All Whites vs Russia, Confederations Cup | Sun 18 June | 3am | St Petersburg | SS3

I feel that Thomas is a much classier attacking mid  / winger than any we had in 2009.

Rojas is also in my opinion better than Brockie or Bertos as an attacking winger (offers nothing defensively though).

Tim Brown was an asset for his industriousness and ability to get forward and score plus help out defending.

Elliott is the key difference between then and now for his defensive ability and passing range.

But Hudson could field a stronger midfield of e.g. Thomas / Tuiloma / McGlinchey / Rojas

Media reports today suggest that Tuiloma will start tomorrow morning against Mexico plus at let one wing back will be replaced. 

We'd be stronger defensively if Hudson took out the lame Colvey and switched to a back four of Boxall / Tzimopoulos / Smith / Wynne

Wynne or Doyle? I'm not sure who's best at left-back / wing-back.

I think even in that Rojas has been the weak link, and Bertos, due to his final yrs at the 'Nix, is an underrated player. Thomas is a good player, but like Rojas and Kosta is quite a slight player. Tuiloma doesn't seem to have quite the engine of Brown, though he does have quite a good passing range. 

I personally think Thomas should be playing further forward and not have many defensive duties. 

442 would be a defensively stronger formation you'd think. Not sure if we'd create more, but it would have that for a start. 

Tuiloma/McG may grow in quality as a partnership, but at the moment you'd have Brown/Elliot for endeavour, defence and experience. 

I think Rojas has been disappointing for the AWs for some time. I'd rather a winger who can whip a good ball in and create space to do that, than a player who can beat a couple and lose the ball. Thomas has shown what we want from Marco. 

We'll see how the team responds. But that first game was about indicative of Hudson's work so far.

Imo the loss of Hudson-Wihongi to injury has been quite a blow. He and Tuiloma are the best two DF/DMs we possess. At ACFC he's long been seen as Ivan's successor, and if he hadn't suffered bad injury he could by now be an near automatic choice for the AW's squad. Although under Hudson it's too difficult to predict anything.

But he was fairly well regarded up to that point and got demolished against Spain? Didn't feature much after that right?

I think that's more a result of Reid and Smith coming along, Nelsen being occasionally fit and available, and Vicelich coming out of retirement.

Didn't play SSP, but is out on Auckland's fields with Forrest Hill Milford.

Don't get me wrong- I liked him and could really relate!

But I had a memory of that doing for him. obviously not so right...

I can't remember a time when he was highly rated amongst All Whites supporters.

Higher than Stephen Old.

Higher than Stephen Old.

He was starting in MLS for a fair while and that's not something you could say about most of our squad. 

Wood, Reid, Thomas, Gleeson. 

No one else as good as a start in MLS unless I've forgotten someone?

That Confeds Cup was Ivan's return from retirement.

Throw in Nelsen being fit for Bahrain games, and suddenly he was down the pecking order.

Then come Reid and Smith, and he was well out of the picture, almost to the point where him going to SA at all was a bit odd.

I must say, much as I don't want to, Smith did well against Mexico.

Ohhhh - this could hurt.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-4635918...

If disqualified, we still wouldn't of made the semis.

I doubt Russia will lose the 2018 WC hosting rights, even if this story is true. It is a FIFA tournament after all. And FIFA is hardly a 'corruption free' zone. 

meant they maybe be mising some senoir players due to drug bans if upheld