The Road To Brazil 2014 via Wellington feat. Mexico

was very immobile 4 years ago. So Ricki played a plan that had him marking a dot in the midfield so they couldn't run or pass through there. And having Ryan Nelsen, Winston Reid and Tommy Smith behind him. Which is still very handy in anyone's book. I'm sure many PL managers wouldn't sneeze at that trio in their defence.

If i had proof that he was directly and mainly responsible for one of these errors I would question it - um no i wouldn't slag him off as i don't think this is what one should do on this kind of forum about anyone (present company included).

let me ask you a question - is leadership the issue? and if it is, who is supposed to be the leader and where and why are they failing?

Any one know where the AW vs Chivas and Mexican club teams are at?. Coz it seems from the NZF website that they have been cancelled and they are now in camp for a week before the T & T game.....I might be wrong but thats my reading of it!  Anyone else got any idea?

As for Tuiloma. I have seen him play twice recently at OM. Very good prospect but very very underdeveloped. The kid is only 18 and playing age group stuff at OM for only a couple of months. There is quite a buzz here in Marseille about his selection. People are pleased for him but the general opinion is that he is way too young and under developed for international football.....which I would agree with 100%.

But this is NZ. We dreg up players with no clubs or no current form so any pro like  Tuiloma was always going to be on the radar. His selection is more about the current depth of NZ football than anything else.

I think they made a decision that they wanted games in Sth America or Los Angeles and in NZ to replicate home and away.  When it started looking like that wasn't going to work they have focussed on playing 2 international matches in that area.  No internationals sides show interest so they look at club teams - this is where the wheels start to fall off this plan and alternative options looked at - unfortunately this stage seemed to be reached about 2 weeks ago not 2 months ago when we could have started looking at other options.  Now the club teams are falling through they're saying actually that doesn't matter and it's just good to get the players together for a camp.

Frankly, that's rubbish.

When they couldn't get the games in LA they should have looked at meaningful internationals in other parts of the world - proper competitive matches are important at this stage.  Aussie are playing Canada at Craven Cottage next Tuesday in London.  Craven Cottage is always available for international friendlies - I don't know the economics but why couldn't we get a fixture there?  

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/mariners-lineup-suffers-as-all-whites-begin-campaign-20131007-2v4c4.html#ixzz2h4923A5G

''FIFA rules state that the player has to be in the country 48 hours before the game and the flight we were planning for him to take ended up including a six-hour stopover in Miami, meaning he'd arrive 46 hours before the game,'' Arnold said. ''But New Zealand Football wouldn't accept that and there's nothing we can do. They had a right to exercise that clause because of those two hours, and they took it. We had no say. If we had played him, we risked losing points or had him suspended. So we've now let him go for the whole time.''

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/mariners-lineup-suffers-as-all-whites-begin-campaign-20131007-2v4c4.html#ixzz2h4923A5G

''FIFA rules state that the player has to be in the country 48 hours before the game and the flight we were planning for him to take ended up including a six-hour stopover in Miami, meaning he'd arrive 46 hours before the game,'' Arnold said. ''But New Zealand Football wouldn't accept that and there's nothing we can do. They had a right to exercise that clause because of those two hours, and they took it. We had no say. If we had played him, we risked losing points or had him suspended. So we've now let him go for the whole time.''

If you check out radio sport last night at about 9.20pm Burgess from Herald lays into NZF shambolicness saying they have had yonks to sort this window and are now scrambling. A game should be being played at altitude.

If you can't get starting players why not have a look at guys you haven't seen before and try and find a bolter.  Is Christie seriously going to play for the AWs?  I can't believe he seriously is an option

I do enjoy the people chanting on for Michael Fitzgerald and Storm Roux when they probably haven't seen them play more than 2/3 times. 

Having said that, what can we learn from running out Christie for the umpteenth time, maybe we should try some unknowns.

I do enjoy the people chanting on for Michael Fitzgerald and Storm Roux when they probably haven't seen them play more than 2/3 times. 

Having said that, what can we learn from running out Christie for the umpteenth time, maybe we should try some unknowns.

Ive watched 3 of fitzgeralds j league games. Bulked up and looks Reid like in centre of defense. Id suggest Durante or Sigmund wouldnt get deals at J League clubs. Basing roux off match reports and chatter. Arnold rates him very highly and again whose a better right back? Scott?

Oh that's not a stab at you TV, more the multitude of Fitzgerald commenters. I think that's a very big stretch to make saying Sigmund and Durante wouldn't be up to the J-League quality. 

Scott is dependable without being a standout, while Roux is an unknown quantity at this level. Ricki is not really a risk-taker, and I guess that is shown here. Maybe he should be, I don't know. But I haven't seen Roux more than once/twice so I'm not going to start pretending I know more than the All Whites staff who would have watched him play.

durante is definitely j-league quality, but i think TV is right, fitzgerald is definitely worthy of inclusion

Any one know where the AW vs Chivas and Mexican club teams are at?. Coz it seems from the NZF website that they have been cancelled and they are now in camp for a week before the T & T game.....I might be wrong but thats my reading of it!  Anyone else got any idea?

Not sure Fred could organise the squad to play themselves. 

"It's all up in the air at the moment and out of our hands"

The day Ricki plays a normal fuckin formation I will eat my boxing gloves.

Oh that's not a stab at you TV, more the multitude of Fitzgerald commenters. I think that's a very big stretch to make saying Sigmund and Durante wouldn't be up to the J-League quality. 

Scott is dependable without being a standout, while Roux is an unknown quantity at this level. Ricki is not really a risk-taker, and I guess that is shown here. Maybe he should be, I don't know. But I haven't seen Roux more than once/twice so I'm not going to start pretending I know more than the All Whites staff who would have watched him play.