Greenie & The Welly Nix, Take Three
After Darije Kalezic did that thing last week where he decided he didn’t wanna coach the team anymore, the Wellington Phoenix did another thing this week and decided that there’s no reason he oughta see out the rest of the season then. The right thing to do from the team’s perspective, which means that Chris Greenacre – for the third time – gets to be the gaffer in the interim.
Wants to bring the fun back, aye? Well that only adds to the feelings that the playing staff and the coaching staff were singing from different hymn books. Kalezic seemed to ask things in the extreme and the more you ask players to buy in, the more you need to connect with them because as soon as that connection goes, so does everything else. And if you’ve ever played Football Manager for any length of time then you know that once you lose the dressing room it’s gone. You ain’t gonna win it back.
So shout outs to Greenie (minus Buck, this time). There have been three full-time managers in the Wellington Phoenix’s history and he’s served as the immediate short-term replacement for each of them. Ricki Herbert, Ernie Merrick and now Darije Kalezic. Greenie knows the gig. It’s not about making any drastic tactical changes so much as just loosening it all up, hitting the reset button. The Nix have six games remaining in their season and are only three points off ninth on the ladder. Get the lads enjoying their football again and they might even get to avoid the wooden spoon memes.
Last week’s thing made it clear where I stand on the new manager. Team Ramon, all the way. Only problem is that the UEFA Pro Licence he needs (under A-League rules) doesn’t exist. There was talk that he was set to have it within a couple months but dunno where that’s at right now. He has an equivalent qualification to the A Licence (the step below the Pro, which you need before you can go Pro), which he obtained in 2015 from a private Spanish group but UEFA doesn’t recognise it on their ladder so he’s kinda buggered there. Although he did say that the Brisbane Roar job he interviewed for a few years back fell through because they decided on someone else, not because of his badges.
Team Ramon may need to chill for a second then. Hiring a boring Australian like Aurelio Vidmar would at least be good politics with the FFA. He’d probably do a good job too, it’s just a shame if the far and away most successful dude in the Premiership can’t get that upwards promotion… even if it is partly his fault. But first things first is a spot of Greenie to steady the ship anyway. The eternal caretaker. Hanging in the bathroom with Delbert Grady taking hints every time the Nix lose a couple games. He’s always been there. He’s always been the caretaker.
And, damn, the bugger’s only gone and swung the axe! Both Andrija Kaludjerovic and Monty Patterson have been dropped from the squad to play Western Sydney. The Python has been battling a stomach bug that cost him a few training sessions which is why he’s out. He hasn’t had a huge amount of opportunities to show what he can do yet as he tries to earn that full transfer so he might benefit from a run with the reserves in the Premmy should he feel up to it, if only to get some minutes in his legs. He’d tear it up at that level.
As for Kaludjerovic, well the joker shoulda been dropped weeks ago with how he’s been playing. He’s actually not a completely dissimilar player to what Greenacre was back in the day which adds another wrinkle to this. The Nix website suggests that Kalu’s been “given a week off to freshen up”. Which is very nice of them to say so. Very diplomatic. Going by what Greenacre did last season with Des Buckingham he probably wants to revert to a simpler attacking shape with Nathan Burns and Roy Krishna playing as a duo up front where they can interact more. Not a bad idea either.
He’s also left Keegan Smith with the reserves (presumably) with Lewis Italiano back in the main squad. On top of that he’s taken Adam Parkhouse, Alex Rufer, Logan Rogerson and Liberato Cacace from the ressies which means that they’ll probably get thrashed 6-0 by Tasman this weekend without half their damn team but all goods. At least they’re promoting academy players.
It’s a squad of 18 been named so expect a couple of the youngsters to miss the cut. What’ll be interesting to watch for is how guys like Mike McGlinchey and Marco Rossi go, if they play, given how bad they were under Kalezic. You’d imagine Greenacre sticks with Fox and Durante at the back though. Also if Kaludjerovic, who was untouchable under the last boss to where he even played half a game too injured to jump because Darije didn’t wanna replace him, is vulnerable then you wonder about Matija Ljujic and Goran Paracki as well. Would imagine Sarpreet Singh and Matt Ridenton retain their places so something’s got to give and who honestly thinks those other two will be back next season?
Who thinks half this team will be back next season? We were already facing a potential exodus given all the off-contract players out there and now without a proper manager that situation only gets murkier. They started this season by re-signing players that Kalezic never really wanted and you’d like to be able to lean from that lesson but… here we go again. Best just to focus on this weekend’s game in isolation and if you can’t find the positives then just watch the rugby instead.
Anytime you read something you rate on TNC, just jam an ad to show your appreciation.