The final 26 Panel for WC. PEOPLE'S PICK

if wood  is not there , you have to change the attacking midset ,  in my opinion it has to be mccowatt and jesse randall  with  old  ,   

it is vital to understand that the best 20 players are needed the remaining 6 are just too fill up the roster ,   

my team  is   CROCOMBE AND PAULSEN  THE 3rd keeper  should be  WOUD on age and playing time, in my opinion 

defenders  RB  one of TIM PAYNE or STORM ROUX ,  and the other has to  be  ELLIOT in my opinion I WOULD PLAY PAYNE AS CENTER BACK IN A BACK 3

center backs  BOXALL  and then you have the problems TUILOMA   has to be next then PIJNAKER  SURMAN AND BINDON  PAYNE

LEFT WING BACK    DE VRIES AND CACACE , if injured one of MCGARRY WILKINS

midf  THOMAS  BELL  STAMENIC  GARBETT RUFER  SINGH  it is clear

FORWARDS   OLD  JUST MCCOWATT RANDALL BARBAROUSES WOOD AND 26  RODGERSON  OR DE JONG 


GOALIES CROCOMBE PAULSEN  WOUD

CB PAYNE  BOXALL BINDON  SURMAN PINJAKER   TUILOMA

FULL BACKS  ROUX  ELLIOT   CACACE  DE VRIES

MID  THOMAS  RUFER  BELL  STAMENIC SINGH GARBETT

FWDS  JUST  MCCOWATT  OLD RANDALL

STS  WOOD BARBAROUSES  RODGERSON  OR  DEJONG

and here you go , you have the 26 ,   

if WOOD is not playing  ,  you may need an structure similar to the one IRELAND is using now  5-2-3  

in there  I would go with  

Paulsen 
Roux
Payne 
Boxall 
Surman 
Cacace 

Bell
Stamenic 

Randall /Old
Thomas  as faux 9
McCowatt/Just

Singh and garbett are ahead of old and randall. 

Surman and Bindon well ahead of Tuiloma too.

If Payne is in, we're in trouble. Really poor lately.
Bindon in his place would be better

hepatitis

If Payne is in, we're in trouble. Really poor lately.
Bindon in his place would be better

Payne certainly needs to be playing better. It is still fairly soon after a long time out with his shoulder injury.

But I hear you, and it would be a shame in a way to have a high quality player like Bindon on the pine, that's if presumably Boxall & Surman are the starting CBs. 
Shades of 2010, and squeezing the best 11 onto the pitch, if out of position??

Pressure on Payne to raise his game.

Another goal for Bayliss tonight... he and Hughes might be a chance to make the March squad, ahead of the likes of Owen Parker-Price and George Stanger/Tommy Smith 

Fair call re Bayliss he is scoring some bangers at the moment.
https://aleagues.com.au/#blaze/moment/698f04ee1726122b09c41724

And Swedish top flight for OPP starts after the March window.
Some question marks also about Garbett's fitness

Wood.
Singh
Garbett
Cacace

All with a serious lack of game time going into the cup.b

We still have a good core though but lacking depth.

Paulsen/Croc
3 solid CBs. Wing backs the issue. 
Marko and Bell solid and locked in.
Mcowatt and Rojas key attacking mids.

We are desperate if we are calling up a retired Rojas.

Elemenop

Wood.
Singh
Garbett
Cacace

All with a serious lack of game time going into the cup.b

We still have a good core though but lacking depth.

Paulsen/Croc
3 solid CBs. Wing backs the issue. 
Marko and Bell solid and locked in.
Mcowatt and Rojas key attacking mids.

Both Libby and Garbs will be back playing in the next 1-3 weeks.

Just is playing very well, and you would think slips in to fill Singh's spot in the March games. He may even keep a fit Singh on the pine at the World Cup.

IMG_8959.png 447.19 KB

My lineup if we were playing today and everyone was fit.

Honestly, I don’t like Bindon at RB but Surman and Boxall are near undroppable at the moment, whilst Payne has been poor since returning from injury.

I suppose it would allow Libby to bomb further forward with TB staying back, but might make our right hand side a bit impotent on attack.

Ideally Payne really steps it up over the next few months and then we’ll have a slightly more balanced set of fullbacks.

Thomas, Bell and Stamenic all have to start for me and Just and McCowatt are our most effective attackers at the moment, so no room for Garbinho, Singh or Old to start.

Really like that line up. Potential tweaks around Bindon and McCowatt. I wonder about Ben Old in either position. I’d say he’s the strongest non-keeper player, other than an in form Payne, left out. 

It’d be tempting to play 4231 if Singh was available. 

Also interesting who plays further forward of the three midfielders.

Other interesting options might be Rogerson, who combines well or LBS. But neither in great form and Garbett injured. Don’t think de Vries can be squeezed in, in this formation. 

And leaves out the question of who comes in for Wood. But probably Waine I guess. He’s the next closest 9 playing, even if he’s not playing 9. 

Bayliss has got to be in with a shot for the March games if not the WC.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360941773/potential-all-whites-world-cup-bolter-lachlan-bayliss-excelling-league-mens-hottest-team

Randall has to be close. Topnotch the goal scoring chart in the A League. A few assists to boot.

MetalLegNZ

Randall has to be close. Topnotch the goal scoring chart in the A League. A few assists to boot.

 Randall's a lock.

Baze really yas some headaches a month out from March.

“Top 3 players” all injured - Wood, Libby and Singh.

Garbett injured. 

Payne in woeful form/injured. Rufer as squad player not n great touch either. Bill the same. 

Scandy and MLS players just back in season. 

Interesting selections ahead. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360941773/potential-all-whites-world-cup-bolter-lachlan-bayliss-excelling-league-mens-hottest-team

He also knows All Whites' coach Darren Bazeley is watching.

“He's sent me a few messages after some of the goals I've scored.

“It's definitely nice that he keeps in contact and keeps tabs.”

But as he looks to help return the Jets to finals football for the first time since 2018 and hopefully add more silverware to the Australia Cup they won in October, he isn't letting World Cup bolter chat distract him from the task at hand.

“Everyone dreams of going to a World Cup as a kid, but it's not something that I've thought about yet for myself.

“I do want to be called up for a New Zealand camp and to be able to represent them.

“Ultimately, I've just been focusing on playing here and getting game time and just improving every day.

“I always say that those things come if you're doing well [with your club], so that's where my focus is at.”

An injury blow at another A-Leagues club this week has made a first call-up for Bayliss when the All Whites host Finland and Chile in Auckland at the end of March a distinct possibility.

Sarpreet Singh took a knock to a knee in his first match back at the Phoenix, away to Western Sydney Wanderers last Friday, suffering an MCL injury that will rule him out for two months.

That is set to leave a vacancy for Bazeley to fill and Bayliss appears to be the perfect man to fill it.

Though he puts his recent goal contribution spree down to playing further forward, in his favoured attacking midfield role, he has often played deeper for the Jets.

Hoping we get a really good look at Randall and Bayliss in national colours over both games of the window. 

Great news that Bayliss is keen to represent NZ. There are a few promising players in Aussie with Kiwi links and I’d confused something somewhere that made me think he was more ambivalent. 

Short video. Talks about how playing for NZ (Olympics) is an honour in memory of his late father

https://x.com/NewcastleJetsFC/status/1958777829341974670/video/1

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Sounds to me like he could easily accept a March callup then turn down a World Cup squad place in order to still be able to play for the Socceroos based on these comments. Could be a Stensness v2. 

I hope Baze doesnt pick him in March if he doesnt get a verbal assurance that he is keen to go to the World Cup with NZ if selected. There's no way Football Australia arent already in his ear.

If there is anyone who can listen to someone express to their desire to play for NZ in memory of their late father, and then find a negative slant on it all, it certainly is you.

Dont you find his World Cup comment a bit evasive?

He knows being called up in March and playing a friendly wont tie him to NZ forever, so will freely say he wants that, but the prospect of a World Cup is "not something I've thought about yet for myself" ? 

imanixsupporter

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Sounds to me like he could easily accept a March callup then turn down a World Cup squad place in order to still be able to play for the Socceroos based on these comments. Could be a Stensness v2. 

I hope Baze doesnt pick him in March if he doesnt get a verbal assurance that he is keen to go to the World Cup with NZ if selected. There's no way Football Australia arent already in his ear.

Who would turn down a world cup squad??? He will get way more game time with us.

not at all, it just says he's always wanted to play for his country but never thought playing in a WC would be part of it - so he's not allowed himself to hope for that.

imanixsupporter

Dont you find his World Cup comment a bit evasive?

He knows being called up in March and playing a friendly wont tie him to NZ forever, so will freely say he wants that, but the prospect of a World Cup is "not something I've thought about yet for myself" ? 

The video was shot last year, maybe 12 months ago

As the person who interviewed Lachlan and wrote that story, that's an incredibly off-piste interpretation. It's just standard athlete not wanting to get ahead of themselves/come off too eager chat.

his comments in the stuff article are from this week

coochiee

imanixsupporter

Dont you find his World Cup comment a bit evasive?

He knows being called up in March and playing a friendly wont tie him to NZ forever, so will freely say he wants that, but the prospect of a World Cup is "not something I've thought about yet for myself" ? 

The video was shot last year, maybe 12 months ago

I mean clearly you have a lot more to go on than I do but based solely on the quoted words in your article, he certainly is leaving himself plenty of room to do a Stensness at any time. To say it is only an athlete not wanting to get ahead of himself is still an interpretation, even if it is a better informed one

andrewvoerman

As the person who interviewed Lachlan and wrote that story, that's an incredibly off-piste interpretation. It's just standard athlete not wanting to get ahead of themselves/come off too eager chat.

wow - you're gonna double down that you're opinion from a quote is just as likely to be correct to that of the person who interviewed the player to get the quote in the first place.
I imagine said interview was more than answering one question to provide said quote. 

Time will tell. Will be happy to be wrong. 

Is it just me that thinks Woud should be out of consideration after that video with Brook pre-derby? Third GK isn't gonna play and you don't want someone causing rifts behind the scenes.

LT01

Is it just me that thinks Woud should be out of consideration after that video with Brook pre-derby? Third GK isn't gonna play and you don't want someone causing rifts behind the scenes.

Haven't seen the video, but have heard enough to know that Woud is a bit of a strange cat.

It often sounds like the perfect 3rd keeper is someone who is yes very happy to be the squaddie morale booster sort of guy. Happy enough knowing they will never play, but trains hard, pushes the other keepers and maybe even offers some coaching advice. Helping with analysis of opposition penalty takers and off field stuff like that.

If young promising keepers Sims & Gray are best to stay in Europe in March, Tzanev is likely the best 3rd choice. Sounds like he has moved to promotion chasing Huddersfield (6th in L1) to basically be 3rd/4th choice, and an almost semi coaching gig.

He probably gets on well with Crocs, both having long careers in the English league system. As you say zero point having the 3rd GK as a polarising type, that threatens team harmony.

But for the World Cup itself it's either Sims or Gray. Great experience for them, and maybe both can at least travel to the WC, one as a sort of travelling reserve outside the squad??

LT01

Is it just me that thinks Woud should be out of consideration after that video with Brook pre-derby? Third GK isn't gonna play and you don't want someone causing rifts behind the scenes.

He should be out of consideration due to skill level/potential being lower than the other GK candidates. However that video was crack up. He was just having a laugh to drum up some excitement for the derby. Don't feel it should be a mark against his name for squad selection consideration.

Sorry off topic but what is this video? Today the first day I've heard a video happened and few of the Nix men players did see it? I don't want to go search for it myself so someone enlighten me please? 

All I've heard is that it isn't a great look. 

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU9bEBnAEuH/
I think this is it.

Ah okay I already had seen it. Thank you! 

theprof

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU9bEBnAEuH/
I think this is it.

i hope so. Precious and thin-skinned take

LT01

Is it just me that thinks Woud should be out of consideration after that video with Brook pre-derby? Third GK isn't gonna play and you don't want someone causing rifts behind the scenes.