He's only grumpy and intense because he has now witnessed first hand the crap treatment the Nix receive from Fox and "some" match officials. It's hard enough trying to keep the players playing a distinct style without the VAR and ludicrous decisions being made.
(Although a case could be made for the match officials just being outright incompetant under Strieb Divloski's inspiring leadership. EG: if a player is offside, he's offside, flag it immediately or blow the damn whistle, dont wait 20-30 seconds and 4 more plays before you do, it just frustrates the shark out of the players, coaches and the fans).
He's only grumpy and intense because he has now witnessed first hand the crap treatment the Nix receive from Fox and "some" match officials. It's hard enough trying to keep the players playing a distinct style without the VAR and ludicrous decisions being made.
(Although a case could be made for the match officials just being outright incompetant under Strieb Divloski's inspiring leadership. EG: if a player is offside, he's offside, flag it immediately or blow the damn whistle, dont wait 20-30 seconds and 4 more plays before you do, it just frustrates the shark out of the players, coaches and the fans).
They can't, because of VAR. They are instructed to let the play run and not flag until it's broken up, because then VAR can rule on it, where as if the flag incorrectly and play stops, they can't give the attack back.
I dunno if its a horrible outcome of VAR, it simply avoids the touchline official making a howler of a call for offside when the player is on (potentially killing a goal-scoring chance). I'd rather have the VAR being able to rule on the goal than seeing a replay of the touchy making a wrong call and not knowing if a goal would have occurred. The off-side law needs to be change/tweaked to allow adjust how the VAR makes these decisions ie not ruling out a goal because a players shoulder is "off-side"
A team like the Phoenix, who don't have the resources of the top teams, wins the A-League in three ways: 1. We get lucky and uncover maverick players and coaches. 2. We have a multi year campaign to build and develop a team. 3. A number of mid-tier players hit career best form while top teams have form slumps.
Option 2 is the only one we can plan for, and it's our strategy - hence Ufuk's comments about embedding a style of play for the club so that we know what sort of coach and player to go after.
However, if Ufuk does leave at the end of this season then I think we should go after a local coach who is going to be committed to the team and provide that stability over a three season campaign to win the A-League. The downside is they'll have to grow with the team too.
By local I'm also including people who have shown a lot of loyalty to football in NZ, including Greenacre, Buckingham, Figueira, and even Tribulietx (wherever he is now).
The above misses the question of where the money's going to come from, as Welnix are skint.
Doloras
The above misses the question of where the money's going to come from, as Welnix are skint.
Firstly how do you get that WelNix are skint? The rumors are they're losing three million this year but in spite of that they brought on players like Hemed, brought back Taylor, and retained Davilla. If they were skint they would have just written off the season. During the height of the pandemic they had to get a bailout, but that seems over now and WelNix related companies are investing hundreds of millions at the moment with initiatives like the new CDC datacentres in Auckland.
Secondly, I did address it - the whole premise of my post was how does a team with less resources win the A-League. That was literally the point.
All this seems remarkably sanguine about the idea of (a) getting free trans-tasman travel up and running soon; (b) getting people to come back to the RoF once that happens, and (b) seems like a significant worry for me, given current form. We don't get crouds again, Welnix continues to be skint, the team becomes unaffordable. I know that the other clubs don't want to get rid of us like FFA did; but you've got to wonder how much they'll subsidise us before it comes with strings attached, eg. "Woollongong Phoenix".
And the question is not THIS year, when they can afford Hemed/Taylor/Davila, it's next year when the money's gone, so are all those players, and Uffie. Those four people are an economic proposition provided we start winning and thus attract crouds (you know what Kiwi audiences are like). But that hasn't happened, it doesn't look like it's going to happen.
If and when we return to the RoF I dont see it being in massive numbers, we'll be back to the usual core base of 5000-7500 that showed up pre-covid - which means the organisation is losing money each season. We know we need home attendances of 10k+, that's not happening anytime soon.
If and when we return to the RoF I dont see it being in massive numbers, we'll be back to the usual core base of 5000-7500 that showed up pre-covid - which means the organisation is losing money each season. We know we need home attendances of 10k+, that's not happening anytime soon.
Not unless, and I can't stress this enough, we start winning, at least to the level of last season. I remember Merrick quitting mid-season because the team were plain ignoring him (due to the power of senior players) and he couldn't do anything with that. If the players are going to keep losing no matter Uffie's good work, he's not going to stick around.
Professional football is a very harsh mistress, is the real point I'm making.
All this seems remarkably sanguine about the idea of (a) getting free trans-tasman travel up and running soon; (b) getting people to come back to the RoF once that happens, and (b) seems like a significant worry for me, given current form. We don't get crouds again, Welnix continues to be skint, the team becomes unaffordable. I know that the other clubs don't want to get rid of us like FFA did; but you've got to wonder how much they'll subsidise us before it comes with strings attached, eg. "Woollongong Phoenix".
And the question is not THIS year, when they can afford Hemed/Taylor/Davila, it's next year when the money's gone, so are all those players, and Uffie. Those four people are an economic proposition provided we start winning and thus attract crouds (you know what Kiwi audiences are like). But that hasn't happened, it doesn't look like it's going to happen.
Why would there be no money next season? Loses will reduce as they will be based in Wellington again.
Have to say I share Doloras's misgivings. The Woollongong project has been cobbled together with a fantastic amount of hard work, but it has surely been very costly and that cost isn't going to be magically made up by a season back in Wgton.
It might be irrational but with every game I watch with the team in red shirts playing home games in Oz I am uncomfortably reminded of those rumours of a few seasons back, whether true or not, of Welnix looking to sell off a stake in the club to Oz-based backers.
Realistically I would expect that if Welnix are committed to maintaining a 100% NZ-owned presence in the A League (and I sincerely hope they are) it might come at the cost of some belt tightening, especially while Covid hangs over us like a black cloud.
Except this current posting in Australia isnt an experiment, project or anything suggestive, it is simply us playing in Aus cos we had to relocate to be able to play. The club have "adopted" the local fans to get some local support while they are stuck in Australia, there has been no suggestion that this will be continued long term, not even from the aussie media who managed to come up with the 2+2=5 equation they did when raising the links with small aussie clubs equating to a partial sale. Facts are - we are playing is aus due to Covid, we are playing in the red and white of the local club to say thanks for their support and to attempt to get the local fans to the games, as soon as we can play in Wellington we will be.
What they should be doing is flying some of that Mexican support over to Wellington! A win-win. Actually would support a give a little for the YF to fly some over! They've been great.
Except this current posting in Australia isnt an experiment, project or anything suggestive, it is simply us playing in Aus cos we had to relocate to be able to play. The club have "adopted" the local fans to get some local support while they are stuck in Australia, there has been no suggestion that this will be continued long term, not even form the aussie media who managed to come up with the 2+2=5 equation they did when raising the links with small aussie clubs equating to a partial sale. Facts are - we are playing is aus due to Covid, we are playing in the red and white of the local club to say thanks for their support and to attempt to get the local fans to the games, as soon as we can play in Wellington we will be.
You are probably right on all these points. But long standing memories of the possible demise of the the Nix are bound to induce a kind of supporter's PTSD in times like these....
Maybe that's what he's been doing for the last couple of years.
The membership email that just came through about wanting to play games in NZ once the travel bubble opens doesn't seem like the statement of a team that's neither skint or looking to pull out of NZ. Rather, the opposite.
That’s the biggest issue, afaik the rule that local coaches can be head coaches with only an A License doesn’t apply for New Zealanders, and there are very, very few New Zealanders who hold a Pro License. So it basically limits potential head coaches to either Australians on A (or Pro) Licenses or foreign coaches on a Pro, and these coaches will likely always see the Phoenix as a stepping stone to either Melbourne or Sydney, or back to Europe.
Also the path to get a Pro License doesn’t really exist in New Zealand, so coaches have to go overseas to sit an AFC or UEFA Pro course. I assume there’s more but I only know of two New Zealanders who have a Pro License, and that’s Ricki and a guy who’s currently coaching a team in the NFF/AFF Conference League.
What load of rubbish so on the basis of 1 seasons support fans should be funding them a trip over here.Not as if they are part of outstanding attendances just the opposite frankly. Would much rather see effort put into attracting locals. On that reasoning think will be a few fans looking for funding for a trip to Aussie given the the support given to the Nix for YEARSmartinb
What they should be doing is flying some of that Mexican support over to Wellington! A win-win. Actually would support a give a little for the YF to fly some over! They've been great.
Maybe that's what he's been doing for the last couple of years.
The membership email that just came through about wanting to play games in NZ once the travel bubble opens doesn't seem like the statement of a team that's neither skint or looking to pull out of NZ. Rather, the opposite.
What did the email say? Soccerway tells me Nix have only 3 home games & 7 away post 19th April.
Adelaide United down as home game ANZAC Day (a Sunday so next day 26th is the public holiday), could be a good one to have at the ROF, yes or yes? Good chance a few non Wellington based Nix supporters may travel for that.
Imagine there's a bit of thrashing out a revised draw now, between Nix, other clubs & Fox.
Basically it says that the announcement has opened up the possibility of playing up to 2 games in NZ this season, and that the club had done some preparatory work for that already and it can now accelerate it. At the same time the email cautions that no definitive decision has been made on actually playing the games in NZ as there are a lot of things to be worked through for both the club and the league. Basically boils down to what the league's appetite is for taking the risk of possibly having teams stuck on the wrong side of the Tasman when the season has to be completed by 30 June.
Yeah he does not have his UEFA Pro License. Makes me wonder though, how is Grant Brebner allowed to coach in the league even though he does not have UEFA Pro License. Doloras
Yeah he does not have his UEFA Pro License. Makes me wonder though, how is Grant Brebner allowed to coach in the league even though he does not have UEFA Pro License. Doloras
Yeah he does not have his UEFA Pro License. Makes me wonder though, how is Grant Brebner allowed to coach in the league even though he does not have UEFA Pro License. Doloras
Maybe that's what he's been doing for the last couple of years.
The membership email that just came through about wanting to play games in NZ once the travel bubble opens doesn't seem like the statement of a team that's neither skint or looking to pull out of NZ. Rather, the opposite.
What did the email say? Soccerway tells me Nix have only 3 home games & 7 away post 19th April.
Adelaide United down as home game ANZAC Day (a Sunday so next day 26th is the public holiday), could be a good one to have at the ROF, yes or yes? Good chance a few non Wellington based Nix supporters may travel for that.
Imagine there's a bit of thrashing out a revised draw now, between Nix, other clubs & Fox.
Games scheduled up until May 16 are set in stone. After that there are 2 away games and 2 home games (vs Perth and Snakes) yet to be scheduled. These will be the 2 games in NZ, sometime between May 22 and June 6/13 (depending what weekend Finals starts. I think the Final is meant to be June 27, so probably June 6 )
What load of rubbish so on the basis of 1 seasons support fans should be funding them a trip over here.Not as if they are part of outstanding attendances just the opposite frankly. Would much rather see effort put into attracting locals. On that reasoning think will be a few fans looking for funding for a trip to Aussie given the the support given to the Nix for YEARSmartinb
What they should be doing is flying some of that Mexican support over to Wellington! A win-win. Actually would support a give a little for the YF to fly some over! They've been great.
Yeh f- them right! No one wants to go to a fun game with the Mexican fans. That would look terrible on the news. A bit of Mexican flavour in the zone. A bit of connection between our home support in Wollongong and here. Encourage people to come to Wellington to meet the locals. And sure some fans the other way would be a great promo too, for sure. Wouldn't hurt either.
Jaysus Ballane I know you've been watching the Nix play for many years, but lighten up mate!
Yeah he does not have his UEFA Pro License. Makes me wonder though, how is Grant Brebner allowed to coach in the league even though he does not have UEFA Pro License. Doloras
Maybe that's what he's been doing for the last couple of years.
The membership email that just came through about wanting to play games in NZ once the travel bubble opens doesn't seem like the statement of a team that's neither skint or looking to pull out of NZ. Rather, the opposite.
What did the email say? Soccerway tells me Nix have only 3 home games & 7 away post 19th April.
Adelaide United down as home game ANZAC Day (a Sunday so next day 26th is the public holiday), could be a good one to have at the ROF, yes or yes? Good chance a few non Wellington based Nix supporters may travel for that.
Imagine there's a bit of thrashing out a revised draw now, between Nix, other clubs & Fox.
The Wellington Phoenix is encouraged by the New Zealand Government’s announcement today that quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel will be allowed from 19 April, 2021.
Although the club will continue to base itself out of Wollongong in New South Wales until the end of the season, this decision now opens up the possibility to play up to two matches in New Zealand during the 2020/21 A-League season.
The club has previously stated that returning home is a goal. It’s important for the fans, our corporate partners and of course players and staff members - some of whom will have been separated from their families for over six months.
In anticipation of such an announcement being made, the club has been working on a plan to have the team and support staff return. This includes travel logistics, liaising with ticket providers and investigating accommodation arrangements for all the teams involved.
With this announcement today, these plans can now be accelerated. We hope to be able to make a further announcement shortly regarding the team’s ability to return to New Zealand.
The club wishes to stress that no definitive decision on a return has been made as yet, particularly as there are a range of factors involved in this decision – not just for the club but the A-League in a wider sense, due to the risk involved in travelling to another country and the possibility of further Covid outbreaks in either country.
Wow you got all that shyte from my reply you certainly have a vivid imagination. Not to sure where in my reply i said F-them. Merely pointed out there are some other fans who deserve help getting to a game than some who have done so for a year. Would rather the club tried to engage locals than those overseas.martinb
ballane
What load of rubbish so on the basis of 1 seasons support fans should be funding them a trip over here.Not as if they are part of outstanding attendances just the opposite frankly. Would much rather see effort put into attracting locals. On that reasoning think will be a few fans looking for funding for a trip to Aussie given the the support given to the Nix for YEARSmartinb
What they should be doing is flying some of that Mexican support over to Wellington! A win-win. Actually would support a give a little for the YF to fly some over! They've been great.
Yeh f- them right! No one wants to go to a fun game with the Mexican fans. That would look terrible on the news. A bit of Mexican flavour in the zone. A bit of connection between our home support in Wollongong and here. Encourage people to come to Wellington to meet the locals. And sure some fans the other way would be a great promo too, for sure. Wouldn't hurt either.
Jaysus Ballane I know you've been watching the Nix play for many years, but lighten up mate!
Wow you got all that shyte from my reply you certainly have a vivid imagination. Not to sure where in my reply i said F-them. Merely pointed out there are some other fans who deserve help getting to a game than some who have done so for a year. Would rather the club tried to engage locals than those overseas.martinb
ballane
What load of rubbish so on the basis of 1 seasons support fans should be funding them a trip over here.Not as if they are part of outstanding attendances just the opposite frankly. Would much rather see effort put into attracting locals. On that reasoning think will be a few fans looking for funding for a trip to Aussie given the the support given to the Nix for YEARSmartinb
What they should be doing is flying some of that Mexican support over to Wellington! A win-win. Actually would support a give a little for the YF to fly some over! They've been great.
Yeh f- them right! No one wants to go to a fun game with the Mexican fans. That would look terrible on the news. A bit of Mexican flavour in the zone. A bit of connection between our home support in Wollongong and here. Encourage people to come to Wellington to meet the locals. And sure some fans the other way would be a great promo too, for sure. Wouldn't hurt either.
Jaysus Ballane I know you've been watching the Nix play for many years, but lighten up mate!
Yeh mate. It wasn't an entirely serious suggestion, but their support in Wollongong has been awesome and a bright spot for the season so far. Doesn't have to be an either or. Anyway great to get NZ games. Amazed how understanding some Welly fans are being.
I'm all for bringing new fans/cultures to games, but expecting the club/fans/A-league (whoever you're suggesting) to pay for flying people over is a ludicrous suggestion.martinb
What they should be doing is flying some of that Mexican support over to Wellington! A win-win. Actually would support a give a little for the YF to fly some over! They've been great.
this article could be seen as confirmation that talay is staying or a suggestion he is going...... but as Talay himself says he's focusing on the team finishing as high as possible and then will sort out his own job prospects. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/124877649/phoenix-coach-ufuk-talay-responds-to-latest-report-linking-him-to-victory-job Maybe, we (the fans), should just relax a bit, he's not spoke to the Victory and is in talks with the Nix. Anyway Melbourne are gonna bring Popovich back for his third sting in the league.
Don't think it's as simple as sit back, relax and wait for Uffie to make up his mind. The Nix have a number of players off contract at the end of the season and it seems to be significantly more difficult to tie players down when the future of the coach is unknown. The last thing the club needs is yet another rebuild. As much as I like what he's done with the team in terms of coaching (particularly the team mentality), his continued non-commital is hurting the team's future. theprof
this article could be seen as confirmation that talay is staying or a suggestion he is going...... but as Talay himself says he's focusing on the team finishing as high as possible and then will sort out his own job prospects. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/124877649/phoenix-coach-ufuk-talay-responds-to-latest-report-linking-him-to-victory-job Maybe, we (the fans), should just relax a bit, he's not spoke to the Victory and is in talks with the Nix. Anyway Melbourne are gonna bring Popovich back for his third sting in the league.
