Andy Martin - All you expect and less

""To be penalised because someone couldn't press a button in the right way on the right day was tough. It's difficult to accept" - On Fifa's refusal to grant an exemption after NZF missed the transfer deadline for Alex Jones.

"You wouldn't normally have the CEO come out and talk on every single operational matter in a business." - On why he refused to comment in the aftermath of the Jones issue.

"There is going to be bumps in the road - and there will be more - because you are building something and you are not going to change it overnight." - On effecting change at NZF."

For Fudges sakes, just caught the last paragraph of the article.

1: It isnt tough when its his job.  how many ways can you press a button? If there are too many ways, then TRAIN HIM.

2: You normally wouldn't expect the operations to have such major fudge ups, and with the stakeholders involved and the sport trying to gain traction I would expect more than the CEO to just comment.  How about fix them?

3: We aren't asking for major changes, we are asking that you do what you are currently supposed to bloody do.

How about a little accountability.  Its his job to run the show, his job to make sure his subordinates are doing their jobs, and their jobs to make sure their subordinates do their job etc.  If one of them isnt then it's everyone up that chains fudgeing fault.

ARGH I'm angry.

Just say you fudgeed up and your sorry.

Fact is he takes credit for stuff that has very little to do with him (more coaches, playing numbers etc) and then dismisses things which he is responsible for.  Congrats on "getting the ASBP on TV" by the way - you wrote a cheque with our money.  Brilliant work

That it is "an exceptional quality CEO material for the financial & banking industry"

What's that up on the wall?

What a bunch of loser's

Exactly! 

Anthony Hudson said no to the match according to media reports.

Sounds to me like Hudson was asked if he wanted the Russia game and said "no, we'll stick with our plans for the training camp etc."

If the national coach doesn't want the game, you can't blame Andy Martin.

"Football bosses - including Hudson – stuck with plans for a training camp later in the year."

Read more: http://www.newshub.co.nz/sport/nz-football-rejected-chance-for-russia-friendly-2016030217#ixzz41mwWKqDg

It was also mentioned elsewhere that Hudson didn't want to change plans and rejected the friendly.

If true, he's an even bigger clown for his rant earlier.

On the other hand, when Guus Hidding took over the Socceroos in 2005 on the eve of Uruguay playoff,he immediately cancelled a friendly with Colombia (calling it "meaningless") and scheduled a two-week long camp instead.

 Guus Hidding has credibility on his side. :-) 

A tribute To Andy and his team...

try trying to phone someone at NZF some time. They don't have their numbers on the web and you get stuck in some directory announcement where half the people ain't there any more. And then it goes through to voice mailbox.

Can someone please shut this organisation down, great to see Moss making his views felt, I hope Hudson doesn't take his comment to heart - haha.

They are going to burn it to the ground after free basing?

I dont believe this explanation, I think it is a construction after the event to deflect their total stuff up.

If it was true, they would have been quick to allay themselves in the media, that it was a technical impossibility.

Nope, it stinks

Is there a media mole in NZF? How would the media find out about the Russia approach after the fact? Contact would be between an agent representing Russia and an agent representing NZF or NZF direct. How would this get out? It has to come from someone within NZF or the agent looking to arrange games and then, why would the agent do that?

Maybe the level of professionalism he experienced from NZF pissed him off?

This is the sort of picture that could really psych people out mentally. This is done by asking....."In this picture is hidden someone capable of being a professional operator in a National football body, can you find them?"

It'll take days before people give up and say they can't find them as they get out their  magnify glasses and look in the corners.

Up where the spider's live

Dumb and Dumber 

After watching the Nix tonight I'm a little miffed but I am blown away by this.

To hear Andy Martin say they "inherited the eligibility problem" is such a cop out. Butter wouldn't melt on this guy. It wasn't the prior administration that selected the u23's and didn't check their status. And everyone on here, when viewing in a way that we weren't trying to find a loophole in the rules, knew the FIFA statutes were clear. Maybe not fair or even totally logical - but it was 100% clear.

Then to dismiss the Jones transfer as a bump in the road and the system wouldn't work is just passing the buck. 

Kiwis respect people who make mistakes and own up to it. Maybe initially we put the boot in but we at least respect them in the long run.  

Guy, NZF needs money to fund a decent men's programme and to do that they need  sponsors, government support not to mention the buy in of players etc. 

What corporate or government organisation would put their brand alongside Andy Martin? 

He also said they have heaps of positives including getting the ASB Prem on TV. Sure it's great that the product has a window now and a good step forward. But writing a cheque for someone else to do the work isnt something to crow about when talking about what you have achieved. He should be rattling of the achievements they have delivered without paying someone else to do it- like having a full men's AW programme, having a home game for the AWs, attracting new corporate partners etc.

Then after the interview we find out about the Russia game and have players say they would love to play it. In the recent past the matches don't appear to have been organised that far in advance (unlike he Socceroos- man the Aussies don't know how good they have it). So what is this game any different? Is it because he didn't want to get whipped before the OFC comp in May? 

Aussie get games against Greece and England and Andy "my head is up my own arse" Martin gets us a training camp despite Russia showing an interest in a game. Is that about it?

Ask the players, training camp or game against Russia lads? I think i know what 99% of the players would have chosen.

They probably can't afford to do both, not a popular view I'm sure but a probable one.

#hobbits

all of this http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11600752

Endorse this article ten times.

If we are to believe/accept that Andy Handy inherited the eligibility saga, it doesn't explain why he spent truckloads of money ona frivolous appeal that anyone apart from Napier Phoenix could see was doomed to fail.

My grandmother at 90 could do a better job then this idiot.

Even if he had of inherited it, he should have dealt with it quickly, abandoned the appeal and made sure that any other eligibility issues were resolved. he should have also ensured that when the person responsible for dealing with transfers was leaving, that they had trained at least one other person to step in and be capable of doing so. 

Any truth to rumour that NZF are bidding for 2023 Womens World Cup? Solus or co-host with Aussie?

Wouldn't get your hopes up. That sounds like a lot of paperwork and deadlines. 

They probably are gonna send off their application on Good Friday, but wait, that's a long weekend.........

Do they know the rules on transgender participation?

I see that Russia now has friendlies against Lithuania in Moscow on March 26 and against France in Paris on March 29.

Was it the March 26 game in Moscow that they approached NZ to play?

Unavailability of players, cost, winter weather in Moscow, travel distance etc. must have been factors:

16,000 km is along way to go for a match for the NZ and Aussie based players and staff.

Moscow is the most expensive city in the world for accommodation etc.

The forecast for that matchday is temperatures from minus 8 degrees to zero degrees in Moscow.

Not ideal preparation for the tropical humidity of PNG in June (average temp 29 - 30 degrees, av. humidity 94 - 100 % early June)

And very tough for a mostly Southern Hemisphere squad coming from hot summer weather.

It would have been a very weak NZ side that would have been available.

No A-League players would likely have been released since it was scheduled for an A-League match day.

The Phoenix are struggling enough without taking away several players. Barbarouses and Smeltz wouldn't be available. Roux is injured.

Of our UK-based players, Reid and  Wood have been injured and not featuring for their clubs, so would be unlikely to be called up.

Smith would find an excuse.

Marinovic has a game that weekend with Unterhaching.

Bill Tuiloma hasn't played for his club since February 12

Rojas and Tzimopoulos are pretty much the only UK or Europe-based players that would have been available.

Any US-based players would be tied up with their seasons starting this month.

Boxall and Brockie would have been available with no club game that weekend.

So would we really want a team of mostly ASB Premiership players to play Russia in Moscow in sub-zero conditions?

it's a Fifa window Pete. Players have to be released if they are selected. And it was the Lithuania game we were being looked at.

Would have been nice to get some rivalism going with Russia. Ah well.

White Noise vs Russian ultras could be a bit of a mismatch

As a Phoenix supporter I wouldn't be happy with players being released from a struggling team resulting in a possibly humiliating result..

Would Ernie have been happy?

NZF also have to keep the Phoenix happy.

A few weeks ago when NZF were approached about the Russia game, the Nix were still mathematically quite capable of a play-off birth.

(Even now they still are, if they win every game and Sydney FC continue their slump).

As an All Whites supporter though, it's always good to see them play as often as possible.

I wouldn't be keen on a very weak team playing away in Moscow though to risk humiliation. 

I doubt if Hudson would call up Marinovic for example either with him required for a league game that weekend.

To me it would have been a long, long way to travel to play in sub-zero conditions with a weak squad.

The latest news on Winston Reid is that he will resume training tomorrow but looks unlikely to be risked in a match for a week or two. 

Chris Wood resumed training this week at Leeds but was judged not fit enough for the mid-week game and is likely to be on the bench this weekend.