So TW fans or folks who generally don't like Hay keep bringing this up. I was just replying to Ted Striker's incorrect assertion Hay had never won anything. None of us were in the ES dressing room that season, so none of us have any real idea of who was in charge.
But prickly Declan for all his faults doesn't surround himself with yes men. Quite the opposite. If he doesn't rate or respect you, you'll soon know about it. Cue the Mad Hatter's reluctance to let some of his Ole youngsters play for various NZ age group coaches over the years.
He's all about what he thinks is the best environment for player development. So sure he was there alongside Hay at ES, but he wouldn't have let Danny near his players if he didn't rate him. They stay friends to this day it seems, and it's not always easy to stay mates with the forthright Declan.
Give Declan the job. We’ll have the most annoying, dysfunctional team environment possible, no Nix players will get called up and Harry Edge will somehow start every game but Stamenic, Pijnaker, Garbett and Just will play like peak Barcelona.
Bazeley's (or is it Beazley) latest achievement was coaching the U19s to the OFC title and WC qualification without conceding a goal. Don't think even Des did that.
An impressively well-coached team and a lot of quality... hopefully they can smash it at U20 WC next year.
Anyway, Bazeley isn't the man for the AWs job.
Their finishing was terrible. They would completely nailed by Australia.
You have some weird logic. Hay took Eastern Suburbs to the Handy Prem title. Who knows if half that squad hadn't signed pro deals soon after, and he'd stayed on as coach - he might have also got them to the Club World Cup.
When it was a proper fair Champions League/CWC qualifying format in OFC, it always came down to final between the 2 NZ teams, mostly Auckland City verus TW.
Hay may have been the head coach at Eastern Suburbs but it was Declan pulling the strings that season. Declan would sit in the stands first half and then be on the bench 2nd half after being in changing rooms at half time. It was also basically Western Suburbs - so much so that that club used to tweet about how well they were doing in the National League!
Edge was definitely involved but to claim he was doing more than Hay, or that Hay wasn't leading it the team, is greatly exaggerated.
Both would be difficult to get though Des with his stable job as Mumbai City head coach and Ramon as assistant manager at Honved in the Hungarian league.
I can’t see any reference to Ramon on their website or on their Wiki pagepop
Des Buckingham or Ramon Tribulietx for me.
Both would be difficult to get though Des with his stable job as Mumbai City head coach and Ramon as assistant manager at Honved in the Hungarian league.
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Des Buckingham or Ramon Tribulietx for me.
Both would be difficult to get though Des with his stable job as Mumbai City head coach and Ramon as assistant manager at Honved in the Hungarian league.
I can’t see any reference to Ramon on their website or on their Wiki pagepop
Des Buckingham or Ramon Tribulietx for me.
Both would be difficult to get though Des with his stable job as Mumbai City head coach and Ramon as assistant manager at Honved in the Hungarian league.
pop
Des Buckingham or Ramon Tribulietx for me.
Both would be difficult to get though Des with his stable job as Mumbai City head coach and Ramon as assistant manager at Honved in the Hungarian league.
Des or Emblen would be my picks. Thought Emblens Olympic team acquitted themselves pretty well and he has experience in the fold. Going back a few years now tho I guess.
Des or Emblen would be my picks. Thought Emblens Olympic team acquitted themselves pretty well and he has experience in the fold. Going back a few years now tho I guess.
Neil would be a decent shout knows most of the players and his stint as an assistant in MLS would have helped.
I really would be keen to see how well Des would do with the All Whites. My only real concern would be if he can step up. He definitely did a great job with the U20s and helped secure us one of the best finishes a NZ football team has had at a European competition, as well as getting us to the Olympics, but jumping up from them to the national team is still a reasonably significant move.
It's like a player who performs extremely well in an academy/youth team and when they move up to the first team, it's a matter of if they can replicate that success or not. Des being familiar with a lot of those guys from the U20s now in the All Whites is definitely a positive as it means he probably has a good understanding of how they like to play and what the best thing is for them going forward. Plus his short time as assistant would've helped him get a picture of the All Whites environment.
At the end of the day, I guess we'll just have to wait and see whether NZ Football get in contact with Des and if he's interested in coming back, especially after being a bit hard done by.
NZ Football asked him to re-apply for his job which Hay would have found insulting. In the unlikely event that Hay did re apply then the odds of him getting the job would be very long.
NZ Football should have been straight up and just told him they would not be renewing his contract.
I really would be keen to see how well Des would do with the All Whites. My only real concern would be if he can step up. He definitely did a great job with the U20s and helped secure us one of the best finishes a NZ football team has had at a European competition, as well as getting us to the Olympics, but jumping up from them to the national team is still a reasonably significant move.
It's like a player who performs extremely well in an academy/youth team and when they move up to the first team, it's a matter of if they can replicate that success or not. Des being familiar with a lot of those guys from the U20s now in the All Whites is definitely a positive as it means he probably has a good understanding of how they like to play and what the best thing is for them going forward. Plus his short time as assistant would've helped him get a picture of the All Whites environment.
At the end of the day, I guess we'll just have to wait and see whether NZ Football get in contact with Des and if he's interested in coming back, especially after being a bit hard done by.
For his own sake I hope Des does not come back. The whole of FNZ needs a fix. After all, they hired Hay. The money spent, the results, the lack of team development... the so called review was a whitewash.
Perhaps we’ve been looking at this all wrong: this may be a desirable job.
Good generation of players. Guarantee of three games at the World Cup to be in the shop window. A promise of games in the windows. Comparatively little public pressure or aggro press. Good training facilities.
Wow. Didn't think he'd be keen on it to be fair. May be a good way to try keep him on with the Nix perhaps? Given he's got a settled squad, a bit more money in the kitty to get players he's after and now more time at home than he's had for a couple of years. He could become a long term fixture within New Zealand Football.
Definitely could work with only OFC to navigate to make the 2026 WC
It didn’t work at all for Ricki in 2013 jugglings 2 hats, with AWs woefully prepared for the Mexico playoffs. Just ask Tommy Smith
But the AWs now have an easy path to WC qualification, Talay is a quality coach, has some international experience with the Aus U20s and knows the NZ landscape. Has a preferred set 4-4-2 system that should suit AWs strengths going forward. So why not
Perhaps we’ve been looking at this all wrong: this may be a desirable job.
Good generation of players. Guarantee of three games at the World Cup to be in the shop window. A promise of games in the windows. Comparatively little public pressure or aggro press. Good training facilities.
So Hiddink or Uffie?
No, a big no, to Uffie, a very big YES to Hiddink! However, Uffie could be a good fit and a lot easier to fit into a combined Nix/AW budget.
Hiddinks last six roles have been only for like a year. He's also 75. He's a good coach for sure and did great things for Australia but I'm not sure a long term gig like AWs will be what he's looking for. And perhaps not what we need either.
if NZF listened to senior players Hay would still have his job. Great that Oli has come ot and said he'd back the decision but it's just one dude's opinion who is the gaffer's current captain and a relative newbie t the AW's starting XI.
To be fair, we'd just need an interim coach for the next 12 months (mind you, we probably won't be playing in that time). The actual coach could come in 24 months prior to WC 2026.
To be fair, we'd just need an interim coach for the next 12 months (mind you, we probably won't be playing in that time). The actual coach could come in 24 months prior to WC 2026.
Isn't that just giving the actual coach less time to get to know the team and players and build a style of play?
Remember this will not be like the last cycle - there will be Nations Cup in 2024, and OFC qualifiers likely across 2024 and 2025. 2023 shapes up as the only year without competitive games so would be an ideal time to get everyone in sync with each other and learning whatever system Uffie chooses to play.
Think Pragnell has said a new AWs coach will be appointed before year's end, and he's also bullish on games in March 2023 window, including a home game(s). Needs to back up the talk.
Can see the 2024 Olympics & Olywhites taking precedence, over any 2024 Nations Cup. Though if Nations Cup is earlier in the year, NZF may well send a U23 team (domestic players mostly) to that event as a warmup.
To be fair, we'd just need an interim coach for the next 12 months (mind you, we probably won't be playing in that time). The actual coach could come in 24 months prior to WC 2026.
NZF said they would be playing in 4 of the 5 FIFA windows in 2023.
To be fair, we'd just need an interim coach for the next 12 months (mind you, we probably won't be playing in that time). The actual coach could come in 24 months prior to WC 2026.
NZF said they would be playing in 4 of the 5 FIFA windows in 2023.
Andrew Pragnell on the Kiwi football fix show - the general manager of high performance at NZF will be appointed before the head coach and will have input on who the coach is. Furthermore, says the working relationship is really important. Expect that appointment in the next couple of weeks.
Andrew Pragnell on the Kiwi football fix show - the general manager of high performance at NZF will be appointed before the head coach and will have input on who the coach is. Furthermore, says the working relationship is really important. Expect that appointment in the next couple of weeks.
Some interesting comments on that show. One being Sheamus (spelling ?) seemed pretty sure Des Buckingham will be applying for the coaching job.
I'm going to think out loud and consider some left field candidates with international experience.
Michael O'Neill (ex Northern Ireland coach) was recently sacked by Stoke. Fantastic record in international football with the Green & White Army taking NI to the Euro 16 QFs.
Jamie Day, although now back in the UK, had a very successful three year stint with Bangladesh. Currently coaching at EFL side Swindon Town.
Igor Stimac coached the Croatia national team 10 years ago and is currently in charge of India.
Former Wolves and Aberdeen striker Mixu Paatelainen has previously coached Finland, Latvia and Hong Kong.
Stephen Hart has managed both Canada and Trinidad & Tobago and recently left Halifax Wanderers.