Q & A: John Adshead

John Adshead plans to take a holiday before deciding on his next move. Picture / Martin Sykes

Q. What was the best single moment for you in football?

A. In all honesty there were two - Grant Turner's goal in Sydney [in 1981 to put the All Whites up 2-0 over Australia] and Wynton Rufer's in Singapore [1982, to put NZ up by the same score against China on their way to a 2-1 victory].

Q. And the worst?

A. Probably close to now - leaving the game the way I have. Never had a season like that. I have had 38 years in the game. Of those 36 have been very good, one very bad and one (when coaching Manurewa) mediocre.

Q.Was Kevin Fallon the best [assistant] coach you worked with?

A. Yes.

Q. Was Tommy Mason really your preferred choice as your assistant at the Knights?

A. He was. When I looked at the situation and the time factor and realised we were three or four months behind the Australians, I analysed it and felt he was the one.

Q. Was there any pressure on you to sign Kris Bright and Sam Jasper given their family ties to the club?

A. None whatsoever. It was done in conjunction with Ricki Herbert. We wanted to get three or four apprentices on board.

Q. In hindsight, should there have been more players like Jeremy Brockie, Jeremy Christie and Glenn Moss at the Knights?

A. Certainly more players like them would not have done us any harm but given the situation you weren't prepared to take the gamble. Maybe we should have.

Q. Why did they leave?

A. I don't know. I'm bewildered.

Q. Why did Ronnie Bull and Simon Yeo leave?

A. Finance. They would have stayed if I had pressured them but they weren't happy at having to juggle their financial worries in trying to live here and keep houses in England.

Q. Why was Yeo so disliked by his teammates?

A. I don't really know although I know he was not popular because he was constantly niggling about money. They [Yeo and Bull] were both asking for more money.

Q. Are Anthony Lee, Steve O'Hara and Alan Yates the best people to be running the club?

A. I think the chairman [Lee] has the best feel for the club - his heart and not just his wallet are there. He would do anything for the club. O'Hara has done a fantastic job given the position he and the club are in.

Q. Why did the Knights sign players who were obviously past their best?

A. A mixture of things. We wanted to sign players who we felt would get us through the first two years. I thought players like Yeo, Maguire, Bazeley and Bull would be - on what I had seen in three or four years of the old NSL in Perth - good enough for the A-League. We quickly found out there was nothing ordinary about the A-League and it was more than just a step up from the NSL.

Q. Given the realisation that you had under-estimated the strength of the A-League, would it not have been better to look to Australia to bring in a replacement for Mason for the second season rather than Paul Nevin who had spent most of his footballing life in the UK?

A. That decision started and finished with me. When Tommy was dismissed, I looked everywhere and found Paul Nevin was here.

Q. How much say did you have in the signing of Danny Hay, Danny Milosevic, Noah Hickey and Darren Bazeley to long-term contracts?

A. None. They were signed before I came on board.

Q. What is the benefit in Chris Turner going public on his reasons for quitting the Knights board?

A. I have no opinion. There is freedom of speech at the club. I certainly never thought about any implications it might have had on trying to qualify for the World Club Championship.

Q. What was the real story behind Danny Hay's departure?

A. It was all tied up in the settlement of his contract. I'm not au fait with all the details. It was done through the lawyers. He had an issue with the management of the club. I would be surprised if it was me. As captain, he brought me his concerns. I was supportive.

Q. And [former chief executive] Guy Hedderwick?

A. I was staggered. I had no idea what was going on. But this what not my department, I would not have expected to be told these things.

Q. And [former club administrator] Robin Gardner?

A. Again, I had no idea. I was staggered when she told me she was leaving. She was a bit of fixture at the club.

Q. Should New Zealand Soccer have any connection with the Knights?

A. I always felt there should be an umbilical cord between the club and the national body. Ricki Herbert and I would talk about once a month. He supplied me with the information I wanted on certain players.

Q. Was there ever any suggestion that Herbert should take your role or the head coach position with the Knights?

A. No. I spoke to the chairman and Graham Seatter back in January saying it was logical, given the number of All Whites likely to be in the squad and with the apprentice scheme we had planned, that Ricki should have some involvement. In no way did I see him as part of the team's coaching staff. It would not do anyone any good to have the national coach associated with a team that was not doing well.

Q. At the time you decided to resign were you aware of any pressure from the FFA?

A. No. That came two or three days later in discussions with the chairman who said Brian Katzen had been on the phone and said there was some pressure being applied. But nothing directed specifically at me. I have never spoken to Matt Carroll or anyone from the FFA.

Q. Is this the end of John Adshead's involvement with football?

A. Hopefully, although I do hold an instructor's licence with the Asian Football Confederation and might get to take a course there.

Q. What now for John Adshead?

A. I'll be sitting down with [wife] Pauline and looking at things. There are a lot of decisions to be made. We have to consider [13-year-old son] Blair's schooling. We might stay in Takapuna but we are not ruling out going to Mt Maunganui. I have enjoyed my time on the Shore. I like it a lot. We are definitely taking a couple of holidays including a trip to the South Island.

Q. Can the Knights turn it around and make the [top five] play-offs in season two?

A. I'm convinced they can but they will have to get quality players on board. Some of the players they have signed look to be quality.

Q. Will you watch?

A. Of course.