Phoenix assistant coach(es)

Latest Stuff article says Nix are about to announce the name of the new assistant coach in the next few weeks. Says  that Greenie is a possibility but he most probably going to be the Academy coach.

When Ricki went to the UK a while back to look at players it was said he was looking at prospects for the assistants role...that story went cold.

So whats it to be?

Someone else as assistant with Greenie as the Academy coach or will Greenie be the assistant coach and also run the Academy. Anyone heard anything?

Mark Stafford introduced Greenie as 'Phoenix Assistant Coach' today on the EuroZone vodcast, and Greenie didn't correct him or anything, so it sounds like it is a done deal.

Prepare for angst.

Good luck to Greenie if he is the assistant. Wouldn't be my first pick but I will support him 100%.

I guess he is now the hot favourite to become Nix coach next year when Ricki moves up stairs to take up the director of football job. 

I'll thrown in Neil Emblem as a wild horse.... I wonder what that will do for the conspiracy theorists that talk about one voice in the game *facepalm*

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It's all but certain that Chris Greenacre won't play another game for the Wellington Phoenix.

If you needed any further confirmation that he wouldn't be added to the playing roster for the upcoming season it came in the form of seeing that new recruit Benjamin Totori has been given the 34-year-old's former squad number - No 9.

Greenacre is expected to finally put pen to paper on a contract with the club this week that will see him used as an assistant coach - a role he filled last year on top of his playing duties - and he will oversee the club's youngsters who are part of their new school of excellence.

The 34-year-old, who began his professional career with Manchester City in 1995, wasn't available to speak to media at the club's open training session today but Herbert said a deal was imminent.

"Chris? He's there. He's helping in a coaching capacity and he's just working through some of the positions that may suit him. But I don't think we are too far away from what he's going to be doing."

It's understood he will sit on the bench alongside Herbert during match-day, but his role won't extend to pulling on the boots again. "I don't think so," Herbert said.

"We spoke long and hard and I think the difficulty for Chris is when is the right time to retire and I'm certainly not making that decision for him, but if he's part of the coaching staff it'll be 100 per cent what he's doing. Unless something dramatic happens."

This line from Piney's blog answers the angst for me: "Ifill says the players have always looked up to Greenacre, so the transition to coach is a seamless one"

I've still got a feeling we will see him in a stripey one more time. Injuries and fatigue may affect the side, even if hes on the bench with boots on.

(es)*

Except for the fact that if we sign a fifth import (and it seems like some people here might tear their own face off if we don't) then Greenacre lacing up won't be an option no matter how many injuries and suspensions we have.

Yeah exactly. If Ifill, Totori, or new striker gets injured, then short term it would be sensible to have greeny as an option if needed

Could be the new striker is here on loan for a period that doesn`t cover the whole season.

Again opening the door for Greenie

I hear Tranni could be looking for a new job

is that how it worked when Gould stepped in as RGK while Paston was out and the Crow sat in goal?

Or had we not filled the import quota at that point. (I'm assuming Gould would have been classed as an import)

I had always wondered this as well. Or when we had Imray, which at the time may not have counted as a kiwi.

A solution could be that we didnt have the full number of imports during those seasons or that one was technically "injured" (I think Toto & Diego were often put under that bracket)

We wondered that before about Imray, I am pretty sure he had the paperwork to be classed as a Kiwi player for the A-League. Gould sat on the bench when we had a spot open if I recall correctly, when we sent Chen back to China.

Would have thought Gouldie has citizenship here.

This is probably the best place to continue the discussion (and/or angst) about Greenacre's appointment as assistant AND academy coach:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/7300108/Greenacre-signed-as-Phoenix-assistant-coach

Next Nix head coach?

SACK GREENIE HIRE DANNY HAY

He mentions retiring, so I guess that means no Greenacre for TW?

That was probably only going to be possible if he was just the Academy coach.

He will be with the Nix first team every weekend.

Good luck to Greenie in his new job. I have expressed strong reservations about taking someone on in such a vital role who has so little experiance but its done now so we had just better get on and support him.

Looking in to the future...you can see the situation developing where Greenie is moved into the head coach role. This is Ricki's last year at head coach before he moves into the Football Managers job. It is highly unlikely that a senior coach like a Bleiberg or a Merrick would come into the Nix as head coach and have Ricki looking over their shoulder as FM. The more likely scenario is Greenie moving into Head coach with Ricki stepping back from the day to day stuff but offering support overall.

at least one Greenie has a job (maybe a 'wrong Greenie' chant?)

come over to the uk and I will give you a hug.

Anyone know what other A-league clubs were after Greenie?

fucking curious.

If I had to guess, I would think CCM could have been one. His work rate would have helped them replace what they lost when they sold Matt Simon.

My guess would be heart or Sydney - mainly because they were quite short in those departments. Wonder if he got any asia offers too?

I think he's retired at the right time.

Presumably he would be scoring less than 4 goals this season (though his last one against Perth in the finals was a cracker!)

Surprised to hear that other A-League teams would be after him; though I could understand CCM being one.

When Ricki gets back from India, will he be straight on the phone to him?

Emblen is without a club gig as well.  Not sure we need 3 (4 if you include Gould) assistants though.

I wouldn't think so, we have Greenacre in the role he has when he was here.

Id love to have him back please.

But if not I wish him mega luck for whichever club is lucky enough to nab him

I hope so. All I ever heard about Trani was that he was awesome, hardworking, research, tactics the works.

Don't know why they don't like him in adelaide.

Was there any particular reason for him leaving here or was he jumping ship in the with some prior knowledge of Terry's leaks? I have sort of assumed this is why the all the staff left at the same time.

They have phones in India.

I heard that Trani was sacked by Adelaide for texting the opposition tips on how toscore against them!