[ad_1]
Coach Natalie Lawrence issued a plea to the club to invest in her and her young squad after Wellington Phoenix fought back from two goals down to secure a last-gasp 2-2 draw at home to Melbourne Victory in their final game of the A-League Women season.
The Phoenix finished last for the second year in a row, but showed clear signs of improvement during the second half of Lawrence’s tenure.
A resounding 5-0 win at home to Canberra United and a gutsy 1-0 win away to eventual winners Sydney FC were the two clear highlights from a season where they registered three wins, four draws and 11 losses to almost double their points tally from the previous year.
Despite collecting the wooden spoon, Lawrence was adamant there were strong foundations to build on should she be retained and given a proper pre-season, having stepped in at short notice to replace first-year Gemma Lewis.
Lawrence served as Lewis’s assistant during their inaugural season.
“The club will make whatever decision they come to. They know where I stand. Ultimately it is up to them, but I know us as a staff can take this team, with time, to the level we want to reach. I feel really confident in that,” Lawrence said.
So what changed?
On Friday afternoon, less than five weeks after stating her desire to remain at the helm of New Zealand’s only professional women’s football team, the Phoenix announced that Lawrence had decided not to seek re-employment following the completion of a post-season review.
In a statement, director of football Shaun Gill said: “Nat has played a major role in establishing the first professional women’s football team in Aotearoa, initially as an assistant and then as head coach.
“She has also helped develop players who will undoubtedly be Football Ferns for years to come.
“Naturally we are disappointed Nat has decided not to seek reappointment, but we respect her decision and wish her all the best for the future.”
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Natalie Lawrence has stepped down as Phoenix women’s coach.
Lawrence insisted she did not walk before she was pushed and said there “wasn’t really any indication either way” whether the Phoenix wanted to retain her before she decided to leave on her own accord.
“There was an acknowledgement that there was progression within the team but also an acknowledgement that it’s professional football and finishing bottom of the table for the second year in a row wasn’t the desired outcome,” Lawrence said.
“It’s a little bit balanced in that respect that it wasn’t just a set in stone decision whether I was going to get the role or not. It was more about me and where I see myself going and what I want to achieve.”
Ultimately, she decided it was time for a change after a hectic couple of seasons with the Phoenix; first as an assistant under Lewis when the team was based in Wollongong and then as a head coach in Wellington.
“After the season, I was in Belgium and got a bit of time at home with the family and you get a bit of time to reflect on the last couple of years,” she added.
“It’s been a busy few years with the [Under-20] World Cup and the Phoenix season in Wollongong and another Phoenix season, and now back doing stuff with the Ferns.
“You kinda get time to reflect on how it takes a bit of a toll on you also and it became apparent when I was going through the review process that it just wasn’t the right thing for me to do any more.
“That was a really hard and confronting decision to have to make and one that took time and took a lot of me looking at myself and what I needed in the next little while in order to continue with the game and continue developing myself, but also being fresh and going through the review process, it was tough but it just was the right time for me to look for something a bit different.”
So what is next for Lawrence, and the Phoenix?
Lawrence has landed a short-term role with New Zealand Football that will see her assist the Football Ferns in the lead-up to and during the Women’s World Cup.
Lawrence will work as an opposition scout, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of their group A opponents Norway, Switzerland and Philippines.
She said that role would buy her some time as she weighed up her future.
However, she was keen to stay in New Zealand and said would become the Phoenix’s No 1 fan.
“I’ve had a whirlwind over the past eight years where I’ve developed and had some amazing opportunities and I’m about to embark on another one with the Ferns at the World Cup.
“I love New Zealand. New Zealand is my home. Opportunities here would be great but I’ve also moved a lot so it’s something I’ll figure out as the months go by, but right now my focus is on helping the Ferns as much as I can on getting out of this group.”
The Phoenix, meanwhile, have moved quickly to replace Lawrence and have confirmed the new coach will be announced in the coming days.
Phoenix academy director Paul Temple looms as an early frontrunner. Temple coached New Zealand at the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Under-17 Women’s World Cup tournaments and has worked with a lot of the players in his current role with the Phoenix.
[ad_2]