Watching through the replay, I don't understand how people seem to be so dissatisfied with Bell these days, he was really solid apart from one errant pass in a dangerous position almost leading to a goal, and he plays vertically all the time, he isn't just a sideways pass merchant. Rufer wasn't even that close to his best today, but we need two proper 6s against teams like USA (and the teams we will play at the World Cup), and he added a lot.
Meanwhile Stamenic had a bit of a shocker in the first half but all you see is endless praise for him on this forum. He is very classy and still very young and could yet be very very good, but I think right now that Bell and Rufer are both better at 6, and Singh is a better 10. And we were playing 4-2-3-1 today, so where should we put him? The same question could be made about Garbett, he is a great attacking threat, but he isn't a 6 either, and while I wanted to see him in the sort of role he played in today, he was very quiet... Maybe he just needs one more chance in that position? If we didn't have Wood I'd want to see him tried as a 9, but we can forget about that.
After this game, and after seeing him do it successfully several times for the Nix last season, I think we should always keep Old as a impact player for the last 30 minutes. Allow him to build his club career by not overloading him in international windows, and give ourselves a gamechanger should we ever need it. He hasn't impressed as a starter in white.
Maybe Stamenic, Garbett, Old & Waine, all 22 or 23, may be too young to be relied upon as starters at World Cup '26? We were very successful with a team of veterans in 2010... Winston & Tommy the only young lads starting, and they were alongside the imperious Nelsen.
Though to contradict myself a bit, one thing I think we did learn from this tour is that Boxall, Smith & Kosta should all be phased out, we don't want to see them starting at the World Cup. Surman, Bindon & Pijnaker probably will be our best CBs, and Kosta hasn't done anything good outside Oceania in a very long time.
My best XI with the World Cup in mind (subject to Marco regaining top form:
Crocombe
Payne Surman Bindon Cacace
Rufer Bell
Rojas Singh McCowatt
Wood
Meanwhile Stamenic had a bit of a shocker in the first half but all you see is endless praise for him on this forum. He is very classy and still very young and could yet be very very good, but I think right now that Bell and Rufer are both better at 6, and Singh is a better 10. And we were playing 4-2-3-1 today, so where should we put him? The same question could be made about Garbett, he is a great attacking threat, but he isn't a 6 either, and while I wanted to see him in the sort of role he played in today, he was very quiet... Maybe he just needs one more chance in that position? If we didn't have Wood I'd want to see him tried as a 9, but we can forget about that.
After this game, and after seeing him do it successfully several times for the Nix last season, I think we should always keep Old as a impact player for the last 30 minutes. Allow him to build his club career by not overloading him in international windows, and give ourselves a gamechanger should we ever need it. He hasn't impressed as a starter in white.
Maybe Stamenic, Garbett, Old & Waine, all 22 or 23, may be too young to be relied upon as starters at World Cup '26? We were very successful with a team of veterans in 2010... Winston & Tommy the only young lads starting, and they were alongside the imperious Nelsen.
Though to contradict myself a bit, one thing I think we did learn from this tour is that Boxall, Smith & Kosta should all be phased out, we don't want to see them starting at the World Cup. Surman, Bindon & Pijnaker probably will be our best CBs, and Kosta hasn't done anything good outside Oceania in a very long time.
My best XI with the World Cup in mind (subject to Marco regaining top form:
Crocombe
Payne Surman Bindon Cacace
Rufer Bell
Rojas Singh McCowatt
Wood