One advantage Hay has, is we have pretty much know who we want in the squad for months, so hopefully NZF has been sweet talking to their clubs for awhile.
My best guess is: Woud Poulsen (but could be anyone really)
Ingham Boxall Pijnaker Reid (Payne if not released) Cacace McGarry (I'd go with Sutton)
Bell Lewis Singh Stamenic (though based on their respective TW appearances I'd go with Whyte) Stensness
Champness Just Mccowatt Waine Wood
I can't see Stamenic, for all his quality, getting ahead of Stensness, who offers a very powerful physical edge as well as technical ability, though they could both go given . I guess, notwithstanding the personal preferences and politics, Gaffer Hay will see the difference in the training sessions, which is what they are all about.
Stamenic is 100% going - read on a Kobenhavn forum post written by a trusted source. He's up there with Cacace as the most promising Kiwi footballer, imo - would be a travesty not to take him in my book
He might be a great talent, but he has played 1 senior game of pro football. To pick him suggests one of the following players has to miss out:
Bell - playing regularly in Norway Singh - Bayern Munich, not playing first-team, but clearly going. Stensness - Regular starter at A League level Lewis - Regular starter at A League level Just - Regular starter in Danish second tier
I'm looking at Just as a midfielder, not one of our four strikers, who I am picking to be Wood, McCowatt, Waine and Champness.
Big call picking a player on potential over others who have performed at club level.
My best guess is: Woud Poulsen (but could be anyone really)
Ingham Boxall Pijnaker Reid (Payne if not released) Cacace McGarry (I'd go with Sutton)
Bell Lewis Singh Stamenic (though based on their respective TW appearances I'd go with Whyte) Stensness
Champness Just Mccowatt Waine Wood
I can't see Stamenic, for all his quality, getting ahead of Stensness, who offers a very powerful physical edge as well as technical ability, though they could both go given . I guess, notwithstanding the personal preferences and politics, Gaffer Hay will see the difference in the training sessions, which is what they are all about.
Stamenic is 100% going - read on a Kobenhavn forum post written by a trusted source. He's up there with Cacace as the most promising Kiwi footballer, imo - would be a travesty not to take him in my book
Worth bearing in mind that whilst it’s an 18 man playing squad, 22 players will travel to Tokyo, with the four extra only able to play as injury replacements, but I’d imagine one of those four would have to be a keeper. I don’t know too much about Stamenic so I’ll take your word, I managed to watch his Superliga debut on a bet365 stream, and at the U17 World Cup, but it’s not much
He might be a great talent, but he has played 1 senior game of pro football. To pick him suggests one of the following players has to miss out:
Bell - playing regularly in Norway Singh - Bayern Munich, not playing first-team, but clearly going. Stensness - Regular starter at A League level Lewis - Regular starter at A League level Just - Regular starter in Danish second tier
I'm looking at Just as a midfielder, not one of our four strikers, who I am picking to be Wood, McCowatt, Waine and Champness.
Big call picking a player on potential over others who have performed at club level.
Absolutely. This is not a couple of friendlies with hugs and beers afterwards. The Olympics is a tournament and the more success we have there, the better it is for NZ Football, and for Hay's coaching CV. For the Olympics, Hay should be picking players on form so we compete well, and I hope he does.
He might be a great talent, but he has played 1 senior game of pro football. To pick him suggests one of the following players has to miss out:
Bell - playing regularly in Norway Singh - Bayern Munich, not playing first-team, but clearly going. Stensness - Regular starter at A League level Lewis - Regular starter at A League level Just - Regular starter in Danish second tier
I'm looking at Just as a midfielder, not one of our four strikers, who I am picking to be Wood, McCowatt, Waine and Champness.
Big call picking a player on potential over others who have performed at club level.
All of them plus Stamenic can go, he doesn't need to take any of their places - the squad 2nd Best suggested is pretty much bang-on assuming Boxall goes, and potentially different options available at RB/backup GK. I'm very familiar with Stamenic and I believe he is better right now than Stensness, Just, and maybe Lewis as well - versatility is there too, can play the 6, 8, or 10.
Playing even one game at the most stacked team player-wise in a very decent European league says a lot, not to mention he's been absolutely showing out in the U19 league. His path to the first team is blocked by three Denmark internationals and a Greek international at CM. I understand people here may not be familiar with him yet, but trust me.
Just is also a winger through and through, not a striker or central midfielder.
I can only judge him on what I saw when he was at TeeDubs. Obviously he is good technically, but almost every time he slowed play up with 4 or 5 touches, space would close down, and he'd roll it back to his CB or GK. No idea if this had improved while he was away, but it was noticeable how much TW struggled to break teams down with him on the park.
I can only judge him on what I saw when he was at TeeDubs. Obviously he is good technically, but almost every time he slowed play up with 4 or 5 touches, space would close down, and he'd roll it back to his CB or GK. No idea if this had improved while he was away, but it was noticeable how much TW struggled to break teams down with him on the park.
Still an issue. He has a tendency to rush and only play what’s in front of him, which is useful for very high tempo teams, but whenever he does take the time, he inevitably ends up turning around and playing a safe ball. Definitely one of his bigger weaknesses, alongside finishing and picking the best options. Still, one of the most technically gifted NZ footballers
Bayern didn’t allow French central defender Dayot Upamecano to be released for the Olympics, but he’s set to be a first team player, whereas Singh is likely to leave, so I reckon it’s likely to be Singh’s decision
I reckon second is more likely than the 5 at the back formation, but Just and McCowatt to be on the opposite sides. Elliot vs Ingham will be tight, I don’t know if they have been in competition for spots before given Ingham was injured for the 2019 U20s and Hay won’t have the same love Hudson had for him. Final debate will be Stensness vs Stamenic, mrsmiis will be able to vouch for Stamenic more than me, but I think if Stamenic plays, then Bell will play the 6, where he played in the November 2019 AWs games. Stamenic probably moves the ball a lot better, but he’s not as defensive and destructive as Stensness, not to mention lacks the experience of Stensness.
I reckon second is more likely than the 5 at the back formation, but Just and McCowatt to be on the opposite sides. Elliot vs Ingham will be tight, I don’t know if they have been in competition for spots before given Ingham was injured for the 2019 U20s and Hay won’t have the same love Hudson had for him. Final debate will be Stensness vs Stamenic, mrsmiis will be able to vouch for Stamenic more than me, but I think if Stamenic plays, then Bell will play the 6, where he played in the November 2019 AWs games. Stamenic probably moves the ball a lot better, but he’s not as defensive and destructive as Stensness, not to mention lacks the experience of Stensness.
yeah, ideally I'd like to see us take the game to our opponents, and playing both Bell and Stensness in a midfield three makes it harder to do so (even though Bell's not terrible at this). I'd personally have Bell sitting deep, Stamenic box-to-box, and Lewis a playmaker.
Second formation will almost certainly be it - no way we play five at the back when we actually have a good chance of progressing, and I don't trust either of our right-backs being our primary source of offense on the right flank.
We do lack genuine playmakers. Thomas being injured and un available as an overage player and now Singh not available is a real dent in our chances to progress.` Hopefully Lewis and Stamenic can step up to those levels.
If coming up against a pair of young U24 CBs Wood will be a handful, especially if he also has Waine alongside him at times. Won't hurt to play a little bit route one, now and again.
I'll be shocked if it isn't 4-3-3 with 2 DMs. Reckon it will be. Woud Ingham Reid (Payne) Boxall Cacace
Bell Stensness Lewis
McCowatt Wood Just
Front three might be different. Champness for McCowatt for instance. Be interesting if Waine is an option wide given he looked pretty dangerous for the Phoenix when he played here.
I'll be shocked if it isn't 4-3-3 with 2 DMs. Reckon it will be. Woud Ingham Reid (Payne) Boxall Cacace
Bell Stensness Lewis
McCowatt Wood Just
Front three might be different. Champness for McCowatt for instance. Be interesting if Waine is an option wide given he looked pretty dangerous for the Phoenix when he played here.
Yep this is what I've got too. Will 100% be two DMs and Bell/Stensness are both doing quite well at the moment.
Strength will be in transitioning to wide players quickly and hoofing it into Wood. Champness/Waine will probably be impact players off the bench. Bit stiff for Waine, competing against the best NZ player of the last decade.
I think we have the look of a hustle and bustle midfield, lots of energy, but maybe not the quality to unlock a team. So it will be important our wide players can bring something a little extra to us.
Just and Campness would be my starting two. Just has a better touch and is more clever than McCowatt IMO, and I think Champness offers more pace and better wide threat as well.
What will be interesting is how highly is Stamenic rated and whether or not he can break into the starting team.
OlyWhites coach Danny Hay believes he and Sarpreet Singh have made the best decision for his career in the long run by leaving him out of the squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
The Bayern Munich midfielder was the only name of note missing from the 18-man squad announced on Friday and Hay said the decision was “a difficult one for Sarpreet and for us”.
“That's absolutely critical for him, and if we were to take him to the Olympics, it's unlikely a side would take him on loan – we're probably talking in the German second-tier – and even if they did, he would miss a critical part of pre-season, where he can get himself into the team and secure a starting spot.
“The most important thing for him at the moment is that he beds down a proper club position and is playing for his club side, because ultimately that's going to be good for us in the long term.”
“We all know that he's at a massive club at Bayern Munich, and he hasn't quite been able to force his way into the first team as yet, which is understandable given the quality that they have.
“Unfortunately their reserves have been relegated that to the fourth tier of German football and he really can't play in regional football in Germany – that's not going to help his development – so he needs to go out on loan.
“I think both parties would desperately love to have him there, and I know that he was really keen, but the reality is he's at a little bit of a crossroads with his career.
I think it should be 4 at the back, so big questions for me about why we have 4 CBs when Stensness is more than capable of covering in a pinch. Makes me wonder if a back 5 is a possibility, or if this is a missed chance for more attacking midfield options.
Its likely we have stacked the defense because Danny Hay is going to pull his formation straight out of the classic All Whites playbook and play a back 5 with as much route one football as possible. I have no confidence Danny Hay will be able to be as tactically aware as Des Buckingham.
I think it should be 4 at the back, so big questions for me about why we have 4 CBs when Stensness is more than capable of covering in a pinch. Makes me wonder if a back 5 is a possibility, or if this is a missed chance for more attacking midfield options.
Could it also be partly that Boxall (in midst of MLS season) and Reid (if he goes at all), won't get to Tokyo until maybe a week before the first game. So you need both Stanger and Pjinaker as CBs, to make up a team for training/warm up games.
IMHO McCowatt is unproven after a year at the Nix with some good patches but not a consistent run of great ones like other u23s (like Cacace or Devlin (if selected). So the selection of the front three with be interesting, he’s not an automatic choice for me.
Just has a football brain behind his years and superb technique so, like McCowatt, it will be interesting to see how he turns up vs guys kicking around the A League like Lewis. He’s the player that can play the killer pass in this side.
Back in the day Hudson didn’t even put the guys in the Scandinavian leagues (like Dan Keat) on his map of global players yet they were playing in first division leagues.
Looking forward to seeing Cacace rip it up and how he has come on. Exciting times to just gauge where we are at after such a long time between drinks.
IMHO McCowatt is unproven after a year at the Nix with some good patches but not a consistent run of great ones like other u23s (like Cacace or Devlin (if selected). So the selection of the front three with be interesting, he’s not an automatic choice for me.
Just has a football brain behind his years and superb technique so, like McCowatt, it will be interesting to see how he turns up vs guys kicking around the A League like Lewis. He’s the player that can play the killer pass in this side.
Back in the day Hudson didn’t even put the guys in the Scandinavian leagues (like Dan Keat) on his map of global players yet they were playing in first division leagues.
Looking forward to seeing Cacace rip it up and how he has come on. Exciting times to just gauge where we are at after such a long time between drinks.
McC: Surely no more then a super sub although he does seem to be a Hay favourite. Based on form etc he should be well down the pecking order.
Just: Maybe a good brain but I'm unconvinced like Hudson that the level he's at is good enough to keep others playing regularly in the A League out of the starting XI.
IMHO McCowatt is unproven after a year at the Nix with some good patches but not a consistent run of great ones like other u23s (like Cacace or Devlin (if selected). So the selection of the front three with be interesting, he’s not an automatic choice for me.
Just has a football brain behind his years and superb technique so, like McCowatt, it will be interesting to see how he turns up vs guys kicking around the A League like Lewis. He’s the player that can play the killer pass in this side.
Back in the day Hudson didn’t even put the guys in the Scandinavian leagues (like Dan Keat) on his map of global players yet they were playing in first division leagues.
Looking forward to seeing Cacace rip it up and how he has come on. Exciting times to just gauge where we are at after such a long time between drinks.
McC: Surely no more then a super sub although he does seem to be a Hay favourite. Based on form etc he should be well down the pecking order.
Just: Maybe a good brain but I'm unconvinced like Hudson that the level he's at is good enough to keep others playing regularly in the A League out of the starting XI.
IMHO McCowatt is unproven after a year at the Nix with some good patches but not a consistent run of great ones like other u23s (like Cacace or Devlin (if selected). So the selection of the front three with be interesting, he’s not an automatic choice for me.
Just has a football brain behind his years and superb technique so, like McCowatt, it will be interesting to see how he turns up vs guys kicking around the A League like Lewis. He’s the player that can play the killer pass in this side.
Back in the day Hudson didn’t even put the guys in the Scandinavian leagues (like Dan Keat) on his map of global players yet they were playing in first division leagues.
Looking forward to seeing Cacace rip it up and how he has come on. Exciting times to just gauge where we are at after such a long time between drinks.
McC: Surely no more then a super sub although he does seem to be a Hay favourite. Based on form etc he should be well down the pecking order.
Just: Maybe a good brain but I'm unconvinced like Hudson that the level he's at is good enough to keep others playing regularly in the A League out of the starting XI.
McCowatt and Just both started for the All Whites vs Republic of Ireland, the only game Hay has played a ‘full strength’ team in, in a game that Thomas and Singh also started. I think that second formation would be played still even if Thomas and Singh were available, with Bell behind them (as in that RoI game)
Waine seems to have a grasp on what kind of a player he is and his position. What’s McCowatt’s best position? Is he more of an out and out goal scorer, a wide creator, a second striker, a central mid...At the Phoenix it didn’t seem he (and the coaching staff) knew how to get the best out of his game. He laid on one beautiful long ball assist, but didn’t seem to be the goal threat that Uli, Reno or even Sotirio is. Now I know he was prolific in NZ, and is a skillful player with ball at feet, but I wonder does he know his best position? For that reason I might prefer Waine. That’d be purely based on Nix performances when I’ve seen them. Edit: woken up to the fact that most teams above sans Sarpreet have both of them...hope we get to see plenty of games where an in form Singh and Wood play at the same time over the next few years.
For AWs and those 2 big intercontinental playoff games June next year, I'd still be very tempted to have both Barba and Rojas up top with Wood. They have both played alot with the Burnley striker, and have a tonne of experience in big one off high stakes games (A League finals, previous intercontinental playoffs).
That is if they are both in reasonable form & fitness come mid next year. It's up to McCowatt, Just etc to prove they are better.
However will unfortunately be very problematic, getting the A League guys together with the rest of the AWs (Euro/MLS), before June next year. Any quality friendlies before then are likely to be in Europe, and the 2 week MIQ requirement for A League guys on return to NZ/Aus will rule them out.
So I guess that is advantage Euro based guys like McCowatt, Just, Garbett etc - re likely getting more AWs opportunities in the lead up to June next year.
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