BEST A W TEAM OF ALL TIME

BEST A W TEAM OF ALL TIME

I  am big fan of your team, i saw  some tapes,  some games  of  you in 1982  and  the world cup qualies  during  the years

Marius Lacatus2009-08-06 12:14:30

No Mulligan at right back?

First time I read a post from Javierf I didn't think he was from Argentina. Maybe I'm wrong and they do have serious issues with the spacebar button in Argentina.

Genuine and complete LOLz. 

As opposed to your other lolz?

Yeah, I fake them.

Now, shut up and fix your calf bork.

Didn't quite come out right format-wise, but I got the drift of what you were saying.

Yes, Brian Turner should be in there. Critical in the '82 team, and peerless on the park in NZ domestic football for many a year around that time (mostly pre-82).

I'd have Dodds & Brian Armstrong in the mix. And my memory of Ricki Herbet was as a better player as centre back (deadly coming up for the corners), but he may have been moved around a bit, and my memory of those days is a bit hazy.

There's been a few good-uns over the years.

Def +1 for Armstrong, potentially greatest AW ever.  Just a pity it was so long ago few remember him now.

 

"Let's not forget the goalie for all the 1982 qualifiers, Richard Wilson, who was cruelly dropped in Spain for the Finals. His performances were legendary in the qualifiers and he held the FIFA record for the longest time with a clean sheet in World Cup qualifiers for many years- who knows, he may still hold it."

Brian Armstrong was also an AW and Ron's brother.

If you took a snap shot then 99 vintage Utting shouldn't be ignored either... plenty of other issues but his 99 Confeds Cup was the most impressive 3 games I've seen from an NZ keeper.

4-4-2 formation, general number their players (using the standard right to left system of listing football teams) four defenders - 2, 5, 6, 3; four midfielders - 7, 4, 8, 11; two forwards - 9, 10. This system of numbering can also be adapted to a midfield diamond with the holding midfielder wearing 4 and the attacking central midfielder wearing 8.

1. R. Wilson
2. C.Evans
3. A.Elrick
4. K.Armstrong
5. R.Nelson
6. R.Herbert
7. B.Armstrong
8. M.McGarry
9. W.Rufer
10.S.Smeltz
11. S. Wooddin

i.e.

4-4-2 (Diamond)

                                1. R.Wilson

2. C.Evans        5. R.Nelson        6. R.Herbert       3. A.Elrick

                           4. K.Armstrong

    7. B.Armstrong                            11. S. Wooddin

                             8. M.McGarry

             9. W.Rufer                      10. S.Smeltz

Bench:
13. B.Picking
14. B.Walsh
15. I.Vicelich
16. S.Sumner
17. B.Turner
18. C.Killen
19. B.Hume

Rest of squad:
20. D.Hay
21. S.Elliot
22. L.Bertos
23. J.Batty
AllWhitebelievr2009-08-19 03:12:51

This is another crap thread, because most of the people are making comments on players that they have never heard of. There have been some great players that SOME people have never heard of- thats because they are too young.

But I haven't made any comments . . . .

We all have opinions and select the best we think, heard and seen. Feedback on this helps stimulate interest and create an appreciation of players that we might otherwise not know about.

Instead of being a sour puss, where is your selection Gramp? Surely you can drum up a few names unheard of. AllWhitebelievr2009-08-20 00:17:08

I don't understand how you can include Smeltz, I may be corrected but he's never scored in a competitive international outside of Oceania.

I thought it to be the best players talentswise rather than best performers.

Also our best talented players were not always available for internationals and our best performers in the AW shirt were not necessary our first choice if we have a choice.

Also when considering about the midfield, you can only really go by ball service, pass completion and positional talent because the measurement for that would different to strikers goal tally and the goal per game and goals on target stuff. Again Smeltz goals on target is better than Coveny, I should think.

I selected the best by talent, which why I included Brian Armstrong and Smeltz. The older AWs had less interntionals for an example, Ken Armstrong and Brian Armstrong only had 9 internationals each, but they were clearly talented and left a lasting impression.

Smeltz has scored 13 goal from 23 internationals. I suppose the goal against Italy (3-2 lost) in the Confederation Cup is first "competitive" international outside Oceania. He scored two goals against Wales (2-2 draw) in a friendly. Scored in the Tanzania friendly before the Confederations, His first international goal against Chile in a 1-4 friendly in 2006 in his second starting game. He had four games sitting on the bench beforehand.

I suppose Jock Newall with his 10 internationals during the years of 1951 and 1952 and yet had 16 goals to his name is worth a mention but then they were all against pacific nations which was weights against his inclusion. At least with Smeltz, he has scored against reasonable proven opposition such as Wales, Italy and Chile.

Some of the biggest problems with the AWs, I suppose was the type of ball service that the AWs striker were getting from the midfield. As they say, the game is won in the midfield and our midfield was generally sub-standard against teams outside of OFC.

Again, it is only my opinion and we each have our own thoughts of selection measures.

these knid of debates are magic, so many possibilities.

Big Pete what you said is true. The South Island were very strong in the 70's and 80's. I would take it for granted that players were humble. That is the way it was then.