Ryan Nelson: Where is your head at son?

Ryan Nelson: Where is your head at son?

Front page YF story about Nelsen and the Olympics.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=502&objectid=10504975

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He (Stu Jacobs) has already said Nelsen, Fulham's Simon Elliott and Chris Killen, at Celtic, are his first choices. He will also name Tony Lochhead and Shane Smeltz (from the Wellington Phoenix) in that enlarged squad. Nelsen accepts he has been torn at times since joining Blackburn from the MLS in the United States.

"The timing of All Whites games hasn't been great especially in those first couple of years when I really wanted to sort out my career here," said Nelsen.

"Some of the things I was expected to do were pretty unrealistic. I'm now keen to play World Cup/Confederation Cup games under Ricki Herbert, especially now he is his own man."

There were problems in the past when he was largely influenced by [former New Zealand Soccer director of football] Paul Smalley.

"He set soccer in New Zealand back 10 years. Sometimes these people who go to New Zealand from England feel they know it all.

"It can be the same in reverse. Just because you are a New Zealander doesn't mean you're an expert on rugby."

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So what was all this rhetoric about wanting to play for his country then that we heard for ages?

Its quite disappointing to read this and I have so many question to ask the man. He has basically said that the reason why he hasn't played for the All Whites in the last few years is because of some unrealistic expectations, Ricki is now his own man (implying he was a puppet before) and that Paul Smalley influenced him (obviously not to play). We have heard one story for so long about him really wanting to play for his country but couldn't because Blackburn have said no or he has been (legitimately or otherwise) injured.

If I could draw assumptions, its almost as if Smalley has said to him 'don't worry about this Herbert chap, I've seen him at the office and he has no clue. He couldn't run an All Whites team to save himself, concentrate on the Premiership' and he has swallowed that bait, hook and all.

Having read the above, do I really want to believe what comes out of the guys mouth? Would I want to ask this guy to captain my country? Is Ryan Nelsen his own man?

I would have to say that playing for your country is the ultimate. Sure playing in the Premiership is on a completely different level far and above the All Whites but to have pride for your country, to represent and just have that massive honour should mean something. The amount of ex-pat English guys that have been here 30 years but still call themselves 'Mother England Represent' is just unreal. They are English regardless of where they live or what they are doing an no-one can steal that. I fail to see how having misguided representations about who is coaching the side should affect your desire to represent your country. After all, we have had some complete muppets coaching the All Whites and that hasn't stopped anyone else...

It almost smacks of 'Well its the Olympics, my chance to be a Kiwi again and go to a once in a lifetime event.' Where were you the last 4 years when we needed you? I'd rather see a young kid go that been involved in the campaign and has earned that privilege than this fella

Ryan, if what is written above is true then you just dropped a few notches in my book....
Agent 472008-04-19 08:56:39

He was saying Smalley was a muppet who he didnt want anything to do with, wasn't he?

Ah ok I see how that is written. He is saying Ricki was influenced by by Smalley, not Smalley influencing Nelsen.

Ok that changes my thinking somewhat

the only thing i know about Smalley is that he pssed off a lot of the senior players.

There is nothing wrong with anything Nelson says in this article! Smally was a useless Pr*ck and would you potentially ruin your relationship with your new club to play in a couple of games when your fitness was genuinely an issue! Fair play to the lad...