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Ernie Merrick - former Phoenix manager

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Posted December 05, 2016 22:28 · last edited December 05, 2016 22:29

Bullion wrote:

ConanTroutman wrote:

Marto wrote:

Lonegunmen wrote:

Not good. Ernie was let down. Not all his fault. Certain players needed to have stepped up and thus far they havent

I think his resignation was compounded to some extent by refereeing decisions and the AW internationals that the bloody FFA would not reschedule

BUT 

He did sign the players out there, chose where and how to play them (Krishna taking pens, we all know he's sharke at them), opted to keep Ricki's captain, Durante when maybe it was time for a new person in charge and as much as I like him, kept Doyle when maybe due to his "Tin Man" factor should have maybe been let go and a decent LB signed instead of another AM.

Anyway, thanks Ernie for turning the Academy and training side of the club around.  They will pay dividends long after the current rosters/coaches and maybe ownership have gone.  Enjoy retirement.

Agreed. He invested heavily in midfielders but signed a state league winger as a backup LB. He had Lia playing the best football of his Nix career in a more advanced midfield role and then pushed him back to DM, where he just isn't quite good enough for a team with playoff ambitions, which we all already knew. I think recruitment/squad balance was his primary weakness, which unfortunately means that whoever takes over has to contend with an unbalanced squad which might inhibit their tactical plans.

At the very least I hope we see a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with Watson in the striker role and Kosta and Krishna out wide.

Your midfield three? Apart from Krishna's pace, I don't think he is great winger with WeeMac possibly better match for a striker like Watson.

In a 4-2-3-1 I'd have Roly and A-Rod at the base of a midfield triangle with Finkler at the point. In a 4-3-3 I'd have A-Rod at the base and Lia and Roly as CMs. (This is all assuming we are talking immediately with WeeMac still out.)

I don't think Krishna is a natural winger but he has pace and the ability to beat a man, and I these too good to bench, and I think Watson needs to start becaause of his physicality. I don't think we should play a front 2 of Watson Krishna because our fullbacks aren't good enough for the midfield diamond that Ernie prefers, and I think a 2 man central midfield in a 4-4-2 would get overrun because our central mids aren't particularly mobile players. And I wouldn't play a back 3 because I don't think we have the pace at the back for it, or the right type of players to put in wingback roles. 

I agree none of these options are ideal, but that was the point I was making about the unbalanced squad though.

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ConanTroutman edited December 05, 2016 22:29
Bullion wrote:
ConanTroutman wrote:
Marto wrote:
Lonegunmen wrote:

Not good. Ernie was let down. Not all his fault. Certain players needed to have stepped up and thus far they havent

I think his resignation was compounded to some extent by refereeing decisions and the AW internationals that the bloody FFA would not reschedule

BUT 

He did sign the players out there, chose where and how to play them (Krishna taking pens, we all know he's sharke at them), opted to keep Ricki's captain, Durante when maybe it was time for a new person in charge and as much as I like him, kept Doyle when maybe due to his "Tin Man" factor should have maybe been let go and a decent LB signed instead of another AM.

Anyway, thanks Ernie for turning the Academy and training side of the club around.  They will pay dividends long after the current rosters/coaches and maybe ownership have gone.  Enjoy retirement.

Agreed. He invested heavily in midfielders but signed a state league winger as a backup LB. He had Lia playing the best football of his Nix career in a more advanced midfield role and then pushed him back to DM, where he just isn't quite good enough for a team with playoff ambitions, which we all already knew. I think recruitment/squad balance was his primary weakness, which unfortunately means that whoever takes over has to contend with an unbalanced squad which might inhibit their tactical plans.

At the very least I hope we see a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with Watson in the striker role and Kosta and Krishna out wide.

Your midfield three? Apart from Krishna's pace, I don't think he is great winger with WeeMac possibly better match for a striker like Watson.

In a 4-2-3-1 I'd have Roly and A-Rod at the base of a midfield triangle with Finkler at the point. In a 4-3-3 I'd have A-Rod at the base and Lia and Roly as CMs. (This is all assuming we are talking immediately with WeeMac still out.)

I don't think Krishna is a natural winger but he has pace and the ability to beat a Mann, and I these too good to bench, and I think Watson needs to start becaause of his physicality. I don't think we should play a front 2 of Watson Krishna because our fullbacks aren't good enough for the midfield diamond that Ernie prefers, and I think a 2 man central midfield in a 4-4-2 would get overrun because our central mids aren't particularly mobile players. And I wouldn't play a back 3 because I don't think we have the pace at the back for it, or the right type of players to put in wingback roles. 

I agree none of these options are ideal, but that was the point I was making about the unbalanced squad though.