All Whites V New Caledonia 22 March 7:35pm - Craft Bar or Four Kings

Katsonis ugh no weak teams in concacaf honduras beat usa

criminal that with McGlinchey and Rojas..two form A league creative players that we hoofball it and rely on tall timber. 

[quote=Boro4eva]

criminal that with McGlinchey and Rojas..two form A league creative players that we hoofball it and rely on tall timber. 

W

 NC  PLAYED WELL   they had nothing to lose,  they passed it around all over the park,  they did not have the killing shot and they were shaky at the back.

NZ  had problems at the midfield  no nelsen no more back  3 ,  it was a final game, very entertaining for me that was neutral for nz people it was really hard but with a happy end.   At one moment i thought they ,the NC ,  could make it , they had their chances

my ratings

paston  7

reid    5

vicelich 5

smith 6

bertos 5

mc g  6

killen   4

brockie 5

wood  4

smeltz 4

rojas 6

herbert 2 out of 10

This.

Clearly didn't get the ball so a blood stained face could have suggested hed been kicked! Ref should have taken the opportunity to reverse his decision.

I disagree, Honduras were very lucky that game (ref was a shambles, surprise?), the U.S coach is still coming to grasps with what he's got and wanted to do (which he can't)

I still pick Mexico and U.S to finish top, they are the strongest and best equipped. As for the rest, I'm not saying they're weak, but we stand a much better chance against them.

"no Nelsen no more back 3" - totally agree - they'll get slaughtered in the away leg with that setup.

Paston

Boxall Vicelich Hogg

Bertos Keat Payne Brockie

Barbarouses Smeltz Killen

Bench: Spoonley Reid Smith McGlinchey Rojas Wood

Boxall replaces Lochhead

Dont risk Durante - dont trust Fifa

Rest Reid Smith Wood Mcglinchey Rojas

The ref should give himself a red card, he obviously fucked it up.

Javier - its a back 3 no RB unless Tuiloma signs a pro contract when hes 18 in a few days? Or Roux starts for Glory

Had Phoenix nightmares watching that AW non stop route one approach. Herbert's a worry. Such a one trick pony.

as long as our midfield is so week, we will never do well.  we need a solution in there and if that means an extra player then fine.  but at the moment it's a sieve on defence and lifeless on attack. 

if wee mac had a decent platform, he'd do better for us.  to me he's an auxiliary midfielder, not a structural midfielder - i.e. he needs to be free'd to run.  arnold realised this early on at CCM and has extracted awesome form from him.

herbert keeps using him as a pivot, which he's not.  but i get the impression that he doesn't understand the difference.

http://www.3news.co.nz/New-Zealand-V-New-Caledonia-2-1--HIGHLIGHTS/tabid/317/articleID/291431/Default.aspx

That performance removed any lingering misgivings I had about Ricki's departure from the Phoenix.

Herbert doesn't understand midfield play full stop.  None of teams have ever had a functioning one

longball was an effective way to get to the world cup with a group of frankly rubbish players - but it suited them.  Now, it's just a massive waste of young talent and actually, those players don't suit that style.  It's doubly wrong!!

I don't think we have a weak midfield, I think we had a poorly organised team and the wrong game plan.

 NC played good , they had their last chance, credit to them,  it is one of those games, you know, that youd didnt kill off, and then it comes back to yous, to chase you back

I think Herbert needs to call up  4 or 5 new players for the dead rubber game,  clapham,  play keat,  boxall, maybe cameron lindsay , and some players from the Waitekere or Auckland City,...you know the face so palid from Herbert during the 2nd half was very funny and his number 2 , the englismen, former player  they were both out of place.  WHERE IS   ARGIE , RAUL BLANCO ?

Was just gonna say that - where's Raul Blanco. They need some real football brains in there.

Agree with all the comments re the long ball/hoof approach.  It is OK up to a point but when it is the only strategy then, well, yeah, it sucks. Refereeing was as everyone has said appalling, verging on the wilfully wrong.  And Ricki's day is done, sadly.  

At the moment, there are some young players currently at the U20 OFC competition, am sure Herbert would've called some of them up if he could of.

This

ps - guess the other good thing about tonight, apart from the critical result, was the clear need for an international football brain in there (Blanco, assuming he's not with them now)

what a game Nc played exceptional. Running around us for long periods of the game .it was funny reading all the excuses for the poor AW's playing hoofball around page 29 .i actually ( not that i like it ) think hoofball worked ok tonight as wood did get on to a lot of those long range balls. Also set pieces were great aswell including the few corners we had .marco wasn't his best but because he wasn't getting the link up he needs like when he plays with dear i say it Archie thompson

i've got to say this, i don't mind a direct style of play.  we used it well for the last world cup.

even though it's ugly, it has to be done right

what this current team do is just hoof it.  the long pass very rarely connects with a front man.  and if it does, it i not in a manner to be effective.

the ideal point of delivery is near half way, about 10-15 yards in from the sideline on a 45 degree angle

an alternative from deep is from centre to outside with the target coming in from the sideline

this team play straight lines from deep positions, with no runners

Piney and Chotey...kind of our lucky charms really...superb as usual...

http://content.radionetwork.co.nz/weekondemand/radiosport/62130.mp3

 most of ypu are correct.  You cant play long ball with the likes of rojas, mcg, payne, kostas, hogg, ,brockie, bertos  just  passing game, moving and running,  any under age amateur coach knows it,

One thing out of this game,  is that Fallon should be back after this smetlz game,   and my football knowledge tells that fallon could be a good target man for the likes of rojas and kosta barbarouses to work as a pivot for them,

wood and smeltz really played awful, and killen was out of place

what about bringing  kris bright and chris james  and andy boyens?

smeltz i guess it was just not his night

Herbert should bring in a supporting coach to organised the midfield since he obviously cant and is avoiding it.

It might have been a bit shit, but that was the first time since June 2010 that I've screamed like a little teenage girl over a footy match.