New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert has defended his tactics in the All Whites' 5-1 humiliation in Mexico, amid calls for him to step down after eight years in charge.
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Herbert has come under fire for negative tactics and selecting aged players for the loss in the first leg of the World Cup qualifier, which has left New Zealand with virtually no chance of progressing to Rio next year.
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But the 52-year-old put the blame for the result on uncharacteristically poor defensive performances from his players and indicated he was not willing to go quietly.
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In post-match remarks to New Zealand media published Friday, Herbert suggested there was no one capable of replacing him when asked whether he wanted to stay after the second leg in Wellington next week.
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"Don't know yet, is there anybody better?" said the coach, whose contract officially ends when the All Whites' World Cup campaign draws to a close. Herbert took over the All Whites in 2005 and for most of his tenure also coached the Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand's only professional football club.
The coach has to be sacked once and for also. He hasn't brought teams to table.