Soccer: Adshead denies heads to roll at the Knights

Knights manager John Adshead is getting on with the job. Picture / Herald on Sunday

The rumour mill hit top gear yesterday with suggestions NZ Knights football manager John Adshead would be axed within 48 hours.

It was said the club's financial backer, Brian Katzen, was about "to pull the pin" and commercial manager Richard Howarth had also been sent packing.

Adshead's first reaction on being confronted with the speculation was a simple: "You're joking. It's the first I've heard of it. I have no intention of walking away. If I'm not doing the job and they [the board] want me out that's okay.

"I know exactly where this football club is at and apart from one or two results, I'm happy."

He said that anyone listening to the team's critics would think the Knights had won none, lost five, scored none and conceded 40.

"I wish there were more supporters than critics out there.

"I was told three weeks ago the chairman [Anthony Lee] was ordered to England because Brian Katzen was pulling out.

"That hasn't happened and as far as I'm concerned I'm 100 per cent sure there is no problem with Katzen. Again it is just a case of naughty people trying to trump things up.

"It's farcical. I don't know what the owner and the chairman talk about but what I do know is we have honest players and a happy dressing room.

"It's Hollywood tabloid stuff."

Adshead was at a board meeting yesterday morning and came away with no hint of any impending implosion.

"I'll work my bollocks off for this football club. I feel better now than I did a month ago. Generally, across the board I have no complaints apart from having only three and not six points.

"As far as I'm concerned, there are no off-field problems with the players," said Adshead. "We had a morning at training on Tuesday when the heads were down but they bounced back. You saw their response on Thursday night.

"We have done alright. But it's not good enough."

Adshead was also quick to defend assistant coach Tommy Mason in light of suggestions he was struggling to meet the demands of the role.

"At the end of the day, Tommy Mason will do very well and make a very good head coach," said Adshead.

"In the current situation, nobody other than me is qualified to judge him."

Howarth has gone - to join former North Harbour Stadium chief executive Wayne Scurrah at the Warriors - but with no suggestion from the Knights that he was pushed.

The game against Perth showed a couple of things.

The Knights can compete but that is not enough if possession - which was shared - is not converted into goals.

Some players are struggling - and the Knights are not alone in this - but the public will vote with their feet if they do not start winning.

Canny Perth coach Steve McMahon worked things out for the second half, grabbed a goal and stole three points.

Goalkeeper Glen Moss, the only New Zealand-eligible player in the starting line-up, made a good fist of his chance, putting pressure on Adshead to stick with him, as did Japanese midfielder Naoki Imaya, who impressed in his debut outing off the bench.