nope - its terrible
1.) portrays the result in Manama as the luckiest, flukiest result of all time - and says they "should have crushed us".
2.) then talks about Bahrain as if they are terrible - from the Middle East's "football backwaters". Actually, they qualified as the top side from the Middle East. and were 5th in asia last time around as well.
3.) ok, am an hardly objective, but he portrays Elliott as past it and not up to the World Cup - even though he was comfortably our best player in south africa at confed (other than moss) and in fact showed he was one of only a few that could perform respectably against quality international sides
4.) i think mcglinchey did well and should probably start in welly, but come on, rattue has probably only watched him played 20 mins of football ever - and he's sooo much better than anyone else.
5.) he reckons bahrain lookes far more worthy world cup finalists. p!ss off. one game, in their back yard, it was a draw. they've proven nothing yet.
6.) yes, obsesses over how we will get thrashed in SA - importantly, with the suggestion that maybe we shouldnt want to be there. ridiculous and, yes, missing the point.
to me, it smelt of somebody who knows f all about the game and never watches it
I think you took offence at the slight on your friend and that is clouding the rest of your review.
We were competitive in Bahrain. They were better than us. "Should have crushed us" might be overstating the case, but they did miss at least two gilt-edged chances to score. We had the one real opportunity, when Chris Wood was offside.
Agree with you insofar as Elliot was our best Confed Cup player. However he was anonymous in Bahrain and the article makes a fair contrast between him/Brown and McGlinchy. I think you'd struggle to find anyone who thinks McGlinchy should not start in Wellington. So the masses are with Rattue on that one, regardless of how much of him he's watched.
You tie yourself in a knot with 2. and 5. You can't on the one hand say "the All Whites are performing credibly because Bahrain are the top middle eastern team" and then in the next breath say "they've proven nothing yet, it's only one game". Certainly over the course of the past couple of years Bahrain are probably much worthier World Cup finalists than we are. That's inarguable.
All he's written is a mild counterpoint to the "wasn't it wonderful" view that has otherwise been out there. To me it's a credible view, even if it's a bit negative.
And i disagree re Simon being anonymous even if he is a mate. he doesnt f around with the ball so when he has possession its gone before the commentator mentions him. there is a lot of one touch stuff from him - and its accurate. he had a lot of touches in the weekend.
. A bit hard to hear the callers but still