs.
It is not that Waikato FC have under-achieved this season so much as they over-achieved in 04-05.
As to Matt Richens report....
I wasn't at Napier (neither was Matt for that matter) but everyone I have spoken to said a draw was a fair result in an even and entertaining contest - and it was perhaps gilding the lily to say Waikato outplayed hawkes bay.
From a journalistic perspective I always find it disappointing to see a supposed match report doubling as a season review. This was "once over lightly" stuff, where it probably needed more considered analysis -- and a few thoughts from senior players and others.
Waikato never took points off top teams but were never hammered by them, usually losing 2-1 or 2-0. Roger's comments are fair, in that respect.
But I was often frustrated in watching Waikato because there was too much emphasis on keeping possession and not enough on penetration. Waikato always played "in front" of teams. They rarely got behind opponents because their build-up was usually too slow and deliberate, with a hundred passes in midfield, by which time the strikers were triple marked.
In defence I thought Hone Fowler was a more important unit than either Bunce or Sole. U23 captain Aaron Scott was regularly shovelled around to accommodate others, but was at his best as centre back, where he was seldom able to command a spot because of the line-up ahead of him. But David Samson was Waikato's most effective fullback simply because of his pace, and physique.
Dan Robinson was very good in goal, and really should have been captain, becuase he is a real leader.
Stanley Waita and Matt Friel were the most creative midfielders in terms of having the ability to make a perceptive pass. They seldom played together.
Waikato invested heavily in two imports, Rob Gill and Dale Williams, who both failed to see the season out, and in Williams case, was an embarassment. Gill was worth a crack. He looked a good player, though increasingly struggled physically with niggling injury. If I'm correct, Steve Holloway's nine goals were a Waikato season record (beating Matt Williams former haul of seven) though he missed much of the first half of the season and played with little confidence until the final weeks of the season.
Roger has some fine qualities, is the most experienced coach in the league by some distance, and deserves respect for the work he has done in the Waikato over a 20+ year period.
But he is also very stubborn, and his man management skills/policies can be eye-watering at times.
Does Waikato need a more robust counter-balance for Roger in its coaching team? It's perhaps a pity Ray Pooley (the archetypical Good Cop) scarpered when Roger decided to re-base the team at Porritt Stadium.
In four seasons Waikato have already been through James Pamment and Declan Edge, Dave Edmondson, Ray Pooley and Roger. Be great to find a player prepared to go on the record about who they would most prefer to play under.
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"They rarely got behind opponents because their build-up was usually too slow and deliberate, with a hundred passes in midfield, by which time the strikers were triple marked... If I'm correct, Steve Holloway's nine goals were a Waikato season record (beating Matt Williams former haul of seven) though he missed much of the first half of the season and played with little confidence until the final weeks of the season."
Just imagine what would have happened if theyd got in behind defences, teams weren't triple marking Steven and he played with confidence for the whole season! - He probably would have scored double that talley!
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Question Bruce not sure you should be asking players but look at some facts.
Over the last 5 years say who would be the most successful coach in this region.
We have some goods runs in Chatham Cup, Melville have been promoted and relegated as you point out NZFC Play offs. Are you sure that team over achieved or have they under achieved since then and why? (Could we have a look at the board maybe????).
Over the last 5 years say who would be the most successful coach in this region.
We have some goods runs in Chatham Cup, Melville have been promoted and relegated as you point out NZFC Play offs. Are you sure that team over achieved or have they under achieved since then and why? (Could we have a look at the board maybe????).
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Can you measure a coach on results alone??
Get a crack team together and Homer Simpson could coach them. But try measuring coaches on what they can do with less than optimal resources and you may get a different picture. In the waikato the fact is you ain't going to be playing with the strongest hand (limited resources), so to a certain extent you need a coach who can do the most with the least.
Over the last five years, the most successful coach in the Waikato has been Special Olympics coach dave maisey.... three national titles, and coached a team to victory over australia.
But it doesn't mean I'd want him in charge of Waikato FC.
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Not sure you answered that really Bruce.
Surely at the highest level ie NZFC in NZ everything should fall back on results. Here in the Waikato and particarly people like Woger are happy with mediority, while the Waitakere's Auckland Wellington's and even Hawkes Bay given there optimal resources are striving to win.
"Lick the loolipop of mediority once and you will suck forever"
Surely at the highest level ie NZFC in NZ everything should fall back on results. Here in the Waikato and particarly people like Woger are happy with mediority, while the Waitakere's Auckland Wellington's and even Hawkes Bay given there optimal resources are striving to win.
"Lick the loolipop of mediority once and you will suck forever"
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Yes, coaches do tend to rise and fall on results...
But that is quite a different thing from measuring the aggregate worth or ability of a coach.
As a stark illustration, you may remember the case of jack vercauteren winning the national league with Mt Wellington - and being sacked the day after. Wouldn't have happened if results were the only barometer.
I think it is fair to say Roger is not happy with mediocrity, but the reality is he is not well enough resourced to buy Totori, Menapi et al.
I think there are a few issues Roger should be taken to task on.
But if we accepted your premise that everything should fall back on results, it would mean every year at least five NZFC coaches being sacked out of structural necessity, insofar as it is impossible for more than three teams to make the playoffs.
By the way, why do you denigrate people by not calling them by their proper name on this forum? It's peurile, and detracts from any sensible points you may have.
Hope this helps.
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