Ricki Herbert resigns

 "What have the Barbarouses family got against Ricki Herbert? I’d love to know…"

Er... they feel that Kosta never got a fair shake at the Nix? Not hard to divine.

Wow. He gave Kosta his start at both A-League and international level. I say now he should really give them something to really bleat about.

 As a matter of interest JD just where was Ricki supposed to get the cash from for him to get better signings.Dont think he has ever had the  money to go after much more than he has.Terry sure didnt have the cash and it seems as if Welnix arnt that keen on splashing out.

Still no excuse i suppose for not to have got some better players.Bloody hell the man is gone no need to all to stick the boot in.You have what you wanted that should be enough.

Finally listened to the Telfar radio segment. Mr. Smith, very well played sir. Sharp, accurate responses to ridiculous statements and good composure whilst being interrupted constantly. *tips hat*.

Unfortunate for Ricki to lose his job but his time had well and truly come and we needed something to shake things up and move forward.  First time I've been excited about the Phoenix for some time.

If you look back to 09/10 season that was his peak and to be still living off that today isn't good enough.  Much is made of ending up a single game off the grand final but it has to be remembered that we only ended up with a home game against Newcastle due to their upset of Gold Coast the week before.  We've still never managed an away win in the finals.  

We've been on a slow but steady downward trajectory since then.  I began to have doubts about him at the end of that season.  After the trip to the UK the previous winter bagged Ifill and Greenacre - still two of our best ever recruits - we chose to effectively stand still rather than push on with more qwuality overseas signings (despite the fact we'd only finished 4th on the regular season ladder).  Perhaps we believed the hype of a successful finals run?

That off season we signed Nick Ward, Musa, Toto, Pavlovic, Jade North, Vukovic and D-Mac - while losing McKain, Caceres and Kosta.  Clearly not enough to push on into the top 2 and in fact we began to go backwards with most of the recruits unable to make much of an impact.  Herbert began experimenting with 3 at the back (after using it as a defensive formation with the All Whites) early in the season unsure how to integrate three centre backs who were all expecting to be first choice - a problem never really dealt with.  What looked like being a disappointing season was saved by the emergence of Marco in the second half of the competition but we still finished 6 out of 11.

11/12 was overshadowed by off field issues but recruitment was still a problem.  The weakness of traditionally wealthy sides Melbourne Victory and Sydney, an excellent defensive record and key goals from Tim Brown and Ifill meant we made the finals but were well off the top sides Brisbane and Central Coast Mariners.  The football was at time turgid and despite results major concerns about the direction of the club on the pitch were beginning to emerge from a vocal minority of fans while crowds fell.

And then we have this season which has been done to death really.  Some good, some bad - his Phoenix reign will be memorable more for great moments rather than outright successes.  Herbert can take some credit for the re-establishment of professional football in New Zealand, but shouldn't be eulogised, players, owners, fans must share equally in that praise.  His lack of a legacy is a little troubling and he lacks a truly landmark achievement to go down as a Phoenix great.  Much depends now of course on the success of his replacement, and maybe his achievements will be subject to reassessment in the future.

However, managers will always come and go and the time is right.  I just hope the fan base can now leave him behind cleanly, move on and rally together in support of the new guy whoever he is.

I think one really important thing the Phoenix have to do is spin this is a good news story for the club.  Got to start talking about the future and get a message out there that the club is moving on and moving forward - this change has to change the story, if they don't capitalise on that they are more incompetent than we have thought.  Fine to let Ricki go out on the resignation note but the message has to be results weren't good enough, we're making changes because we want better results next year etc

Herbert has 'charisma of poached fish' 

What an angry man this guy is.

Telfer was ranting again this morning about how "how Rojas was offered a better deal by the Victory" and how he "had some bloke on yesterday trying to tell him that the FFA were giving money to Sydney". He s an extraordinarily, uninformed, annoying person

Unfortunate for Ricki to lose his job but his time had well and truly come and we needed something to shake things up and move forward.  First time I've been excited about the Phoenix for some time.

If you look back to 09/10 season that was his peak and to be still living off that today isn't good enough.  Much is made of ending up a single game off the grand final but it has to be remembered that we only ended up with a home game against Newcastle due to their upset of Gold Coast the week before.  We've still never managed an away win in the finals.  

We've been on a slow but steady downward trajectory since then.  I began to have doubts about him at the end of that season.  After the trip to the UK the previous winter bagged Ifill and Greenacre - still two of our best ever recruits - we chose to effectively stand still rather than push on with more qwuality overseas signings (despite the fact we'd only finished 4th on the regular season ladder).  Perhaps we believed the hype of a successful finals run?

That off season we signed Nick Ward, Musa, Toto, Pavlovic, Jade North, Vukovic and D-Mac - while losing McKain, Caceres and Kosta.  Clearly not enough to push on into the top 2 and in fact we began to go backwards with most of the recruits unable to make much of an impact.  Herbert began experimenting with 3 at the back (after using it as a defensive formation with the All Whites) early in the season unsure how to integrate three centre backs who were all expecting to be first choice - a problem never really dealt with.  What looked like being a disappointing season was saved by the emergence of Marco in the second half of the competition but we still finished 6 out of 11.

11/12 was overshadowed by off field issues but recruitment was still a problem.  The weakness of traditionally wealthy sides Melbourne Victory and Sydney, an excellent defensive record and key goals from Tim Brown and Ifill meant we made the finals but were well off the top sides Brisbane and Central Coast Mariners.  The football was at time turgid and despite results major concerns about the direction of the club on the pitch were beginning to emerge from a vocal minority of fans while crowds fell.

And then we have this season which has been done to death really.  Some good, some bad - his Phoenix reign will be memorable more for great moments rather than outright successes.  Herbert can take some credit for the re-establishment of professional football in New Zealand, but shouldn't be eulogised, players, owners, fans must share equally in that praise.  His lack of a legacy is a little troubling and he lacks a truly landmark achievement to go down as a Phoenix great.  Much depends now of course on the success of his replacement, and maybe his achievements will be subject to reassessment in the future.

However, managers will always come and go and the time is right.  I just hope the fan base can now leave him behind cleanly, move on and rally together in support of the new guy whoever he is.

He s an extraordinarily, uninformed, annoying person

 Kent Johns is about all they have.

So, basically, you hate talkback radio?

So, basically, you hate talkback radio?

I find myself disagreeing with almost all his opinions and have a problem with his dismissive attitude towards anyone who disagrees.