Looks like Joel Griff working for the Jets.
Ernie Merrick - former Phoenix manager
Merrick rant
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11894471
[quote=number8]Merrick rant http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11894471[/quote]
That is really weird!
Is this comment from Cameron Lindsey?
caml_21Hey mate, Just seen this post I was at the Phoenix from 2011-2013 firstly under Rickey then Ernie, only a young fella at the time I can completely relate to a number of your points about the guy. Only a few weeks into pre season he pretty much told me to fudge off as I wasn't in his plans going forward, totally respect your post! We need more guys like you standing up and speaking the truth!! Respect man ?
Cameron Lindsay has never been in anybody's plans.
I never really had this impression of Ernie. But now that Ljubo mentions it remember when he had that outburst at Rodriguez I think it was during an interview at training and then tried to joke it off.
Wonder if anything else will come out of the woodwork in the next few days.
It's true that the club has been very unsettled over the last couple of seasons and that players keep leaving, there was also that article on stuff about how the Phoenix were overspending and that they were going to be more realistic going forwards, also the rumors of exorbitant wages paid to Kosta.
On the other hand you have ex players like Sigmund who rave about Merrick.
Is this comment from Cameron Lindsey?
caml_21Hey mate, Just seen this post I was at the Phoenix from 2011-2013 firstly under Rickey then Ernie, only a young fella at the time I can completely relate to a number of your points about the guy. Only a few weeks into pre season he pretty much told me to fudge off as I wasn't in his plans going forward, totally respect your post! We need more guys like you standing up and speaking the truth!! Respect man ?
I just checked - it's Cameron Lindsay ex Phoenix and recently Tasman Utd..
Experienced Socceroo Luke Wilkshire of Dynamo Moscow would also seem to back Ljubo in his reply to the post:
lukekristinawilkshire@ljubomilicevic Mate can say nothing.. say it how it is ??
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Who knows - coaches often rub some players up the wrong way.
But a popular public image can sometimes mask a not so nice reality..
No football manager is completely loved by players, unsurprisingly the ones who get left out are usually unhappy with the manager!
Human nature dictates that it is effectively impossible for a coach to be Universally liked by a group of 20 odd players. Someone will always feel they should be playing more than they are or are worth more than they are being paid.
It would be a worry in fact if a coach was universally liked. The nature of the job dictates that you must make decisions that not every one agrees with.
Your regular reminder that Ljubo Milicevic is linked with the underworld and he knows people and they tell him things.
Cameron Lindsay has never been in anybody's plans.
The article has now mysteriously disappeared from the herald site. Gutted I was looking forward to reading it.
The article has now mysteriously disappeared from the herald site. Gutted I was looking forward to reading it.
It was a big nothing, pretty much just quoted the Instagram post in full.
It's true that the club has been very unsettled over the last couple of seasons and that players keep leaving, there was also that article on stuff about how the Phoenix were overspending and that they were going to be more realistic going forwards, also the rumors of exorbitant wages paid to Kosta.
On the other hand you have ex players like Sigmund who rave about Merrick.
For some reason I'd prefer to trust Siggy over Loony Ljubo. Reckon Ernie (and any coach for that matter) was probably hard on a couple of under performers, and justifiably so.
what do you make of these comments attributed to Ernie?
what do you make of these comments attributed to Ernie?
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/08/08...
fairly honest and not news?
what do you make of these comments attributed to Ernie?
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/08/08...
"I’m not interested in proving anyone wrong – I’d prefer to prove people right. I think the chance here of achieving something (compared to Wellington) is much greater (....)."
Newcastle has been mired in mediocrity for many years, having not appeared in the finals since 2010, and last season collected their second wooden spoon in just three years."
#squattingonthelicence
what do you make of these comments attributed to Ernie?
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/08/08...
"I’m not interested in proving anyone wrong – I’d prefer to prove people right. I think the chance here of achieving something (compared to Wellington) is much greater (....)."
Newcastle has been mired in mediocrity for many years, having not appeared in the finals since 2010, and last season collected their second wooden spoon in just three years."
#squattingonthelicence
It's interesting that he's sort of taking the tack there of it's impossible to succeed at the Phoenix because of the way the league is structured
This is precisely my point. We have probably achieved OK overall, what with the travel, off-field distractions and poor refereeing, compared with Newcastle which frankly are underachievers having everything going for them.
This is precisely my point. We have probably achieved OK overall, what with the travel, off-field distractions and poor refereeing, compared with Newcastle which frankly are underachievers having everything going for them.
They did have a bankrupt owner and had to be taken over by the FFA so not exactly smooth saling but I get what you mean
This is precisely my point. We have probably achieved OK overall, what with the travel, off-field distractions and poor refereeing, compared with Newcastle which frankly are underachievers having everything going for them.
No way do I think we've done OK, we are average.
This is precisely my point. We have probably achieved OK overall, what with the travel, off-field distractions and poor refereeing, compared with Newcastle which frankly are underachievers having everything going for them.
No way do I think we've done OK, we are average.
some would say OK and average are the same thing
This is precisely my point. We have probably achieved OK overall, what with the travel, off-field distractions and poor refereeing, compared with Newcastle which frankly are underachievers having everything going for them.
No way do I think we've done OK, we are average.
some would say OK and average are the same thing
Averaging 7th is not average.
Semantics. Yes, I would like us to be playing finals football every year, and win the league one day too. But our challenges (travel, licence, SKY TV deal) are arguably worse than those of Newcastle. In that sense I stick to my point that they should have done better over the last ten years than they have. And that's why I am not embarrassed at our own performance overall; I just would like it to be better.
So, the Jets had a bankrupt owner? ... don't get me started.
what do you make of these comments attributed to Ernie?
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/08/08...
"I’m not interested in proving anyone wrong – I’d prefer to prove people right. I think the chance here of achieving something (compared to Wellington) is much greater (....)."
Newcastle has been mired in mediocrity for many years, having not appeared in the finals since 2010, and last season collected their second wooden spoon in just three years."
#squattingonthelicence
It's interesting that he's sort of taking the tack there of it's impossible to succeed at the Phoenix because of the way the league is structured
Or is it just a convenient excuse? It's basically saying "I didn't fail, since anyone else would have failed too". I'm not convinced that's actually accurate.
what do you make of these comments attributed to Ernie?
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/08/08...
"I’m not interested in proving anyone wrong – I’d prefer to prove people right. I think the chance here of achieving something (compared to Wellington) is much greater (....)."
Newcastle has been mired in mediocrity for many years, having not appeared in the finals since 2010, and last season collected their second wooden spoon in just three years."
#squattingonthelicence
It's interesting that he's sort of taking the tack there of it's impossible to succeed at the Phoenix because of the way the league is structured
Or is it just a convenient excuse? It's basically saying "I didn't fail, since anyone else would have failed too". I'm not convinced that's actually accurate.
Oh yeah I completely agree.
I think Ernie made heaps of mistakes and I don't understand why people don't view his time with us as a failure.
I think it was mixed, he got a team that was in dissaray and had narrowly escaped bankrupcy and rebuilt it, he brought us a lot of success, and then kept it together throughout the license saga. His term started with success, and then when things turned to shark there were legitimate reasons.
But his last season in control was a huge failure and most of them were of his own making by building a squad which was apparently the most expensive in Phoenix history, yet was woefully unbalanced.
I think it was mixed, he got a team that was in dissaray and had narrowly escaped bankrupcy and rebuilt it, he brought us a lot of success, and then kept it together throughout the license saga. His term started with success, and then when things turned to shark there were legitimate reasons.
But his last season in control was a huge failure and most of them were of his own making by building a squad which was apparently the most expensive in Phoenix history, yet was woefully unbalanced.
A lot of success? Really? We made the playoffs once under him, thanks largely to the little period when Nathan Burns was in the form of his life. That's a 25% playoff strike rate, if we count his last season here which he never finished.
Ricki made the playoffs three times out of 6 seasons - 50% rate. And it's not like he didn't have any off-field dramas to deal with, from having to put together an entire squad from scratch in about three months, to having to deal with Terry's bankruptcy and change of ownership.
I agree, Ernie took over at the right time and putting a few things right that needed putting right but he failed to kick on and take us to the next level. If I was looking for a new club manager at this level, I wouldn't have considered Ernie because he really failed at the Nix. I don't accept those excuses he made as being valid at all. While some it might have a minor influence, Ricky did better, and if our new guy does even better - what then? The new signings appear to be in the area that we need them and already that looks to be superior to what Ernie did.
16 Nil - Merrick has no regrets. Pre-season LOL
I think it was mixed, he got a team that was in dissaray and had narrowly escaped bankrupcy and rebuilt it, he brought us a lot of success, and then kept it together throughout the license saga. His term started with success, and then when things turned to shark there were legitimate reasons.
But his last season in control was a huge failure and most of them were of his own making by building a squad which was apparently the most expensive in Phoenix history, yet was woefully unbalanced.
A lot of success? Really? We made the playoffs once under him, thanks largely to the little period when Nathan Burns was in the form of his life. That's a 25% playoff strike rate, if we count his last season here which he never finished.
Ricki made the playoffs three times out of 6 seasons - 50% rate. And it's not like he didn't have any off-field dramas to deal with, from having to put together an entire squad from scratch in about three months, to having to deal with Terry's bankruptcy and change of ownership.
A lot of success probably was a poor choice of words, that season was disapointing because we could have won it and finished fourth, still it was the most competitive we've ever been.
I agree, Ernie took over at the right time and putting a few things right that needed putting right but he failed to kick on and take us to the next level. If I was looking for a new club manager at this level, I wouldn't have considered Ernie because he really failed at the Nix. I don't accept those excuses he made as being valid at all. While some it might have a minor influence, Ricky did better, and if our new guy does even better - what then? The new signings appear to be in the area that we need them and already that looks to be superior to what Ernie did.
Last years failings were completely his own making, even when the team was fit and well and with no international windows in sight it was impossible to get the best players on the field at the same time.
People forget when Merrick arrived, he reorganised a lot of stuff behind the scenes and made the approach more professional from the backroom staff. It was not just about the first team and what happened on the field.
People forget when Merrick arrived, he reorganised a lot of stuff behind the scenes and made the approach more professional from the backroom staff. It was not just about the first team and what happened on the field.
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Ricki made the playoffs three times out of 6 seasons - 50% rate. And it's not like he didn't have any off-field dramas to deal with, from having to put together an entire squad from scratch in about three months, to having to deal with Terry's bankruptcy and change of ownership.
I made a point some years ago on this forum that Ricki managed a team in a less competitive league. I think my argument still stands. One of the reasons his time at the helm ended was that he did not have enough football accumen to coach in the evolving league that brought in new players and new foreign coaches at an arguably higher level than before.
My mistake was that I assumed Ernie was a better coach than Ricki at that time. All I can say now is that he was a different coach with different experience, from a more professional club (MV). To succeed at the Nix and to make playoffs regularly probably takes an even better coach, in the second decade of HAL.
While I am cautiously optimistic about our new coaching team, I won't make any predictions this time, at the risk of another egg on my face. However, I am stoked that we have Rado as assistant, as he is a known quantity at A-League level, even more than I am happy about the new head coach (as he is untested in this league). Judging by new signings to date I do not expect a wooden spoon, but a top-four finish depends on performance of other teams as much it depends on our team.
People forget when Merrick arrived, he reorganised a lot of stuff behind the scenes and made the approach more professional from the backroom staff. It was not just about the first team and what happened on the field.
If off-field stuff is done well then it should end up being reflected in results on the field, no?
People forget when Merrick arrived, he reorganised a lot of stuff behind the scenes and made the approach more professional from the backroom staff. It was not just about the first team and what happened on the field.
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