2014 Friendly Discussion - China & Thailand in Nov

Squad is on the NZ Football website already

Tommy Smith back in.

no Moss...

Goalkeepers

Jacob Gleeson - 6/0, Portland Timbers/USA
Oliver Sail 0/0, Wellington Phoenix/NZ

Defenders

Michael Boxall – 9/0, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
Thomas Doyle – 1/0, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
Jesse Edge – 0/0, Vicenza Calcio/ITA
Louis Fenton – 1/0, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
James Musa – 1/0, Team Wellington/NZ
Winston Reid (capt) – 18/1, West Ham Utd/ENG
Storm Roux – 4/0, Central Coast Mariners/AUS
Tommy Smith -27/2, Ispwich Town FC/ENG

Midfielders

Cameron Howieson – 9/0, Burnley FC/ENG
Dan Keat – 5/0, Falkenbergs FF/SWE
Michael McGlinchey – 28/3, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
Tim Payne – 11/2, Auckland City FC/NZ
Bill Tuiloma – 5/0, Olympique Marseille/FRA
Ryan Thomas – 2/0, PEC Zwolle/HOL

Forwards

Kosta Barbarouses – 26/2, Melbourne Victory/AUS
Tyler Boyd – 3/0, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
Jeremy Brockie – 44/1, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
Marco Rojas -18/1, SpVgg Greuther Furth/GER
Joel Stevens – 1/0, Wellington Phoenix/NZ
Chris Wood – 35/12, Leicester City FC/ENG

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3217&tx_ttnews[backPid]=10&cHash=f2e4e7fbb6

Very surprised that Glen Moss isn't there. Although I rate the Jake Gleeson return.

Neil Emblen gone too.

Bit harsh on Spoonley/Williams but I guess Hudson is looking at younger keepers. Jesse Edge is an interesting pick.

Also, Fenton back in, Durante out.

Probably a few right calls for the future.

Clearly trying to build the base, so good to see trying other options.

To be expected with a new coach who probably doesn't have a big travel budget to go and see everyone at their clubs that he would like. 

he's a great guy but it is a relief to see Durante out. very surprised by Moss out and Smith back in.......Kosta is the form player of the moment, kosta and ryan could be deadly in combination

Sorry for my ignorance, but who is Oliver Sail?

Edit - Ignore that.  Did some research

I do love that song

Don't think there is much to read into about Moss. Clearly the number one. Important for us to establish who is #2. Which it appears there are a number of similar calibre options.

I thought Spoonley would be the top of that chain.  He is also not old, so am surprised he isn't in there. 

Mossy will be the number 1 still at the next world cup, he is only 31 which is still a prime age for a keeper, but 2ndBest knows all about that

Does this mean he has convinced Smith to come back already?

Bodes pretty well if so.

I think he has probably done the Phoenix a favour as a nod as well - not taking Durante and Moss. It mean most likely Caira, Cunningham and Krishna come in for Toyle, McGlinchey and Brockie. He has not completely gutted them and left them vulnerable.

No Chris James as well. The only other one to find out about is Craig Henderson I guess.

Tommy Smith I still have no love for and this smack of 'wah my club ain't picking me anymore' Just completely two faced.

As for Spoonley, that is a surprise but again, there could be valid reasons for that.

The shuffling aside of Emblen is very much a surprise. I don't think anyone saw that coming. That was NZFs local succession plan tossed back in their face.

No Chris James? Thought he's been probably our best midfielder in the last few games. 

One for the spelling / grammar pedants.

From the NZF Article ... "Alex has good experience and compliments me. ..."

I guess this means he goes around saying "Good tactics boss, nice drill. Oh, by the way, nice top you're wearing today" etc.

Couldn't resist.

Time is clearly faster in Ipswich than the rest of the world. A year can seem like weeks there.

He does clearly state this is about building a bigger base of players so people like James, Moss, Durante, Spoonley are not finished

I wonder:

Ben Sigmund retires, Tommy Smith is available.........

Frenemies?

I know people have been banging on about this. But why would Musa get picked over Eager?

This is a good squad if Hudson is just trying things out but a bad squad if Hudson actually thinks this is the best squad he can muster.

So Smith can't get a game anywhere then remembers the small island nation that let him go to the World Cup?

I wonder:

Neil Emblen axed, Tommy Smith is available.........

Frenemies?

I am genuinely surprised that if he is going to look at young keepers he hasn't called up Scott Basalaj

or Max at oxford for that matter.....

Where is moss???

Guess it's hardly any point in taking more than two. Gleeson just did win the US 2nd division title.

I wonder:

Moss axed, Tommy Smith is available

Frenemies?

Moss was pretty critical of Smith's "retirement"

He plays when he wants, he plays when he waaaants

Tommy Smith from Ipswich

He plays when he wants

John Adshead tried several players old and young in the couple of years before settling on his 1981-82 All Whites side.

He kept some like Herbert and Grant Turner and discarded others like veteran prolific national league striker Keith Nelson (played for NZ again after the Adshead era - and still has a dental practice in Auckland) and 1979 national league top-scorer and 1978 Dutch Youth Cup winner (Feyenoord) Johan Verweij from Christchurch.

Adshead's side played a lot of friendlies (and even a disastrous Oceania Nations Cup where they lost every game -  but there was no reward for winning the thing as there is now).

Hopefully Hudson will continue to cast the net wide and consider people like Basalaj, Crocombe, Spoonley, Williams in goal, and Henderson from Norway if he gets fit again. 

You guys are missing an angle here.

The Nix and NZF are new besties.

Phoenix play during that window.

Moss and Durante left out.

I'll give you good odds that's a deal struck behind closed doors to not weaken the Phoenix.

Could have sworn I said that.

Tommy Smith said he's not available for a year, doesn't get game time with his club, comes crawling back after a couple of months 

Douchebag?

but we lose wee mac, brockie, doyle and boxall.....

Exactly. If you take Boxall and Dura we're fked...