Ernie Merrick - former Phoenix manager

Sanchez would be an extremely different coach to Ricki. I think he would be overtly passionate and extremely expressive. He could be very good or very bad if the players don't take to him. We don't really know how expensive he would be but assuming he is, you have to question whether the money might be better spent on a marquee who can also help develop players while also step out on the pitch. He is definitely an interesting name that I didn't expect to pop up.

At least it might mean bringing in a Mexican player or players over whatever period hes in charge of the side (should he get the job) rather than the usual brazilian. argentinean rubbish

Wynton looked like the cat who got the cream hanging out at Phoenix training today.

Coincidence, or is there something more to it??

Oh God please no...

He has arranged for Fenton and Boyd to train with Werder Bremen. so that would probably be his reason for being there. I pray to the sweet baby Jesus that is the reason!

Oh good lord it could really be happening... could it? 

It couldn't...

Could it?

Nervous.

Not sure how I feel about it if it was to come to pass

If I never came on this website I'd probably be quite happy, but having read some people's opinions and the odd anecdote, I've been tainted with the 'wynton is crazy' brush

Smithy made a great comment in the other thread about people like wynton being the reason for most of the good things in NZ football, hard to argue with that 

*sits on fence*

Take a good long look at that photo people. That could be Tyler Boyd shaking hands with Wynton after being subbed off next season. Wynton's even got his tracksuit top on!

Leo looks happy about it. Stein's more like "who the fuck is this guy?".

I was talking to Noah Hickey last week and we got on the subject of new Nix coach and also Wynton Rufer (not in the same conversation topic) Noah said that they have tried to bend over backwards to work with Wynton but he is set in his ways and won't change. Basically said he is very difficult to deal with.

Like A Ferguson, R Mancini, J Mourino... It's gonna happen guys...

Wynton had a stellar pro career in Europe...then he came back to little 'ol NZ

Hard to come from soaring with the eagles down to honking with the geese!

New Zealand's greatest ever football player.

Our second greatest would probably welcomed with open arms if he came here instead of Toronto..

Well we wont have much choice if they sign him up - imagine the wyning then (for the entire off-season)

wyning lol nice touch there

Gareth M is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Wynton R is a Christian goodwill ambassador. A + B = ....

Does that mean we'll sign Rory Fallon?

Tbh I wouldn't mind a Kiwi, purely because I assume that a foreigner would not know enough about our Kiwis overseas.

So he wants things his own way. Why is that a bad thing? He has a track record of producing good young talent. I would love for someone to explain to me why Wynton would be a bad choice as coach. (this does not mean I advocate having him there)

I have absolutely no idea why that would be relevant.  you do realise that this is for the Phoenix job, and not the national team don't you?

Josip Gaspar is available, and sounds like he has the right spirit to do well here

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/klepto-soccer-coach-canned-jager-bender-article-1.1319742

This guy, Stein, is a player who played at a higher level than you and won European glory.

Personally, while I don't go for Rufer's religious mania, I think he's got a great footballing brain. He did well with limited resources at the first two seasons of the Kingz, who then slowly imploded when he left.

I look forward to Yellow Fever hymn singing before home games.

Sounds like a former Phoenix coach. But I know what Noah means. Still Rufer is from Wellington and is the best footballer these shores have ever produced.

this.  I read it as "I would prefer a kiwi to a foreigner because a foreigner would not know about kiwi players at other clubs in other countries".  I was saying that knowing about kiwi players at other clubs overseas is not relevant to the Phoenix job (although very relevant to the NZ national team job). 

Taking it further, I think an overseas coach would actually get a build a more reasoned view of a player.  Assuming this is all about bringing back NZ players from overseas, someone like Binton Foofer might look at someone like Jim Stain and think "he was a bit shit when I worked with him for that week on the Foofers course".  A coach who has no idea about Stain will ask a variety of people who have worked with Stain (Sherbert, Tenpin, Binton, etc) and some will say "he was a bit shit the week I worked with him at Foofers" while others may say "he is very good".

The names in this story have been changed to protect the innocent.

Maybe Wynton for academy coach, because he really does seem to have produced some quality youngsters in recent years through his WYNERs thing BUT is that selection bias? I mean did promising young players choose to go to his academy because of the contacts he has etc and then when they're a bit older it looks like he made them good, when in reality they would have been just as good anyway if they had trained elsewhere? 

He seems to clash with too many people to be the 1st team manager IMHO.

And to all the people saying he was a great player - no one is arguing that, but great players do not necessarily make great managers and vice versa. Look at Maradona and the mess he made of the Argies at the last WC... and at the other end of the spectrum Mourinho, who never even played professionally. 

I just don't think it's worth getting Wynton's knowledge and contacts in exchange for the dressing room and board room disharmony it may cause. 

Perhaps involvement with the FSE is an area where wynton could be utilised effectively?

Obviously lots of potential barriers there - remuneration, wynton getting on and working with a new manager etc etc etc

But an idea nonetheless, I'm sure the owners would have thought about it

I always got the impression that any kid who spent a day in the same city as Wynton at some stage in their life was "a product of the Wynners academy" 

I don't get the politics and BS around these academies and WR and Fallon and whoever else.

The point is to improve the technical level of our kids so that they're better equipped and able to make the most of their opportunities to be professional footballers. Whether they went to Wynnaz, Ohle, FSEeee, NZeff or anywhere else to me is irrelevant.

Yes, the Nix have a role but the more opportunities there are then the better for NZ as a "growing" football nation and the better for the kids involved.

One size does not fit all. And nor should it. What may be the wrong/weird/odd  environment/approach/structure/personalities for some people/kids will be the one where others may thrive.

Many people seem to enjoy bagging Wynton at every opportunity. Sometimes justifiably, sometimes perhaps not. Yes, he's different, and yes - he likes to do things his way. Is that the only way? No - not now, and certainly not ever. Get over it/him.

I'll get back into my box.

When you're talking about private academies there is one goal, to make money.  They're not in it for the good of the game...why do they grab onto successful players?  `because it gives them cred that they can use for marketing to attract more players.  This is where the cynicism comes in, it's a cynical business model - the academies don't turn away players they don't think can make it professionally

Why is it cynical? It's the reality of the world we live in - look at motorsport... the best drivers don't get the opportunities (unless they're truly exceptional) without the financial backing behind them. The only body that isn't profit/return driven is NZF though of course they (nor anybody) can spend money they don't have.

It's not ideal (far from) but it's reality. For any sport, aside from those where the US education system/scholarships are a viable option which given the relative size, for most - they're not.

I guess I see a difference between Fallon and Wynton. Wyntons players kick on. Tell me how Prince, Coombes, the Matthews brothers are? Jonathan Raj?

Having said that, if someone can show one of his kids that's done something, then great but I don't recall any. I just see Kevin Fallon as self serving and having watching him on the side lines for many many years, he is not someone I think should be involved with developing 'kids'. That's just my personal opinion.

Stein would know who he is. I knew this Swiss chick, who (not is NOT GERMAN and) didn't really follow football she knew who he was. 

There is at least one like that in Wellington.