Erceg slams Heraf’s approach

The most-capped Football Fern has delivered a strong rebuke of coach Andreas Heraf’s mindset.

Heraf has come under heavy criticism following his team’s 3-1 loss to Japan in Wellington on Sunday, after saying they adopted an ultra-defensive approach, as they ‘‘could have lost 8-0’’ had they been more positive, playing a team they ‘‘will never have [the] quality to compete with’’.

Abby Erceg won 132 caps during her 12-year international career, but retired last month. At the time she felt unable to comment as to why, but yesterday, she did so while joining the chorus dismayed by Heraf’s mindset.

‘‘You can see how I couldn’t stand to wear that fern on my chest any more when his vision was to cower in a corner and not get beat by too much.

‘‘I don’t work my butt off to get to Olympics or World Cups to not get beat by too much.’’

Erceg said she had seen Heraf’s post-match comments, which suggested he didn’t have faith in the quality of the players at his disposal, as well as the reaction to them from all corners of the New Zealand football community.

‘‘I think Andreas’ character and mindset is already on show, and will only continue to be put out there as he spends more time in charge.

‘‘If people are up in arms already then that speaks volumes, I think. I think his comments in the media also show his delusional state of mind regarding the ability of the players and he will take two steps back for every step we’ve taken forward in the past eight years.’’

In his post-match press conference, Heraf was asked if his wasn’t ‘‘quite a negative mindset to start from’’ and replied ‘‘What would you prefer’’?

The journalist suggested they ‘‘try and play some football,’’ to which Heraf replied: ‘‘And losing

8-0’’?

‘‘When have they lost 8-0?’’ was the journalist’s response, and Heraf said: ‘‘No, but you could lose

8-0 against a team like they are. It’s not a negative mindset, it’s a smart one.’’

Before Sunday, the Football Ferns had played Japan six times in the past decade, managing two draws and four losses, all of them by a single goal. One draw came at the 2008 Olympics and one loss at the 2011 World Cup.

Under previous coaches John Herdman and Tony Readings, who resigned last November, the Ferns were rarely, if ever, as defensive as they were on Sunday, even against teams stronger than Japan.

Heraf later asked media: ‘‘Could you imagine how negative the mindset would be if we lost 6-1 for example’’?

‘‘We were working on not conceding too many goals and I think, to be honest, conceding three goals against Japan is OK. I don’t like it, because I want to play to nil, but Abby Erceg

we conceded three goals, but if you’re honest we could concede five, six, seven or eight, and then it would be really interesting what you would tell me here if we conceded six, seven or eight.’’

While Japan, ranked 11th in the world, are stronger than the Football Ferns, ranked 20th, the gulf between the two is not as big as Heraf was keen to suggest, especially at a time when the country’s playing stocks have never been stronger. In addition to coaching the Football Ferns, Heraf is also New Zealand Football’s technical director, charged with overseeing the development of the game in the country.

A request has been made to NZ Football for an interview with him as to how his approach against Japan can be reconciled with that role, as it goes against everything young players have been taught over the past seven years.

A request to interview NZ Football chief Andy Martin was unable to be fulfilled, as he is in Russia attending Fifa’s annual congress.

NEGATIVE THINKING P35