TEAM FOR PLAY OFF

I had a rethink;

I dunno know about the Xmas (4-3-2-1) formation as it has tend to have lots of draws rather than wins in many A internationals games. Maybe best for the away game for it' defenise

Good points about the McGlinchey over James, it sort of how well they are playing up to that point I guess. James is faster and maybe better as an impact player as Javier has said, but McGlinchey is quality passer of the ball and maybe he should be in the starting line up.

I am not sure about Fallon. Smeltz, Killen and Bertos on fire. Fallon is a good attacking midfielder as well as a good forward. Maybe be very good in a 4-1-2-3 attacking formation with Oughton dropped.


Away match: 4-3-2-1 (xmas formation) pull McGlinchey, Smeltz and Bertos a few metres back to get that defensive cover and makes they set for long runs and short passes type game.


                      Paston

Siggy    Nelson (c)    Vicelich    Lochhead

        Oughton                  Elliot
                    McGlinchey

      Smeltz                         Bertos

                          Killen

Bench:

Bannatyne
Scott
Boyans
Old
Brown
Mulligan
James
Fallon
Wood

Home match: 4-1-2-3 (More fluid movements and attacking options and creatively)

                        Paston

Siggy    Nelson (c)   Vicelich    Lochhead

                        Elliot

           Fallon            McGlinchey

Bertos           Killen              Smeltz

Bench;

Bannatyne
Scott
Boyens
Old
Oughton
Brown
Mulligan
James
Wood

Well the call up for the friendly vs Jordan has some clues in what Ricki has in store:

New Zealand Squad to Jordan, September 2009

Goalkeepers:
Mark PASTON (Wellington Phoenix � 20/0)
Jimmy BANNATYNE (Petone � 5/0)

Defenders:
Andrew BOYENS (New York Red Bulls � 13/0)
Tony LOCHHEAD (Wellington Phoenix � 18/0)
David MULLIGAN (Wellington Phoenix � 29/3)
Ryan NELSEN (Captain, Blackburn Rovers � 38/9)
Aaron SCOTT (Unattached � 4/0)
Ben SIGMUND (Wellington Phoenix � 9/1)
Ivan VICELICH (Central United � 69/7)

Midfielders:
Andy BARRON (Miramar Rangers � 11/1)
Leo BERTOS (Wellington Phoenix � 27/0)
Tim BROWN (Wellington Phoenix � 24/0)
Simon ELLIOTT (San Jose Earthquakes � 64/8)
Michael MCGLINCHEY (Central Coast Mariners � 0/0)

Forwards:
Rory FALLON (Plymouth Argyle � 0/0)
Chris KILLEN (Celtic � 24/17)
Shane SMELTZ (Gold Coast United � 28/15)
Chris WOOD (West Bromwich Albion � 3/0)

Not considered due to injury:
Jarrod SMITH (Unattached)
Jeremy BROCKIE (North Queensland Fury)

Non-travelling reserves:
Kris BRIGHT (Shrewsbury Town)
Duncan OUGHTON (Columbus Crew)
Chris JAMES (Tampere United)
Jeremy CHRISTIE (Unattached)
Jacob SPOONLEY (Glenfield Rovers)

New Zealand v Jordan
International Friendly
King Abdullah Stadium, Amman
September 9, 2009 (7.30am Sept 10 NZT)AllWhitebelievr2009-08-19 21:56:26

Rethink again after call up for friendly:

Counter Attack formation: 4-1-2-3 (More fluid movements and attacking options and creatively)

                        1.Paston

                                 ^
                                /
2.Siggy    5.Nelson (c)   6.Vicelich    3.Lochhead
                                       /                             /
        v                             v                             v
                         4. Elliot
                      /              
     |              v                  v
     |       8.Fallon            11.McGlinchey
     |               /                   /                 
     |              /                  /                    
     v            /       v           /                     
7.Bertos    /       9.Killen/        10.Smeltz
     |         /        |          /      /               |   
     |        /          |        /     /                 |    
     |       /          |        /      /                 |     
     |       /          |       /     /                  |       
     v      v v        v      v      v    v               v       v

Transitional:

                           1.Paston

                             v             
2.Siggy    5.Nelson (c)   6.Vicelich    3.Lochhead
       ^                                       ^                        ^
        |                                                                  |
        v           <- -4.Elliot->                                 v
7.Bertos                         11.McGlinchey
    ^           <--->8.Fallon           ^
    |                                               
    |     9.Killen              10.Smeltz v
    v            ^                             ^
                                                 
                   v                                v
Defensive formation in own half:

                            1.Paston

                            ^
2.Siggy    5.Nelson (c)   6.Vicelich        3.Lochhead
                                           v
7.Bertos      8.Fallon            ->4.Elliot     11.McGlinchey
        ^                 ^            /                                      ^
        |                                                                    _/
           <-- 9.Killen--><--10.Smeltz -->

Bench;

13.Bannatyne
12.Scott
14.Boyens
15.Brown
16.Mulligan
17.Barron
18.Wood

team   for away  leg   4-5-1  attacking minded  team ,  take  ball and keep possession

I know Sigmund works his nuts off, but I have never seen him play right back, is he quick/slight or positionally smart enough to keep a quick left winger in check.

If we have Scott then Vicelich or Lochhead miss out...

 

TBH all Mulligan seems to offer is a good freekick, and SuperLeo seems just as capable now.

Cheers Oska.

I agree to an extent tactisally AWB but I don't know if you've seen Fallon play recently but in what I have seen (just on the League Round up show over here) he's never looked like a guy who can play in midfield.  He's much more of a big old fashioned target man. james dean2009-08-21 00:55:15

I haven't seen Fallon play recently, maybe I be wrong but I understood that he was an attacking midfielder (RM?) for the youth England side set up and so that option is maybe available. It would also still give him a run down the Right Wing that people have said that he could do, crossing over with Bertos occasionally. Bertos having the freedom on his favourite right wing.

If Fallon is preferred as a right centre forward/right wing/right midfield then Bertos can go left midfield/left winger and then McGlinchey can go central attacking midfielder. Or maybe we will go 4-3-3 in the later end of the second half. Same brush, different strokes. . .

Wood only have one EPL game and a few Championship games so far?

Fallon has plenty of Championship games (about 47 as sub and 47 as starter) plus a few FA Cup ties (includes a start against Ars***l this year) over the last few seasons by now and became a regular starter since the beginning of last year. So I am not sure whether the 17 year old has that much of a nod ahead of Fallon.

Also having Nelson back in the central defensive help with the back four.

It's a bit late to consider Lochhead into the midfield, isn't it? If we are that worry about defensive cover in the midfield then Nelson should go there and have Boylons and Siggy as CBs with Scott and Lochhead as FBs. Nelson would be far more effective than Lochhead as a defensive midfield. You need someone who really reads the game. Alternatively Nelson can be a sweeper if that is the need. (boy, is he soooo useful)

BTW, it is becoming common practice to have 4 forwards in a squad for flexible tactical and strategy reasons. We may need to push hard in the second half for a draw/win or do more attacking emphasis if we have more possession and the other team is closing shop. Then having unlease up three or four forwards in a 3-3-4/ 3-4-3 is quite useful tactically from the bench.

Of course the real question is how we are going to approach our away and home matches. Are we going to start the away match with some attacking emphasis to nab that quick away goal in the first 15 minutes and assess their defensive capabilities and then battle out for the control of the match? I think getting that away goal or two becomes very important to grab (usually the aim is to grab it in the later parts of the second half) and so we can't sit back and defend all game giving them room to attack.

It is the fast pace we must do to gain possession and then with possession we can control the tempo so we can last the whole 90 minutes under their sunshine. There are definitely calls for counterattack measures and we maybe have to put on fresh legs in attacks as the heat build up. Shame that friendly is at 10:30pm, because we really do need the experience of the sun rays. Then the home game is more freedom to attack and play and control on our terms.

I'm sort of for "don't give a sucker an even break." I don't really want them to feel comfortable at their home game but at the same time, I don't want to show and reveal our better stuff until the home game. They might be quite happy to let us work for a 0-0 draw and go for a 1-1 draw in Welly to nab the place by away goals rule (I think rule might be there?!).

We need to score (hopefully twice) in the away match, despite probably starting out conservatively for each halves. It is basically one foot in the door it it becomes 1-1 draw because it forces them to attack us in our home leg and open them up bigger for our attacks for the whole 90 minutes.

No I would be playing Lochhead wide left midfield, really just as an extra defender to counter wide attacking threat from fullback.  Bertos play more advanced on the right with Killen or Smeltz up front McGlinchey supporting in midfield, Brown and Elliot playing deeper. james dean2009-08-21 03:40:13

I really don't think this is the time to start playing people in new positions.  People get used to playing a role, and even what seems like a suitable change (centre back to full back) can have disasterous results (see Mulligan at fullback at the Confed - or any other time he has played there - or something like Skrtl at 'boro last year for Liverpool).  There are players like Wes Brown who play two positions on a regular basis and are used to it but Fallon has played centre forward for the last number of years, Siggy has played centre back for the last number of years and Lochead has played left back for the last number of years.  Don't start trying to fit round pegs into square holes now.

all white believer    fifa  listed   bahreinvs saudis  at    22.00 pm  and  22.15 pm the return leg,  so i think that  nz  will play  at  night  in  the  away  leg.

But Siggy has last played at RB with the Nix early last season.

I never suggested that Lochhead to move away from LB but Jamesdeans does have a valid point about pushing him forward through the midfield more on the left side.

Fallon has been an attacking midfielder in the early days as I understood but you are right that it is a long time between innings for him.

Point taken about Mulligan as he has been in almost every defensive and midfield positions over the years and it has taken the depth of skill away from his development. He has been at RB quite a number of times in his football career but he is not a specialist at this level.

And I haven't touched football manager for over 4 years . . . . . but at international level, you be silly not to have the tactical plans on the board for the players to follow as that is what is expected at level 3+ coaching. And what I presented in diagram is near enough expected for teams facing internationals games or at top level clubs at the team meeting before the game, so players are able to conceptualise their on-field playing. Besides seemly having Fallon's position out of his usual, everything else is within each players ability and experience. Most players have a primary and a secondary position on the field that they have developed over the years. The degree of which or the number of secondary positions varies unless you are a goalkeeper.

It would be interesting who will be in the final starting line up and where and how they going to play it as.

nelsen  as  a sweeper  could be a solution 

surely mulligan won't be playing

I am really surprised at the calls to play people out of position (James Dean in particular) - thinking of doing a big experiment just when we have as good a chance as ever of getting to the world cup in a long time - surely you are playing football experiment manager yourself!!

Lochhead isnt /hasnt been a midfielder (in the time I have seen him play at the Phoenix) and I wouldnt even think about putting him there and I dont think Ricki will be either. If he did, I think he would have taken the chance to experiment with him there well before now. Give it up, it isnt a starter.

Siggy at right back?? Well there have been 2 games in the A League this year and we have struggled at right back, but Ricki hasnt moved Siggy there. He might have played a couple of games there in the early days of being with the Nix when there was a bit of experimentation/desperation , but he didnt look convincing to me, and since he moved to a central defender slot, he has been settled and it looks like his natural position.

Mulligan playing - Surely we have learned, as our opposition will have

Who to play in the forwards. Well, this is a good dilemma. Is Fallon more experienced and skillful than Woods/Killen/Smeltz ??  Basically yes to me.  I think Woods will miss for the qualifiers  because he is young with less experience than the others, and the others have more top goals behind them. I would like to see Fallon and Smeltz together up front. One a target, the other a poacher and a finisher. I dont think the Killen/Smeltz combination was that great in Sth Africa, and Killen will miss out.

Good to see some competition for places

with the few possible combos in midefield he has named

Quite agree .

One warm up game only, with 2 new players to get used to the team methods is  enough to sort out

Experiment after we qualify

experiement in the pool games and second round - then we will have a settled plan and team for the quarters, semi and final.

Ah!  That will be when Costa and Marco get a run on. Junior822009-08-21 22:13:51

I have no problem with Siggy at right back. The next best option is a non-pro who has four caps

yes when we have our 20 warm up games

it did work. my aim was to f you off.

and Clebo was just a ball wacthing clown wherever he was so bad analogy

Well I can see Siggy being solid with Nelson as the leading central pairing. And back ups of Vicelich and Boyens does ease the mind.

I like the look of Aaron Scott at RB especially when after he took over from David Mulligan at the Confederation Cup. The lack of depth for our full backs is a major concern. Lochhead is the only one on the LB and he is constantly on the back foot against pacy right wingers of which there is an abundance of at international level. Mulligan can do LB better than his RB but there are better RWs than there are LWs to face at international level and of course it has been a very long time since he been a LB. So really we have problems.

Of course with Siggy at either RB and LB then we have to look to either Boyens or Vicelich in the CB. Scott can also do LB and RB from what I have seen so far. So there are options and time is running out.

So in the backs, Nelson and Siggy are sure to start with Lochhead more than likely to slot in LB and Scott look to have a much need run at RB.

Bertos, McGlinchey and Elliot are certain starters in the midfield and two of Smeltz, Killen and Fallon are more likely to start.

Fallon is sure to have a debut with either Killen or Smeltz.

Which gives us one player in either the midfield or the forward blocks to fill up accordingly to strategy.

The chance are that it would a midfielder.

Name your guy . . .

Brown for the away leg - definitely

Yep, he has the inside running . . . .

Realistically who else is there? If we want to play both leo and mcglinchey (who are close to definites) then we need someone who will sit in front of the back 4 whether we play 2 up front or not.  I couldn't pick Andy, I just couldn't. james dean2009-08-22 00:00:22

Midfielders:
Andy BARRON (Miramar Rangers � 11/1)
Leo BERTOS (Wellington Phoenix � 27/0)

Simon ELLIOTT (San Jose Earthquakes � 64/8)
Michael MCGLINCHEY (Central Coast Mariners � 0/0)

Exactly greenie. we don't have a lot of options.  Surprised that we didn't include Oughton, 4 forwards and 4 centre backs in an 18 man squad is actually too many.

Barron > Brown
Oughton > Brown

In fact Frankie Mac > Brown

...on recent form.

Mulligan < Brown.
Hard News2009-08-22 00:07:00

He's lacking mobility at the moment, he was passed around badly at the confeds. 

He's training with them, if they lost someone he might get a chance as injury cover.