New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites

If Leo is in form, then I would choose him, and perhaps Smeltz?

wee mac

Smeltz, mcglinchey and moss

Is it three in the eleven or three in the squad?

Three in the squad.

Just take your best centre back, best midfielder and (if not one of the other 2) best available overage player.  Definitely Nelsen, McGlinchey and I'd take smith or Reid.  We're going to have to do a lot of defending in any international tournament.  If you take Smeltz you probably have to leave out one of Marco, Kosta and Wood which seems counterintuitive considering they've got to be the future for the AWs.

Wouldn't take Nelsen, plus doubt he'd be all that keen to go anyway. He'll be couple of months shy of his 35th birthday, pretty much on his last legs as a professional footballer, and we're talking about selecting him for what is effectively a second-rate tournament outside the FIFA international window? Yeah right.

Smith is eligible to go to the tournament as an U23 player, and I agree on taking Reid - he's the future of our backline, so if he wants to go and his club are willing to release him I'd take him.

Would also take McGlinchey as another critical All White of the future. Think Reid and McGlinchey are no-brainers, the trouble is who to pick as the third player - I don't think there's another obvious choice among defenders and midfielders. There's not much point taking someone like Moss like Sam suggested, as in Gleeson, Marinovic and Basalaj we have good keeping options in the U23 bracket. And while it is true that we should use the opportunity to get Marco, Kosta and Wood playing together, think they themselves could use an older and experienced forward to perhaps mentor them through the tournament, while also being able to contribute on the pitch himself. So probably Smeltzy or Killen for me, depending on their availability/keenness to be involved.

The problem for me in taking a forward is you have to drop one of those three - for me this is exactly the kind of tournament they need to play together in.  Maybe you take both Smith and Reid to play in central defence and then take the big fella in the Canada, forget his name?  They're the future in that position  and can compete together. 

I dont know if this sounds stupid or not, But if Nelsen was to play and the premier was still on etc could he just play a match and then go back and play for Blackburn or what are the rules?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-news/sport/columnists/5791304/Herbert-grabbing-the-limelight Danny Hay's not happy

he's just grouchy cos he didn't get the gig. The comparision to rugby is dumb, caching the AW's is a part time roll at best, the nix is for 6 months of the year, so coaching the Oly-whites at the olympics makes sense.

Hay is the new Kevin Fallon: http://www.sacredheart.school.nz/uploads///Sports-Institute-Danny-Hay.pdf

" Rather than put trust in new, passionate and talented coaches such as Emblen, Herbert is set to forever dine out on a Rory Fallon header and the exceptional leadership of Ryan Nelsen."

His Knights/Waitakere mateship with Emblen hardly makes him a neutral commentator whether he's right or not.

The wider point he was making in the interview, which Malcomson agreed with, was the seeming lack of coaching pathways for guys at the highest level if Ricki is going to continue to pick up all the plum gigs. I can see his point but don't have enough knowledge in the area to comment on whether he is right or not.

If they look locally we don't have one...  Emblen seems promising and I guess the first step beyond local clubmanship is to take a national age group side through qualifying which he is...

Exactly, I don't understand the problem here. Emblem gets good experience taking the local boys through the qualifying campaign (presumably with some technical assistance/input from Herbert and others in the top setup) then when the Olympic campaign starts (assuming we qualify) and the team looks a lot like the All Whites side, Herbert takes over, with Emblem as assistant and gets experience in how things run.

Appears like a pretty good pathway to me.

I wrote this almost 2 years ago about Stu Jacobs - see article called "who needs assistance" which was about Stu Jacobs being crowded out. james dean2011-10-20 22:30:34

I would agree, but for the way in which he's made it.

His criticism is so strident that it makes me think he's just bitter, not genuinely concerned for the game.Smithy2011-10-20 22:30:38

Yes but it's the Sunday News Smithy - red tops don't do reasoned argument... james dean2011-10-20 23:55:04

I thought Reid qualified as u23. If not def take him, plus two of mcg, moss, smeltz depending where things at next year with injuries, form etc.

No reid is too old to fit under the under 23 criteria

The current all whites who would quaiify are Rojas, wood, Kosta, smith and gleeson

A nice core of the team if you add Nelson, Reid and a midfielder ( I guess little mac) as the over aged players AucklandPhoenix2011-10-23 19:11:34

Elliott's still performing in MLS IIRC, surely he'd be in contention.

I don't think I'd take Nelsen and Reid, unless Smith was picked at left back.

I think it would be great to see Reid, Mac and maybe Brockie or one of the other players born '87 or '86 to be in the team as it could be seen as a future All Whites instead of the U-23's if you get what I mean? Get players playing together and getting used to each others players which will be beneficial in the long run. Just an idea

*getting used to each others play

Anybody know if there are going to be "follow your team" tickets available for the olympics, or if there will be tickets reserved for the fans of the countries involved (once the draw is made)??

Apparently Manawatu plays the NZ U23's this Thursday at Memorial Park Palmerston North but I don't know what time it's set down for. Anyone else know?

The game here tomorrow is 17:30.

I believe the Nix boys who are short of game time will be turning out for Team Wellington

There are Nix players who are short of game time?

I thought the fitness coach had been turning out for us recently

 

Sounds like Sky Sport scheduling to me

squad...

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/neuseeland-u23/startseite/nationalmannschaft_32207.html

Unlikely.  Very Unlikely.

Haha. Peta is a mate of mine, and while he got a trial for the Olympic squad, even he knows he's unlikely.

Still good exposure though, but yeah, wouldn't hold my breath if i was him.

I went, News was there too.

Not a great game of football, the conditions certainly didn't help. The TW/Nix reserves ran the show in the first half although Olys managed to sneak one and get 1-0 up at HT. A lot of the Nix guys were taken off at the start of the second (only Tsattalios and Griffiths played on) which allowed Olys to control the game a bit, and there was a couple of nice finishes, one from Dakota Lucas and the other one (4th goal) I can't remember who scored it.el grapadura2011-12-06 23:47:26

Some comment in the Team Wellington thread.

I missed the first 30 due to work, weather and traffic so may have missed the more trying part of the game for the Olympic lads as that half was the Phoenix reserves rather than Team Wellington's.

I'll try and remember to post the squad sometime although without overseas players and Auckland City players it's not near the full side. Interestingly left back seems to be strong with prospectsbwithRowe and Prattley playing and Hoggy away in Japan. Right back still trickybwith Myers playing there wheN previously I've seen him more central.

Jason Hicks got the 4th.