Italiano has taken the Nix closer than any coach to a Grand Final. It was all rather unexpected. Most folks wrote off the team at the start of season 23/24. From that season the club got some geat income from selling 3 of their most promising kiwi players ever to be at the club. For that alone he has alot of credit in the bank.
This season has yes been a huge letdown. But a huge part of that stems from the lengthy injuries to Rojas & Cola going back to mid December. Since then the campaign has mostly been mud. Chief's plans to play a sexier more possession based game, disappearing down the gurgler.
Then you have the new flashy NZ team (Perfect FC) doing everyone everything.....well almost perfectly. And they have had some luck to. Hall their only long term absentee. But yeah as a Nix fan, it's the ultimate storm of unhappiness. The grim reaper on the top of the cake being yesterday.
But I'm confident that is the season low point, as long as Chico, Rojas, Rufer, Sutton and Payne are all fit plus available from now onwards.
It's how the team finish the season that Giancarlo should be judged on, not yesterday.
PS. As I posted somewhere else, the Nix will likely have about 8-10 squad members away at this year's (biennial) U20 WC Sept-Oct. With the WC buildup that could be nearly half the squad away for 3-4 weeks just before the season kicks off. Bad timing. Really bad timing if you have a new coach onboard trying to instill their game plan, getting to know the players etc etc. Will play a (small) part in whether Welnix give Chiefy another deal. But when you have a sharkty disrupted pre season it definitely doesn't help.
This season has yes been a huge letdown. But a huge part of that stems from the lengthy injuries to Rojas & Cola going back to mid December. Since then the campaign has mostly been mud. Chief's plans to play a sexier more possession based game, disappearing down the gurgler.
Then you have the new flashy NZ team (Perfect FC) doing everyone everything.....well almost perfectly. And they have had some luck to. Hall their only long term absentee. But yeah as a Nix fan, it's the ultimate storm of unhappiness. The grim reaper on the top of the cake being yesterday.
But I'm confident that is the season low point, as long as Chico, Rojas, Rufer, Sutton and Payne are all fit plus available from now onwards.
It's how the team finish the season that Giancarlo should be judged on, not yesterday.
PS. As I posted somewhere else, the Nix will likely have about 8-10 squad members away at this year's (biennial) U20 WC Sept-Oct. With the WC buildup that could be nearly half the squad away for 3-4 weeks just before the season kicks off. Bad timing. Really bad timing if you have a new coach onboard trying to instill their game plan, getting to know the players etc etc. Will play a (small) part in whether Welnix give Chiefy another deal. But when you have a sharkty disrupted pre season it definitely doesn't help.
