Coaching Angst - Ernie's three anti-blips

Well, I dated a Bangladeshi once. Does that count?

Anyway: Ernie's best mates must recognize by now that Ernie is NOT getting through to the current bunch of players. Reasonable people can differ on whether new players or a new coach is the best move from here.

Agree. You'll have to excuse Doloras - Ernie can do no right.

The players themselves are limited. Ernie has them playing better football than your beloved Ricki there Doloras. We are not getting results for sure but the scoreboard does not reflect exactly where this team is at. If only for a striker (and we've probably be mid table if that was the case)

Well, let's give an example - Brockie. Golden Boot last year, can't hit an elephant with a custard pie at 5 paces this year. Even his worst enemies would say that Ricki had an undoubted skill at man-management and getting the best out of players who had been kind of flops at other clubs. Is it possible that Brockie just doesn't get along with Ernie? Not to mention the current fluff with Carlos, but we'll see what that's really all about down the line, I suppose.

It's not that Ernie can do no right; it's that hehas done no right, in the sense of winning games which is his job and what he was hired to get us to do. I will remain skeptical until the blossoming of the new style which everyone assures me will happen next season... or the season after?

So to sum it up - its all Ernies fault and none of the players.

If that is your actual view, you will have proven how little you know about football.

In D's defence, I do think that aspects of Ernie's performance are at least worthy of discussion.

People defending Ernie have created this narrative where Ernie is doing his best to change playing style with a limited group of players and needs to be given time. There are at least a few potential problems with that:

1. Ernie is not the only coach in the world who can change our style to something more attacking/entertaining. Is there possibly another coach who could do the same job but better? 

2. How much time does Ernie actually need? Surely even in a transition year it's reasonable to expect at least a few wins?

3. Ernie's recruitment so far has been average. There may be some big money tied up in the contracts of some longer serving players which will help next season but it appears he will still face the same recruitment issues that Ricki did - attracting players to Wellington while keeping the entire squad within the cap. I don't necessarily expect our recruitment to suddenly shift up a gear just because Vinnie Lia moves on.

Personally, I think he's doing a good job and I'm still a million miles away from saying he should go. However, I don't think he should be completely immune from criticism either. Some of the questions being asked are reasonable to ask.

Its pretty hard to bag the coach when we are dominating games for extended periods of time, but our strikers cant put away sitters and our defenders have brain explosions. Not much a coach can do about that...

2: If we look at what we started with - a bottom of the table team that was ass, swap out about a 3rd of those players of whom most of the replacements are 'projects' at best then I think the question is that you would at least give him the opportunity to swap out another 3rd so the squad is mainly his. Realistically, he gets 2 years. I would say during the middle of next season, we would have a fair idea of how its all going so revisit this in 1 calendar years time. I do agree that players will not suddenly flock to us. Its the same when we were the Kingz and the Knights. That's where hopefully he has some contacts that may be of benefit.

3: Ernies recruitment has been average... Subjective depending on the view point you hold. He has bought in players for the future and given us a younger fresher look but then a few of those players are not able to contribute today (and invariably, only few young players are). By the same token, Riera was a panic signing because no other player wanted to come here and the alternative, was Matt Thompson. I picked Cunningham to be a stud and I have egg all over my face (mjp2) because of it. Did many people pick him as a bust? We all went 'International playing for Costa Rica - seems legit'. I think at some point we needed to get some youth and future into this team because both CBs are 31 and aging so if you don't start getting replacements in now to acclimatise, when do you? He has started that.

I think where he does get some hits is keeping on with some folk. He ditched Caira which I have no real issue with but was he the worst performing? Brockie is certainly worse than him right now. Will he be dropped? He bloody should be. Stein looks like he does a better job in the role we bought Carlos in to do. Sigmund is trying to be a footballer at the wrong time in the game and gifting mistakes to the opponents. Boxall needs to get a run. If you do the same thing you have always done, you will get what you have always got previously. That's where I think he takes a hit because we are now 10/27 games and hoping it comes right by throwing the same team out each is mad.

To suggest that its all his fault is simply ridiculous. Stein does not get coached to take pens like that. Brockie does not get coached to miss two open goals. Sigmund does not get coached to chest a ball down for an opponent deep in the box. That is not coaching at all and especially experienced pros like that. These are not rookie mistakes.

Not sure I agree entirely with that.

Strikers lacking confidence in front of goal? Defenders having brain explosions? Sports psychology anyone?

I think this is part of the point Doloras is trying to make. Why are these things happening? Does this perhaps point to a part of Ernie's skill set that is not strong?

As I say, I'm still onside with Ernie but I think some of you are being just a bit too blinkered and uncritical.

Anyway, we are gonna smash Sydney for 5 or 6 so will be a non-issue by Christmas.

Ernie is fine for this season.  My threshold is 2 points in 8 games.  We had already doubled that by 8 games this season.

I am a huge Ernie fan but you have to wonder how long you keep repeating the same thing over and over and hope it gets better. Take the Brockie/Stein thing. Does Ernie keep selecting them game after game and just hope that somehow they transform into goal scoring beasts. Or is there some proactive plan to get their heads right. Maybe a goal scoring session with one of NZ's retired strikers....Vaughn Coveny or maybe Rufer. Get someone in who has been in their situation of a goal drought and can give some hints(what Greenie's input?..he is a ex striker and on the staff) Or maybe a sports psychologist. We have a problem with our scoring....you just can't wait and hope it goes away.

Because I will question Ernie if he keeps selecting Brockie. Stein adds to general play so he stays. But I would rather see a youngster like Boyd who does try and put himself about rather than the ghost of Brockie who does SFA without the goals

No

This is from a Phoenix board member...

Just before Ricki was sacked last season, members of the Phoenix board spoke to 3 of senior players within the team.  Comments that they got back were "I have never been so unmotivated as a professional footballer" and "I cannot look Herbert in the eye anymore".  There was one other comment that was pretty scathing, but I cannot remember it (it was obviously not as bad as those two as they stick in my memory). 

For me, they cast Ricki's "undoubted man management skills" into doubt (although this is a thread about Big Ern, and should not be another one that is used to bash Herbert).

I think most of us are willing to give Ernie time to right the ship. Personally, I hold that view because I see vast improvements on what is on offer on the pitch and I enjoy Ernie giving his honest appraisals of the team, players and the game. I feel I know more about the side now than what I can ever remember having with RH. Just about every critical analysis (I don't use the word in a negative sense either) in here talks as if the situation is in isolation. But its not, the club plays in a dynamic environment with 9 other clubs all doing their best to be better than they were last year. Some are succeeding, some not so. So to use a win and loss record to measure the success of Ernie is unfair. If the wins were coming, it would be a positive indication we were improving but the reverse is not tottally true.  Look at where we came from: bottom of the league with an aging team that had really lost its mojo. Ernie has at least turned 2 of those around. There are so many positive signs that the team is better and that we have the right man to make us a good team. If we could guarantee that all the other teams just marked time and not continue to improve and develop, we could guarantee a championship next year, but that is not going to happen is it? To close, I would love for us to be champions but I am satisfied if we are playing a good brand of football, winning more games than we lose, bringing through good young players, seeing them bugger off to Germany and Russia, just enjoying the whole club experience you know? Its not about turning us into champions overnight, it about credibility in my eyes and i think Ernie and the club ownership actually have it.

I'm for Ernie, I think he's made some good changes to the team.

But we should probably brace ourselves not to make the finals this season.

Really going out on the limb there Bevan.

Really Bevan , think of the odds. There is only a 40% chance of not making the finals. Stick with the maths.

This quote from Nelsen on Toronto seems pretty relevant to the 'Nix at the moment

"I was probably a bit naive," admits Nelsen. "No matter how organised you are and how good your work ethic is, it still comes down to quality. It is quite nerve-wracking watching - you make one mistake and it can be all over."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=11176551

He was talking particularly about defending, but for us it is quality up front as well.  Doesn't matter how hard you try.  Hopefully the guys come right and Merrick is in the best position to decide to overlook the likes of Kris Bright - who arguably is not who we need - but more importantly his statement that he probably won't buy anyone in the Jan window.  Maybe he is saying that just to keep up the morale of a couple of players before he does bring some-one in anycase.

great post

The fact the football is so dramatically improved hasn't been missed just by people in here, but also the floaters. So now instead of laughing at my shirt on Phoenix Friday's, they now at least are interested, and it's the 'unlucky' Phoenix. So cred is on its way back. I'm really confident we can win the A League next season once Ernie gets a go finishing off the salary cap anomalies. Yes it's hard to take, not winning, but that's what happens with a new regime. I hate the patronising Aussie commentators (Cockerill excepted), I hate the laughing under their breathes Auckland commentators as well. But we will have the last laugh. Of that I have no doubt. When was the last time in our history we look like we could win every game away from home. And that's happened in a very short space of time, and includes the waste of space travelling circus phase.   

agree!

Ernie has gone too far this time. He clearly made a pact with Beelzebub, the Horned One for a Nix win, not being able to get one any other way... and the price was Iffy's achilles!!!

That's right, FT, I've never been more serious in my life.

Ernie, Welnix.  Forget total taka: http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/dec/27/tactical-review-strike-partnerships

Also we should switch to 4-4-2 (as Spurs is doing to such good effect).  Although I'm a firm favourite of 2-3-5 (it will make a comeback one day).

.....incantations won't help...... but try holy water

Loved how we kept our shape and our faith in the possession / passing game the whole time tonight. 

Love you Ernie xx

*strokes Ernie's hair lovingly*

Keep on blipping Ernie

Persevere with the manager is what I've always said.