We need to talk about David

Think there is some massive over reaction going on by some here. Agree things arnt good and there defiantly need to be changes. Suggesting we are at our lowest point in history suggest you wernt here in the really bad times when we were wooden spooners and it seemed like most people wanted us out of the league.
Again completely agree both teams are playing well below what we should be expecting but no matter how hard you try and deny it both  teams have been affected by long term injuries.

We arnt at the mid point of the season so there could be plenty of twists and turns to come. Currently the woman sit in 8th. With two teams above them having played 2 more games and 2 teams playing 1, while the team in 7th have played 1 less. So plenty of time go on a run and get a decent position for the playoffs.
The men sit in 11th  1 point out of the playoffs so again possible to make a run and get a decent playoff position.

Again im not saying there dont need to be changes made as i at last come around to thinking there needs to be. Expecting the owners to change the way they do things is being naive and given the money they plough into the club they have every right to do it their way. We fans may not like it but unless someone can find us another "Bill" who can convince them to sell to him we are just going to lump it.
End of the day i much prefer having a club warts and all to support than not having one because if the Nix were to fold there is no way in hell i would be supporting Auckland Bling.

We also can’t be sure of what the ownership want for/from the club. One can only presume they are happy because they have supported Dome for the last 12 years or something. He has run them through a couple of crisis’ in his time too.  We can agree that the club needs a new boot in the ass to progress but I don’t think there will be massive change unless someone else buys the club.

AucklandPhoenix

Loyalty can be important and it can be tough to move on. I get that.

These are however meant to be proper business people, so yes, if Dome has reached his use by date, they are not acting in the clubs interests and are failing it by keeping him around.

Ultimately it all boils down to money. The club is fiscally conservative which translates into the money they would spend on a GM, head coach, and the DoF.  That means a relatively (financially) stable club that does not to worry as much as Western United about paying its bills.
Unless WelNix signed a contract extension with Italiano for half a season with an option to renew it past Christmas if specific KPIs are achieved, there is little chance we can see a change of a head coach.  There is very little in the NZ employment law that would allow things that can happen in other jurisdiction (like David Zdrilic at Perth), unless both parties put a clause of some sorts in, during negotiations.
I am just as impatient for another Nix win as everyone else, and hope it will not be another one-off.

Mainland FC

Ultimately it all boils down to money. The club is fiscally conservative which translates into the money they can spend on a GM, head coach, and the DoF.  
And unless WelNix signed a contract extension with Italiano based on a half a season with an option to renew past Christmas if the club is satisfied specific KPIs are achieved, there is little chance we can see a change of a head coach.  There is very little in the NZ employment law that would allow things that can happen in other jurisdiction (like David Zdrilic at Perth), unless both parties put a clause of some sorts in, during negotiations.

You would have thought that after last season's fiasco that would be a given!

Mainland FC

Ultimately it all boils down to money. The club is fiscally conservative which translates into the money they would spend on a GM, head coach, and the DoF.  That means a relatively (financially) stable club that does not to worry as much as Western United about paying its bills.
Unless WelNix signed a contract extension with Italiano for half a season with an option to renew it past Christmas if specific KPIs are achieved, there is little chance we can see a change of a head coach.  There is very little in the NZ employment law that would allow things that can happen in other jurisdiction (like David Zdrilic at Perth), unless both parties put a clause of some sorts in, during negotiations.
I am just as impatient for another Nix win as everyone else, and hope it will not be another one-off.

Lmao, if the Nix don't have a way to cancel manager's contracts early then that in itself should see Dome sacked.

There are many variables at a football club. Money coming from the owners is the only one Dome cannot influence. Everything else, he does.

People who argue it all comes down to the owner's money and nothing else are essentially implying that every other variable at the club on and off the field is as good as it can be. I simply do not believe that.

And in breaking news the Wellington Phoenix have partnered with Double Undies!!

Not anywhere close to our lowest point in history, our lowest points were either Terry's financial problems (which led to the original phoenix holding company going bankrupt) or when we had no license and it appeared as though we had no future.

Other than that, there have been a few wooden spoon seasons which are lower than this one.

Footballtragic

And in breaking news the Wellington Phoenix have partnered with Double Undies!!

Sorry not funny whats so wrong with a sponsorship aimed at the womans team.

ballane

Footballtragic

And in breaking news the Wellington Phoenix have partnered with Double Undies!!

Sorry not funny whats so wrong with a sponsorship aimed at the womans team.

You know what mate you are correct....was coming from the angle that surely we have bigger things to concern ourselves with...but on reflection a misguided post

Bullion

FransenFC

imanixsupporter

could not be less surprised by this sort of chat from Domey. Forget starting with some accountability or self-incrimination, just straight to finger pointing and whining

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This last paragraph urks me. 

Chiefy in his live post match doesnt argue the red card itself, and its a clearcut DOGSO. Yes LKH is 2-3m away but Cosgrove would get a shot off, so meets the requirements there.
He also admits that Eze's pen (1st) is very clear, infact he says its "definitely a penalty". I respect Chief for being open and honest around these calls because these two were very fair

To then have one of, if not the most senior club employee drag it through the mud a whole week later, just shows a poor mindset. The games done, move onto the Jets, focus on ourselves instead of blaming other things.
Was there some interesting calls? Yes! Did that cost us the game? No, we did that ourselves.

Need to pick our battles better, stop having a "woe is me" mindset, and be better than our failings. I respect the immense effort and time and success Dome has brought the club over his long service, and established us as truly a top half team, but recently the wheels are falling off on and off the pitch, from marketing to engagement to the results.

Something needs to change behind the scenes

he's the gm of the club, not a journalist. calm down.

Jesus Christ, the amount of BS from the GM supporting 3 of his players.

Oh no, GM backs squad rather than requiring public beatings and tomatoes thrown at staff and players in stocks. What a shock.

And he’s not wrong either. As I pointed out the refereeing of this is an issue all over football at all levels as observed by a pundit:

Here again is The Guardian podcasts Barry Glendenning’s take on an incident much higher up in another game:

It was a penalty. It was an undeniable foul, but it’s one of those ones that’s often ignored by referees. On this occasion it wasn’t.
I think referees now have decided that if a cross is going towards the player who gets bundled over, then they will give a penalty. If it isn’t they won’t.

That’s the Cosgrove situation- two clear fouls which are seldom given. Definitely penalties but also incredibly harsh to receive.

I've watched nearly every Phoenix game since 2007, I was there in the bad times, from Terry to Kalezic, so don't suggest otherwise. 

What makes this situation unique is costs have gone up massively since last time we were spooners, (academies, women's team, covid, cost of living etc.)
 revenues have gone down and we are underperforming in nearly all areas on and off the pitch. Even last time we were spooners we were averaging 6.5k crowds. Despite two home derbies we will be lucky to beat that this season.  We urgently need action because it can and will get worse if things continue on. I doubt we would be able to muster another successful #SaveTheNix campaign if it had to come to that, rest of the country already has another NZ Pro team anyway. 

We couldn't even beat an amateur club in a Club Licensing process ffs. There's a culture of excuses, accepting mediocrity, and whinging that bleeds through both the club and fans. I do genuinely believe we are heading towards another existential crisis, but this time less black-and-white then 'our owners gone bust' or 'the Aussies want us out'. 

I have personally never felt this low about the club - perhaps youthful optimism helped out in the past. The only bright side is that the current coach and all our foreign players contracts are up at the end of the season, so there's a blank canvas opportunity, but I don't think the problems only go as far as the current crop of players and coach. 

So you're looking for a complete cleanout from Dome down? All staff? Or just a few targeted firings - Gill, Dome, Italiano?
The only time a cleanout like that, along with Coach and players, is gonna happen is at the end of the season. Way too disruptive to do it mid season. Which means you're either gonna have the status quo until end of season, or chaos created from a clean out mid season, which probably wont improve onfield performances.

Important to remember that football in NZ, might be on a high come the start of ALM season 2026/27. That's if the AWs do well at the WC, especially if they made the R32. Like I say a "might be" scenario.

But certainly the Nix got a crowd boost off the back of the AWs success in 2009 and 2010, and football being on an overall nationwide high. Different to now yes, in that alot of the AWs squad were at the Nix, plus the coach. However a strong link still remains.

Be shame if the club weren't well positioned for that 2026/27 season, in a good overall healthy state. Long time between now and then. Time for both the men's & women's teams to turn things around.

this sort of sentiment is quite typical of the Nix. Put it on the laterbase, things might get better by themselves and if not I guess we can sort it all out in the offseason.

Meanwhile, our best off contract players (Rufer, Eze, Armiento) probably already have a few A-League clubs in their ears, saying you should come and play for us next season. If these players saw decisive action by the higher ups in the club then they might be more likely to think there was a decent future at the Nix worth staying around for.

But there won't be decisive action and they'll all be gone, leaving an even bigger reconstruction job for the new coach (probably whoever our assistant is or Greenie because it is hard to envisage the Nix attracting a quality coach from outside the organisation).

theprof

So you're looking for a complete cleanout from Dome down? All staff? Or just a few targeted firings - Gill, Dome, Italiano?
The only time a cleanout like that, along with Coach and players, is gonna happen is at the end of the season. Way too disruptive to do it mid season. Which means you're either gonna have the status quo until end of season, or chaos created from a clean out mid season, which probably wont improve onfield performances.

 

The last six years' results with Welnix and Dome:

3rd 7th 6th 6th (with Talay)
2nd 11th (with Italiano)

11th in a season decimated with injuries, same as this year so far.

One year in six outside the playoffs.

A second and a third.

What a fudging disaster they cry??!! 
Sack the lot of them they shouted in unison!!

A lot of you guys have lost the plot and need to calm the fudge down.

We have a club that has come 2nd and 3rd in the last six years, when I'd say that the Welnix strategy of academy development has been in a position to deliver. And with Dome in place.

I don't know what you guys expect, but that is a decent record. 

We have had a season and a half decimated by injuries. And you guys still expect us to be top half of the table?

I'm not prepared to judge Italiano on the two very rough seasons the club has had with injuries (this year to date).  And I am sure as heck not going to write the club off and sack everybody based on that either.

Get a few more players back from injury and suspension and let's see if we can make up the two competition points we need to get in the top half of the table and improve from there.

We just hate losing to the Jets, as C-Diddy would have told you.

Good to know that Chiefy and Gill and Domey will be able to point to us finishing 2nd in 2024 in 5 years time after another 5 mediocre seasons, accuse us all us having short memories, and people like mjp2 will eat it up

I think Italiano handled bad results poorly last season. As a person. I hope he’s improving this season. 

But the point about Uffie and Bev for that matter is fair. And WU and MacArthur. And the Victory. 

Uffie has had a lot of funding and missed finals. Bev is having a difficult start. WU have had some great players and played great football and nobody saw any of it. MacArthur has sued the league a couple of times, had the owner sack Dwight Yorke for ctiticising them. 🤷‍♂️ Victory have tried to spend and fire their way out of a rut for …I wanna say ten years?

Even if Edwards is only a few cameos like Justin Gulley, the club will be better off for them. I enjoyed watching him. I enjoyed us sticking it to Auckland in the first derby. 

Rufer’s scored a freakn tracer bullet! Eze can never be ruled out. Armiento gives it a chance every time he strikes it. James and Hughes seem like set piece threats. 

At RB I’m not quite sure. But Sheridan has been better than Loke defensively, but Loke seems to be a handful for defenders and get involved in good attacks. 

With Uffie and this season, and definitely this most recent game, I never feel like we’re out of it. And yeah I was that annoying guy at 2nd slip who always thought the wicket was next ball. But I always did. 

I couldn’t feel that way last season, but this season I feel we could blast in 3 on any given 10 minutes. I think we can still go up two, maybe even 3 gears. 

It’s a weird table this season and it feels like the peloton might get left behind any time soon. 

We’re gnashing teeth. But it feels like there is so much more potential and promise than last season, and even if things go against us, to enjoy. Armiento’s artillery. Loke’s volley. Piper passing the ball! Saves from Josh. Smith’s block, on his starting debut. Any time Eze gets near the ball. LKH tackles. Rufer’s goals. 

A few results and we get the crowd back too.

I don’t think we’re Ange at Forest or Ange at second year Tottenham. 

If we wanna cut Chief loose line someone up. But you know, if too-sharke-for-J2 Michael Woud is publicly backing your position, at least give it a second look…

And yes! I have been drinking today. My craft beer shop that I see once in a blue moon for the first time ever had a New Zealand beer. And it was on tap. And it was a hazy Parrotdog IPA. And it was delicious.

I consider it a sign! 

mjp2

The last six years' results with Welnix and Dome:

3rd 7th 6th 6th (with Talay)
2nd 11th (with Italiano)

11th in a season decimated with injuries, same as this year so far.

One year in six outside the playoffs.

A second and a third.

What a fudging disaster they cry??!! 
Sack the lot of them they shouted in unison!!

A lot of you guys have lost the plot and need to calm the fudge down.

We have a club that has come 2nd and 3rd in the last six years, when I'd say that the Welnix strategy of academy development has been in a position to deliver. And with Dome in place.

I don't know what you guys expect, but that is a decent record. 

We have had a season and a half decimated by injuries. And you guys still expect us to be top half of the table?

I'm not prepared to judge Italiano on the two very rough seasons the club has had with injuries (this year to date).  And I am sure as heck not going to write the club off and sack everybody based on that either.

Get a few more players back from injury and suspension and let's see if we can make up the two competition points we need to get in the top half of the table and improve from there.

2nd and 3rd isn't winning tho. Still no silverwear and a horrific finals record.

Mjp2 is giving is some positives, which I for one appreciate as it would be easy to get into a downward Spiral and see no hope.  

I still want us to have a winning mentality though.

Let's not forget we sold four talented youngsters that you'd imagine would have had a different path if not for the Nix.

The Nix certainly weren't always "in games" under Talay. 
In the 2021/22 season (Uffie's 2nd last) they took some truly nasty beatings. 

6-0 from Melb City 
5-0 & 4-0 from the Mariners 
4-0 & 4-0 from the Jets
4-0 from Adelaide 

Caveat being the team was based in Australia during covid, and had to deal with big numbers of injuries, plus players regularly out after testing positive for the virus.

And they still limped into the finals with a -15 GD. 
It was a crazy inconsistent roller coaster that season, with yes the Covid*

Im actually enjoying this season in a weird sort if way. Its been fun and exciting and dramatic and annoying and depressing all at once.
Which kind of sums up life as a Nix fan. Maybe we should except that this is how its always going to be.
We are actually a well resourced club by AL standards. The powers that be have decided to spread the resources in a horizontal fashion.
The model is to develop players through the academies.
Its not to heavily resource the senior mens team to win the AL. 
Once you accept that there is no point in angsting about our position.
As I get older I have realised its not worth bothering wasting energy on things I cant control.
I love being a Nix supporter. Its great having a pro football team in Wellington. Its great seeing lots of kiwis who played for us doing ok overseas. I have accepted we will forever be West Ham and probably never Man City

Realism from above. Only similarity to Man City will be big - i.e decent  - crowds only once in a blue moon.

coochiee

The Nix certainly weren't always "in games" under Talay. 
In the 2021/22 season (Uffie's 2nd last) they took some truly nasty beatings. 

6-0 from Melb City 
5-0 & 4-0 from the Mariners 
4-0 & 4-0 from the Jets
4-0 from Adelaide 

Caveat being the team was based in Australia during covid, and had to deal with big numbers of injuries, plus players regularly out after testing positive for the virus.

And they still limped into the finals with a -15 GD. 
It was a crazy inconsistent roller coaster that season, with yes the Covid*

Jaysus, was that when we had Sutton and the Mexican lad in midfield? Think I’d suppressed that. It was a different time. I voluntarily watched every episode of The Mentalist. 

Generally speaking though, with Davila, David Ball and Hemed or Zawada and the mighty Jaush Sotirio with his cup run and beyond (okay and not talking about that last season either…) I felt like we could chase down anything from anywhere. And that damn Perth game where we should have…

martinb

coochiee

The Nix certainly weren't always "in games" under Talay. 
In the 2021/22 season (Uffie's 2nd last) they took some truly nasty beatings. 

6-0 from Melb City 
5-0 & 4-0 from the Mariners 
4-0 & 4-0 from the Jets
4-0 from Adelaide 

Caveat being the team was based in Australia during covid, and had to deal with big numbers of injuries, plus players regularly out after testing positive for the virus.

And they still limped into the finals with a -15 GD. 
It was a crazy inconsistent roller coaster that season, with yes the Covid*

Jaysus, was that when we had Sutton and the Mexican lad in midfield? Think I’d suppressed that. It was a different time. I voluntarily watched every episode of The Mentalist. 

Generally speaking though, with Davila, David Ball and Hemed or Zawada and the mighty Jaush Sotirio with his cup run and beyond (okay and not talking about that last season either…) I felt like we could chase down anything from anywhere. And that damn Perth game where we should have…

we had Surman as an 18yr old in defence playing a lot, then the following season he hardly played.

austin111

Im actually enjoying this season in a weird sort if way. Its been fun and exciting and dramatic and annoying and depressing all at once.
Which kind of sums up life as a Nix fan. Maybe we should except that this is how its always going to be.
We are actually a well resourced club by AL standards. The powers that be have decided to spread the resources in a horizontal fashion.
The model is to develop players through the academies.
Its not to heavily resource the senior mens team to win the AL. 
Once you accept that there is no point in angsting about our position.
As I get older I have realised its not worth bothering wasting energy on things I cant control.
I love being a Nix supporter. Its great having a pro football team in Wellington. Its great seeing lots of kiwis who played for us doing ok overseas. I have accepted we will forever be West Ham and probably never Man City

Love this post and agree 100% with what you are saying. Maybe its not Welnix who need to change the way they do things maybe some of those continually complaining need to readjust their thinking. If they cant bring themselves to do that  maybe the club up the road is a better fit for their expectations.

coochiee

The Nix certainly weren't always "in games" under Talay. 
In the 2021/22 season (Uffie's 2nd last) they took some truly nasty beatings. 

6-0 from Melb City 
5-0 & 4-0 from the Mariners 
4-0 & 4-0 from the Jets
4-0 from Adelaide 

Caveat being the team was based in Australia during covid, and had to deal with big numbers of injuries, plus players regularly out after testing positive for the virus.

And they still limped into the finals with a -15 GD. 
It was a crazy inconsistent roller coaster that season, with yes the Covid*

Trying not to remember but seem to recall Ernies teams taking some batterings as well.

All that optimism is well and good until you face reality and understand that West Ham average 62,000 crowds and are not going out of business anytime soon.

ballane

austin111

Im actually enjoying this season in a weird sort if way. Its been fun and exciting and dramatic and annoying and depressing all at once.
Which kind of sums up life as a Nix fan. Maybe we should except that this is how its always going to be.
We are actually a well resourced club by AL standards. The powers that be have decided to spread the resources in a horizontal fashion.
The model is to develop players through the academies.
Its not to heavily resource the senior mens team to win the AL. 
Once you accept that there is no point in angsting about our position.
As I get older I have realised its not worth bothering wasting energy on things I cant control.
I love being a Nix supporter. Its great having a pro football team in Wellington. Its great seeing lots of kiwis who played for us doing ok overseas. I have accepted we will forever be West Ham and probably never Man City

Love this post and agree 100% with what you are saying. Maybe its not Welnix who need to change the way they do things maybe some of those continually complaining need to readjust their thinking. If they cant bring themselves to do that  maybe the club up the road is a better fit for their expectations.

I think the Nix always have to take a few gambles in every thing we do. 

If you look at Burnsy, Kosta and Zawada they all had an injury or drop off. Smeltzy didn’t have a great record and I think he’d played non-league. 

Now we can get 20-20 and get stuck in for signing injury prone guys. But on the other hand Mileusnic might have been our player of the season. Where did Berisha and Fornaroli come from? Not the EPL or Serie A, iirc. Yet they’re two of the top scorers in A league history. That’s the joy of football. 

I think our signings this season have been surprisingly good so far. Edwards and Najjarine hopefully have a bit more to show than we’ve seen so far.

Our 3 senior homegrown players are Rufer, T Payne (and perhaps Sheridan in his absence) and Hughes.  On that front I think we’re generously looking at 50/50. 

And I think we’d also, if we look at LKH, Loke, Smith, Cassidy, Rua Conchie, LBS, Sloane-Rodriguez and Supyk we’re probably looking at something like 50/50 as well. Perhaps less. Though the talent and potential has been there, none of these guys are quite leadership material yet. 

Hopefully as the season trucks along we get more fitness and sustained performances out of our senior local players, one or two or the more junior contributors starts putting in decisive shifts and we pick up a creative player who can unleash our goal scoring potential just a little more regularly. 

Essentially we’re missing one or more of Payne, Mileusnic and Najjarine from the original plan coming good and we need them reinforced. And Ishige. Man sorry dude! We haven’t had the full impact we were hoping these 4 would bring, so we need that backup there.

It must be horrible being Manchester City and being a mental health case every time you don't win a game.  Being dissapointed every time you don't win the league.

We're going to so enjoy it when we win it.

A couple of thoughts:

A lot of people are getting defensive when we mention sacking Dome and Chiefy and saying would you sack the board and to buy the club.

Lets just call it as it is, I think people have to realise that football is a results based business, and we have had the same GM for years with not much positive (in terms of success and silverware). I just want them to give a new GM a chance with fresh ideas to come in and help.

The emergence of AFC has done the club no favours (it should have) but when you have a GM openly take no responsibility for the fifth loss in a row to a new club, you know what the mentality is (defeatist, blame others, not our fault). 

Chiefy should have been sacked after the first loss. How you don't change the tactics in the game when the opposition goes town to 10, let alone 9 people is astonishing and proves that he is the worst coach in the league by a mile IMO. 

We as a club deserve better and should have aspired to be set up to win at least something in our history but at the end of the day we have not, and that is what matters.

One half decent season (23/24) in 10 years does not make Dome and Chiefy untouchable (which some fans still think that)

A coach may need to take a responsibility for the fifth loss in a row, but the GM? That is probably not his place. 

And fans who’ve been around for a while want you to point to a GM and a manager who encapsulate this better. 

Bear in mind we’ve had clubs go all in on Nani, and almost sell to dodgy money people. We’ve had clubs have success and no fans, and try to sell to dodgy money people. We’ve had owners who have slowed club’s progress. We’ve had trouble getting new owners for at least 3 clubs. We’ve seen teams pump a lot of cash in and miss the finals. 
We’ve got our own City Football group club that does well enough m, but doesn’t really attract big crowds either. Things can easily get worse. 
Adelaide has a proud history, but has been on a horror run- internal struggles, blaming refs, topping the league briefly and falling away. 

In many cases clubs like WSW, Perth or Auckland have brought in ex-Phoenix players and managers. 

Auckland have 2 head coaches essentially and Jonathan Gould. They have two senior players for each position. And when they lost they complained about the refs all off season and into the start of this season. 

Chief was fairly clearly put on notice at the end of the last season. He’s a good young manager, but he has his weak spots. Otherwise he’s managing Juve or Madrid or whoever. 

I don’t feel the wheels are off though there’s a bit of a rattle. 

Without seeing the alternative, I’m happier to allow Chief to continue with his players. 

Looking at Postecoglou at Forest there’s nothing worse than the wrong manager with the wrong players at the wrong time. 

I feel like Chief has improved the squad from last season. 

I feel there’s a bunch of GMs and managers who could make things worse. This year it’s an exceptionally tight league and apart from Auckland and Sydney, and even with them, few clubs are ahead of the pack.

Big missed opportunity to ride the wave of interest in football that came with AFC’s entry into the competition. AFC have done very well on and off-field, partly through resources and partly through good strategy (salary capped league after all).

But IMO Wellington’s main misstep was not being a likeable underdog. Last year in particular was less gritty, courageous, plucky (but occasionally fun) underdog, and more miserable, whinging, cheap and underperforming. The football was largely dreadful, yet there was total intransigence around tactics/personnel and a general ‘we know best’ attitude when things were very obviously bad. It’s not an aura that many new or returning punters want to get around and associate with. Slight improvements this year but still a similar vibe and people are voting with their feet. 

It’s not one person’s fault or job, but it feels like an overall strategic failure during what should be halcyon days for the game, with two pro sides and AWs World Cup on the horizon. 

For those who follow rugby, Southland have had a few good years but mostly lose. However their local battlers tear into it, and their coaching and admin staff don’t spend time sooking about how everything sucks and Otago/Canterbury/Auckland have it so good. Weirdly enough, they are widely respected and people go and watch.

End of novel

Mainland FC

A coach may need to take a responsibility for the fifth loss in a row, but the GM? That is probably not his place. 

Agreed, but surely the Director of Football also needs to take responsibility!

Accentuality is important sure.
Board, hired the CEO, and have kept him around for 17+ years.
CEO hired coach and DoF
Coach and DoF signed player group and set tactic and who plays each week.
Players put it all out there on the pitch and training fields.

Fans turn up and support their team because they are fanatic (fan) about the team.

The part we see week in week out is the last piece of the puzzle, and the bit we get upset about when things arent going well

So 1st the players have got to take some responsibility for not performing well, 
2nd the Coach has to take some responsibility as he is selecting the lineup each week and setting the tactics. (DoF as well I guess)

But the CEO and board have zero input into the way the team train/play etc, bar setting expectations on how they want things to go.

 

clowns

Big missed opportunity to ride the wave of interest in football that came with AFC’s entry into the competition. AFC have done very well on and off-field, partly through resources and partly through good strategy (salary capped league after all).

But IMO Wellington’s main misstep was not being a likeable underdog. Last year in particular was less gritty, courageous, plucky (but occasionally fun) underdog, and more miserable, whinging, cheap and underperforming. The football was largely dreadful, yet there was total intransigence around tactics/personnel and a general ‘we know best’ attitude when things were very obviously bad. It’s not an aura that many new or returning punters want to get around and associate with. Slight improvements this year but still a similar vibe and people are voting with their feet. 

It’s not one person’s fault or job, but it feels like an overall strategic failure during what should be halcyon days for the game, with two pro sides and AWs World Cup on the horizon. 

For those who follow rugby, Southland have had a few good years but mostly lose. However their local battlers tear into it, and their coaching and admin staff don’t spend time sooking about how everything sucks and Otago/Canterbury/Auckland have it so good. Weirdly enough, they are widely respected and people go and watch.

End of novel

Likeable underdog was the worst route they could go down.

You are an established club with no financial problems, but yet you have broken trust with a lot of clubs in the Wellington scene and that trust hasn't came back to some clubs.

It seems like unless a prospect doesn't go down your academy route, they won't sign you or give you a look in. Two recent examples are Isa Prins and Jesse Randall and you could name a lot more.

They are definitely not the likeable underdog and Dome's comments after their 5th derby loss in a row (which could have been 6 or 7 btw) prove that they are playing the victim.

The club deserves better and the fact that people question replacing Dome is astonishing. He would have been sacked by most A-League clubs by now. 

My suggesting is tell him he has to reapply for his job for next season and advertise it to see who actually applies for the role. (and if salary is a question, just advertise the salary).

observerfromuh

clowns

Big missed opportunity to ride the wave of interest in football that came with AFC’s entry into the competition. AFC have done very well on and off-field, partly through resources and partly through good strategy (salary capped league after all).

But IMO Wellington’s main misstep was not being a likeable underdog. Last year in particular was less gritty, courageous, plucky (but occasionally fun) underdog, and more miserable, whinging, cheap and underperforming. The football was largely dreadful, yet there was total intransigence around tactics/personnel and a general ‘we know best’ attitude when things were very obviously bad. It’s not an aura that many new or returning punters want to get around and associate with. Slight improvements this year but still a similar vibe and people are voting with their feet. 

It’s not one person’s fault or job, but it feels like an overall strategic failure during what should be halcyon days for the game, with two pro sides and AWs World Cup on the horizon. 

For those who follow rugby, Southland have had a few good years but mostly lose. However their local battlers tear into it, and their coaching and admin staff don’t spend time sooking about how everything sucks and Otago/Canterbury/Auckland have it so good. Weirdly enough, they are widely respected and people go and watch.

End of novel

Likeable underdog was the worst route they could go down.

You are an established club with no financial problems, but yet you have broken trust with a lot of clubs in the Wellington scene and that trust hasn't came back to some clubs.

It seems like unless a prospect doesn't go down your academy route, they won't sign you or give you a look in. Two recent examples are Isa Prins and Jesse Randall and you could name a lot more.

They are definitely not the likeable underdog and Dome's comments after their 5th derby loss in a row (which could have been 6 or 7 btw) prove that they are playing the victim.

The club deserves better and the fact that people question replacing Dome is astonishing. He would have been sacked by most A-League clubs by now. 

My suggesting is tell him he has to reapply for his job for next season and advertise it to see who actually applies for the role. (and if salary is a question, just advertise the salary).

you have no idea how he is performing in other sides (like areas under his direct purview) of the business. much more relevant will be the issues with ofc pro team. the charter school seems all good to go:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019017306/new-sports-charter-school-in-upper-hutt

Maybe Welnix arnt judging Domeys performance on the football matters  side of the Phoenix. Maybe they consider the setting up of academies etc,sponsorship and other things to do with the running of the club the more important side of the job.
People seem to love making assumptions about how they are running things  and suggesting they should be doing this and that. What i think has become glaringly obvious is Rob and the Welnix guys will do things the way they think are best for what they are trying to achieve.
People also seem to also make assumptions that its the Phoenix who dont offer contracts to players and they allow them to slip away, maybe some players just dont want to come here for whatever reason its not always because the Phoenix have messed up.

"You are an established club with no financial problems, but yet you have broken trust with a lot of clubs in the Wellington scene and that trust hasn't came back to some clubs."

You hear this come up a bit as well,  i dont think its all as one sided as some suggest. There were many out there in club land who wernt prepared to give the Phoenix a go and wernt interested in engaging. Yep agree the Phoenix did some things wrong and got heavy handed at times but its wrong to suggest they havnt tried to address some of those things.