All Whites v Mexico | Sun 9 Oct | 11:30am | Four Kings

Goalkeepers
Stefan Marinovic (SpVgg Unterhaching, Germany) 8, 0
Tamati Williams (RKC Waalwijk, Netherlands) 1, 0
Jake Gleeson (Portland Timbers FC, USA) 8, 0

Defenders
Andrew Durante (Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand) 9, 0
Sam Brotherton (Wisconsin University, USA) 6, 0
Michael Boxall (SuperSport Utd, South Africa) 17, 0
Kip Colvey (San Jose Earthquakes FC, USA) 4, 0
Themi Tzimopoulos (PAS Giannina FC, Greece) 6, 1
Winston Reid © (West Ham Utd FC, England) 19, 1
Declan Wynne (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Canada) 3, 0
Liam Graham (Chesterfield FC, England) 0, 0

Midfielders
Clayton Lewis (Auckland City FC, New Zealand) 3, 0
Michael McGlinchey (Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand) 38, 4
Matt Ridenton (Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand) 2, 0
Te Atawhai Wihongi (Auckland City FC, New Zealand) 3, 0
Henry Cameron (Blackpool FC, England) 1, 0
Moses Dyer (Eastern Suburbs AFC, New Zealand) 4, 0
Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle, Netherlands) 5, 0

Forwards
Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand) 33, 3
Chris Wood (Leeds Utd, England) 42, 18
Monty Patterson (Ipswich Town FC, England) 5, 0
Marco Rojas (Melbourne Victory FC, Australia) 26, 1
Rory Fallon (Truro City FC, England) 23, 6

So no Moss, Smeltz, Brockie, or Adams

Finally winston is back. Didn't no that moses dyer has singed for suburbs and also thought that wynne was injured? 

That midfield looks weak. And again there it is the mighty Moses Dyer

Piney reported that following weren't picked because of injuries 

Injuries ruled out Bill Tuiloma, Thomas Doyle, Louis Fenton and Storm Roux 

Surprised Dyer isn't captain?

As I've said in another post, Brockie is a piece of garbage and let's pretend he doesn't exist from now on, thanks.

Also, I'm glad Reid isn't """""injured""""" for once.

Smeltz deserved the call, he is doing really well for his club. Fallon didn't deserve the call up, he is doing very bad for his club in such a shark league.

Yeah no idea why Fallon was called up, maybe he's Moses Dyer's uncle or something.

I don't like Brockie either but I would pick him before Fallon, who's wasn't even up to phisically against the Islands. How on earth that would change against Mexico and USA?

Hard to pick many holes in that squad. Maybe

Moss/Williams

Brotherton/Adams/Musa

Dyer/Anyone

Fallon/Smeltz/Boyd

Midfield is awful.

Surprised they went for Brotherton over Adams

Midfield has never been the same since Eliott and Ivan retired.

None of those guys is really even an A-league quality central midfielder

Dyer looked good at the U20s, I wasn't sure how he became such a punchline here.

Surprised Cameron is there, and the midfield looks weak - really cant understand why we aren't just looking at Nikko Boxall to see if he can do a job.

But aside from that (oh - Fallon???), it looks a decent enough team given the injuries and lack of options.

Durante back a surprise

Would have rather Wood was captain just to show Winston Reid that he can't play when he likes and keep all the perks.

When Riera is eligible and Bill back from injury we will actually have decent midfield. Until then the stocks are pretty thin.

Fill in the gaps

                  Moss

 ?        Old    Smith   Hogg

            ?          Keat     Henderson

Draper              Smeltz      Brockie

And before you say Smith is not available he is,  but won't play for Hudson

Apart from the 3 months off for back surgery?

except...EPL and Eredivisie...but facts meh...

and you forgot TIM BROWN yo'!

This squad looks like we're hoping Ridenton and TWH take on a whole lot of responsibility...

why do we keep picking these trash youngsters in midfield

Themi play defensive midfield?

I would go

                       Gleeson

Boxall   Themi  Reid  Dura   Colvey

                Ridenton  TAHW
         Barbarouses         Thomas

                          Wood

It could be Rojas instead of Barba but I think that's the best XI to avoid getting trashed
         

you'd hope, otherwise he's taking his nay-saying to a whole new level

Yeh possibly.

could be Patterson/Kosta/Thomas/Marco/. No Wee Mac there anywhere? Ridenton playing box to box there? Otherwise there's nothing in the middlfe of the park...Wood have to play deeper/ Kosta/Thomas further forward...

There is some serious timber at the back with boxall, Reid, Durante and Themi

Wouldn't be surprised if he just goes for three ball players in midfield, stupid as it sounds. Did it last time out (pre-ONC) - McGlinchey, Thomas, Rojas.

Whoever; Boxall, Reid, Themi, Wynne; TAHW, McGlinchey; Rojas, Thomas, Barbarouses; Wood is probably the strongest lineup available - an extra centre back for one of the midfielders if he goes 3-5-2.

I think he's probably the closest to that we have in an NZ shirt outside of Niko Boxall or Dan Keat? Or someone from the Stirling Sports comp...I mean from that squad Themi is the only other possibility at DM surely?

problem is your "holding" midfield needs to be able to tackle and shield the back four and play and needs to be mobile enough to press up when (if) we have the Mexicans playing backwards - in that sense I think Ridenton isn't a bad shout of the current crop.

i would probably play a 4-2-3-1 with Themi as DM with a ball player next to him to help distribute

Hmm. Don't think the Mexicans are renowned for set piece or long ball (USA!USA!USA! maybe more so).

I'm more interested that our defenders and GK are good with the ball at their feet under pressure, can keep the ball as a unit and intelligent enough to read the game and capably play forward (as opposed to aimless hoofing away). And of course, capable of defending against fast skillful players - individually and collectively. Height is a bonus. 

I still don't understand what Moss did in a former life to piss off Hudson (Maybe he fiddled with his Wikipedia page or something)

Hudson said Moss's omission is basically because Gleeson, Marinovic and Williams have all been playing week to week, and he hasn't. With Marinovic the No 1 atm, I feel that's logic that's agreeable, even if I'd probably still take him over Williams.

So Moss's preseason run of wins doesn't count. Oh well, I guess I'm happy he's there for the Nix.