Football Ferns

theprof

Doloras

Looks like it might have been (at least partly) a player revolt after all

Leaked letter to Football Ferns players reveals a ‘restorative process’ is underway weeks out from Olympics

Not surprised, as mrsmiis says this whole thing has been shambolic and simply embarrassing. Not just from the managerial side but from the players as well. Just a gross lack of professionalism from all parties. NZF for hiring someone who is clearly out of their depth for such a long time, which has lead to a continuation of a pretty shark environment by all accounts but also the senior players again showing their disrespect for the country they are supposed to be representing - why did this have to be so public? Surely everyone could have just got on with the job at had an in-house review at the end of it all where it all gets aired and sorted. Having a manager/coach leave in the middle of scheduled games is a terrible look.

Although.......if the senior players were an issue, wouldn't the coach just not select them? That's what I would do? 

(to be fair, I think that the senior Ferns must be a bolshie lot, as this theme seems to come up a lot regardless of the manager, but I can't marry that up with they are being constantly selected. If someone's a pain, don't pick them)

Problem is as yet the Ferns don't have enough depth to just go drop all the older heads, and replace them with kids.

The Nix ALW team is helping change that. See the emergence of Fraser, Clegg, Taylor, Foster, Barry, Wisnewski etc. And a 2nd NZ ALW team with AFC will accelerate that further

We are just guessing as to what the issue(s) with Klimkova are. Though does sound like it's another split within the squad situation. As it was with controversial Heraf - some of players actually supported him.

If it is older age 30+ players (Wilkinson, Stott, Ali Riley, Esson etc age group) who are mostly the dissenters, then you just get through this next 6 weeks. Post Olympics tell them is perhaps best they retire, because they are no longer part of the planning in the leadup to the 2028 WWC, as start focussing on younger players.

If the problem is also/more that 25-30 year age group (Bowen, Moore, Bott, Steinmetz, Cleverley, Hand) - then that is a big problem as this is your experienced quality core that takes you through to 2028. In this instance you'd have to look to exit out Klimkova.

I don't see the younger (sub age 25) brigade as being unhappy with Jitka, as she has given them all their debuts. She seems to promote youth. I maybe wrong, but I see them as mostly being happy with the Ferns coach.

And then if the unhappy players are spread all across the different age groups, again NZF need to replace the Czech. Signing her to a 6 year deal was very odd.

Edit - wonder if Bott is a dissenter. Was very odd a few windows back when she was dropped from the Ferns. Klimkova made it clear she was dropped, not 'rested'. She was one of the better players at the WWC, and is a regular starter in one of best women's football leagues in the world. But her form for the Ferns post WWC seems to have been disappointing.

Total speculation and trying to read between the lines. 
Sounds like NZF are trying to implement a new culture, maybe upping the level of professionalism (which many on this forum have been kind of advocating, although often through neg comments). But are meeting some resistance from the playing group or individuals.
Which would be surprising as all the team are in professional club environments now, so you would expect the same at national level.
But as I have mentioned in previous posts. What works for men professionally might not necessarily work the same for women. Although having a female coach you would think helps with the process of delivery to the team.  (in stark contrast to Heraf who was both male and from a foreign culture).
Or maybe the gripe is between NZF and Klimkova about how they go with implementing a cultural changes with-in the team. And some players are backing Klimkova over NZF.
Like I said total speculation.

Yeah I don't really think you can criticise NZF too much for the way they are trying to handle this. Klimkova stood herself down, so NZF had to come out and explain her absence fror the Japanese games in Spain.

Then they conduct an investigation which for now should yes be behind closed doors. That gives all parties the freedom to honestly air their views, as happens in any similar professional employment investigation. If a player leaks Pragnell's letter to RNZ, that reflects more on that player than NZF.

Where NZF have fudgeed up is yes giving a basically unknown foreign coach to NZ, a 6 year deal. That wasn't smart, for an organisation that doesn't have spare cash to throw around on early contract termination payouts.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350317361/leaked-letter-football-ferns-players-reveals-restorative-process-underway-weeks-out

In his letter to the Ferns squad, Pragnell did not give players any further insight into the findings of the (Klimkova) investigation.

"As you will appreciate, the terms of this process are strictly bound by confidentiality agreements that, if breached, would have significant implications for the parties concerned.

"Consequently, there is not a lot that can be reported further at this stage, however NZF has treated this matter very seriously, undertaken independent expertise to investigate a complaint and followed legal advice and due process with [NZ Professional Footballers' Association] support along the way."

NZPFA general manager Jacob Spoonley declined to comment on the investigation.

Maybe less speculation about the players and more on how poor Klimkova and NZF have been?