AWs squad could be named late next week. I think AV has written expect a naming about 2 weeks before their first game on the 27th March verus Finland
This was the 24 man squad named last November (Colombia & Ecuador).
Lots of withdrawls and then additions from the original team naming.
This was the 24 man squad named last November (Colombia & Ecuador).
Lots of withdrawls and then additions from the original team naming.
Nando Pijnaker, Ryan Thomas, Chris Wood, Tim Payne, Liberato Cacace, Alex Paulsen and Callum McCowatt were all either unavailable or withdrew from the initial selection.
OPP, McGarry, Randall, Tzanev and Tommy Smith were all added to the initial selection.
Think I have all the comings & goings correct, but might be an error in there.
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Kees Sims, Nik Tzanev
Defenders: Francis de Vries, James McGarry, Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, George Stanger, Finn Surman, Bill Tuiloma, Storm Roux, Tommy Smith
Midfielders: Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Ben Old, Owen Parker-Price, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenić, Alex Rufer
Forwards: Eli Just, Jesse Randall, Andre de Jong, Ben Waine, Kosta Barbarouses
The guys in bold I think are at the most risk of being dropped/not selected, November to now.
Out - Singh
In - Paulsen, McCowatt, Payne
Possible Outs - Garbett, Tzanev, Stanger, Smith, OPP, ADJ
Possible Ins - Cacace, Nando Pijnaker, Henry Gray, Michael Woud, Callan Elliot, Lachlan Bayliss, and Moses Dyer - some others I can't think of
Unavailable - Wood, Singh, Thomas?, Dalton Wilkins? Pijnaker?
Possible March 23 man squad
Goalkeepers: Crocombe, Paulsen, Tzanev
Defenders: de Vries, Cacace, Bindon, Boxall, Pijnaker, Surman, Tuiloma, Payne
Midfielders: Bell, Garbett, Old, Parker-Price, Bayliss, Stamenić, Rufer
Forwards: Just, Randall, Waine, Barbarouses and Mata
Singh and Wood are definitely not available. Thomas big question mark, he went off injured last night. Apparently he's been getting pain killing injections to play at Zwolle.
Garbett and Cacace likely not far off a return to play in the UK, but it maybe better they don't travel, and concentrate on having their bodies right for when the AWs go into World Cup camp.
I listened to Crocombe on the Ben Foster podcast recently, and Crocs said the 50-60 hour round trip to UK-NZ-UK is tough.
He can spend up to a day nearly in bed in NZ during a window, if the jet lag hits him hard. Window is a chance to look at different selection options like Old at LB, and Bayliss in midfield.
Sims (Swedish league to start after the March window) and Gray (Harrogate battling to survive in L2) may both stay in Europe.
So the 3rd keeper could be one of Tzanev or Woud. Experienced UK journeyman Tzanev more likely to be the perfect 3rd keeper setting up the cones, and offering Crocs and AP some coaching advice. It's basically his role now at Huddersfield it seems as 3rd/4th choice.
Bayliss deserves a crack ahead of ADJ. But both maybe picked if Thomas & Garbett are unavailable.
Pijnaker if over his groin injury, should come in for Stanger & Tommy Smith. Roux and Elliot may both miss out if otherwise CBs Bindon and Tuiloma are considered the best RB backups to Payne.
It might yet be that Bindon starts at RB in the World Cup. Honestly the AWs ain't strong enough to leave a quality Championship level player on the pine, at the big dance. He must be playing very well to keep his starting spot at The Blades.
Dyer is my smokey. I do wonder what would have happened if he had stayed with Galway in the LOI?
If he'd continued his hot goal scoring run there, he may just have forced Baze's hand. Mata got picked for the AWs for 1-2 years from the LOI. But Cambodia is in reality just so far off the radar it's hard to assess his credentials.