Football's a funny game, Chiefy came into this season untouchable but will be coming into next season under heavy scrutiny, and deservedly so I think.
I find it interesting that Domey mentioned aiming for the Top 6 every season, but in Chiefy's presser he says there's no reason we can't have a tilt at the title next season. Perhaps the ambition of the higher ups is reflected in this decision.
Yeah but the worry is Gilly said this “We have faith that he will be able to help turn around the team’s fortunes next season and have the Phoenix back in the top six challenging for silverware.” So that thinking is still there just wish they would friggen stop with it
we're definitely top 6 in talking about wanting to be in the top 6
Well the club have acted and kept him, at least we know now, no handwringing over the offseason.
Not the best decision from my viewpoint but it’s done and actually I wish him all the best. He had a poor outcome this season and to a certain extent things can only get better, I hope they give him the ability to get some attacking firepower and a leader to shore up the defence.
Come on you Nix, go well Chief
Off season coaching certainty syndrome (OSCCS)
Excessive Reassurance-Seeking (ESR):
The reassurance sought is often not genuinely accepted and is used as a temporary coping mechanism rather than a true resolution.
The worst aspect of Chief is his ability to pick good foreign imports.
Massive fail this year.
If he is kept on he needs serious help in this area.
Of all the things said about Chief, I think this is the most objectively untrue. Ishige and Chico (his injury aside) were good signings. Nagasawa jury is still out on but gets another year. Mixed feelings on Josh. Outside of this year, hasn't it been said that Chief was primarily responsible for scouting out our foreign talent?
His signings were ok - good, but not spectacular. And at least one mistake in signing Rojas but whatever. All those players are capable to play much better but the tactics have negatively influenced the team. Look at Rufer, Kosta, Retre for example. They're not playing as well as they could imo
Ishige is objectively a poor signing overall. I don't think he's the kind of player we need. More concerning, how Chiefy described him when we signed him is basically the complete opposite of what we got.
Yep that's fair enough. I certainly wasn't hopeful before Chiefy's season 1. I hope I am wrong again. I rated Alex and Finn at that time but did not expect Old and Kosta to have the seasons they did. To be fair I probably didnt expect Paulsen to be as good as he was either, even though I knew he was good enough to be number 1.
But at this moment in time I cannot see any of the young players being as good as the 3 sold last year. Maybe Retre and Nagasawa can have hugely improved seasons. We really need them to. anaveragestem
imanixsupporter
I wish Chiefy the best obviously but i just cannot see him turning this around. Our squad is so much poorer than the one he inherited and there isn't much scope for recruitment with how much of the squad is already signed for next season and his recruitment this season proved overall to be terrible as well. Would love some reasons for optimism. Hopefully the last two games provide some.
This take only works when you can use hindsight. Most of this forum said exactly the same as this before we had that brilliant season in 23/24. The consensus was definitely that we'd lost a lot and hadn't added much. Remember that prior to 23/24 both Kosta & Old looked average at best and then they both had stellar seasons in 23/24.
Same could happen again but with currently underperforming/average members of the team. Maybe Nagasawa and Piper might be stand outs next season? Who knows, thats why sport is so much fun.
The worst aspect of Chief is his ability to pick good foreign imports.
Massive fail this year.
If he is kept on he needs serious help in this area.
Of all the things said about Chief, I think this is the most objectively untrue. Ishige and Chico (his injury aside) were good signings. Nagasawa jury is still out on but gets another year. Mixed feelings on Josh. Outside of this year, hasn't it been said that Chief was primarily responsible for scouting out our foreign talent?
His signings were ok - good, but not spectacular. And at least one mistake in signing Rojas but whatever. All those players are capable to play much better but the tactics have negatively influenced the team. Look at Rufer, Kosta, Retre for example. They're not playing as well as they could imo
Ishige is objectively a poor signing overall. I don't think he's the kind of player we need. More concerning, how Chiefy described him when we signed him is basically the complete opposite of what we got.
It is at least refreshing that Chiefy actually vocalises the ambition to win the A-League. Nobody higher up in the club has ever said that is what we are aiming for or is a target. Loser mentality.
The worst aspect of Chief is his ability to pick good foreign imports.
Massive fail this year.
If he is kept on he needs serious help in this area.
Of all the things said about Chief, I think this is the most objectively untrue. Ishige and Chico (his injury aside) were good signings. Nagasawa jury is still out on but gets another year. Mixed feelings on Josh. Outside of this year, hasn't it been said that Chief was primarily responsible for scouting out our foreign talent?
His signings were ok - good, but not spectacular. And at least one mistake in signing Rojas but whatever. All those players are capable to play much better but the tactics have negatively influenced the team. Look at Rufer, Kosta, Retre for example. They're not playing as well as they could imo
Ishige is objectively a poor signing overall. I don't think he's the kind of player we need. More concerning, how Chiefy described him when we signed him is basically the complete opposite of what we got.
out of interest, how did chiefy describe him?
“The way that we’re evolving the team my preference is for technically good players and players with speed, and Hideki fits that mould,” Italiano said.
“He can play as a 10, he can play as an inverted winger, he can play as a nine, he can play as a second striker, he can play in the midfield, and he’s also played as an inverted fullback when he was at S-Pulse.
“Hideki’s versatility and the fact that he can play anywhere makes it easier for me in terms of coaching because I can be a little bit more flexible tactically and put him in areas I know he won’t be uncomfortable.
I don't think his profile makes him tactically flexible at all. He's too slow for the wing, too easily brushed off for midfield, and definitely never playing fullback.
Saying he has 'speed' when one look at his videos, you can see he doesn't, was odd to me at the time.
Anyway re: Chiefy, I think he deserves one more season. However, I think we will know pretty quickly if it was the right decision or not.
I defended him up until about the 2nd Auckland derby, when he came out with absolute rubbish in the media and didn't get the team to back it up on the field.
Since then, I think he lost he confidence of most of the team, and there were some extremely questionable decisions regarding who started games.
There is the tendency here to put all blame on the players. Ishige is the King of assists: corners, free kicks, through balls out of impossible positions, Ishige individual quality brought us close to a draw in the last game not Italiano coach tactic. Seriously who here is genuine excited about the re-signing and not just hoping for the best?
The worst aspect of Chief is his ability to pick good foreign imports.
Massive fail this year.
If he is kept on he needs serious help in this area.
Of all the things said about Chief, I think this is the most objectively untrue. Ishige and Chico (his injury aside) were good signings. Nagasawa jury is still out on but gets another year. Mixed feelings on Josh. Outside of this year, hasn't it been said that Chief was primarily responsible for scouting out our foreign talent?
His signings were ok - good, but not spectacular. And at least one mistake in signing Rojas but whatever. All those players are capable to play much better but the tactics have negatively influenced the team. Look at Rufer, Kosta, Retre for example. They're not playing as well as they could imo
Ishige is objectively a poor signing overall. I don't think he's the kind of player we need. More concerning, how Chiefy described him when we signed him is basically the complete opposite of what we got.
out of interest, how did chiefy describe him?
“The way that we’re evolving the team my preference is for technically good players and players with speed, and Hideki fits that mould,” Italiano said.
“He can play as a 10, he can play as an inverted winger, he can play as a nine, he can play as a second striker, he can play in the midfield, and he’s also played as an inverted fullback when he was at S-Pulse.
“Hideki’s versatility and the fact that he can play anywhere makes it easier for me in terms of coaching because I can be a little bit more flexible tactically and put him in areas I know he won’t be uncomfortable.
I don't think his profile makes him tactically flexible at all. He's too slow for the wing, too easily brushed off for midfield, and definitely never playing fullback.
Saying he has 'speed' when one look at his videos, you can see he doesn't, was odd to me at the time.
strange stuff. he definitely is not many of those things
i think he needs the ball played to him quickly and to feet. even then, like you said in one of your posts, his physicals aren't great.
There is the tendency here to put all blame on the players. Ishige is the King of assists: corners, free kicks, through balls out of impossible positions, Ishige individual quality brought us close to a draw in the last game not Italiano coach tactic. Seriously who here is genuine excited about the re-signing and not just hoping for the best?
I think our imports not being good enough was a huge reason we did poorly this season, yes.
Oluwayemi signing for another season is still one of the most baffling decisions this club has ever made.
re: Ishige, in this league, if you don't have physicality, then you need incredible technical skill or pace to make up for it. I think Ishige is technically a step above most, but he's far from a Davila, or even a Kraev.
There is the tendency here to put all blame on the players. Ishige is the King of assists: corners, free kicks, through balls out of impossible positions, Ishige individual quality brought us close to a draw in the last game not Italiano coach tactic. Seriously who here is genuine excited about the re-signing and not just hoping for the best?
The worst aspect of Chief is his ability to pick good foreign imports.
Massive fail this year.
If he is kept on he needs serious help in this area.
Of all the things said about Chief, I think this is the most objectively untrue. Ishige and Chico (his injury aside) were good signings. Nagasawa jury is still out on but gets another year. Mixed feelings on Josh. Outside of this year, hasn't it been said that Chief was primarily responsible for scouting out our foreign talent?
His signings were ok - good, but not spectacular. And at least one mistake in signing Rojas but whatever. All those players are capable to play much better but the tactics have negatively influenced the team. Look at Rufer, Kosta, Retre for example. They're not playing as well as they could imo
Ishige is objectively a poor signing overall. I don't think he's the kind of player we need. More concerning, how Chiefy described him when we signed him is basically the complete opposite of what we got.
out of interest, how did chiefy describe him?
“The way that we’re evolving the team my preference is for technically good players and players with speed, and Hideki fits that mould,” Italiano said.
“He can play as a 10, he can play as an inverted winger, he can play as a nine, he can play as a second striker, he can play in the midfield, and he’s also played as an inverted fullback when he was at S-Pulse.
“Hideki’s versatility and the fact that he can play anywhere makes it easier for me in terms of coaching because I can be a little bit more flexible tactically and put him in areas I know he won’t be uncomfortable.
I don't think his profile makes him tactically flexible at all. He's too slow for the wing, too easily brushed off for midfield, and definitely never playing fullback.
Saying he has 'speed' when one look at his videos, you can see he doesn't, was odd to me at the time.
He signed the keeper. Who obviously can't play out of the back, and took us 5 losses before they let him do long kicks. Even his long kicks are shark and often go directly out of play, now they told him just aim for the center circle or let Wootton let them kick. And he only plays currently because the 19 year old local keeper is injured. And none of these was visible in his videos or training sessions?
IMO out of the imports, Nagasawa has the most promise. I'm not sure he has the mentality, as I think he is extremely inconsistent, but there's definitely something there in the right system. I have concerns around his fitness as he doesn't seem to be able to go for a whole game though.
Yep that's fair enough. I certainly wasn't hopeful before Chiefy's season 1. I hope I am wrong again. I rated Alex and Finn at that time but did not expect Old and Kosta to have the seasons they did. To be fair I probably didnt expect Paulsen to be as good as he was either, even though I knew he was good enough to be number 1.
But at this moment in time I cannot see any of the young players being as good as the 3 sold last year. Maybe Retre and Nagasawa can have hugely improved seasons. We really need them to. anaveragestem
imanixsupporter
I wish Chiefy the best obviously but i just cannot see him turning this around. Our squad is so much poorer than the one he inherited and there isn't much scope for recruitment with how much of the squad is already signed for next season and his recruitment this season proved overall to be terrible as well. Would love some reasons for optimism. Hopefully the last two games provide some.
This take only works when you can use hindsight. Most of this forum said exactly the same as this before we had that brilliant season in 23/24. The consensus was definitely that we'd lost a lot and hadn't added much. Remember that prior to 23/24 both Kosta & Old looked average at best and then they both had stellar seasons in 23/24.
Same could happen again but with currently underperforming/average members of the team. Maybe Nagasawa and Piper might be stand outs next season? Who knows, thats why sport is so much fun.
I think thats one of the problems we're gonna face now we're committing so hard to the academy is you'll have these cycles where the academy players will have a great season after having a couple seasons before to develop and then the next crop needing a couple years to have that great season.
Sheridan, LKH and Hughes should be the ones next season having that breakout season but not sure if they have that potential of a Surman, Old, Libby etc.
And then the other boys like GSR, LBS, Walker, Supyk are all still probably needing another year before we see a meaningful impact from them.
The only team in the A-League that's regularly had academy players performing well each season is Adelaide and even then the continuous selling has caught up to them.
I'm fine with Chiefy staying on for another season. I understand a lot of people want him gone now. But given his first season, I'd be happy to roll the dice again.
If we see more of the same then I think he should probably move on, but he's still our most successful coach and took us to within a hair of winning the league. I constantly think about the equaliser that Brisbane scored off of a blatant foul early last season. It was such a fine margine that if that'd been called correctly we would've had it.
I'm sure a lot of people reckon the first season must've been a fluke, but I fail to see how we could've performed so consistently well throughout the season through pure fluke. I think he has the capability to take us to the top, it's just a question of what conditions he needs to make it happen, and how often those conditions can ideally be met, since we're not a big money club.
There were some bad decisions and bad luck this season. I want to see if off of a bad season he's learnt from that before axeing him.
He’s just proven in the last two or three games that he could play in the midfield. His one touch distribution was key to a couple of goals and could have been more. He’s developed a good understanding with both Payne and Kosta.
Then in his last game Ishige had an interesting position as a second striker, but at times dropping deeper on the right into a midfield role.
We got back in the game from a great tackle by him in a high press and a quick distribution to Kosta whose run he’s anticipated. Nothing wrong with his physicality there.
His play of late has reminded me a bit of Singh or Salas. Singh when he dropped deep to control the pace and move the ball. Salas when he would turn and pass creating opportunities the defenders didn’t think were on.
Quick thinking, resulting in passing unanticipated by defenders and creating goals. Add to that his set piece delivery, which is frankly the most consistently good we’ve had at the Phoenix, I’d love Chief to make a few more mistakes of this calibre!
Ishige is one of the players I’m looking forward to seeing next season.
In fact Chief’s description matches up fairly closely with the past 3 games. The only thing that’s let him down a bit has been his composure in finishing and his ability to play as a 9 in the current set up.
There is the tendency here to put all blame on the players. Ishige is the King of assists: corners, free kicks, through balls out of impossible positions, Ishige individual quality brought us close to a draw in the last game not Italiano coach tactic. Seriously who here is genuine excited about the re-signing and not just hoping for the best?
I think our imports not being good enough was a huge reason we did poorly this season, yes.
Oluwayemi signing for another season is still one of the most baffling decisions this club has ever made.
re: Ishige, in this league, if you don't have physicality, then you need incredible technical skill or pace to make up for it. I think Ishige is technically a step above most, but he's far from a Davila, or even a Kraev.
Ishige did alright physically when being manhandled to tuck that lovely assist to Kosta in Adelaide.
Visa players often go better in their 2nd ALM seasons. Lets hope so.
The worst aspect of Chief is his ability to pick good foreign imports.
Massive fail this year.
If he is kept on he needs serious help in this area.
Of all the things said about Chief, I think this is the most objectively untrue. Ishige and Chico (his injury aside) were good signings. Nagasawa jury is still out on but gets another year. Mixed feelings on Josh. Outside of this year, hasn't it been said that Chief was primarily responsible for scouting out our foreign talent?
His signings were ok - good, but not spectacular. And at least one mistake in signing Rojas but whatever. All those players are capable to play much better but the tactics have negatively influenced the team. Look at Rufer, Kosta, Retre for example. They're not playing as well as they could imo
Ishige is objectively a poor signing overall. I don't think he's the kind of player we need. More concerning, how Chiefy described him when we signed him is basically the complete opposite of what we got.
It seems that based on the conversation around here the only thing you can objectively say about Ishige is that some people like him and others dislike him. I'd personally point to his output and say that his numbers are actually quite good.
I also see that he has not enough strength on the ball for the ALeague. Maybe with a better team around him next year and less man on man pressure on him we might see more of the good and less of the bad?
Do wonder with the Japanese lads how Chiefy used them was influenced by injuries/illness to players who were critical to the way he wanted to play. Hoping that with this season behind them and a proper pre season they are able to show us what Chief saw in them. No doubt about it some Nix fans love to criticize players who them turn round and show them they have no idea. Really hope these guys can do that next season.
Yep that's fair enough. I certainly wasn't hopeful before Chiefy's season 1. I hope I am wrong again. I rated Alex and Finn at that time but did not expect Old and Kosta to have the seasons they did. To be fair I probably didnt expect Paulsen to be as good as he was either, even though I knew he was good enough to be number 1.
But at this moment in time I cannot see any of the young players being as good as the 3 sold last year. Maybe Retre and Nagasawa can have hugely improved seasons. We really need them to. anaveragestem
imanixsupporter
I wish Chiefy the best obviously but i just cannot see him turning this around. Our squad is so much poorer than the one he inherited and there isn't much scope for recruitment with how much of the squad is already signed for next season and his recruitment this season proved overall to be terrible as well. Would love some reasons for optimism. Hopefully the last two games provide some.
This take only works when you can use hindsight. Most of this forum said exactly the same as this before we had that brilliant season in 23/24. The consensus was definitely that we'd lost a lot and hadn't added much. Remember that prior to 23/24 both Kosta & Old looked average at best and then they both had stellar seasons in 23/24.
Same could happen again but with currently underperforming/average members of the team. Maybe Nagasawa and Piper might be stand outs next season? Who knows, thats why sport is so much fun.
I think thats one of the problems we're gonna face now we're committing so hard to the academy is you'll have these cycles where the academy players will have a great season after having a couple seasons before to develop and then the next crop needing a couple years to have that great season.
Sheridan, LKH and Hughes should be the ones next season having that breakout season but not sure if they have that potential of a Surman, Old, Libby etc.
And then the other boys like GSR, LBS, Walker, Supyk are all still probably needing another year before we see a meaningful impact from them.
The only team in the A-League that's regularly had academy players performing well each season is Adelaide and even then the continuous selling has caught up to them.
The other thing to think about is the Ridenton/Rufer factor.
Some players peak early. Ridenton was from Rufer’s generation. Ridenton did a lot of starting, specialized in man-marking roles, but could also shoot and hit diagonals. Even got taken to Newcastle as a visa player. Then he dropped off severely.
Rufer did a lot of pine sitting, and was even released. Now he’s the first name on the team sheet and an essential player.
Knowing the talent is there is one thing. Knowing how and when to best use it is something entirely different!
It’s also perhaps a Tataurangi/Campbell situation. I knew one of the coaches who said that Phil was always a consistently good player which would win tournaments, but Campbell…he had that spark. He might be up and down, but he had the mindset and the potential to produce something to challenge the best.
One final analogy with longevity we’re seeing with the professionalism of Kosta and Woodsy. Players who were very good at 17, but also put the work in to remain that way into the twilight of their career and perhaps are even better now. Certainly true for the Woodsman’s goal tally.
I think it’s part of the fun of fandom. Looking at all the talent, but then being surprised when Sotirio keeps your import striker on the bench because he’s in red hot form. As someone said, Piper is already doing better than most of us expected. Who knows next season? Supyk? Loke? GSR? Dyer? Patterson?
Keeps it interesting. Edit: sorry got waay off topic.
Yep, I think Ishige is the least of our worries when it comes to VISA signings. He's not far off the record for most assists in a season, which is quite impressive considering the lack of goals and goal scorers this season. Hopefully he will be more used to the physicality of the league in Year 2. I'd grade him B+ this season.
Nagasawa has had one awesome game, but been fairly inconsistent and not sure if he was worth a VISA spot, hoping for improvement next year. He'd be a C grading for me.
Oluwayemi is a waste of a VISA spot, I would be ecstatic if we were able to get a small transfer fee off him and use that spot elsewhere. Oluwayemi is a D or low C- for me.
Chico barely played but showed glimpses of promise when he did play.
In the A-League especially for a club with our budget, the foreign players always seem to be the most hit and miss but in Chiefy's time with the club (including as an assistant/analyst) these spots have been well utilised more often than not. Ironically it's a lot of the domestic players who have underperformed (or injured themselves) which has been the trouble of the season.
On another note, Rojas posted an interesting status on Facebook, an excerpt below. Am I reading too much into this in thinking it wasn't much of a happy departure? (Maybe another player Chiefy had a falling out with)
'As I sit now recovered and with full physical energy, I can really start to see the patterns that play out in my mind. If I was to talk about myself with what was in my mind, I would be sad, a tad ungrateful, unhappy and discontent. I would continue to ruminate on all major happenings both in my career and in my life, and I would miss everything that’s happening around me. Like today, a day in which I could get up and get to yoga and the beach, and then spend time with family. '
With Ishige, it’s a tactical thing too. I think in an early game he had space out wide and in behind and he ran riot. Next game, he’s double marked and not given any space, but unfortunately we aren’t good enough to make use of the space that’s opening up somewhere else. And certainly these last three games with a very low chance of finals football aren’t indicative of the whole season.
On another note, Rojas posted an interesting status on Facebook, an excerpt below. Am I reading too much into this in thinking it wasn't much of a happy departure? (Maybe another player Chiefy had a falling out with)
'As I sit now recovered and with full physical energy, I can really start to see the patterns that play out in my mind. If I was to talk about myself with what was in my mind, I would be sad, a tad ungrateful, unhappy and discontent. I would continue to ruminate on all major happenings both in my career and in my life, and I would miss everything that’s happening around me. Like today, a day in which I could get up and get to yoga and the beach, and then spend time with family. '
Think Rojas has been in this space or similar for a couple of years tbh.
we select teenage defenders in midfield ahead of our japanese lads. we have little desire to retain possession and create openings. we don't get numbers forward and often have 3 sitters in midfield with a back 5 behind them. this suits neither ishige or nagasawa. how are they meant to show their ability in this structure other than one of them playing up top next to kosta?
nagasawa is 33. theoretically he's on the decline. and he hasn't had a run of games in the team, which would normally slow the decline
we select teenage defenders in midfield ahead of our japanese lads. we have little desire to retain possession and create openings. we don't get numbers forward and often have 3 sitters in midfield with a back 5 behind them. this suits neither ishige or nagasawa. how are they meant to show their ability in this structure other than one of them playing up top next to kosta?
nagasawa is 33. theoretically he's on the decline. and he hasn't had a run of games in the team, which would normally slow the decline
Also concerns me that both he and Ishige are routinely subbed off early. Couple of recent games they were both gone before the hour mark. Your imports should be of a standard that they are almost always in the starting lineup and ideally playing as close to the full 90 as possible. For comparison look at Kraev who is generally playing full games for WSW.
Biggest issue for me next season is the goalkeeper. Neither of this season's options have been convincing. No team can play the sort of game Chief aspires to without a rock solid keeper. An inconsistent or inexperienced keeper sends a ripple of unease right through a team, especially the defence. Not a good basis for a game plan that depends on soaking up pressure interspersed with fast counterattacks.
Or Moreno, rarely starts. 3rd, just, on the AFC goal scorers list?
Kraev is a beast tho agreed. Quick check though and he’s been subbed on or off on ten of his appearances. Though agreed Ishige and Nagasawa rarely play 90, if at all.
That interview seems to suggest Chief still a bit brittle under pressure. He needs to get the unhappy fans back on side. The ones that criticise are the ones that care. Everyone else just goes to the movies instead. If there’s a crowd of 3k, but some of them are critical, they’ve turned up anyway and they’re the most important people to talk to.
Ducking that question shows he’s not comfortable at all being questioned, which is a daily thing in football. It leads you to wonder how he copes with internal problems and issues.
The stronger move is to admit mistakes, rather than just blaming things outside your control and draw a line under it.
But if he admits mistakes, in a way that insinuates his visa picks haven't been great. And he can't really say that given Ishige, Nagasawa and Oluwayemi are all signed on for next season.
Pretty stock standard interview really, where he was never going to divulge much. Also sounds like Chiefy is crook (got the flu?). No one's ever at their sharpest when sick.
He's more open with the media, and a better listen than surly cliched Uffie ever was.
I was disappointed in the way we played last year and thought the bulk of our results were good luck as opposed to good practice. I was disappointed with our results this season and I suspect I'll be disappointed again next year. The nix could have really pocketed some cash from ticket sales from the Auckland hype and they have blown it.
I hope I'm wrong next season and I'll be the first to admit it, but I don't share the optimism that seems to be drifting around. Remember that he resigned the keeper for two years after seeing like what, two games? I just don't see what everyone else does.
Through the grapevine I've heard that Rojas wasn't a happy camper. (Other than injury free) He didn't understand what was being asked if him by chief n co. He wasn't clear on what his role was on the pitch or how the systems worked. Not a worry here's not there anymore but still was a chiefy choice to bring in in the first place and chief is the one responsible for the above issues. Hopefully we don't have those issues with whoever we bring in next year
I have an amazing ability to find my way out of mazes. I'm pathological.
Through the grapevine I've heard that Rojas wasn't a happy camper. (Other than injury free) He didn't understand what was being asked if him by chief n co. He wasn't clear on what his role was on the pitch or how the systems worked. Not a worry here's not there anymore but still was a chiefy choice to bring in in the first place and chief is the one responsible for the above issues. Hopefully we don't have those issues with whoever we bring in next year
Considering he only started two games the entire season and had basically no pre season I think its pretty clear why he didn't understand his role
Roa Conchie can't be very happy he has been totally disregarded in midfield while Sheridan & LKH, two young defenders who haven't really impressed in midfield, were given tons of minutes. And while Roa Conchie also didn't particularly impress a lot of the time when he did play, he did have a couple of promising performances, like the sexond half in the win over Macarthur. He might have had more good games if he was given the same opportunities as Sheridan & LKH. Napier Phoenix
Like who and why?MetalLegNZ
How does the team feel I wonder... might be 1 or 2 very unhappy pampers in that dressing room right now.
What I would have liked to have seen from Chiefy was a little more acknowledgement of his own mistakes. However that is something you rarely see in this business so Chiefy might not have felt comfortable saying it.
Some mistakes like re-signing Oluwayemi (who is a good goalkeeper) are one-offs and can be excused.
But others like
continuing to play out from the back when it was obvious our keepers weren't confident,
Playing academy kids instead of Japanese imports during an injury crisis
Starting Retre when all he seems to do is pass backwards
are the kind of mistakes you should be learning from and changing your approach - and those changes have come too slowly from a coach who has seemed smart.
The jury is still undecided on whether I'm happyu about this or not. He's had one stellar season and one crap one. So now he has the chance to turn it around and with the players he's kept this year and whoever he brings in during the off season. Hopefully he can rise to the challenge of winning the home derby games - Dome seems very clear on that as minimum. Time will tell.
One thing next year I am hoping with his coaching that he achieves is making the most of a good young talent in LKH.
Next season, I really hope that he does not play LKH in midfield. He is like an aimless giraffe running around. Likewise at left back.
The guys natural position is at the centre of defence. If he is going to become a gun player that ultimately will fetch a transfer fee and an overseas move in line with the clubs mode of operation, that has to be his position.
That will require the Chief and his offsiders teaching him to be able to head the ball and be dominant in the air. That however is a skill which is teachable and something a true coach would do.
In my opinion Issac Hughes has better qualities to be a number 6, then LKH.
The same premise also needs to apply to some others that the Chief just plonks in an ad hoc position (like Piper). Chief needs to develop a plan which is his best position and stick by it.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
