The People vs Andreas Heraf: Let The Independent Investigation Begin!
Having written pretty substantially about the exploits of NZ Football over the last few years, it was never likely that their press conference was going to offer any dramatic conclusions. Full credit to President Deryck Shaw and CEO Andy Martin for fronting up and answering some Qs but it’s not like they came armed with bombshells to drop. The main point of the presser was leaked beforehand anyway.
That main point being that Andreas Heraf has been placed on “special leave” pending an independent investigation in light of the 13 letters of complaint that have been filed by Football Ferns players against his conduct as coach. From both positions too, so if you’re looking to sneak a pass to a midfielder any time soon then now’s your chance.
There’s a process that needs to be followed with the investigation which kinda prohibited Shaw and Martin from saying much about any future decisions. Unfortunately that means we’ll have to wait before Andreas Heraf gets his bugger off notice but at least this way an independent (stress on the word independent) investigation will be able to point out exactly what went wrong so that the same mistakes aren’t committed with the next coach.
It’s definitely jumping to conclusions to assume that Heraf is as good as gone already but then how the hell can he possibly stay after this? There was already an exceedingly long list of complaints and that list was made longer when Andy Martin revealed that there were 13 individual players who filed concerns with the PFA after the Japan game – which is more than half the squad! – as well as confirmation that the PFA had dropped a line to NZ Football requesting its staff cease contacting players in the team. Gotta keep it all above board now that the official procedures are imminent.
But even aside from that, we don’t have all that much depth in Aotearoa when it comes to football, so when 13 players are threatening to never play for this manager again, as well as the nation’s most capped player of all time having already retired, then you simply cannot justify keeping this manager on. There’s no other suitable solution here, anything less is utter sabotage of our national team. Of course, it’s up to the independent review to determine that…
What’s blatantly clear now is that Heraf should never have been allowed to coach a team while already serving as technical director. The story about Claire Hamilton’s criticism of the culture when she resigned as team manager well and truly proved that. They shrugged off the warning at the end of her exit report but apparently there was nothing worth acting upon in her report from the tour to Spain. That report, by the way, was not a separate document but simply her contribution to the tour report which is a routine bit of paperwork after every tour. A routine report… overseen by the technical director. A technical director who is also the coach.
So not only is the bloke accountable to himself, which is an obvious misdistribution of power, but he’s also sitting right in the middle of the process which is supposed to balance out his power, which is also a conflict of interest. There’s no two ways about it. This is why FIFA advise against this exact thing (advise, because despite what some people have said it’s not a rule or regulation, just a suggestion). It’s inconceivable that this could continue. Again, wait on that independent review.
There wasn’t much said at all (mostly because nobody asked) about the actual substance of the complaints but Martin did suggest that he saw initially saw the squad unrest as, wait for this… a result of confusion over role clarity and responsibilities under a “change programme” which was supposed to improve performances. At least that was the reason given for not taking action over Erceg’s retirement in the wake of the Spain tour (we’ll not dwell on the logic that losing your best defender actually makes it harder to improve performances…).
A “change programme”? Translated into non-corporate English, the Football Ferns had underachieved at major tournaments. That had affected their funding. NZF set about trying to get better results by reshuffling the way the team operates, stressing a bigger impetus on professionalism and all that. Heraf would have been a part of that conversation as the tech direc and then he took over as gaffer and became the main man for implementing it.
That’s all fair (up until the Heraf stuff). The Ferns have underachieved. They are capable of winning games at World Cups. This fact is in contrast to Deryck Shaw suggesting the opposite when trying to iron over the stuff about Heraf’s “8-0” comments by suggesting that he should have amended them with the words: “right now”… but ignore that, Heraf’s comments don’t even matter anymore. We’re in so much deeper in than that now.
Although… slight concerns about the language that’s been used here by the two men in suits. Deryck Shaw’s initial statement, released in advance of the presser, began: “We are very disappointed to be in a position where some of the players from within the Football Ferns have felt the need to formally lodge a complaint with NZ Football…” while Andy Martin began by saying: “Very disappointed to get so many comments through. Reading them all it’s sad to see those sort of comments coming from anybody, but any of our employees…”
Both go on to say proper things about player welfare and protecting people and all that, but both also began on notes that sound suspiciously like they’re sad and disappointed not so much in the substances of the allegations but in the fact that they now have to deal with them. It’s a small matter in the scope of all this but any players watching this probably didn’t feel especially supported by their governing body, just saying.
Same goes for Martin suggesting that previous accusations about the culture of the team under Heraf were simply “isolated incidents”. It was an isolated incident when the former team manager expressed concerns? When the former captain went back into retirement? When an unnamed player was prepared to go on the record with complaints but was intimidated out of that by provisions in the new CBA? Yes, these are all isolated incidents. Just like the 13 isolated incidents of players sending letters of complaint about the same culture. This is not a conspiracy, that’s not how these things work. Having more than half of a squad refuse to partake in further tours under this manager is not something that happens for giggles.
Think about that for a second. 13 players going to drastic measures. They didn’t have to do that, the natural inclination in those situations is to be amenable, especially when it means sacrificing playing for your country. Abby Erceg’s own pioneering courage would have made it easier but remember the fines for speaking out against NZF. Not to mention the power that Heraf holds. It’s incredibly difficult and commendable to break those shackles.
And this, most stunningly of all, is coming after only three tours away with the team (possibly two, depending on how much influence Heraf had as caretaker boss in Thailand). Ever had a bad coach at club footy? It takes a lot longer than a few weeks to realise you need to do something about it and even then most people just grumpily put up with it. That’s how catastrophic this must have been.
Yes, the Football Ferns needed more pressure on them to succeed. They’re a competitive team so of course that’s the case. They wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s not the problem though, the problem is how that change has been implemented. The most vocal anti-Heraf-er so far has been Abby Erceg who plays for the best team in the American NWSL. Nobody knows what it takes to win more than Abby Erceg so don’t go assuming that this was about the team having trouble with adjusting to increased expectations, like Martin implied. You can guarantee that plenty of that baker’s dozen of letter-writers are professional players too, players who know how this environment is supposed to work.
Right then, what else is there? Okay how about Andy Martin basically admitting that giving Heraf the Ferns gig was largely influenced by the fact that he was cheap? Typical NZF. The plan was apparently to get Gareth Turnbull qualified and for him to takeover down the track, which is nice, though you wonder if he’ll get implicated in anything when the review comes back given that he’s been assistant manager for all of this. Hope not though, Turnbull’s always seemed like a switched on, positive kind of guy.
Or then Martin’s chat near the start in trying to undermine the 13 letters by saying there were also five or so from players with positive stuff to say… which he later (possibly accidentally) implied had nothing to do with the coach but were just from players who were grateful for the opportunity to have played in Wellington in from of a record crowd. Which everyone should be grateful for. NZF have done plenty of wonderful stuff since Andy Martin took over and it’s no conflict to admit it… it’d just be nice if the ratio was skewered further towards the wonderful and less towards the other junk.
At this point if Andy Martin was to find himself out of a job at NZF then not too many fans would be sad to see him go. He probably won’t though, Andy Martin isn’t responsible for Andreas Heraf’s behaviour. But he’d better at least be under some pressure and not only him, lest he become a scapegoat, because that whole NZ Football organisation needs to be held accountable. For the dual employment of Andreas Heraf and also the implementation of a “change programme” which has clearly been too much of a drastic shift.
Also, the lack of transparency during this entire saga has been very characteristic for this organisation (even if their lack of transparency has ironically made it obvious that they were trying to hide something, like a guilty teenager slamming the laptop closed and snatching up the bedsheets when somebody walks into their room at night) but if it turns out they knew more than they were letting on - and honestly how could they not have? - then there are three very big red flags right there.
However Andy Martin did say something very pertinent near the end of the press conference. He said that football in this country is experiencing record numbers of player and coaching participation. That happens to be the case, Mr Martin, thanks to so many more girls and women getting involved in the beautiful game in Aotearoa.
Therefore what NZF have here is an opportunity. An opportunity to reinforce their commitment to the whole of football in Aotearoa and not just the top male players… but we’ll just have to wait for that review to come back first.
Phew, now if you’ll kindly slap an ad for your mates at TNC then that’ll be sweet
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