Gareth tells Ricki how we play?

Anyone hear Veitch this morning with Gareth and Gareth effectively said 'we will play this formation and this way'?

Who is actually coaching this team?

Just heard it... kinda understandable but then whats all this crap about taking games outta Welly?... plenty owners decide a style and whats important, then get the coach to play that style or find one who will. It's their team, they have objectives and they can see how they can be achieved. They've realised that 10k aren't going to rock up to the ROF to watch us pass the ball in our own half then hoof it forward hoping the wind will do it's thing (yes, that is an over-simplification but probably exactly what some of the owners see/believe).

Their club, their choice... sounds like they've realised what they need on the pitch to achieve their "goals" off it. They're putting off field resources into doing so and the way the team plays is a big part of that. Fair play to them.

curious, what formation & style of play did he identify?

The change to an attacking 4-3-3

The problem I have with this is that if (for example) you decide you are going to play 5 at the back, 3 in the middle and 2 up front and then recruit for that, its a going to be a waste of time if the owners say 'well actually we are telling you to play 2 at the back, 3 in the middle and 5 up front'. It throws all your recruitment out the window. Did Ricki know this before the recruitment process? It may have changed the signing of a couple of players...

I also disagree with the notion that the owner dictates how the team plays. You pay a coach to get you results. That's his job. The instant you say 'Well I want you to play this way' then you can't guarantee the coach will get results following the manner in which he is dictated to play. How can you then hold him accountable for the results? If the NZRFU board say we want Dan Carter to kick each time he gets the ball and play like England, and they get thrashed by SA who play a running game, how can you hold the coach accountable for those results when he does as he is told?

I just think the lines have blurred here a little. While its admirable to want to play an attractive style of football AND win the league, its not really going to happen if you don't spend for the players to make it happen. As we can all see with our own eyes, some parts of the jigsaw do not fit to play attractive football and win the league as it currently stands. 

By their own admission, none of the Welnix Nine knew much about football when they bought the club, so it astounds me that after one year they think that they have a superior football knowledge than Ricki does.

Very interesting. We did seem to change to that formation quite suddenly (with mixed results since)

Might be misquoting him, as I was driving when it was on but he said something along the lines of "the coach won't decide the style of play, the club will do that'. Also said something about if a coach can't do that then they'll look at getting getting coaches who can.

He seems to have overlooked the fact that the players you have dictate the style of play you adopt, you don't shoehorn players into a formation or style of play that they aren't suited to. If he wants us to play in a certain way, maybe he should get the cheque book out and buy us some players who are capable of delivering the style of football that he wants.

You heard it correctly Jag

Sounds like Governance interfering with Management.

Long game Welnix. Play the long game.

To be honest - I'd be happy if they said - "we want to play an attacking possession style of football"
And then hired someone who wants to play to their style.

However the tactics and formations used to play that style has to be left up to the coaching staff.

You can play possession football with a back 3 or a back 5. 

How's this for a business model?

1. Invest in the players (the "on-field product")

2. Win more games than you lose, win more games than the opposition teams.

3. Market your winning product to the Wgtn region

4. Develop a complementary "off-field product" (plain speak: communicate with your fans you bunch of dick heads)

5. Count your shekels as the crowds gather late in the season.

Then go back to 1. and repeat the process.

Wellington Phoenix owner Gareth Morgan talks to Radio Sport host Tony Veitch about giving coach Rikki Herbert a directive to play more attractive football to draw bigger crowds.

Former All White Danny Hay talks to Radio Sport host Tony Veitch about how much influence an owner of a football team should have on the coach.

The directive is not working.

Sack Ricki.

Hire Rafa.

(lol)

Nor is it likely to, with the players we currently have.

Gareth, do you like Ricki?

Pep is free

The weird thing is, 4-3-3 can also be a very negative style of football.  3 central midfielders with 2 tracking wingers very quickly becomes  4-5-1, or if a CM slots back in to help the back line and allow a CB to sweep it becomes a 5-4-1.  Owner displaying ignorance over formations being inherently attacking or defensive, it is totally to do with the players in the squad and their directions from the manager and how they play.  Perhaps if they want attacking football the open their chequebooks and buy a central midfielder with ability and confidence on the ball.

 Too bad Gareth doesnt actually know jack shit about football.

Just soccer.

Absolutely aikenmike. They used to call it 4-5-1 until just a few years ago. 

4-2-3-1 is often the standard round the world these days, but even that's just the fancy new-age way of saying 4-4-2. Remember when there used to be two strikers all the time, and one played 'in behind' i.e. bergkamp? That bergkamp role is classed as a midfielder now i.e. cazorla, silva, kagawa etc etc. 

to be honest - I am welcome to a change in style. However it makes no sense to do it mid way through the season. If we are going to play a more attractive brand of footy, we are going to need a fresh coach and fresh set of players. 

The coach should be able to pick whatever tactics they believe will get the result. Sometime that will be a dire sitting back and hitting on the counter one, sometimes it will be a very attacking one. I don't want us to be losing the game before we even step out on the park, because we are set to only playing one way.

Saying that, when we are at home we should be setting the tempo and playing the more attacking football. Not because the owners want us too but because we are at home and winning home games is vital.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/1774777230-phoenix-told-to-change-playing-style

Been at a Xmas lunch all day so a bit boozed...

Just had a chance to listen to the interview with Gareth and can't say I'm too bothered by it.

Gareth was actually at pains to use the word "we" and claimed that Ricki was on board with a change of style.

The key thing I took away was that Gareth acknowledged our current midfield probably wasn't up to it saying "we need more horsepower in there" (poor choice of words - I'm sure he doesn't just mean horsepower if they want a more entertaining style).

If the end result of this is that we get a beefed up the midfield then hoo-fucking-ray.

rickis comments on 3 news werent exactly completely behind gareth. felt a wee little bit aprehensive..

i just wish Gareth had said this during the off season

I wouldn't get too excited about it. It's not exactly Clive Palmer-type lunacy, ie, sitting in on half time team talks, telling the coach what players to pick and who to make captain. I'm more flexible about this sort of thing than I used to be. Whether we like it or not ultimately the investors hold the purse strings and it's only natural that they are going to have a concern in the way the Phoenix 'product' is presented.

Hate to make it so sound so clinical but that's the way it is for most clubs now days.

i have no problem with him asking for entertaining football, i want entertaining football too, but to tie it to a formation is naive

and to start harping on about 4-3-3 as being 'total football' is embarrasing

Wellington Phoenix owner Gareth Morgan talks to Radio Sport host Tony Veitch about giving coach Rikki Herbert a directive to play more attractive football to draw bigger crowds.

Former All White Danny Hay talks to Radio Sport host Tony Veitch about how much influence an owner of a football team should have on the coach.

Ok I've just listened to this.

I think Gareth comes off quite naive.  You can't just flick a switch and decide that you're going to play attacking football.  He sounds really bas talking about football tactics etc.  But at least they've identified the problem and if Ricki is on board then good.  I'm not crossing my fingers though...

I got a text from my Dad today, said the longest honeymoon period in world football is coming to an end.  I think that sums it up for me

 Guess we know where you get it from now JD.

Are you really suggesting Ricki's had a free ride so far? BEcause in 2 mins I foudn this article from 2009 http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/2891898/Time-Herbert-loosened-shackles

A pretty good article - highlights the inherent contradiction to Gareth's comments

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/8078246/Morgan-on-the-attack-with-Herbert