All Whites vs Peru | First leg | Sat 11 Nov | 4:15pm | RoF

Oh wow! That is quite...something

Andy Martin cops it from a Peruvian in this letter...

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

Incredible, Martin's made MARK REASON appear to be a sane voice of peace....

Andy Martin was a complete dipshark to say all that bollocks in the first place.

Dipshark is my new favourite insult.

Fingies crossed

I'd imagine they have pretty good depth. I'm more worried about our own star striker.

What's the latest re Chris Wood injury. Is weird that since the news broke on Sunday, there hasn't been any update on his fitness - just deafening silence in the media 

The worse thing is Mr Andy Martin isn't a New Zealander, he's just another Pom fresh off the boat representing our game and his words shows a lack of understanding with New Zealand culture Pakeha and Maori as a whole. It's also pissed off the Peruvians in the process, way to go knobjockey.

Yeah, if there's going to be a competition as to who creates the most disruption for the opposition team the Peruvians are going to destroy us.

If I was NZ I'd book in to an undisclosed location outside of town. I'd be looking for a country house in the middle of nowhere or in a gated community.

To be the devil's advocate - for a change - I think we should wait and see what sort of reception the AWs are going to get when they're over there and then decide.

I am not one who likes to generalize, but let's be honest, this has happened in the past and it has happened in South America as well. What do we do if the Peruvians act in a more hostile way than we would have liked?

Whilst I believe Martin's comments were inopportune, I do like his do-or-die attitude. At the end of the day this is the biggest game we've had in four years and I want to win it!

Also, really disagree with Sancho above, "another Pom fresh off the boat" is  offensive and shows just how you too misunderstood "New Zealand culture".

You don't have to be born here to love this country to wish this country to do well (in sports or otherwise).

there's a slight flaw with that plan, in that we play the first game here!

Honestly I think that NZF should agree a moratorium on signing any senior management or coaches from the UK* for 10 years. Get the whinging-Pom influence out of our system, and I would bet it would have no negative impact on corporate or onfield performance.

* Republic of Ireland would be okay

Sendero Luminoso haven't gone away, you know.

I didn't say he didn't love the country, I just question whether his statements best represent how our country would welcome and treat people. We are not the UK we are New Zealand, we welcome people with open arms, humble in defeat but fierce in competition. If you have a problem with him being called Brit/Pom thats your issue because that is who he is and where he is from, I'm a Maori and I know exactly who I am.

Am I the only person who thinks this whole thing about Martin's comments is just a storm in a teacup?

I hope so.  You are Sancho.

I think here in New Zealand we can be quite oblivious to it, if it was Rugby then maybe we would take more notice. Its more a wait and see as to how hostile the Peruvians will be towards our team. They're generally nice people so I can't see too much bitterness come from it, in fact much nicer than the Argentinians from my experience but in a football mad country the comments can easily be exaggerated for a local rag to take advantage of. They're desperate to qualify much like when the All Blacks were desperate to win a World Cup in 2011. I'm sure everyone is aware if what happened to the Aussies in 2001 when they played 2nd leg in Uruguay. I've only attended a football game in Colombia and even then you feel enough crazy around you to feel unsafe. The law enforcement in those countries turn a blind eye to big crowds and put it in the too hard/I wanna live basket.

Yea when I read the article it caught me off guard.

I read Andy Martins comments to mean we need to get passionate the way white noise/yellow fever does, and strengthen our home advantage as opposed to sitting quietly and drinking beers like NZers do at most sporting events.  Not the hangmans nooses around dolls necks like they apparently experienced in other countries.

Unless I missed something where he said to start being racist and lynch people, it seemed like he was just trying to fire up the fans, and Mark Reason looked like he exaggerated it so he could be controversial and not support NZ.

I could be copletely wrong though.

Completely.  I actually have no problem with the sentiment, probably best not to have the Chief Exec saying it though!

COYAW

That was the bit that really annoyed me personally as I still find it derogatory. That, and the general comment that because he is from overseas he shouldn't represent us - that's not right in my opinion. I was born overseas but I'm as much an AW fan as anyone else - in this care a lot more than many New Zealanders, since as far as I know I'm the only person in a 40+ staff workplace who bought tickets for the game! So you can hopefully see why I find that not in tune with NZ culture at all.

Anyway, no Kiwi in their right mind would go and let fireworks outside of the Peru hotel and that's not going to happen here, I am happy to put a wager on that. So let's see what happens ahead of the return leg before we judge.

This being said, I don't really care about this issue - all I want is for us to go through at the end of the 180' and with a bit of luck who's to say we can't do it - hostile environment or not!

What should really sink Andy Martin is his long involvement in rugby and the fact he's a Liverpool supporter.

I think this is more the case, Andy Martin probably said it expecting it to be just the usual local press that would (possibly) run with it and didn't realised it would be picked up so much in Peru (being in a rugby centric country and from a rugby background probably does this to you)

Mark Reason is the sort of guy who will argue black is white as long as it got him more clicks and should really just be ignored

That will be his problem then. Liverpool and rugby do not go together.

Don't forget the dodgy banker

Sounds like Darkship

Suggestion in the Herald that Rory Fallon and Brockie are going to be brought back for the qualifies - that's baffling after the past 12 months selections...just bizarre (unless there are injuries we do not know about).

could see Fallon being included in the squad now Durante is out, as that older player with experience figure

Doubt Brockie will ever get into the NZ team while Hudson is in charge 

Not too baffling if Wood's injury will keep him out. I'd have Brockie over Smeltz, but these choices late in the piece are bizarre. No point passing judgement until the actual squad is announced.

Brockie is the only in-form pro striker without an injury worry right now.

The Anthony Hudson wheel of selection:

When is the squad announced?

Brockie has never performed for the AW's. He has had tons of chances but has never ever performed. Currently in form with his club but his international  track record is abysmal at best.

Fallon is an even worse case, no form, very very little playing time. 

Neither of them are sensible options.

Brockie is the most logical selection for me if Wood is unavailable. Yes, he has been crap for the AWs but is on real form for SuperSport and all the other choices (Smeltz, Fallon, Patterson, Watson? de Vries?) are just terrible

Pretty sure they will be in the wider 30 players, which is the group of player that NZF have to contact their clubs ahead of the window.  Doubt they'll be in the 23(?) unless there are injuries. 

This is a fair point.  It's still pretty strange, no?

not really just giving clubs a heads up that the players may be required

Yeah but Rory Fallon is barely even playing football any more!