Stuff's favourite football guy

Stuff's favourite football guy

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/2987992/Herbert-needs-to-try-plan-B-if-hes-got-one Smithy2009-10-22 09:09:25

"The quality of writing in the media in New Zealand, especially comment, is altogether so poor.  "

I reckon its a good article. a few marginal observations, but basically he says we arent scoring enough goals. hard to dispute. I also agree that we are pretty generous as fans. we should expect more than less than a goal per game.

James Dean - if a Fairfax opinion piece generates such lengthy reposts as yours then, simply, it is job well done on his part.

I tend to concur with him: I am indeed misty eyed, as the bigger picture for me 2.33 seasons in is "at least Wellington has a professional football team". I wonder how long it will be before I start questioning my blind faith?

HarryHotspur2009-10-22 09:23:00

I think Paul's points are generally well made.

Yawn. Obvious points. Might as well just print a league table.

Two lines on the forum from Steve-O gets more response.

And this statement is ridiculous �This is a strong league and the other teams have got the Phoenix sussed�

 

Needs more Martin Samuel.

Remember, Paul's piece is not being directed at a fan forum, but a wider audience.

to be fair guys it is aimed at the general non footballing public out there. He makes some interesting pioints too. The fact is we should be well in the top six, if we'd made better use of the chances we've created in the last 6 draws we'd be well up there. Even if we'd one 3 of the 6.

Why's he doing the fans down? "Uber tolerant, misty eyed" seems to be a put down to me and he's got no business doing that.  Reading this forum will show him his description is inappropriate generalising and thus dodgy.
    I don't know how hard it'll be for Ricki to juggle all his irons in the next 3 weeks but for Thompson to suggest that the qualifier might be a problem for the players is a strange line of thinking to me.  Sportsmen love a big event and I'm figuring the players will benefit from the intensity and excitement that the qualifier brings to the next few weeks.  

He's just bitter that his first column wasn't met with resounding Huzzah's and 'my god he's right, how did I miss all this' so now he's taken to petty sniping.  Pretty embarassing for Fairfax to publish those sort of remarks.

I'm sure he'll read this and poke sticks in to us again, Hi Paul (waves).

The Michael Laws of 'football' columnists.  Best. Ignored.
Hard News2009-10-22 12:06:26

 but he's a "former national league player".

The guy makes fair enough points, he obviously thinks we have crossed the line from support to blind faith. I don't think most of us have quite reached that point yet but I could see it becoming an issue

Seems a few people are seeing slights in this article that aren't really there!?!

"So what's to be done?

First, the players need to convert the chances they are creating and get a return on the scoreboard for the parts of each game they are dominating.

In every media interview the talk is of luck not running their way and a confidence that if they "keep doing everything right" they will soon regularly start hitting the back of the net.

But such talk is cheap and implies that scoring goals is an optional extra. It isn't.

Second, Herbert cannot expect to keep regurgitating the same team, formation and tactics and expect results to automatically improve. This is a strong league and the other teams have got the Phoenix sussed.

Third, a solution must be found to the Chris Greenacre conundrum. Everyone likes him and he is a good, hardworking pro. But he lacks the pace, physique and skill to plough a lone furrow up front.

The options are to try someone else in the role (and surely Herbert thought of having a plan B when he built his squad) or to play someone alongside him."

Agree with only one part of the analysis. But his rationale for point two is wrong:  Not sure that other teams have us sussed.  But we do miss some sitters.

Find it hard to fathom your attitude, News...

Our bitterness sustains us.

Thank you Bruce. Go Paul!

disclaimer that you are a fairfax employee pls Buckle

It did come across as petty. He said we were playing well,but underperforming. Didnt quite add up. but i guess in terms of performance we're playing well,but results wise underperforming,is fair enough.

As they say, no publicity is bad publicity.  So it's a fair point to say it's good to see the piece in there at all.  However in a fans forum he can expect to see himself put under the microscope, and that's not slagging him off.  His opinions written there are a lot more public then any opinions posted here and there is at least a facility to reply to any opinions here.  I see the website article is without the post a reply option this time.
    I don't disagree with much he said but that doesn't mean I saw much talent in it.

 The Nix are different from the typical pro' sporting team in that they don't just represent their district but to a large extent, in this country, they represent their code.  (I know, the Breakers and Warriors are similar).  This goes a long way to explaining the fans being patient with the team.  It doesn't mean that the fans are lacking any critical faculty, it just means that they want this particular team to succeed for more then the usual set of reasons.

. . . and yeah, I do think he was having a little dig at the fans (or the Fever)

untrue

They don't pay him, they just publish his propaganda (well, our propaganda).

Run that one -- the Phoenix are different -- past me again...

Some cheap shots are being taken at the writer though, as they were the last time he wrote an article a few weeks ago? Don't dish it out if you can't take it, simple.

I'd like us to move beyond the "any publicity is good publicity" to some actual intelligent writing about football in this country.

Steve-O, yes you're exactly right.  But the fact is that we've all given loads of analysis as to what could be done, or what doesn't need to be done, or what the consequences of doing different things would be.  But he offers nothing so  what then is the point of the article?  As Greenie says, you only need to look at the table to see that we need to score more goals! james dean2009-10-22 23:19:56

And Billy Harris is a "former All White" and he writes a load of @rse (quite cringeworthy when you turn the page of the SST and read something thought provoking and entertaining from Richard Bock).

Maybe more like bowling a googly (or a Chinam...)

I'm not sure that I like being described as "uber tolerant, misty eyed"...   dairyflat2009-10-23 16:40:07

Clearly not, because I automatically assume ethical standards in Journalism.

I'm interested to see what he follows up with now - one match obviousoy not proof but it shows that to some extent it IS just about putting away the chances

well the 6,752-ish who are allegedly ubertolerant , certainly got their just reward last night

Almost certainly will. With the momentum in football in NZ generally and Wellington particularly over these next three weeks, I'd expect to be reading plenty from him.
Am looking forward to the follow up too...