martinb wrote:durandurante wrote:I’ve been thinking about this. And Buffy saying we don’t have Morgan Gibbs-White, which is true.martinb wrote:We have more options for set pieces these days, but also the ability to score outside of free kicks and corners. Of the AW's last 10 goals against non-OFC opposition (going back to the 1:1 draw against USA), only half of them have come from dead ball situations.djtim3000 wrote:Sorry if this gets covered, but we have some troops for effective set pieces now. Both in delivery and getting on the end of the ball.MetalLegNZ wrote:
Posted this in Woods thread...
Great to see, but a couple interesting chats at footy on Saturday around how the team (All Whites) play better without him. With him on the field the team looks too him too much, as if he is the only option.
I don't see us playing the way we did against Chile with Wood in the team - Interesting conundrum, does our best player suit our best system?
I think the answer is that we 'can' definitely be a better team with Wood on the field. Problem seems to be how we utilise him, as a central target striker its too easy for the opposition defence to mark him out of the game, and as a team we've only really used Woodsey as a target man. Get him dropping deeper in transition, holding up play, creating space for our fast and skillful wide players, and then get Wood popping up in the box rather than just wasteful balls played in to his head. Plus he's always a massive problem for oppositions at set pieces which will be important against stronger teams; you'd want him on the field whenever we can.
Consider: Bindon, Boxall, Surman, Stamenic, Tuiloma, (Hughes), (De Jong), (Tommy Smith), Waine, Garbett all as potential beneficiaries of a Wood decoy run.
And delivering Payne has been good, Bell, De Vries, Thomas, (Parker-Price), Singh, McCowatt, Just, Rufer.
And McCowatt, Singh, Just, Wood, Randall, Garbett, et al mopping up or crumbing in the box, if you will
Stamenic, Rufer, Thomas and Bell volleying or driving shots from the top of the box.
If we can win corners and free kicks, these are areas where we have a bit of control, and hopefully further results.
Interestingly, of those 5 goals from open play, only one has occurred with Wood on the field - the one he scored against Australia at Mt Smart last year. Which might feed into the theory 'we play better without Wood'
But perhaps we are a little restricted in how we attack with Wood on the field? We’re happy to sling low percentage crosses, more than attempt one touch etc etc?
Or we’ve been waiting for a settled injury free 11 to try to attempt something more creative?
I don't think the AWs need to be super creative. Press hard without the ball, seek turnovers and quick transitions, but when we have the ball be patient, and seek to frustrate with our quality midfield. Some well planned dead ball setups. We saw it a bit with the Canberra match last year, Thomas's return to the AWs. The Socceroos genuinely surprised and frustrated as we dominated possession. Singh & McCowatt creating openings for Wood that he should have done better with in the first half.
And since then Just has gone on to have great season in the SPL. He will be high on confidence at the moment. McCowatt almost as good in Denmark. Randall a big mover as well.
Baze wants to at least trial Bell, Stamenic and Thomas as a starting trio in the warmups. How that goes will be a big part of determining how the AWs setup at the WC. Remembering Thomas doesn't create much these days, that's not really his game now. Only 1 goal, and 1 assist (and that a very generously given one) all Eredivise season at Zwolle.
If it all looks a bit toothless in the warmups, then Singh may come in as a starter and one of Marko or Ryan goes to the pine. Of that midfield trio I think Bell showed against Chile he must start.
And since then Just has gone on to have great season in the SPL. He will be high on confidence at the moment. McCowatt almost as good in Denmark. Randall a big mover as well.
Baze wants to at least trial Bell, Stamenic and Thomas as a starting trio in the warmups. How that goes will be a big part of determining how the AWs setup at the WC. Remembering Thomas doesn't create much these days, that's not really his game now. Only 1 goal, and 1 assist (and that a very generously given one) all Eredivise season at Zwolle.
If it all looks a bit toothless in the warmups, then Singh may come in as a starter and one of Marko or Ryan goes to the pine. Of that midfield trio I think Bell showed against Chile he must start.
