History for carlind

Friar Tuck

valeo

2ndBest

Reckon that game mirrors that of the past year or so. For all the good work we can do in midfield, when was the last time you saw our midfield create a clear cut chance? Everything seems to be relying on a blunder from the opposition and pot shots from distance.

Need to get Singh fit, find a way of creating better opportunities inside the box, get Wood more involved and develop a RB.

Have a little bit of concern about our centre backs in the next cycle too. Reid is gone. Boxall is 34 and Smith is 32. Can either push through for another 3.5 years? I've never understood the love people have for Pijnaker. Sure he can do a decent diagonal ball but when you're hitting it to Ingham and De Jong it's a bit pointless. Last night and the game vs Costa has really highlighted how far off the pace he is. Gifted them 2 clear chances last night and lost his marker for the Costa Rica goal.

I don't think it's a surprise that Pijnaker is playing for a team in the Ireland PL. Not exactly a high level.

Stensness would've gotten a lot of chances with us, what a shame.

The irony of having quality midfielders coming through like Garbett, Bell and Stamenic while having absolutely no CBs...it's reverse 2010.

Yeah outside of the older guys like Boxall, Reid and Smith we’ve got: Tuiloma, Pijnaker, Kyle Adams and I guess Fin Surman, Tim Payne and George Stanger?

Not exactly mind blowing depth there, bloody Stensness could’ve been a nailed on starter within a year or two.

Stensness was never really a New Zealand player, more so an Australian who used the FIFA citizenship to benefit himself up to the point he no longer needed to. He's lived in Norway longer than in New Zealand. He obviously wanted to play for his actual country, no issue with that, just need to move on. All these players born/brought up overseas are like this; I doubt Stanger dreamt of playing for New Zealand being born/bred Scottish. Herdman is similar, as would Dibley-Dias or whichever (grand)son-of approaches NZF before the next U20 World Cup. Even then it would be kicking the can down the road in terms of the real issue about developing players. 

The real issue is a lack of pathways. If you aren't a rich kid who's parents can spend thousands on 'academies' then you fall behind. If you don't have a secondary passport then it makes it much harder to get signed elsewhere. If you can't afford to self-fund trials overseas then you get stuck stagnating in amateur football. If you don't play for the 'right' club you don't get a look in at youth level. There's only one professional team in the world that will play New Zealanders, and when you add in five visa players, half a dozen Australians (why?) and already contracted players, there's maybe one or two spots, which typically go to in-house players. It was a bit funny hearing Hay talk about how Reid paved a way for New Zealanders to reach the top level, when even Reid isn't a local product. So I guess Reid's example is to go to a footballing country as young as possible to avoid inevitably falling behind. 

I suppose to take a pessimistic view, does it really matter? The OFC nations are below National League level, so even local players should breeze past them. In that case the team should still be able to win OFC Nations' Cups, and now qualify directly for a World Cup. We'll never be able to really compete at a World Cup, so it is what is. We've secured a comfortable niche at the top of OFC, if players play in Ireland or Australia or Denmark or even locally, what's the difference?