Ricki Herbert resigns

Well said

Very Well said. 

A new high for the Forums, Tenyson being quoted!!!

Meh, he was no Keats.

No People's Poet either.

I lent him $50 once. He never repaid me.

I prefer Yeats' thoughts on this forum:

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are filled with passionate intensity..

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last

Slouches towards Wellington to take up coaching duties?

sounds like you prefer Fall Out Boy

I'm actually a big TS Eliot fan, but I couldn't think of a quote which promoted football.

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me
The best of us can find happiness in misery
Said,
I don't care what you think as long as it's about me
The best of us can find happiness in misery

Said,
I don't care just what you think
as long as it's about me, you said
I don't care just what you think
as long as it's about me, I said
I don't care (I don't care)
Said, I don't care (I don't care)
Said, I (I) don't (don't) care (care)
I (I) don't (don't) care (no I don't)
I don't care, (I said)
I don't care, (I said)
I (I) don't (don't) care (care)

I think he had to go. The performances this year have been pretty bad and you struggle to see how they would have been improved. At the same time we can very easily do worse, this is going to be a very tricky position to fill.

I'm not sure how I feel about him moving upstairs. So long as the new coach has the option to use him as much or as little as he likes I guess it is OK.

Credit to Shabba for the leak, not sure what the hell his agent was thinking though, incredibly unprofessional.

Don't have much faith in Greenacre, the attacking patterns have been poor and this is his responsibility. It's a good test over the next 5 games, don't expect too much in terms of results but he will have to show he can add something to the performance to convince people to keep him on in some role.

Well said Sunset Sam....Wow  Tennyson quoted on a football forum. You don't get any of that on the knuckle dragging, convict  football forums across the ditch.

We can salute Ricki's achievements and then move on. New era at the Nix and its very exciting. Some may question the timing but it does give the club a bit more time to set up the recruitment structures needed to find a replacement.

What I would like to see now is the Board to assemble a coaching recruitment panel. This panel should have a clear brief on what is required from the new coach. This panel should include members of the Board, Ricki, some senior ex NZ players, someone from NZF coaching, someone from FFA coaching and someone who can give an outside view and who has A-League experience like a Ross Aloisi.

Like I said these are exciting times for the club. If we do a good job recruiting the right guy then this person will have the whole of the off season to concentrate 100% on Nix recruiting and the preseason.

The other bonus will be Ricki will be able to concentate 100% on the AW's campaign.....which will be a huge boost for our qualification chances. Hopefully NZF can get him on a plane sometime to watch  some live  CONCAFF????? games

Best wishes Riki. Thanks for the memories

Unfortunately there seemed no other way from where we had got to.

...and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all. I know that's what you'd like to see, but ex-NZ players, NZF people, FFA people, random ex A League players? Seriously?

Ricki should not be involved in any way with choosing his successor.  Given the circumstances it is simply not appropriate.  He has had his time at the helm and he has acknowledged it is time for fresh ideas.  

I would also have serious reservations about Greenacre being coach on a long term basis either. As a former player he will have dealt with many team members as a colleague and team-mate.  It is a big step up to being Manager and having to make hard calls against guys you once regarded as friends.  Perhaps he can do this, but it would be much easier for a 'new broom' who is unencumbered by the past to make the changes to the team that are required. 

I'd be very, very surprised if Greenie gets the job on a permanent basis

Would very much doubt Greenie wants the role on a full time basis. He is only 34 or 35 and while there are coaches around the place that age, I think you need a pretty big ego to do so which Chris simply does not have. He has stated he is very much learning the ropes at the moment. 

A step to far at present  for one who has been in the trenches with the vast majority of the present squad to take on the job in anything other than a caretaker role.

luca trani must be the fav?

I thought Smithy did a very good job in deflecting Telfer's negativity. Telfer is a new convert to the game and very naive when it comes to any in depth analysis. He had been talking to Moffet prior tot his and although he has a lot of experienc ein sports administration at the highest level he also showed a serious lack of knowledge on football matters and how franchises and football leagues work. What  I particularly liked about Smithy's approach was that he didn't let Telfer get away with just spouting shit and challenged him on it and backed it up with facts and reasoned argument. Funny that later callers [and Telfer] made out that Yellow Fever was effectively in the pocket of the Nix and toeing the party line, obviously THEY don't read this forum.....

I think Ricki deserves credit for guiding the club through difficult times and providing stability, even though I've never been a big fan of his. It must actually be quite a wrench for many Phoenix supporters to have their only coach step down, he has been so much part of the fabric of the club for so long it probably feels a bit like the first shock of a divorce.

But the plain truth is every coach must stand and fall on results (unless you're Arsenal) and so I think he had to go. He has the coveted All Whites job to devote himself full time to now so I don't feel sorry for him, in fact it's probably a blessing in disguise because with having to wear two hats Ricki was not giving either job 100%.

What does concern me is the timing, five games before the end of the season, and the deal. If Ricki is actually moved upstairs then it's not really a clean break at all. Just how much freedom will a new coach have with Ricki looking over his shoulder? Will the new coach really be able to cull Ricki's ageing favourities from the team if their great protector is in the background? Having the inexperienced Greenacre take the reigns with Ricki upstairs is more cosmetic than substance, isn't it? Can Greenacre really change anything? If Welnix need football experience on the board there are plenty of others they can appoint rather than keeping Ricki on board. Can you imagine taking over at Old Trafford with Fergie moved upstairs?

I think Herbert should have seen out the season and then gone completely - leaving a new appointment the whole post-season to rebuild their own team. The problem then is the team limping through the last five games, but then they're doing that anyway.

The Phoenix need an experienced ambitious coach free to make their own decisions and rebuild a fading side. This appears too much like a compromise.

I reckon the timing of Ricki's departure is good. If he'd resigned a month sooner the owners might have felt pressured to hastily find a new coach. Instead, Greenacre can see what it feels like to be in the hot-seat again (he did pretty well vs Heart in Melbourne) and the club can take the time a recruitment of this importance demands.

to plagarise Shakespeare's Macbeth then....

He should have gone herebefore;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and Sunday, and Sunday after,
Creeps in this petty passing pace from week to week,
To the last whistle of each game;
And all our yesteryears have higher hopes
The way to the Ring of Fire. Out, out, brief Ricki!
Life's but a walking shadow, a great player
That struts and frets his coaching hours upon the turf
And then is heard no more(except as AWs coach). It is a tale
Told by a fan, full of dreams and dashed hopes
Signifying nothing.

Some good years and highs.....cheers and go the AWs under your contiuned reign.

COYN...

My favourite moment under Rickis reign.... hard to go past to 3-1 extra time win after being 1-0 down against the Jest in front of 33,000 on 7 March 2010. Timmy, Iff's and Eugene scorers.

I have one big question. Will Greenacre wear a suit on the bench? Maybe a suit with boots, he still have to kick the ball at warm up.

Suit with boots, eh? Hmm......

See ya Rick! At least now he can put 100% into the All Whites. COYN!

1] Thanks Ricki for taking the club as far as you could. One game away from a Grand final. Awesome stuff.

2] It's been an entertaining yet frustrating tenure. Lots of highs & lows. That first game against Melbourne.....

3] Under Terry and with Ricki & Tony, our very own professional football team - again, awesome stuff.

4] No plan "B", board interference via the press and Gareth Morgan's mouth - allegedly, hasn't exactly helped a team struggling.

5] Coaches come and go, fact of life

6] Thanks too Ricki for being very approachable, accommodating and obliging, despite certain members of the press trying their best to undermine you.

7] Did it all start to go pear shaped when first Tony Pignata left and then Luciano Trani?

8] Luciano a front runner for replacement? Would be a good move in my humble opinion. Miron was spotted at a game recently, making notes too.

9] Again, thanks Ricki for bringing some pride back to NZ football. It's about passion for the game and you certainly have plenty of it. Total respect to you, just sad it hasn't happened this year. I hope you still attend games. Sit in the crowd!

10] What will the future bring? Hopefully some decent "away" form please.

Thanks for the good times Ricki, and stepping aside when you had to a La Terry. Martyr of the nix!

"Hay, a Fairfax football columnist with English Premier League experience, has been strong critic and was not surprised to hear his time in charge at the club was to come to an end"

Why do we keep needing to be reminded about Danny Hay's EPL experience? He played 4 games. That's as many as Lee Norfolk. Why doesn't someone ask fucking Lee Norfolk what he thinks?!!

 It was always going to happen but with 5 games to go I find it ridiculous as they have dropped Greenie in the deep end.

One of two thing are likely.

1. We will lift ourselves and get into the top 6.

2, We will get hammered every game.

Memories......

Really am surprised that Ricki left before the season finished. Too late for any chance of a recovery by appointing a new coach, so nothing to gain from it. Would have preferred Ricki to signal his intentions and see out the season. Would have been the most professional way of handling it imo.