All Whites Nations Cup squad

What is scary is that in picking a squad for this tournament you'd assume almost every outfield player will get decent minutes (in pool play). This is not a large development squad where the kids go to just see how the environment operates. 

We are actually going to be selecting a side that contains Moses Dyer et al and relying on them to get us to the Confeds Cup.

The PR spin has only worn off. Outside the starting XI this is embarrassing (even if the opposition are the island nations).

Also 2 of the 3 players are Auckland City players and Onehunga Sports are just their winter club who they are currently playing for

Could be worse

Moses Dyer, not so much.

Actually I'm not that sure. We play Sat, Tues, Sat, Wed, Sat.  Are we'll get an extra days rest that the other group before the semi. That's not the worst schedule.

some side unattached FC 

Onehunga had lost both the games where they played ineligible players originally anyway - but they've only had Lewis and Wihongi since Anzac Day, because they were with ACFC before that.

Yeah fair point- a lot less congested than I thought. Maybe the forum will be spared a long rant from yours truely if Moses Dyer gets on the field. 

here's a positive spin...

in theory, hudson knows this job better than anyone

in theory, he is the best man to judge who our best players are

therefore, in theory, these youngsters are better than those excluded

which, in theory, is encouraging because most of those excluded were good and not great in a white shirt

which means that this team will be either now or very soon be a very very good side.

in theory

Seven weeks ago:

Tommy Smith   ‏@tommysmith1990   Mar 24

The new #AllWhites shirt. Fantastic work by @nikefootball it looks great! @Nike @NZ_Football

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, Tommy, you'll never be wearing that again...

Only admiring it from afar and yearning for what might have been...

Just read the 2012 squad stats for the last nations cup. The godfather is 40 this year in September. Wow.

Not any more. Don't think he played all season. Was on the bench a few times but never took the field far as I recall.

OK - here goes!

Goalkeepers; if Moss is indeed injured, then these are probably the best 3 keepers around - especially as I doubt that Gleeson would be released to play, as Portlands number 1 is out injured.

Defenders; I'll say this upfront; I would have picked Tommy Smith. Having said that, Anfony has ruled him out so will go with that. I'm a bit 50/50 on the Reid omission, but can see the reasons behind it. Ricki pissed Michael Fitzgerald off. Anfony pissed Durante and Sigmund off. Storm Roux and Deklan Wynne are injured. Musa is ineligible. Old is shark. Aside from Adam Mitchell, I don't know who else is worthy of selection in defence? Right back is thin. Left back is thin (a shame that Hogg went off the boil). Centre of defence is thin. But who else is sticking their hand up? Maybe Nikko Boxall, but I'd wager none of us have ever seen him.

Midfield; Keat is injured, Thomas is injured, Cameron is injured......Henderson will probably get injured, Chris James definitely worth a shot, rather than Dyer. I'm surprised more isn't made of Benji vdB? Playing second level Holland must count in his favour? OK, apparently he is unpopular....but I chalk that up to him being of a different culture, and sometimes these things happen. In my work we have different ethnicities, and it's hard to meld them together sometimes - humour is different, outlooks are different. It seems that if a player is hard work, or differently motivated, then Anfony doesn't want them which seems to raise questions over his man management?

Forwards; With de Vries ineligible, I am thinking only Tyler Boyd and Hamish Watson can be considered unlucky here. Brockie would consider himself unlucky, but is he really? We aren't blessed for natural attackers, but the forwards Anfony has selected aren't too bad. Would Jai Ingham at Melbourne be worth a shot? Andre de Jong? Both are punts.

It's been mentioned by everyone that our defence is terrible - but under the current parameters of all our senior defenders out for a variety of reasons, the ones selected seem to be about the best Plan B available?

Our midfield should be stronger, and it seems that the coaches one-size-fits-all approach might backfire there

And the forwards could be tweaked, but it's a matter of opinion as to how much improvement can be made

so positives.......it's about 80-90% as good a squad as it could be under the circumstances? (yes, circumstances brought about by the current regime, but hey-ho)

how about Michael Egar?

Brockie 1 goal in 45 games for the AW's. Why do people want him in the side?. 

hes actually a pretty good left wing back mate.

The reason he fails at international level is that he has really poor technique and skill. He fools many because once in a blue moon he scores a stunning goal. The problem with his poor technique and skill relative to International level is that as you move up the quality scale it shows up and players such as Brockie simply cant cut it.

He is awful, 45 appearances and 1 goal is appalling. if people think he is of the quality the AW's need then the standard is horrendously low.

Again this 45 appearances 1 goal nonsense. Most of the caps are off the bench and not in attacking positions. You think that the level of the OFC is above HAL level? I don't see any of the Island nations, certainly not this AWs squad as well, getting anywhere near the HAL playoffs.

I'm surprised Jason Hicks didn't get a look in - playing well and scoring regularly in Victoria NPL.

though there have been players like Andy Bevan, Aaron Clapham and Jason Hayne who've also done quite well in lower league Aussie football, but not been really considered for the AWs.

True, but Adams was picked from the same league. I reckon the top half dozen teams from the NSW and Victorian NPL leagues would account for most ASBP teams most of the time. Yet Hudson picks pet projects like Dyer and Rogerson.

All of these Brockie-haters, you surely can't argue that Fallon deserves his place in the squad over Brockie though?

Disagree about JB having poor technique. Look at the replays of his goals, his shooting technique is outstanding, that's the reason he can score such spectacular goals with regularity. There's other areas of his game that could be improved significantly but technique isn't one of them.

That's barely a valid argument though? People are commentating solely on Brockies merits or otherwise, not debating whether Brockie deserves to be in there in the place of Fallon.

You can just as equally be pro Brockie and pro Fallon (or anti both, or a mixture)......they're not mutually exclusive players.....maybe people need to provide alternative selections (and reasonings) if they say such-and-such is shark.

Your joking right?. He has the first touch of a bulldozer. He cant pass water. Once in a blue moon he smacks in a monster shot and everyone gets fooled by it.

Not joking, disagreeing, based on what I can see from clear video evidence. Your opinion seems to be clouded by a personal dislike of the guy perhaps.

Once in a blue moon is scoring more than once every three weeks is it? Brockie has form and would be a good option off the bench. Also, as has been said, the OFC teams aren't of a good standard. The PSL might not be great, but its supposedly the best league in Africa and is of a much higher standard than any OFC local league.

Brocks has played over 150 games as a pro and scored almost 150 goals. Who gives a fudge if his technique is poor when he has a record like that!

And I think there is a correlation between Brocks and Fallon here as they would both be there as senior players in the squad. It's just one is scoring and playing and one isn't.

Id disagree on the level of the PSL, i lived there for a bit and watched a lot of it. id say the the top half of teams would compete in the A-league.

disregarding Fallon for a moment, shouldn't Brockie be ahead of Rogerson and/or Patterson? His record of goals for NZ is a red herring, he's often not played as a striker for the AWs and has always done a job when needed. You could play him as a striker, winger, or even a wingback or attacking midfielder if needed. He's in great form, he's an experienced professional, and he's match fit. Rogerson or Patterson might be better than him one day but I don't think anyone can say they are yet, and we should be selecting the best possible team now, not the best potential team.

But then is Rogerson currently better than Brockie? Or is Smeltz, for that matter?

150 games and 150 goals? Whatever you are on, I want some

Those stats are not even close.  I have watched every game  that JB has played in the A League since 2009 and I just don't rate him.

When he shaved his head and lost his dreadlocks, he became average.