Ernie humour

I love Ernie's sense of humour. Every press conference there is something. The latest " we like plenty of practice at defending corners". Using the word metrics. "No of course they (Sydney) wouldn't try and foul him (Roly) out of the game deliberately"

Ernie on TV3 sports news commenting on the state of the pitch before Victory game on Saturday night:

"Our policy is 'no excuses'. If it is about 105m long and 75m across, and has two white sticks at each end, we'll play there".

He has to say that though - it's the Nix's home game. I bet he'd have a different message if we rocked up to Pirtek or somewhere else with a shark pitch. 

But, yes, Ernie is a character.

I bet he also has a different message in private.

TBH it probably helped us and didn't help Melbourne's dribblers too much...

"They're having a bit of a stretch and a massage and someone's feeding them grapes at the moment," Merrick said of the pair

Their last home match might be a distant memory, but it's one Merrick remembers fondly.

"Last time we were at Westpac - I can't remember when it was, I think it was this millennium - we played against Adelaide and scored four cracking goals.

it does feel like last century, TBH.  

"They're very good down the flanks, they've got very good wingers and fullbacks that overlap, so obviously we've taken that into consideration in the set-up that you've just seen, but please don't reveal what we're doing or else I'll have to kill you," Merrick said with a laugh....

"They're allowed to enjoy a Christmas pudding and they'll have skinfold tests down the track," Merrick said.

Nice interview with Ernie this lunchtime with Radio Sport. He sounded mildly interested and played along with the suggestion of bringing back Greenie for a run up front.

Ernie ahead of our home game against Brisbane Roar (following previous game in Cairns in high heat and humidity)

“What’s the Roar don’t know is it’s pretty cold down here and I’ve turned off the heaters in their change room.”

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/a-league/teams/brisbane/brisbane-roar-expect-chilly-reception-from-wellington-phoenix/news-story/68a59527ad4285e4e5b76fe25b80745e

Krishna out for 3 month

"We feel as though we could do with another striker so Chris Greenacre will start training. He scores more goals at training than most players."

In latest Nix Youtube episode on Fenton working his way back from injury, "typical Louis... he took it easy and went 110 miles per hour!"

Ernie responds to Carceres loan to City

"I find that whole situation strange - we're trying to link up with Chelsea now, and hope they'll sign a few players and put them out on loan to us for $5 a week"

I thought it was funny when he said we have realistic chances of making the top six hahahahahaha

Ah yes, I remember that one. That was a good one.

On TV1 news last night presenting a new Huawei watch to Blake Powell for scoring 4 goals, he says to Blake "Why didn't you score 5. Why didn't you take the penalty" hahahaha

Ernie comments the four KaPowe!! goals:

"His family was there, now we fly them in for all the games"

No Ernie humor in the press conference last night. It's now Ernie's Grumpy.

http://www.a-league.com.au/video/wellington-phoeni...

Apart from " we might get a couple of strikers, at least one, and he'll probably get sent off in the first game and then injured!"
Poor Ernie looked totalled demoralised.

He really did seem defeated.

That almost made me cry. I wanna give the man a hug. 

Has been a tough tough year. 

After our win at Sydney, 3 - 0 up:

"We didn't park the bus, it wasn't even a semi-trailer, it was more or less a road train [a very long truck and trailer] for the last 15 or 20 minutes," Merrick said.

Also in the same article:

"Ben Sigmund told me that he knows now he's got over 600 muscles in his body because he's feeling every one of them."

On Thursday (before Good Friday) at a media conference, talking about upcoming game against Melb City:

"Roy Krishna is ripping it up today but he's just hammered the ball with his left foot and is lying on the ground," Merrick told reporters. "So I'll panic a little bit in a few minutes and I'll just have to see how he goes."