World Cup Squad Discussion

Am I really? What opinion am I stating as a fact? The MLS is widely regarded as better than the A-League. I can't even be bothered trying to justify why that is more than just my opinion.

Some pointless stats would be nice

Um, Yeah your wrong there my mate in the states who is a crew fan has seen him play, just last week to give an example and said he was better than most in the league below (Christie).

Tell me this? How do you know Ricki's logic? I by no means have a definitive answer here on who is better or deserves to go more but it does piss me off when you act like you've been sitting on the selection panel arguing with Ricki all day. Stop acting as if you know everything, it has pissed people off once and will again.

Ricki is a professional football coach, as are the rest of the selectors. Do you really think they all completely overlooked Duncan? Or maybe you should realise for any number of factors they decided to not pick him. And to be honest, I would much rather trust their judgement on this than a couple of his fanboys on a forum, who quite frankly haven't seen him play at all in yonks.

I am not at all a Mulligan fan, but unfortunately we don't have the depth to not select him.

Maybe it's Christie's versatility or age. I don't know. I just find it very surprising you're all so gutted, when quite clearly he hasn't been in the reckoning for a while now.

Yeah you are right. Stats serve no purpose in football. Who cares who finishes with the Golden Boot in a league, its just random, no correlation between the goals scored and players ability right?

Whats this about golden boot now?

And correlation is a strictly mathematical relationship. Causality is a better term.

I'm pretty sure he was in the "reckoning" considering he thought he had a pretty good chance. I think I'm more gutted because a player below Oughton got in, but Oughton missed out. Its life but its so unfair.

Isn't he injured or recovering from surgery or something??

the entire squad has more than the average number of feet for NZ males

Well more like Ricki's logic would suggest...

I am just saying some of his choices are confusing to say the least. Christie is quite versatile though I suppose.

Oughton was probably not as surprising as some make out, given he barely featured in SA last year, and didn't make the Bahrain squad. I agree it's puzzling, given the MLS is a higher league than the US second-tier, and generally regarded as a better standard than the A-League. However, a quick check of the Columbus website reveals that Duncan hasn't played first team footy this year, and has struggled for regular game time return from surgery in 2006. 40-ish league games in 4 seasons, and mostly used as a sub in the last two years. (He played 90+ from 2001-2004)

Fixed

Lol.

Duncan, in MLS is better than other players in a lower league?
Your mate must be American .

On another note. Not to you clarke.
Its also a tad hard to compare MLS to EPL, Because MLS is a joke really. Sorry.

PLUS!
Isn't there a Duncan Oughton thread for Oska and Cboz?

I too think that Oughton should have travelled given his experience at playing professionally at a higher level then many in the squad as well as the fact that unlike many in the squad hes a very experienced international.

I can see why plodder was picked, this being his versitility but if playing at plodders level is good enough for the AWs then Nathan Knox who also plays at this level should be good enough for the AWs.

With Mully, I've been one of his fans who has always said that he is a midfielder and not an RB and have always felt that he was wrongly signed by the Nix as a defender when there were already so many mids in the team. 

I do think though that Mully, Brown and Christie are all at about the same level and hope that Ricki avoids them and plays with the likes of Elliot and WeeMac to both shore up the defence and to add some creative spark in behind the front two.

[QUOTE

I am just saying some of his choices are confusing to say the least. Christie is quite versatile though I suppose.[/QUOTE]

Rickis logic got us to the world cup, yours didnt.
End of story.

No need to be a smart ass.
Everyone has their opinion.

I have seen Oughton play chocnut. And Chris James. Perhaps there's an idea for a t-shirt in there somewhere.

If I was making the selection then Christie would not have been on the plane, and nor would Mulligan or Bannatyne.But nor would Oughton. I'd've looked at the bigger picture (i.e. the future) and found room for Costa and Hayne, probably Chad Coombes as well. And I'd've picked Jake Gleeson as the third 'keeper.

Oh well i has my spew yesterday but the squad has been selected..Good Luck to the AW's..Now the hard yacka begins...less then 30 days to go..whoohoo

Thats funny, you act like a smart arse ridiculing someone elses opinion with a snide remark regarding americans and then you get pissy when you get some of your own medicine........

Can dish it out but not take it huh?

My first response to the AW's selection was that it was a bit of a slap in the face to the NZF lads. Clapham was the only one chosen even though the drums were beating for Coombes, Haynes etc.

my comments were only at WPF who said ricki was picking his mates over people who he has a grudge against (apparently oughton)

Smithy2010-05-11 13:15:47

So you'd take a winger and an attacking right back/midfielder/striker over two defensive mids...suggests perhaps that you'd like to beat Italy 4-2...

were fringe players plying their trade overseas given a fair chance to put forward a claim for selection compared to some amatuer nzfc players and other players who havent even been playing for their club sides in the a-league ??who were given a 12 day trial in front of the national coach and selectors.

Who ?

Why name the squad a month out from the WC now? Australia wont finalize there squad of 23 until june 1. Why could'nt they just pick a squad of 30 trial them against the 4 warm matches, including australia later this month,  then make there final decision in june. Oh well just a query. GO AW's

Ricki mentioned if Clapham plays it'll be on the right of midfield.  I'd love to see him, at least in the friendly games, start ahead of Bertos and if he's good then Bertos can warm the bench.  Apart from the win over Bahrain, Bertos has been poor all season.  People have mentioned he had a first good half of the season, that's not true at all.  He did well to set up a Greenacre goal in game one, scored a good and very lucky goal against Perth (which he tried to replicate several times - each more embarrassing than the previous) and then scored one more by pretty much running into a ball Durante headed into the goalmouth.  He's been very disappointing and a shadow of himself from the previous year.

Clapham is not our saviour as an AM RM as some people are suggesting... atleast not yet.

im surprised about herbert's comments re clapham wide on the right.

haha classic.

Oughton was very good agaist wales, going back a bit now, but 10 years pro in MLS vs some other members. Please someone get the truth out of Rikki why he isnt going. Also taking amateurs is pretty embarresing isnt it. We left out pro's too.