Agree total class by Ernie. Am hoping Mark Rudan gets the gig. We didn't get the striker we needed, and that was the club's downfall - not just Ernie's.
Will guarantee Greenacre starts with Watson up front with Krishna feeding off him. Be an interesting statement how he lines up the rest in front of the back four.
Will guarantee Greenacre starts with Watson up front with Krishna feeding off him.
would be pretty funny if Greenacre did start!
Agree total class by Ernie. Am hoping Mark Rudan gets the gig. We didn't get the striker we needed, and that was the club's downfall - not just Ernie's.
Will guarantee Greenacre starts with Watson up front with Krishna feeding off him. Be an interesting statement how he lines up the rest in front of the back four.
Possibly not a bad option...
do we need/have room for a director of football?
The answer to this question, for any professional club, ever, is no when it is to make a position for a former manager. Unclear lines of responsibility are never a good thing in any organisation.
do we need/have room for a director of football?
The answer to this question, for any professional club, ever, is no when it is to make a position for a former manager. Unclear lines of responsibility are never a good thing in any organisation.
Ernie seems like someone who would defer to the coach.
Don't know who this JohnnyDuerden guy is but here's what he thinks - http://www.a-league.com.au/article/5-asian-based-coaches-for-wellington-phoenix-job/1ir036ahqekfd1jdrgmmuipncr
http://www.a-league.com.au/video/merrick-reveals-new-job-offer/xrhpiuxw7ygq1szwob3h7t2rg
Fark can anyone get these videos on the Aleague site to play???
http://www.radiosport.co.nz/sport-news/football/tribulietx-looms-as-likely-phoenix-coach/
Simon Hill talking to Martin Devlin @ 1'38" in http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2016.12.06-20.30.00-D.mp3
Funny that Devlin cuts him off later on
Don't know who this JohnnyDuerden guy is but here's what he thinks - http://www.a-league.com.au/article/5-asian-based-coaches-for-wellington-phoenix-job/1ir036ahqekfd1jdrgmmuipncr
http://www.a-league.com.au/video/merrick-reveals-new-job-offer/xrhpiuxw7ygq1szwob3h7t2rg
Fark can anyone get these videos on the Aleague site to play???
http://www.radiosport.co.nz/on-air/daniel-mchardy-afternoons/audio/ernie-merrick-talks-with-daniel-mchardy/
He has no reason to do that anymore.
Thanks Ernie. You have been a breath of fresh air at the club. Unfortunately it didn't work out on the field for many reasons, but you can leave with your head held high.
I hope there is a bit of a clean out of the coaching staff. In particular I think its time for Greenacre to go. He has finished his apprenticeship and its time he went and got another gig. A SS Championship head job would be good for him to see if he has what it takes to be a head coach.
He must take some of the blame for the teams poor performance. He would have had input into coaching the attack and to be honest, apart from a spell when Burns was on fire, we have been poor in this area. And thats considering the wealth of attacking talent we have.
I am not sure who should be coach. Ramon probably deserves a shot. But its a big ask to come in midseason. Also the A-league is a considerably tougher gig than SS Championship. Ramon has done well at City, especially at the World Club tournament but to be fair on the guy he should have the luxury of a full long preseason to imprint his methods on the squad. I would prefer to see Ramon AW coach after Hudson.
For me parachuting a coach in midseason would require someone with plenty of A-League experiance. Some hard nosed pragmatic Aussie coach would be ideal.
Do people really think our brand of football has been consistently pretty? I think in the Burns era it was but much of it since has been laboured and dull. Yeah we've kept possession better than under Ricki but I don't think it's been particularly good to watch. There hasn't been crisp, focussed passing or any sort of creativity for much of the last season and a half. Patches here and there where we string some nice football together but only a few times a game I think.
Wow that escalated quickly come out for a break and holy shark. Never good to lose your coach mid season but do think something had to be done. Even with the new signings we were getting much of the same. Very important Welnix get the next appointment right really don't think the fan base can take much more mediocrity. Might be time for the new gaffer to think about a change of captain ad well.
The new manager has to come from outside the club and will need to replace both Greenacre and Durante.
Would you want Durante to leave the club or just relinquish his captaincy?
Who are the alternatives?
Step down as captain but keep playing as he's playing better this season then of late but to be fair, he must only have a season or two left anyway.
Moss
Moss
Practically carries the team every week, might as well give him the extra encouragement to keep going.
I feel sorry for the next coach coming in and am sorry merrick didn't wait till the end of the season to step down and give the new coach time to bring his/her own players in
Moss
Practically carries the team every week, might as well give him the extra encouragement to keep going.
im not sure that he is that good and maybe a change of goalkeeper as well might be in order. He's certainly way down in the list of A league best goalkeepers
I feel sorry for the next coach coming in and am sorry merrick didn't wait till the end of the season to step down and give the new coach time to bring his/her own players in
Well the new coach can't take the team any lower in the table.
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
Moss
Practically carries the team every week, might as well give him the extra encouragement to keep going.
im not sure that he is that good and maybe a change of goalkeeper as well might be in order. He's certainly way down in the list of A league best goalkeepers
Still better than Italiano..
I've pondered whether Merricks a 'caviar coach'. Needs big money, infustructure to get results. Perhaps lacks the common touch?
Moss
Practically carries the team every week, might as well give him the extra encouragement to keep going.
im not sure that he is that good and maybe a change of goalkeeper as well might be in order. He's certainly way down in the list of A league best goalkeepers
Are you kidding? He has been electric this season
Moss
Practically carries the team every week, might as well give him the extra encouragement to keep going.
im not sure that he is that good and maybe a change of goalkeeper as well might be in order. He's certainly way down in the list of A league best goalkeepers
Are you kidding? He has been electric this season
That guy can't be serious. Plus a keeper ain't gonna help kosta score
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
just get rid of the players and bring in new players to do the playing better than the old players that'll fix it
New coach, 23 new players, new home stadium, probably new owners. Is there anything I've missed?
New league. Preferably one with teams that allow the Nix to play sexy football, bang in lots of goals each week, and run away with the title every season
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
The thing is, the top quality talent that is normally referred to; are ex-a-league players that moved overseas at the top of their game and mostly failed to make an impact overseas and find themselves back in the A-league. They are also all Australian. Where are the kiwi's that are almost cracking the next level but not quite making it, and finding themselves as a-league hot property? Kosta and Rojas are the only two I can think of, and the nix have one of them.
Maybe they need to be more ruthless with kids coming up from the academy (including the likes Fenton, Ridenton, Rufer etc). Give them two years in the senior environment max, if they don't look like they are going to star or go on to bigger things, then discard and try again. There's only a limited number of places available at the Nix and overseas clubs aren't sentimental when it comes to giving academy players the boot.
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
The thing is, the top quality talent that is normally referred to; are ex-a-league players that moved overseas at the top of their game and mostly failed to make an impact overseas and find themselves back in the A-league. They are also all Australian. Where are the kiwi's that are almost cracking the next level but not quite making it, and finding themselves as a-league hot property? Kosta and Rojas are the only two I can think of, and the nix have one of them.
Maybe they need to be more ruthless with kids coming up from the academy (including the likes Fenton, Ridenton, Rufer etc). Give them two years in the senior environment max, if they don't look like they are going to star or go on to bigger things, then discard and try again. There's only a limited number of places available at the Nix and overseas clubs aren't sentimental when it comes to giving academy players the boot.
Merrick said in an interview yesterday that Ridenton and Rufer were good enough to be pushing the seniors out of the team but the pressure to start winning has just been too much to do it. He also said that he had enough money to win it this year but it's a moving target with City, Sydney, and Victory all upping their game this year
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
The thing is, the top quality talent that is normally referred to; are ex-a-league players that moved overseas at the top of their game and mostly failed to make an impact overseas and find themselves back in the A-league. They are also all Australian. Where are the kiwi's that are almost cracking the next level but not quite making it, and finding themselves as a-league hot property? Kosta and Rojas are the only two I can think of, and the nix have one of them.
Maybe they need to be more ruthless with kids coming up from the academy (including the likes Fenton, Ridenton, Rufer etc). Give them two years in the senior environment max, if they don't look like they are going to star or go on to bigger things, then discard and try again. There's only a limited number of places available at the Nix and overseas clubs aren't sentimental when it comes to giving academy players the boot.
You have just hit the nail on the head! I cant really see, for instance, Ridenton, Rufer ever really starting a game for the Nix (except for an injury crisis or international call ups) so what is the point? They have been there long enough now, maybe it is time to clear out some of these players and try some new ones! If they dont make a regular first team spot within a year/two years they should be gone!
I think we have to 'harden up' when it comes to our young players.
Don't know who this JohnnyDuerden guy is but here's what he thinks - http://www.a-league.com.au/article/5-asian-based-coaches-for-wellington-phoenix-job/1ir036ahqekfd1jdrgmmuipncr
Johnny Duerden covers a lot of Asian football for ESPN & a few other media sites. Was based in Korea for years, but I think has moved on.
I know who Li Tie is from his Everton days, and am aware of Chan Yuen-ting's story, but don't really know about their coaching history . No idea about Adnan Hamad either.
Choi Kang-Hee has been in charge of Jeonbuk for most of the last decade, apart from a couple of years in charge of the national team, and is easily the most-decorated of the 5 in this article. Jeonbuk are one of the 'haves' in Korean football, owned and funded by Hyundai. Under Choi, they are perennial contenders for silverware in Korea, and have won 2 Champions League titles, including this year (and been runners-up once). Choi also coached Jeonbuk to a win over Auckland City at a World Club Championship, although it was when Auckland were only the 6th-best club in the world.
While there's no denying he's been successful, my 2 chief concerns would be:
(A) moving from Jeonbuk to the Phoenix isn't too dissimilar from a successful Victory coach (Merrick) moving to the Phoenix, and being expecting to work the same magic with reduced resources and influence (did I mention Jeonbuk were hit with a 9-point penalty and fine for match-fixing, which cost them this season's league title?).
(B) He's coming from a culture where seniority is very important, and questioning authority figures isn't encouraged. I'm not sure what the club culture is like at Jeonbuk, but personally, I'd have doubts about how much input & feedback he'd welcome from senior players. Choi's playing career (including 40 international caps) would command a fair bit of respect in Korea.
Kiatisuk Senamuang has been fairly successful since taking over the Thai national team. He's won the Suzuki Cup (Southeast Asian Championship), becoming first person to do so as player and coach, and led the U23s to ASEAN Games success. These ended droughts of 12 and 6 years respectively. He's also qualified for the 2019 Asian Cup for the first time since Thailand co-hosted in 2007 (when he was still playing), and Thailand are into the final round of Asian World Cup qualifying. He's had much more support from the Thai FA than his foreign predecessors, regularly having the league break for 2 weeks ahead of international windows in order to prepare the team. Also, I believe that his status as a national footballing hero (most-capped Thai player, and 2nd top scorer), has seen fewer clubs withdraw players from international squads on flimsy pretexts, that happened under Bryan Robson, and especially during Winfried Schaefer's tenure. Kiatisuk's biggest success has been bringing on players he coached at U23 level, and promoting them rapidly into the senior team. They certainly seemed hungrier and keener to work for him than the older players he omitted.
Reservations:
A) apart from a 2nd place in the Thai Premier League in 2009, he's not really had any club success as a manager.
B) Like Choi, has a fair bit of 'mana' due to his own playing career, which means he has the respect of his current squad. However most, if not all, of the Nix squad wouldn't have heard of either him or Choi. Like Choi, comes from a fairly authoritarian culture, but unlike Choi has played and managed overseas (Vietnam, Singapore, England), so possibly more adaptable. On the plus side, has a pretty good command of English, so language wouldn't be an issue. (I don't know how well Choi speaks English)
You have just hit the nail on the head! I cant really see, for instance, Ridenton, Rufer ever really starting a game for the Nix (except for an injury crisis or international call ups) so what is the point? They have been there long enough now, maybe it is time to clear out some of these players and try some new ones! If they dont make a regular first team spot within a year/two years they should be gone!
I think we have to 'harden up' when it comes to our young players.
Isn't that the point though? With all the restrictions in the A-league, you're never going to whole a squad of 23 that are starting quality. Phoenix is always going to be low attraction option for Aussies, so you need to create some kind of depth somehow. It's not like those players are stopping anyone else coming through now that there is a reserve team to blood the next generation.
You have just hit the nail on the head! I cant really see, for instance, Ridenton, Rufer ever really starting a game for the Nix (except for an injury crisis or international call ups) so what is the point? They have been there long enough now, maybe it is time to clear out some of these players and try some new ones! If they dont make a regular first team spot within a year/two years they should be gone!
I think we have to 'harden up' when it comes to our young players.
Isn't that the point though? With all the restrictions in the A-league, you're never going to whole a squad of 23 that are starting quality. Phoenix is always going to be low attraction option for Aussies, so you need to create some kind of depth somehow. It's not like those players are stopping anyone else coming through now that there is a reserve team to blood the next generation.
Was Boxall offered a pay increase to keep him in town? Was Boyd frozen out deliberately? Was Fallon ever approached to come back to NZ?
Yes. Boxall was offered twice in SA as much as he was offered here. They tried to keep him, but that's a big gap.
You have just hit the nail on the head! I cant really see, for instance, Ridenton, Rufer ever really starting a game for the Nix (except for an injury crisis or international call ups) so what is the point? They have been there long enough now, maybe it is time to clear out some of these players and try some new ones! If they dont make a regular first team spot within a year/two years they should be gone!
I think we have to 'harden up' when it comes to our young players.
Isn't that the point though? With all the restrictions in the A-league, you're never going to whole a squad of 23 that are starting quality. Phoenix is always going to be low attraction option for Aussies, so you need to create some kind of depth somehow. It's not like those players are stopping anyone else coming through now that there is a reserve team to blood the next generation.
Was Boxall offered a pay increase to keep him in town? Was Boyd frozen out deliberately?
Yes Boxall was offered a pay rise. No, we couldn't match what Supersport offered him. They offered twice as much money as we could.
I remember seeing Boxall and Boyd tearing up Dave Farrington and wondered why the hell they were playing ASB. Maybe they were wondering the same.
I remember seeing Boxall and Boyd tearing up Dave Farrington and wondered why the hell they were playing ASB. Maybe they were wondering the same.
Because they wouldn't have had any game time at all without playing those games?
You'd be hard pressed to justify that Boyd was better than Burns and Boxall was better than either of Durante/Sigmund at the time.
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
The thing is, the top quality talent that is normally referred to; are ex-a-league players that moved overseas at the top of their game and mostly failed to make an impact overseas and find themselves back in the A-league. They are also all Australian. Where are the kiwi's that are almost cracking the next level but not quite making it, and finding themselves as a-league hot property? Kosta and Rojas are the only two I can think of, and the nix have one of them.
Maybe they need to be more ruthless with kids coming up from the academy (including the likes Fenton, Ridenton, Rufer etc). Give them two years in the senior environment max, if they don't look like they are going to star or go on to bigger things, then discard and try again. There's only a limited number of places available at the Nix and overseas clubs aren't sentimental when it comes to giving academy players the boot.
Merrick said in an interview yesterday that Ridenton and Rufer were good enough to be pushing the seniors out of the team but the pressure to start winning has just been too much to do it. He also said that he had enough money to win it this year but it's a moving target with City, Sydney, and Victory all upping their game this year
Boxall pretty much started the last half of the season before he left.
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
The thing is, the top quality talent that is normally referred to; are ex-a-league players that moved overseas at the top of their game and mostly failed to make an impact overseas and find themselves back in the A-league. They are also all Australian. Where are the kiwi's that are almost cracking the next level but not quite making it, and finding themselves as a-league hot property? Kosta and Rojas are the only two I can think of, and the nix have one of them.
Maybe they need to be more ruthless with kids coming up from the academy (including the likes Fenton, Ridenton, Rufer etc). Give them two years in the senior environment max, if they don't look like they are going to star or go on to bigger things, then discard and try again. There's only a limited number of places available at the Nix and overseas clubs aren't sentimental when it comes to giving academy players the boot.
I think this is a horrible idea. We have been way too much of a revolving door with our second tier players. We have invested in players, only to throw them out later for other players who we do the same too. Ridenton and Rufer now have a little bit of experience and could be called upon if they were required. I don't see who we would bring in for Ridenton and Rufer who could contribute as much as they do.
I didn't know about Ibini; this confirms a lot of what I've been thinking.
In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down.
Whereas at Victory he could aim to recruit the league’s best talent, it was shopping in the bargain bin at the Phoenix that made his job tougher.
There was always a sense that the Phoenix squad had a few too many journeyman and a few too many substandard locals filling out the numbers.
Merrick would openly admit he found it incredibly hard to attract a top quality players across the Tasman. A fruitless quest to win over Bernie Ibini springs to mind.
However, it should be noted that Merrick did make some inroads, especially in terms of cultural change.
"Even though the results haven't shown and we haven't won anything, he's changed this whole club in terms of the professionalism, the way we should play football and the structure of the club,” former defender Ben Sigmund told Fairfax New Zealand on Monday. "What he's done at the club is unbelievable."
(source)
Of course the bit about "substandard locals" will infuriate those who think that the Phoenix has a duty to promote local lads; this is a question which will continue to divide the fan base, I think.
"In Merrick’s defence, he was working on a budget that was among the league’s smallest, with owners keen to keep costs down."
Morrison seemed keen to refute that yesterday.
The thing is, the top quality talent that is normally referred to; are ex-a-league players that moved overseas at the top of their game and mostly failed to make an impact overseas and find themselves back in the A-league. They are also all Australian. Where are the kiwi's that are almost cracking the next level but not quite making it, and finding themselves as a-league hot property? Kosta and Rojas are the only two I can think of, and the nix have one of them.
Maybe they need to be more ruthless with kids coming up from the academy (including the likes Fenton, Ridenton, Rufer etc). Give them two years in the senior environment max, if they don't look like they are going to star or go on to bigger things, then discard and try again. There's only a limited number of places available at the Nix and overseas clubs aren't sentimental when it comes to giving academy players the boot.
Merrick said in an interview yesterday that Ridenton and Rufer were good enough to be pushing the seniors out of the team but the pressure to start winning has just been too much to do it. He also said that he had enough money to win it this year but it's a moving target with City, Sydney, and Victory all upping their game this year
The Phoenix are never going to spend 9 million on a team, but we do have a monopoly on NZ talent so having academies and developing players like Rufer and Ridenton are our keys to success.
I remember seeing Boxall and Boyd tearing up Dave Farrington and wondered why the hell they were playing ASB. Maybe they were wondering the same.
The Boyd situation has been well covered, no? He probably should have got more playing time but we have some evidence to suggest that he had a falling out of sorts with management.
I think this is a horrible idea. We have been way too much of a revolving door with our second tier players. We have invested in players, only to throw them out later for other players who we do the same too. Ridenton and Rufer now have a little bit of experience and could be called upon if they were required. I don't see who we would bring in for Ridenton and Rufer who could contribute as much as they do.
Too much of a revolving door? Relative to? Pretty much every other club who isn't afraid to drop decent, but not-quite-there second-tier players? It's like we are afraid to let them go as they aren't Aussies, so it's unlikely they are going to get a professional gig in another A-league club.
The idea is that we have a large pool of talent to pull from, but for some reason we cannot get the same level of quality Australian clubs do even though they are all fighting over a smaller pool of players. So you've got your core squad of 15 or so, great - but if the next 8 have been around for 2 years and still aren't getting consistent game time, why keep them around? I have no problem investing in player after player and discarding most, if the team unearths a few gems that do more than just contribute. We should be looking for more than mediocrity here; the next Rojas...
I remember seeing Boxall and Boyd tearing up Dave Farrington and wondered why the hell they were playing ASB. Maybe they were wondering the same.
The Boyd situation has been well covered, no? He probably should have got more playing time but we have some evidence to suggest that he had a falling out of sorts with management.
Yep. And Boxall started a large chunk of the season.
I think this is a horrible idea. We have been way too much of a revolving door with our second tier players. We have invested in players, only to throw them out later for other players who we do the same too. Ridenton and Rufer now have a little bit of experience and could be called upon if they were required. I don't see who we would bring in for Ridenton and Rufer who could contribute as much as they do.
Too much of a revolving door? Relative to? Pretty much every other club who isn't afraid to drop decent, but not-quite-there second-tier players? It's like we are afraid to let them go as they aren't Aussies, so it's unlikely they are going to get a professional gig in another A-league club.
The idea is that we have a large pool of talent to pull from, but for some reason we cannot get the same level of quality Australian clubs do even though they are all fighting over a smaller pool of players. So you've got your core squad of 15 or so, great - but if the next 8 have been around for 2 years and still aren't getting consistent game time, why keep them around? I have no problem investing in player after player and discarding most, if the team unearths a few gems that do more than just contribute. We should be looking for more than mediocrity here; the next Rojas...
That's what the academy is for. Ernie was pushing earlier in the year to drop the salary cap and squad size restrictions.
https://soundcloud.com/trackside-radio/football-si...
Simon Hill reckons Ernie offered his resignation after the Victory game
A lot of nonsense being spoken, Ernie resigns so our license should be taken away!! Does a four year license mean anything to anyone?
Simon Hill's Fox Sports website column yesterday on the Nix:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/simo...
He strings together a lot of unrelated issues to try and stoke up more drama.
No doubt crowds need to improve, but the licence seems to be under no immediate threat.
Of the coaching options being floated around, Rudan, Trani and Ramon Tribuletx seem the best options.
These three seem to have sharp football minds - Rudan has come across well as an analyst on Fox Sports on the tele and has won the NSW Premier League a few times, Trani has been at Wellington before and has even more A-League experience now, Ramon has done very well on more limited resources at Auckland City.
But when Hill mentions Mike Mulvey, Ross Aloisi and Brett Angell as candidates, you'd hope not....
