World Cup Squad Discussion

New Zealand squad to face Mexico
(Club, caps/goals in brackets)

Goalkeepers
Glen MOSS (Melbourne Victory, Australia � 15/0)
James BANNATYNE (Team Wellington � 5/0)

Defenders
Tony LOCHHEAD (Wellington Phoenix � 29/0)
Ryan  NELSEN (Blackburn Rovers, England / Captain � 41/9)
Andrew BOYENS (New York Red Bulls, USA � 15/0)
Ben SIGMUND (Wellington Phoenix � 12/1)
Tommy SMITH (Brentford, England � 0/0)

Midfielders
Andy BARRON (Team Wellington � 13/1)
Leo BERTOS (Wellington Phoenix � 30/0)
Tim BROWN (Wellington Phoenix � 27/0)
Simon ELLIOTT (San Jose Earthquakes, USA � 69/8)
Michael McGLINCHEY (Motherwell, Scotland � 3/0)
Craig HENDERSON (Mj�llby AIF, Sweden � 0/0)

Forwards
Shane SMELTZ (Gold Coast United, Australia � 32/17)
Rory FALLON (Plymouth Argyle, England � 3/2)
Chris KILLEN (Middlesbrough, England � 35/17)
Chris WOOD (West Bromwich Albion, England � 5/0)

Whose craig henderson btw

Who's

Wikipedia tells me he's a genius from the Hutt (I thought that was an oxymoron) who is well respected and good at football. Oh and he has the greatest middle name ever.

Chris Wood on loan to Bristol Rovers.  That's the word.

Just putting it out there, Craig Henderson is rated very well in FM10. He's part of my AW squad currently in qualifying for WC2014.

Went to school with Craig. Left after 7th form for Dartmouth I think.

I did the research... just saying... maybe not a good idea to put too much faith in FM NZers.

Are suggesting you're bias News 

In a NZ Herald article about Tommy Smith

Imagine being offered a deal with that lot...

Absolutely.  Lad made the right call.  Now an Ipswich vs Phoenix call, that would be tricky.

Not to me..

f**k.  Nelsen landed badly vs Bolton....he's back on...but walking "gingerly"...

...and he's off.

not good news. hope its not too bad

Silver lining if Nelsen can't get to Mexico - Tommy Smith can have a run.

Hurry up Winston!!!!fark!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1172662.html#bertos+relishing+challenge

Bertos on Fifa website.

Stephen Old in for Nelsen. I'm a relatively new football fan - is this guy any good?

he'd be better than he was when he played for the Nix, I Hope!!

He's a guy that's promised a lot and was a favourite of NZ Football's for quite a while but he hasn't yet delivered what is expected - he was contracted to the Phoenix but they let him go.

Seriously we need Reid on that RB position, it would save the usual two goals conceded to top sides and then opens up another player to lift up fo our much need improved midfield.

Duncan

After the mexico game, i'd be surprised if Coombes makes it. Hope Brockie is fit! 

I heard Ricki's dusting off his boots. but also heard he pulled both hammys while putting them back in the cabinet. oh well...

Well now we have a Right Back! Winstons coming home!

WE HAVE A RIGHT BACK!!!!!

So our back 4 is:

Reid    Nelsen   Sigmund   Lochhead

If we play with 5 at the back then it'd be Vicelich, logically.  Not bad at all, that right-hand side looks stronger than the left but I'm very happy.  Only our midfield is really lacking now.  Any kiwi born players tearing up the Russian League or anything who we haven't yet heard of?

Mmmm:

                           Paston

Reid       Nelson        Smith      Lochhead

               Sigmund        Vicelich

McGlinchey        Brown      Elliot             Bertos

Fallon               Smeltz      Wood       Killen

Is there enough on the field now?? Do we need more?? AllWhitebelievr2010-03-12 00:26:06

Which one do we go for?

Reid Nelsen Sigmund Lochhead

Reid Nelsen Vicelich Lochhead

Reid Nelsen Smith Lochhead

Reid Nelsen Sigmund Smith

Reid Nelsen Vicelich Smith

Or if you really want Old/Boyens somewhere in there.

Lots of options now. Two new guys at the back. Wonder if Reid can play more in the midfield?   


                     Paston

Reid/Smith       Nelson        Sigmund/Smith      Lochhead

                              Elliot            

       McGlinchey        Brown      Bertos

                     Fallon/Wood       Killen

Bench - (from)

Moss
Vicelich
Sigmund/Smith/Reid
Smeltz
Fallon/Wood
Brockie/James/Barron

Smeltzy on the radio this morning saying he hasn't decided what his pre-WC plans are, whether he goes somewhere else and trains with a team (who is likely to have him though) or comes back here and trains with the NZ based guys.

Maybe Herbert will turn Reid into a passing-mid a-la Lia (but with more potential awesomeness)

For Smeltz - How about the Australian state leagues? Also a loan to K-League.. they are about to start up. hockeycam2010-03-12 14:06:13

No thanks, unless Oughton joins the squad Reid's our only RB, and even then I'd rather Reid at RB, because from what I've seen Duncan makes a better midfielder.Oska2010-03-12 18:26:40

The funny thing is that with Reid in the RB position. Siggy and Vicelich in the CB positions and Smith/Lochhead in the LB position, we could have Nelsen as a DCM controlling the defense to midfield transition or midfield to forward in the middle of the park with his passing. Nelsen is our backbone player that can pass the ball and is able to move up a bit more to consolidate that centre that we lack further up the park. With McGlinchey as an ACM, we have the ball moving better from one end of the park to the other end in good tidy fashion. I think they would have a better connection between themselves than maybe Elliot and Brown.

McGlinchey as we know, has connected well with Fallon and Wood in recent games even though those guys have been in the later stages of the game. If we give them a starting line-up and have Smeltz and Killian on the bench in one of the warm up games, it would be very interesting what comes of it. We need to test them at the beginning of the game.

This is exciting that we all can toss different ideas of the combinations in this team. It has more going for this team than the 82 team. The 82 team had a more of the same line up prediction. However this lot can be rearranged and changed a bit more for the different teams. I think when the coaching staff sits down and analysis the other teams and then have the strategy sorted out they would be able to trial a number of combinations in the warm-up games to see what they can do at that level.

Since Bahrain, Reid and Smith is looking to be in the new squad. Haynes, Henderson and Coombes is looking to push claims. Mulligan and Scott (and I did like how Scott played in the games before Confeds) are not seen and have a lack of games. Barron has done no harm with his game either.

In the World Cup tournament, we need each position to be covered by at least three players for options beyond injury or the whole tournament can be screwed up for the team by incidental issues. A World Cup tournament will always have issues.