Do we need to play a striker? How about we play the players most likely to score goals. Maybe play Cacace as a left wing? Bell bossed the game at times on Thursday. Get him on the ball around the opposition goal box instead of receiving it from the centre backs.
I am really hoping today that this interim coach steps up. People used to go on about Herbert’s lack of coaching nous. However he did attempt to put his best 11 players on the field. Remember a front three of Smeltz, Killen and Fallon? In the last game we have a league two player, Ireland semi pro player and a converted A-League average right back, playing in the centre of the Defense. We had an exciting, creative player with an excellent A league career who had a decent crack at Europe, who never came on. I hope we go to a back four and find a place for Rojas. Unless we play to our strengths and get our best players on the field we will never score any goals and coach that’s what footballs about.
Yeah I thought it was bizarre that Darren said in the presser that this system suits the players we have. It doesn't. We have very little quality/depth left at CB, our best players in that position are the geriatrics in Smith and Boxall. I do not rate Tuiloma as a central defender, you're never confident when he's playing there for us, and I thought it was a glaring mistake by him that let the Costa Rican put in the cross that killed our World Cup hopes. The rest of our CBs are young and have not played at decent levels. But we have to play 3 centre backs because Darren, and Hay before him, are cowards. We have very good midfield depth now and it's a crime to leave decent creative players on the bench so we can play Payne and Pijnaker, ESPECIALLY against limited opposition like China. It'll be even more glaring when Singh and Thomas return.
What a load of rubbish has been said up there about Chris Wood. In three years time if he is injury free he will still be one of our best players and one of the first names on the team sheet. He is one of our greatest strikers (we can argue if he is better then Rufer) contracted to forest for the next two years and even if he was let go, it is highly likely that a promoted team would snap him up. Worst case he is playing in three years time in the championship, Scottish Premiership or with the Auckland team in the A league. Irrespective unless we get two Halands coming though in the next three years (and Van Hattem is not one of them) he will be there. If one Haland comes through he will still be there.
"We can argue if he is better than Rufer" I hope you mean Alex?! He is not even close to the same class as Wynton. Can you imagine the World Champions saying if Chris Wood was from their country he would have been in their squad? Can you imagine Messi saying "Yeah it's a Shame Chris Wood is not from Rosario"? If Woods form is like it's is now in three years he would only be any use as a mascot or Rory Fallon role, which granted could have it's value too. The logic seems to be let's select a guy on what he did years ago and can't score because we have no one else who can score. The difference being would you prefer someone old and slow that can't score or young and quick that can't score? At least some one quick is going to be of use without possession. Sending a team out in a World Cup is not a time to get sentimental or nostalgic.
"Our country has a striker who is playing in the English Premier League. He has played there for several seasons, consistently hitting double figure goal tallies. In the last couple of seasons he has been on the bench more than starting, but is still praised by managers for his work ethic, and keeps getting signed by Premier League teams. He looks likely to be a top level pro for a few more years yet, even if just below Premier League level. He is already the record goalscorer for our country and is on course to set the record for full caps. The club vs country debate has never featured at any stage during his career - he even turns up when injured."
Of the 200+ countries that are members of FIFA, I'd wager that at least 150 of them would be ecstatic if this description was about one of their players. Chris Wood may not be the force he was 5 years ago - but who is? The fact that the supporters of a country as small and low-ranked as NZ are not 'ecstatic' says a lot about us and our outlook on football. Yes, historically, we have every right to be miserable sods, and we may get served up various categories of dross by our national body on a worryingly regular basis in a worryingly wide range of categories - but we have a bona fide gift horse here, and we seem intent of forensically examining his teeth...
Yes, Chris Wood is not Wynton Rufer - no one is. If we ever get another male player to match Wynton's level, we will rightly celebrate him (or deride him and question his commitment like we did with Wynton, despite the sacrifices he made, cos, like, we're Kiwis...). For now, we have Chris Wood - and that is something that logically and objectively should be a source of positive feelings.
If we do have a younger version of Wood who is as good, and scoring goals, I can't wait to see him signed and playing in the Premier League (or Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue Un...). The day Wood walks out on the pitch on a zimmer and can barely run, then I'll concede time is up. Until then, he is one of our absolute top players and I think that's awesome for NZ to have. Reading this forum makes me think I'm in a minority to think that, and I really hope that's not the case...
A couple of seasons ago, when Wood was kicking arse for Burnley, it was not uncommon to see England fans criticiising Southgate for not calling up Chris Wood.
Not the best informed fans obviously. But quite a good giggle.
Nothing like Franz Beckenbauer, the actual coach of West Germany at the time, saying that Wynton rufer would be in his team if he was German
have you got a source for this statement?
Living in the UK and watching Chris' career blossom I've not heard one Englishman say that and I work with football mad people from all over the UK, Ireland and the continent. Those who know their football know Chris isn't English (but a British national).
Aside from that, having run into Chris and his family in the UK, Austria, Russia, Qatar and Eastern Europe, they are all lovely people and I reckon Chris is the proudest AW we've ever had. Much more so then Hay and Nelsen.
A couple of seasons ago, when Wood was kicking arse for Burnley, it was not uncommon to see England fans criticiising Southgate for not calling up Chris Wood.
Not the best informed fans obviously. But quite a good giggle.
Nothing like Franz Beckenbauer, the actual coach of West Germany at the time, saying that Wynton rufer would be in his team if he was German
have you got a source for this statement?
Living in the UK and watching Chris' career blossom I've not heard one Englishman say that and I work with football mad people from all over the UK, Ireland and the continent. Those who know their football know Chris isn't English (but a British national).
Even if we did have another striker as good as/better than Chris Wood, until Chris can barely move, surely you would play a front 2 to get them both on the pitch.
Yep and bottom line is the Mata’s of this world will not be one of those two. We have high hopes for Waine and I hope in three years time he has progressed and is not on the bench for a league one side. Even if he makes the championship and starts starting, there will always be a place for Christopher. This is a striker who a year ago was brought in his thirties for 25,000,000 quid and even the forest transfer I believe was 15,000,000 quid or more.you Not a 100k kiwi dollar transfer which wouldn’t buy a room in Wellington
Am I the only one bloody excited for this football match?
Exactly! I'm looking forward to seeing the team play again on NZ soil.
We whinge for years on end about not enough games, not enough home games, just wishing we had an active team to support.
Then NZF plays ball and we're finally starting to get that, and people cannot stop COMPLAINING about the performance in a 0-0 draw with an okay Asian nation in a literal friendly match under a caretaker coach... would y'all rather we go back into hibernation and don't play at all for 18 months?
Lads I am fudgeing FIRED UP for this match today, gonna be a banger! Everything about the coaching aside I'm bloody stoked to see the national team in action.
No mate, the main game. I arrived in ChCh at 01:00 this morning and it’s been ten years (almost to the day) since I was last here. Hoping there’d be a bar our Cantabrian cousins might know. I’m on 4 weeks holiday in NZ.
No mate, the main game. I arrived in ChCh at 01:00 this morning and it’s been ten years (almost to the day) since I was last here. Hoping there’d be a bar our Cantabrian cousins might know. I’m on 4 weeks holiday in NZ.
I know a group of Nix fans meet at a Riccarton bar to watch ALM games. Robbies? Sorry can't help more than that.
You have Blues v Force Super Rugby today, so I'm avoid a rugby centric bar - not so easy in NZ.
If people are wondering what Chinese fans are chanting.
It's a phrase '加油' Jiayou (maybe pronounced Jar-Yol), which comes from the Hong Kong Cantonese phrase Gayau.
It literally means 'Add Oil' but is a generally rallying call, like 'Let's go', 'You can do it'. But comes from kind of like saying 'hit the gas' or accelerate.
why don't we play Cacace as a central mid? He seems so wasted hanging out on the left (esp the way we play) He is just so strong on the ball and is one of our best players.
yeip, looking forward to seeing some good progressive footy
well done to paul temple and the u23s for producing two good solid displays, with the ball rolling around the pitch in a good manner, and netting 4 goals in the process
A couple of seasons ago, when Wood was kicking arse for Burnley, it was not uncommon to see England fans criticiising Southgate for not calling up Chris Wood.
Not the best informed fans obviously. But quite a good giggle.
Nothing like Franz Beckenbauer, the actual coach of West Germany at the time, saying that Wynton rufer would be in his team if he was German
have you got a source for this statement?
Living in the UK and watching Chris' career blossom I've not heard one Englishman say that and I work with football mad people from all over the UK, Ireland and the continent. Those who know their football know Chris isn't English (but a British national).
why don't we play Cacace as a central mid? He seems so wasted hanging out on the left (esp the way we play) He is just so strong on the ball and is one of our best players.
because he's easily the best LB we have in the squad, he finds so much more space out wide and has the skillset necessary to beat players and cross a decent ball into the box - he'd be wasted in the middle - way too congested for his style of play.
Paulsen was on the bench Friday as well. I think the plan was always to rotate the U22's.
Yeah, 4-3-3 looks about right. I quite like the idea of Payne playing in a narrow, defensive RB role, with whoever's on the right up front providing the attacking width.
