our crossing has been woeful tonight, defensively on crosses/corners we've been inept.. Can't blame the coach for lack of ability, only how he is getting the team to set up for the above.
If our crossing is terrible, you can expect the couch to just do something different than play a big target man and keep persisting with futile attempts to put it on their head.
Lame and disappointing. We have quality players who can play good football, but they’re let down by regressive tactics and some poor individual performances.
I feel like the national team has come along way in the past 10 to 15 years but we are still missing some vital pieces. You can have a Premier League striker but if nobody gives him the ball then he just takes up space. Still, despite losing its not all negative.
For perspective (while fifa rankings are suspect) we shouldn’t be under any illusions that we are in the top 30 best teams in the world, yes Australia clearly are. They were better than us but we were certainly in the game.
Sick of us playing shiṯ football against average sides.
Baze out, blood the likes of Bindon, Surman etc.
Australia are 27th in the world.
DR Congo, Qatar and China are more in the ballpark of average sides.
There's a difference - Australia are 27th on coaching merit, immense pride and effort, not talent on paper. Wish we had a shade of what they show consistently
Woud also looked good when I saw him in the Asia Cup competition too but he definitely needs to move somewhere he gets more game time because he could still develop into our number 1.
Woud is a terrible 'keeper. Didn't move for Soutar's goal and that save from Jordan Bos was terribly exaggerated, pushing it away like it was a hot potato.
Don't understand why he's selected ahead of Crocombe and Tzanev?
They are both equally as inconsitent as Woud. Tzanev in particular is horrible. Crocombe is still young and needs more time.
Max Crocombe is 30 years old.
Crocombe is absolute prime age for a keeper. Could easily have another 6/7/8 years + in the game, and has basically been at the peak of his powers since getting the #1 spot at Burton Albion. Top rated (performance wise) keeper going around in League One.
He should have been given the gloves this morning. Disappointed that he wasn't...
I liked the part where we moved the ball wide and failed to get any decent crosses in, that was great, we should definitely keep doing that no matter who we're playing.
Disappointing result, but in fairness did anyone else expect any other outcome? More or less in line with matches held last year pre World Cup - They didn't blow us off the pitch, but they were clearly the better team.
To elaborate further, pre kickoff odds looked like this. Australia - $1.50 Draw - $4 New Zealand - $6.50 There is a reason for that...
There is however a lot to look forward to for our guys going forward though. We're a young group and a lot of these guys are going to be around for many, many years yet. The days ahead are far brighter than they've been for the longest time in this part of the world, but this result really shows two things first and foremost;
a) We need our best squad and everyone firing to really be troubling top teams - The pieces are there and available for all to see, but through differing factors we just haven't been able to figure it out yet. It will come though.
And
b) We need to be playing EVERY SINGLE FUC KING WINDOW from here on in! I don't want to hear any more excuses, I don't want to see Pragnell piss arsing around in the background providing excuses. I don't want to hear it - Get them on the pitch every opportunity you get. This is absolutely, positively non negotiable.
Against non OFC opposition - GF when he plays verus GF sans Singh, would be a telling stat.
For all the ‘promise’ of this team he doesn’t play they won’t beat any big teams this cycle. Our midfield included yes two 21 yr olds with large upsides, but Singh is still the absolute key to this team doing anything noteworthy.
Also him plus Bell and Lewis would improve the set piece delivery, bringing Wood more into the game.
Staying on the positives just for another moment, Pijnaker and Woud are really not as bad as the heat they get. As someone said earlier, don’t blame them for being selected - that’s on the coach or the lack of depth.
I think both of them could manage at A-League level and fair play to them both trying to forge ahead in Europe / Asia.
Huge shout out to Matt Fejos for his work arranging a Flying Kiwis standing section in the corner. Had a bloody blast chatting shark about the aussies all night. We might have lost it on the field but this lot won it for us in the stands <3
Poor to be honest. Expected a lot more from us all over the park.
Our deadball delivery is sunday league stuff.
This is going to sound a bit off to some because i know WOOD plays Prem Football but i'd prefer he came off the bench. Wood only suits one style of football...The Burnley Bang into the channels. If we are trying to play some combination football he's ineffective. Id much prefer Grieve and Mata or Grieve or someone else.
Just? How the hell does he get a game. 7aside player. No where near it at this level.
Woud back in goa...to be fair that done me before kick off.
Thought Garbett and Stamenic were our better players but not great.
Think there are better u20 players coming through....need to get them in and start fresh.
Bazely boring boring football. Old school pom stuff.
We tried to play - definitely less hoof ball than previous incarnations of the side, but we lack the quality.
But let's be blunt, only 3 of our players would make their starting side. Wood, Carcace and Stamenic who was excellent today IMO. Outside of that, most of our guys wouldn't even make their squad... so why are we surprised by the result?
We are improving.
Having a second A League side will help our development. Aussie is really benefiting now from this with all the players that they are bringing through and sending overseas.
Singh, Bell and Thomas would all improve the side... but not turn it into world beaters. And we shouldn't be pinning hopes on Dias or Lualei etc who are coming through. They're yet to even play a senior game. Lots of players have got as far as they have and gone no where.
Howieson was the next big thing with Liverpool circling at Burnley (where he was actually playing for the senior squad)... 24 months later he's back in NZ.
Loved it when we passed back to Woud, from close to the halfway, and Woud, positioned deep in his box, just belted the ball forward with no pressure from Aus (who were also around the halfway). /s
At times it look like Aus had an extra player on the pitch - always able to press us or hem us in on the touchline, or able to frequently find a open player when playing out.
You can see some of our guys technical ability is decent, certainly up on average from not so long ago even, but I worry this generation won't reach the level we hope for sort of like Belgium's recent "golden" generation.
It must be so frustrating for Chris Wood. He hardly got a pass to his feet or a cross that he could even compete for. The link up from Singh to him against Congo was great, but nothing tonight. I would so love Boxall's bicycle kick to have gone in!
Poor to be honest. Expected a lot more from us all over the park.
Our deadball delivery is sunday league stuff.
This is going to sound a bit off to some because i know WOOD plays Prem Football but i'd prefer he came off the bench. Wood only suits one style of football...The Burnley Bang into the channels. If we are trying to play some combination football he's ineffective. Id much prefer Grieve and Mata or Grieve or someone else.
Just? How the hell does he get a game. 7aside player. No where near it at this level.
Woud back in goa...to be fair that done me before kick off.
Thought Garbett and Stamenic were our better players but not great.
Think there are better u20 players coming through....need to get them in and start fresh.
Bazely boring boring football. Old school pom stuff.
did you miss the early runs wood made into the box? there were several really promising ones, he got to the through ball every time and ended up with a shot or looking to lay the ball off to a runner which either didn't come or forced a defender into action. Fo an older, target man, he does more work than he'd be expected to do.
Poor to be honest. Expected a lot more from us all over the park.
Our deadball delivery is sunday league stuff.
This is going to sound a bit off to some because i know WOOD plays Prem Football but i'd prefer he came off the bench. Wood only suits one style of football...The Burnley Bang into the channels. If we are trying to play some combination football he's ineffective. Id much prefer Grieve and Mata or Grieve or someone else.
Just? How the hell does he get a game. 7aside player. No where near it at this level.
Woud back in goa...to be fair that done me before kick off.
Thought Garbett and Stamenic were our better players but not great.
Think there are better u20 players coming through....need to get them in and start fresh.
Bazely boring boring football. Old school pom stuff.
did you miss the early runs wood made into the box? there were several really promising ones, he got to the through ball every time and ended up with a shot or looking to lay the ball off to a runner which either didn't come or forced a defender into action. Fo an older, target man, he does more work than he'd be expected to do.
Wood’s link up play holding up the ball was our best and most dangerous tactic against Peru and Costa Rica, I have no idea why Bazeley seems so intent on just pumping the ball up to him.
Play a front two with Wood and another striker (or McCowatt if he gets back in goal scoring form).
Let Cacace and Kirwan provide the width, pray that Sarpreet is fit to provide the link between midfield and the strike partners.
It's a mentality thing, we looked better in the last games we played against them in terms of attack. Our biggest issue we have relied on Wood being the final say on attack, when we have the talent to take some of the scoring workload. We also still have a small national mentality that can only be curbed by playing and being in a competition with high-level teams. Eventually the brain acclimitses and the players naturally can play as more deliberate versions of themselves knowing they can match the level.
Be good to get an explanation from Bazeley why Woud started. Presumably it's because he was in camp the whole window. Note that Smith who like Crocombe missed the Congo game didn't play against the Socceroos either. But harsh on Crocombe who seems in great form, and who's only had 45 mins against Qatar since coming back into the AWs picture.
To be fair to Woud he went okay. Maybe a Euro scout was watching. Still not really working out for him in Japan - on loan and 2nd choice at a J2 club.
Oh & Arnie with a bit of a bluff re 'wholesale changes'. He made 5 starting changes. But Strain was on at HT, and Goodwin plus Irvine at 66 mins. All started against England. It was an experienced Socceroos team. They no longer have any big name EPL stars, but they are very solid and well coached side. Sum of the parts type outfit. Ranked 27 in the world for a reason.
Another point to make: of the 16 players who took the field vs Australia, 13 of them have fewer than 20 int caps
This remains a young team at the start of their journey… give them time
Other results of interest this window, re AWs opponents in the nov window.
Greece beat Ireland 2-0 in Dublin & lost to the Dutch 0-1 in Athens in a big game. Ireland the 0-2 home loss to Greece & a 4-0 win on the Gibraltar rock.
The Greeks (12 pts) are in a battle with the Dutch (12 pts) for 2nd place in the Euros qualifying Group behind the French (18 pts). But Netherlands are in the box seat with Ireland & Gibraltar still to play. Greece just 1 game left hosting France. Irish (6 pts) nothing to play for.
It must be so frustrating for Chris Wood. He hardly got a pass to his feet or a cross that he could even compete for. The link up from Singh to him against Congo was great, but nothing tonight. I would so love Boxall's bicycle kick to have gone in!
Spent most of the game 25 meters from his team mates, let alone the ball.
Huge shout out to Matt Fejos for his work arranging a Flying Kiwis standing section in the corner. Had a bloody blast chatting shark about the aussies all night. We might have lost it on the field but this lot won it for us in the stands <3
Other results of interest this window, re AWs opponents in the nov window.
Greece beat Ireland 2-0 in Dublin & lost to the Dutch 0-1 in Athens in a big game. Ireland the 0-2 home loss to Greece & a 4-0 win on the Gibraltar rock.
The Greeks (12 pts) are in a battle with the Dutch (12 pts) for 2nd place in the Euros qualifying Group behind the French (18 pts). But Netherlands are in the box seat with Ireland & Gibraltar still to play. Greece just 1 game left hosting France. Irish (6 pts) nothing to play for.
Possibly ideal for us that Ireland field a potentially 'weakened' team to play the Dutch and we might get to lineup against a stronger Irish side a few days later to round out the window.
Who woulda thunk it?!
Will be putting some money on the Netherlands for that Irish match too.
Sportswriter, Gavin Cooney, said on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter: "This is truly bonkers. Ireland's flagging play-off hopes can be boosted by an Ireland defeat to the Netherlands."
Woud also looked good when I saw him in the Asia Cup competition too but he definitely needs to move somewhere he gets more game time because he could still develop into our number 1.
I’m keen for us to try 2 up top. Something like a 4-1-2-1-2 so we can give Wood a bit more support. He’s our best player but he’s just so isolated and the 2 CBs can basically gang up on him. Any of Waine, Mata, Grieve or even Just or McCowatt could do a job up top with him.
I know we were a bit short of CMs this window, but if everyone is fit & available we could absolutely stack the middle of the park as well.
No harm in trying something a little different in the next window.
Just watched the game properly. All of Cacace, Boxall and Pijnaker very poor for the first goal. Woud very poor too. He was not at all unsighted, the shot wasn't a rocket from point blank range. He should have at the very least made some sort of movement towards the ball or an attempted save but there was nothing.
Just and Grieve are not up to it. They've had enough chances.
Garbett and Stamenic are a class above most of the test of our team, as is Cacace if he can get rid of a the defensive errors that have been plaguing him for NZ and Empoli in recent times. Given our general weakness in the 2 of the front 3 positions that aren't Chris Wood, I'd be very tempted to bring in McGarry at LB and push Cacace further forward.
Defensively we are fudgeed. Boxall is on his last legs at 35 and before this morning was the only player other than Cacace that most on this forum would want to see starting for us. We need to pray Surman and Bindon mature quickly. We need a right back to step up and make that position theirs too.
My feeling at the end of that game is the same I've had for the past few years. We have a decent best XI but never see it due to injuries and other unavailabilities. I want to see our best xi, or something close to it before I feel like I can make a fair judgement on Bazeley. Add the likes of crocombe, bell, Lewis, Rojas, Singh (and maybe Roux, McGarry & Thomas) and take out the mediocre players currently making up the numbers and see how we do then.
I’m keen for us to try 2 up top. Something like a 4-1-2-1-2 so we can give Wood a bit more support. He’s our best player but he’s just so isolated and the 2 CBs can basically gang up on him. Any of Waine, Mata, Grieve or even Just or McCowatt could do a job up top with him.
I know we were a bit short of CMs this window, but if everyone is fit & available we could absolutely stack the middle of the park as well.
No harm in trying something a little different in the next window.
IMG_5744.jpeg435.97 KBI’ve started Bindon because 🤷♂️🤷♂️. Swap in Rojas for any of Greive, Mata or Just depending on form.
I’m really hoping we manage to snag Jack Iredale, he’d be massive for our defensive woes and there’s no room for him in the Australian squad with the addition of Circati, Burgess and Bos.
In an ideal world, we wouldn't have started Grieve, Just, McCowatt, Pijnaker & Woud today. We have better players (Rojas, Singh, Bell/Lewis, Smith, Crocombe/Sail). That's almost half the team. This was a very understrength lineup.
I would also add the likes of De Jong, Champness, Waine & Mata to a list of players who have played more for the All Whites in recent times than they should have if we had all our best players at our disposal. None of these 9 players have done much for the All Whites (except for McCowatt who while not generally impressive/effective has scored against a couple of decent European teams. If he is to be played he should be played as a forward and not a midfielder). I'd like to see a big uptick in any of these player's club form/environment before they get played again.
I'd really love to see Bazeley play a side where at least 8 of the lineup undoubtedly belong in our best XI, but the problem is that even if we had the vast majority of our best players available, he'd probably still make some shocking selection decisions, like Pijnaker and Woud today. To be fair to Woud he hasn't played lots recently like Pijnaker and he did OK today but he should have done better for the first goal and we all know his shaky history. Crocombe is in amazing form in England, played very well vs Qatar and if we really cared about this game then Crocombe simply has to start.
At least there's another window in a few weeks we can look forward to, maybe it'll all come together this time...
