Winston Reid (Unattached FC)
Ricki Herbert was targeted by West Ham United manager Avram Grant for a role at the English Premier League club immediately after the World Cup.
Grant, the Israeli who managed Chelsea for the 2007-08 season, interrupted Herbert's week-long family holiday in Hong Kong on the way back from South Africa as he head-hunted the All Whites and Wellington Phoenix mentor for a hands-on coaching role at Upton Park.
It is understood Herbert would have seriously considered the job, meaning his tenure as national and Wellington Phoenix coach would have come to an end, but West Ham, who have had financial difficulties of late, pulled the pin on the role Grant had sought to offer him.
Herbert, New Zealand football's man of the moment, yesterday confirmed that Grant had approached him but a formal offer from the east London club never eventuated.
"There wasn't an offer, there was talk about a potential opportunity but that didn't arise," Herbert told The Dominion Post.
"I know Avram Grant, I've met him, and we've kept that relationship going. It would have been an on-the-grass-type role but it wasn't possible. He couldn't get the job over the line, it wasn't ready to happen there."
Herbert's stocks rose to an alltime high after he guided the unfancied All Whites to three draws at the World Cup, results that drew much attention in the British media.
He has been linked to various parts of the globe since and said it was exciting that an English Premier League manager had been interested in him.
"It's nice to have your name bandied about, so if something happens in the future it happens, but if it doesn't, I'm relaxed."
Asked if he would have taken the job at West Ham had a formal offer been made, Herbert said: "You don't know because it never got that far, but you never know what might happen in the future.
"I've made a decision to stay [in New Zealand] and that's important to me."
Herbert's influence with Grant played a significant part in West Ham's recent signing of All Whites defender Winston Reid, whose transfer from Danish club FC Midtjylland was estimated to be worth more than $8 million.
"Avram's a fantastic guy and he's at an extremely good club," Herbert said. "You need to have relationships at the highest level and to get Winston in there was just brilliant for him and for New Zealand football. We'll continue to talk."
Herbert was also offered a managerial position at club level in South Africa but turned it down to stay in Wellington, where his family, including teenage twins, is settled.
Ad Feedback Meanwhile, he expected to complete contract negotiations with New Zealand Football to extend his tenure as All Whites coach till after the next World Cup campaign "sooner rather than later".
"It's kind of gone backwards and forwards and hopefully we can meet over the weekend and get things sorted."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/football/4024159/West-Ham-manager-wanted-Ricki-Herbert
Like others i can't understand why he was played at right back.
He struggled with Carew when he moved to the middle.
Will he play in the next game? I say yes.
Like others i can't understand why he was played at right back.
He struggled with Carew when he moved to the middle.
Will he play in the next game? I say yes.
From the Guardian site, at the end of the match report, they have a fans comment. Not too bad for Reid.
"
HAMISH MACKAY, Over Land and Sea If Avram Grant didn't know how difficult his job was this season, he does now. We were completely outplayed. Villa could have scored six or seven and we were lucky to get nil. We were that bad. Our players looked like they had never met each other � just like we played for most of last season in fact � while Villa always had an out-ball. They came at us from the start and used the width really well, whereas we didn't get wide at all. None of the new boys shone but we were collectively so poor that it was difficult for them. Our best player was probably Green. He got a lot of stick from the Villa fans, as you would expect, but he did not do much wrong.
The fan's player ratings Green 7; Reid 6, Tomkins 4 (Diamanti 72 4), Upson 6, Ilunga 4; Parker 6, Kovac 4 (Piquionne ht 6); Noble 5; Faubert 5, Boa Morte 4 (Barrera ht 5), Cole 5
Yea, West Ham fans seem to be bagging others (like Tomkins) a lot more than Reid.
Good to see Reid isn't getting the blame.
are you being serious he gave it away alot and just hoofed it up field.
are you being serious he gave it away alot and just hoofed it up field.
Like Marius said, he was decent in the first half, and he did hoof it a bit in the second half but that was the best option most of the time. He was the only West Ham defender who seemed to want to avoid the long ball.
Kevin Davies is a pretty diffcult opponent though
easy to look confident when you know Ryan Nelsen's got your back...
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although he had some bad moments, and to be honest we proli noticed more because we were focusing on Reid and him alone. he also showed promise at other times, the more experience he gets the better he will be. could turn into a great player, i seen enough to think he will get another start against bolton
sounds like he did ok on the west ham message boards
1. Pablo Barrera needs to think quicker. Cole's shot, palmed away, Barrera cuts inside instead of reading the path of the ball. Needs to be shown that next week.
2. Winston Reid should be shot if he ever turns his back on a shot inside the six-yard box again.
New right back Reid, signed after a successful World Cup with New Zealand, was included from the start but looked particularly out of his depth.
He has a job to win West Ham fans over, as the prevailing post-match opinion was he was even worse than Tomas Repka at his nadir � which for those with short memories is stinging criticism indeed.