The Wellingtonian interview: Ricki Herbert

Last updated 12:57 07/01/2009

Wellingtonian: So Ricki, where do you call home?
Herbert: I suppose Auckland still. I'm an Aucklander born and bred, but I must say I've loved my time in Wellington. It's been how can I say it? a pleasant surprise.

Wellingtonian: A surprise?
Herbert: Well, up north you hear stories about cold, grey, windy Wellington, but it's not like that. The weather's okay and it's a neat city. It's the sort of environment where people are close. There are a lot of people in the city, not like Auckland, where they tend to stay in the suburbs. Wellington is very embracing.
The events centre here is great and, of course, I've loved Wellingtonians' attitude towards football. The sponsors, the corporate sector and the supporters have all got behind us at the Phoenix, so it's made the whole experience exciting.

Wellingtonian: You had a long career playing for New Zealand. How does coaching rate next to playing?
Herbert: It's very different. As a player, you play for your team-mates, but you mainly care about one person. A coach has the task of managing a whole group at the Phoenix we have 23 players, plus other staff. That's a lot of different personalities to deal with.
As a coach, you're thinking about things 24 hours a day. I love the job and the challenges that go with it, bringing together 23 people into a cohesive team.

Wellingtonian: The life of a coach must be hard. You sit there with your future being decided by a group of young blokes out on the field.
Herbert: There is a bit of that! It comes back to making sure you've done your job well in training, made good plans, explained everyone's role properly. It can be nerve-racking, though.

Wellingtonian: Are you an emotional coach?
Herbert: Not as much as some. I try to be very constructive on the sideline. It goes back to my time as a player, when the odd coach would rant and rave, and offer you nothing as a player. I'd never want to be like that.

Wellingtonian: Do you get very down after a defeat?
Herbert: When you've been around sport for a while, you accept that there will be good days and not such good days. A loss still hits you in the guts. It might take me 48 hours to get over one, but then you have to move on because there's always another game. There's a sort of euphoria when you win, but it doesn't last as long. The reality of getting ready for the next game soon hits home.

Wellingtonian: Supporting the Phoenix is a bit of a roller-coaster. What's it like being the coach?
Herbert: We've had a good season. In our first season, we were six points off fourth place and had only 20 points with five wins. We'd already improved on all those statistics by Christmas this time, with five matches remaining.

Wellingtonian: Yet the crowds haven't been as big.
Herbert: It's been a difficult time for supporters. The economy is not as strong and I suppose people have to weigh up carefully how they spend their money. We certainly feel strong support, though.

Wellingtonian: You're also the coach of New Zealand. Is that as demanding as the Phoenix job?
Herbert: Not really. The New Zealand job is part-time. We had some World Cup qualifiers a while ago, and had to get through those, but then there's nothing until March. When New Zealand are playing, it's very important, but the matches are well-spaced. However, a lot of planning goes into the New Zealand campaigns.

Wellingtonian: Alex Ferguson has been going 22 years at Manchester United. Will you still be at the Phoenix in 2028?
Herbert: Imagine looking that far ahead! I do believe a coach has a used-by date at a club. After that things can go stale. You want it to be fresh. I signed a three-year contract, which is a good start. The Phoenix is a new club, so maybe you need a bit longer than three years to set up things properly, maybe five or six years.

Wellingtonian: You trained horses for a while. Is that still an interest?
Herbert: I'm still interested in the horses. I follow results and races, but I don't have the time to be involved. I don't even get to many meetings now. I enjoyed training horses, but being a football coach is even more satisfying.