OFC Nations Cup 2016 - vs Vanuatu | Tues 31 May | 6pm | SS Popup

Surely our 'brand' is still in product development? Poor from us, but really a training hit out. Need to bring in our top team to get them time together and sort out our defence.

Not so sure about that.  The shots he's saved have been stright at him and he allowed a goal in on his near post (offside of course).  I'd like to see Crocombe in goal for the next game.

I can't wait for our strongest team to play, but i imagine squaddies will get a run for the next game with semi guaranteed.

Ideally I would like to see:

             Marinovic

Boxall, Themi, Adams, Doyle

         Mc G - Tuiloma

Kosta Fallon Wood Patterson

So good positioning? I don't think he's lost his number one status surely. He's done well with everything thrown his way so far.

              Vanuwatu        NZ

Posession           60  -  40

Shots                   16  -  10

NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

bare in mind we were ahead 4-0 and 5-0 for more than half the match, so (something called score effects) naturally going to have less ball and less shots.

Themi could be seen having a go at Adams post match.... positioning?

Boxall at CB? 

Hope Wood is OK. That team seems OK.  Who is challenging those guys? Brockie must be there or there abouts. Great season. Otherwise mostly the guys who haven't played seem to have put their hand up more by not doing terribly!

What's Patterson's defence like?

Being shark?

Brockie in for Fallon? Rojas?

Jesus Christ mate, that's the second time you mentioned that they scored a goal past him when it wasn't a goal. It wasn't a goal, got it? Are you going to have a go at a striker who gets blown for offside who switches of and then doesn't put it in the net? Move on. 

Fallon chipped the keeper quite nicely before being called for off-side- does he get that one?

Trivia question. Which tournament is it where one side is winning all their matches by multiple goals, and the consensus of their fans is that the team is dogshark and the coach and 2/3 of the players should be sacked?

Trivia question. Which tournament is it where one side is winning all their matches by multiple goals, and the consensus of their fans is that the team is dogshark and the coach and 2/3 of the players should be sacked?

Agreed Brockie in for Fallon and Rojas for Patterson. That would be a good line up.

Also I haven't read any of the other comments, just finished watching a recording but that was sharkhouse despite the score.

Calm Down, No need to be throwing JC around here.

Mate, I'm emphasising that he should have his near post better covered, had the striker not been called offside we would have conceded.  

The whistle only just went and it was patiently clear he had not switched off.  I'm pointing out that the only time he was properly tested by their strikers, he failed to cover properly whereas while they were the better team in the second half, their final balls were never going to worry you in goal, let alone a decent GK.

Calm down.  If Hudson is throwing caps around, lets see our other pro keepers who are playing at the same level get a run next game as we are through to the semis now anyway.

And in other news. How good would vanuatu be as a training team for the all whites. They attack well. Dominate possession. Apart from their finishing they would be a great team to invite over for a friendly. All whites could practice turning small amount of possession into chances just like they would have to against a south American side. If vanuatu finish fourth they will be in need of games in the next two years.

England at the Euro Qualifiers?

No I'm not going to calm down after hearing that crock of shark three times now. Jesus Christ will be used again and again until get you get it into your thick head that it wasn't a bloody goal.

I'd avoid Hola if I was you

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2928340/ultra-popul...

http://adios-hola.org/

Unfortunately sounds like Wood has dislocated his shoulder. That's a few months out. Big loss.

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/first-half-blitz-blows-vanuatu-away/

Auckland. I agree with you, but stop insulting other forumites. Consider this a warning.

Sorry to hear about Wood's shoulder if it is dislocated. Nothing malicious in the foul in my opinion, just what the Kiwi defenders were doing at the other end. Chris just fell awkwardly.

Meanwhile The Solomons have about 70% of the ball vs Fiji, a million chances....and lose 0-1 to a mad goalkeeping error which gives away a penalty in the last 5 mins.

Spot on. 

...That's because we have high standards!....

you run the 'i love marinovic' fan club or sommin?

Quite possibly the lamest thing i have ever read on here.

We are playing pub teams tbf.

Intersting match. 

Reinforced the following for me;

1) Fenton is not a right wing back's muddy boot. He's a player full of heart and a good engine but crossing is very poor and doesn't overlap or beat players like the top HAL wing backs do. Gave away a deadset penalty. 

2) Prelevic. The Aussie Prem leagues obviously are a similar tempo to the ASB. Got caught in possession too many times. Just too slow. Reminds me of the Kingz defenders of the early 2000's - are you Ricki Van Steeden in disguise? Was very surprised Hudson have him another full game. WeeMav needs to drop back into central midfield.

3) Kosta. Class. Just does things at pace. Whether it be passing, dribbling etc. Watching him alongside Rojas and co highlighted to me what a good signing he'll be for the Nix.

4) Back 3 or 5. Lack of wheels. A real lack of wheels. Boxall to step into CB to address this. Doyle to play left wing back as offers more going forward. Missing Roux big time. 

5) Rory a very smart player but lost all his gas (not that he had too much to begin with). Will need to retain him for set pieces but won't offer much in transition other than a chest down to oncoming winger. 

6) WeeMac shaping up as our key player this tournie. Great free kick. Needs to get the ball to feet and construct the play. 

http://www.newshub.co.nz/sport/video-highlights-all-whites-rout-vanuatu-5-0---ofc-nations-cup-2016053119#axzz4ACV6RPk1

Will be one of the OFC YouTube account later today. https://www.youtube.com/user/OFCfootball

Bugger. Wood out is pretty big; he's our main goal threat.

Great movie reference there!

I agree with this - I'm no fan of Anfony, but two wins out of two (both comfortable by the sounds off it - I don't have Sky) and qualification for both the 3rd round of WCQ and the semis of the ONC in the bag. Jobs a good'un.

Just a question about the "crash bang approach" - is playing that way really so bad? I'd prefer the AWs coach to say "we're going to lump it up and get stuck in" rather than "we're going to play out from the back and knock triangles about" as we are never going to play attractive football. It's not in our DNA to play tiki-taka, so why be ashamed of playing hoofball? NZ is, by nature/design, a fairly aggressive country - our main two male sports are rugby and league, and that physicality spreads into other sports. Even netball is all elbows and collisions. So why not the AWs?

For as long as I have a clear memory (going back to the mid-80s) our version of playing out from the back is just to knock it around the central defenders, then whack it up for some big cod to get hold off, with any scraps picked up by our midfielders. (the only real clear match I have of this not being the case was vs Italy in the WC, though no doubt someone will correct me......) So as long as we have a coach who is honest about it, and we learn to use that game play as a strength, is it such a big deal?

I mean, all we do now is play that way but we try and fool people by saying that we are trying to play the proper way

(don't get me wrong, I'd love to see us play "ole!" football......I just don't believe we will ever change our basic predisposition to kick the fudge out of it)

I'm not entirely anti the concept but this isn't the vision we were sold by Hudson when he signed...

Thought this was interesting from Piney on twitter, we haven't really seen a change under Hudson.

First 8 games as All Whites coach... 

Herbert: W3 D1 L4 GF 8 GA 11 

Hudson: W3 D2 L3 GF 12 GA 9

Opposition was

Herbert: Australia, Malaysia x2, Chile x2, Hungary, Georgia, Estonia

Hudson: Uzbekistan, China, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar, Oman, Fiji, Vanuatu

This, and also there are plenty of New Zealand coaches who could do the job if that is the approach we want to take.