https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/130161066/des-buckingham-the-obvious-choice-to-succeed-danny-hay-as-all-whites-coach
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.
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.