STEVE OGIER is considering stepping down after Guernsey’s defeat in Monday’s Muratti. ‘It’s up to the board, but when you think about it, five years is a long time to be in charge,’ said the island boss.
‘I’ve got to take stock. At the moment it’s the day after a disappointing day and I’m gutted. The game is still fresh in my mind and you’re analysing your own performance – could I have done anything different? I’m going to step back and ask, do I want to carry on?
‘I always thought to myself that it would be a five-year term. It’s maybe out of my hands as far as I’m concerned. I’m going to sit down and have a chat with Tony [Vance, assistant coach].’
By his own admission, Ogier (pictured) has not been successful in terms of the big game of the year, winning only one Muratti since taking over in 2003.
‘It’s not the best record in the world – I’ve lost four and won one,’ he said.
‘To be fair in these games – I got the first one wrong when we lost 3-1 in Jersey, but the last two could have gone either way. Maybe it’s better to be a lucky manager than a good one.
‘You’ve got to look at the bigger picture. Have the players improved over the last five years?
‘Some have fallen by the wayside but I think there have been players who have improved.’
Ogier has also come under criticism from some quarters for the side he picked in Monday’s defeat at Springfield.
The two decisions that raised eyebrows was picking young Sylvans player Piers Ockleford in the centre of midfield alongside Scott Bradford and leaving out last year’s player of the year North striker Simon Tostevin.
Instead of Tostevin, he had Dom Heaume and Ross Allen up front.
‘I picked a side that I thought can do a job,’ said Ogier.
‘It’s my opinion and it stops with me. I thought, who is the best left back, who is the best centre back [and so on] and who to me are the best central midfielders?, and it was Piers Ockleford and Scott Bradford.
‘I think they complement each other quite well. I don’t know who else I could have picked in the centre of midfield.
‘With Tostie [Tostevin], I thought that Dom is a better footballer and he would have more of an impact coming off the bench and Ross gave us the pace we needed.’
But Ogier admitted that his plans had not come together as he wanted them to.
‘It didn’t work,’ he said.
‘By their own admission, they didn’t have a good game on the ball, but we didn’t lose the game because they didn’t perform that well.’
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Ogier also admitted that penalty shootouts were a problem for his team.
They once won the Muratti on penalties in 2005, but apart from that year they have been woeful in Ogier’s tenure.
They lost Monday’s match 4-2 on spot-kicks when the match ended 1-1 after extra time.
Jersey also won last year’s fixture on penalties and the island side have twice been knocked out of the FA National League System Cup on them.
But Ogier says it is impossible to practise penalties and recreate the pressure that they will be taken in.
‘It’s a recurring problem but how do you practise players in an environment like that after 120 minutes of football with a crowd of people?’ said Ogier.
‘How do you replicate that? You just hope they can stand up and do the right thing.’
Article posted on 7th May, 2008 - 2.30pm
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