Herdman, the appointment that wasn’t

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2023/12/football-former-canada-coach-john-herdman-hints-at-turmoil-around-foiled-all-whites-appointment.html

Any new thoughts on NZF’s performance regarding the AW coaching appointment?

Interesting framing - "NZF's performance" - when this interview offers no new information about what NZF did or hadn't done, but gives information about a terrible thing that happened in John Herdman's family. Given that, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he were totally disoriented, said one thing to NZF one day and the opposite the next.

In that situation I'm not sure what NZF could have done differently, except maye being more up front with the fans about who they had offerered the job too, perhaps if NZF had run the process sooner they couldhave locked Herdman in well before the tragedy occurred??

My kind of reading is that they had agreed on the appointment and NZF had (perhaps been a little naive, but still being very considerate of Herdman’s tragic position) and got caught out having to deal with all of this side noise from the media and many vocal fan/commentators about the delays in naming, previous poor decision making etc and came out with egg on their faces. In terms of PR it was a disaster. Just think if it had all gone to plan, what a coup that would have been, I wonder how much better he would prove to be than Beazley.

something we will never know I guess, unless Herdman is available 6 months after Beazley stands down? Cos, you know it'll take NZF that long to realise they need to get a replacement.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/12/25/former-ferns-coach-john-herman-tipped-to-land-indonesian-coaching-role/

Herdman is/was a dynamic .energetic coach with a vision/style- Beazley is just a yes man and cheap option with no idea, back bone or vision and no head coach experience- and also look at the current  men’s/woman’s U17/20 WC campaigns – horrible style and results but no consequences at all- just jobs for the boys/girls like the RH area- that’s why NZF is going nowhere- 

Der Blonde

Herdman is/was a dynamic .energetic coach with a vision/style- Beazley is just a yes man and cheap option with no idea, back bone or vision and no head coach experience- and also look at the current  men’s/woman’s U17/20 WC campaigns – horrible style and results but no consequences at all- just jobs for the boys/girls like the RH area- that’s why NZF is going nowhere- 

Mens age group sides are doing just fine for what you'd expect from this country. Womens age group teams a very different picture and paint a picture of our fall down the rankings continuing. Don't get it mixed up

theprof

something we will never know I guess, unless Herdman is available 6 months after Beazley stands down? Cos, you know it'll take NZF that long to realise they need to get a replacement.

Why would we go back to an option that screwed us around and used our offer as a bargaining chip?

The Nix gave Bev a shot a redemption, why cant NZF? Especially when Herdman really only burnt them in a contract negotiation.

Bev's not gonna employ drones again, but Herdman may well fudge off when its convenient for him.

LT01

Der Blonde

Herdman is/was a dynamic .energetic coach with a vision/style- Beazley is just a yes man and cheap option with no idea, back bone or vision and no head coach experience- and also look at the current  men’s/woman’s U17/20 WC campaigns – horrible style and results but no consequences at all- just jobs for the boys/girls like the RH area- that’s why NZF is going nowhere- 

Mens age group sides are doing just fine for what you'd expect from this country. Womens age group teams a very different picture and paint a picture of our fall down the rankings continuing. Don't get it mixed up

U17 Men and U20 Men both finished bottom of their group this year. Wouldn't call that just fine. Not even close.

2025 NZU20 men lost 2-1 Chile, beat Egypt 2-1, and lost Japan 3-0.
Bottom of the group on GD, and mins away from a 1-1 draw verus host nation Chile.

2024 NZU20 women lost 7-0 Japan, 3-1 Austria and 3-1 Ghana.

2025 NZU17 men lost 3-0 Mali, lost 3-2 Saudi Arabia and lost 4-1 Austria.
Saudi's winner came in stoppage time.

2025 NZU17 women lost 3-0 Japan, lost 4-1 Paraguay, and lost 4-0 Zambia

No the results for the male age groups teams are not 'fine'. 
But they are significantly better than the female teams.

Buffon II

LT01

Der Blonde

Herdman is/was a dynamic .energetic coach with a vision/style- Beazley is just a yes man and cheap option with no idea, back bone or vision and no head coach experience- and also look at the current  men’s/woman’s U17/20 WC campaigns – horrible style and results but no consequences at all- just jobs for the boys/girls like the RH area- that’s why NZF is going nowhere- 

Mens age group sides are doing just fine for what you'd expect from this country. Womens age group teams a very different picture and paint a picture of our fall down the rankings continuing. Don't get it mixed up

U17 Men and U20 Men both finished bottom of their group this year. Wouldn't call that just fine. Not even close.

U17s were weak against Mali and competitive in the other two games. U20s won against Egypt and were pretty damn close against host nation Chile too.

Womens youth teams got hammered in every game.

coochiee

2025 NZU20 men lost 2-1 Chile, beat Egypt 2-1, and lost Japan 3-0.
Bottom of the group on GD, and mins away from a 1-1 draw verus host nation Chile.

2024 NZU20 women lost 7-0 Japan, 3-1 Austria and 3-1 Ghana.

2025 NZU17 men lost 3-0 Mali, lost 3-2 Saudi Arabia and lost 4-1 Austria.
Saudi's winner came in stoppage time.

2025 NZU17 women lost 3-0 Japan, lost 4-1 Paraguay, and lost 4-0 Zambia

No the results for the male age groups teams are not 'fine'. 
But they are significantly better than the female teams.

Thank you, didn't see this before I responded. Also worth noting the Austria 4-1 they scored a flurry of late goals we were actually 1-1 quite late on.

For me people are often unrealistic - if we win a game at a tournament it shows we're competitive at int youth level. That's fine.

Der Blonde

Herdman is/was a dynamic .energetic coach with a vision/style- Beazley is just a yes man and cheap option with no idea, back bone or vision and no head coach experience- and also look at the current  men’s/woman’s U17/20 WC campaigns – horrible style and results but no consequences at all- just jobs for the boys/girls like the RH area- that’s why NZF is going nowhere- 

 Found John Herdman's burner account