ASBP Team of the Decade

I am stunned that  Lutz Pfannenstiel isn't nominated for keeper of the decade

I'm enjoying Tony Smith's attempts to pick a Canterbury player for every award.

Ha just thought this myself. Surprised Ryan Nelsen wasn't picked.

So at the moment, it's Vicelich, Clapham and Krishna?

Not sure I agree with that.

Clapham ha ha ha ha ha 

personally, i think calling someone a toss is being a toss and disrespectful

sigmund was frequently left out at auckland.  uhlmann was prefferred in the middle and van steeden on the left.  he had to divide his playing time covering for the two.

I remember being quite impressed with Sigmund, playing for Canterbury, in the first season of the NZFC in 2004-05. First time I really took notice of him.

It was a weird era though, with Mick Waitt preferring the likes of Rupesh Puna and Steven Old ahead of him (as well as Nelsen & Bunce) in the All Whites.

i always liked him as well and is was awesome watching his transformation to one of the a-league's best central defenders

my comment was in context to this thread and to me he was nowhere near the best defender that the league has seen because of his lack of conditioning and significant bench time.

it doesn't mean he didn't have ability or turn out to be miles better than the nzfc

Transformation my arse. Now you're fence sitting with a bob each way on the side. Pffft.

Fact. Sigmund was one of ACFC's best ever signings and unlike others mentioned moved on to a higher level (A League) and still there.

Did he not get ACFC's player or supportet's player of the year and NZF player of the year? 

Anyway for me last night against Adelaide Sigmund was again outstanding.

Siggy was regularly voted man of the match by ACFC supporters and his desire to play pro with the Nix was all-consuming.

ha ha, nice one NP

Man, I was kinda joking with the Tony Smith thing before, but this is just phenomenal! http://www.asbpremiership.co.nz/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2165&tx_ttnews[backPid]=3&cHash=12261c758f

Wow. When I saw it pop up on Facebook, I thought to myself betcha that Smith has gone Highfield for a bit of a giggle. I thought even he couldn't go down that line....

Even though T Smith is obviously one-eyed, Adam Highfield is a quality keeper. Is he the best ever ? Maybe not, but he is presently the best and most consistent in the league.

A question i would put to Tony Smith:

If Highfield is so great, why has he not had an AW call up over Spoonley and Williams (as the more recent two) and even Scott Basalaj in Honiara.

When he can't produce an answer then that just shows that he really does see with an eye patch on. Matt Borren is a better keeper than him and he is not in the league. He also may want to take into account that none of the other 3 even mentioned his name

I've seen Robinson make some awful mistakes.

How many keepers have won an ASB Prem player of the season award?

JV how many decent players haven't received an AW call up under the Herbert era. Does not mean they weren't good enough.

How many times would Herbert have seen Highfield play ? How many times have most people who comment on these threads regularly seen some of these players week in/week out.

Highfield is class, as is Clapham (waiting for hahahah's and rebuttal), who Herbert has ignored for club and regularly for country.

An AW call up does not mean they are the best available or ever - Jeremy Christie, Lochead in recent times ...

Some points:

- Lochhead is still now and has been for the best part of a decade the best left back available for the national side.

- 13 caps seems to be a pretty decent number of caps for a domestic player who 'Herbert has ignored for club and regularly for country' when we hardly ever play.

- If Clapham was victimised by Herbert why has Merrick not rushed him in and instead has signed Riera, Hicks and/or Ridenton for the Phoenix midfield from the ASB Premiership.

This started out about Highfield, however;

Over the period you mention AWs played 32 games. 13/32 (not sure how many as a sub) to me is not a regular starter.

And Lochhead was lucky he was probably the only left footed defender in NZ for the period he played. You cannot in all honesty say he was any better than average.

And as for Merrick I am not privy to his decisions. But I will again say Clapham is a class player who should be playing at a higher level. Why he isn't I do not know the answer. But from watching him on a regular basis in the ASB (which I also think is a lot better standard than people give it credit) he is a class ahead of most if not all other players. And would hold his own in the A-League.

What News said

1: So you believe that Highfield is hard done by and has been the best keeper in the comp the last 3 years?

2: Are you Tony Smith?

Funny how this just focuses on the points about Lochhead now.

Also 1. no I am not Tony Smith

and  2. I never said "I believe that Highfield is hard done by and has been the best keeper in the comp the last 3 years? "

I originally said "Even though T Smith is obviously one-eyed, Adam Highfield is a quality keeper. Is he the best ever ? Maybe not, but he is presently the best and most consistent in the league."

As I also said

"JV how many decent players haven't received an AW call up under the Herbert era. Does not mean they weren't good enough.

How many times would Herbert have seen Highfield play ? How many times have most people who comment on these threads regularly seen some of these players week in/week out.

Highfield is class, as is Clapham (waiting for hahahah's and rebuttal), who Herbert has ignored for club and regularly for country.

An AW call up does not mean they are the best available or ever - Jeremy Christie, Lochead in recent times ... "

and

"

This started out about Highfield, however;

Over the period you mention AWs played 32 games. 13/32 (not sure how many as a sub) to me is not a regular starter.

And Lochhead was lucky he was probably the only left footed defender in NZ for the period he played. You cannot in all honesty say he was any better than average.

And as for Merrick I am not privy to his decisions. But I will again say Clapham is a class player who should be playing at a higher level. Why he isn't I do not know the answer. But from watching him on a regular basis in the ASB (which I also think is a lot better standard than people give it credit) he is a class ahead of most if not all other players. And would hold his own in the A-League."

Except Lochhead has clearly been the best available. 

- 13 of 32 is more than any other domestic player other than Ivan has played in that time.  Remembering he was in the squad for more of those other games and just didn't get on the pitch.  To claim he was persecuted is clearly a fallacy.  He was given every opportunity in the All Whites and never showed enough to be chosen over other options.  In fact in the eyes of many AWs fans he has been given more opprtunities than his performances deserved.

- No other A-League coach came calling when he was in the VPL either.

Look.  I don't actually think he's a bad player and MAY have A-league talent in him but to paint a picture that he was victimised by Ricki is absolute rubbish.  He has been in a number of Phoenix squads over the years and his AWs appearnaces are plenty for a domestic player.  If anything he was favoured by Ricki and considered part of the wider squad with the likes of Christie even though performances had not justified it.

- If you want someone hard done by in the keepers then Phil Imray is (I am pretty sure) the only keeper to win the ASB Premiership keeper of the season and he barely rates a mention.  For a couple of seasons there he was head and shoulders ahead of any other keeper in the competion including the two names being debated here.

mr news, i think it's fair to say that no australian based a-league club will come calling for any kiwi unless they are good enough to fill an import sport (aka mcglinchey). 

in my opinion, clapham is definitely good enough for the league, but not good enough to secure an import sport in oz

as for the phoenix, it makes sense to me that he hasn't been picked up this year.  merrick was obviously happy with lia and cunningham and when he overlooked clapham, he went on record as saying he wanted a different type of player.  he went and signed a deep lying stand and pass player (riera) and a skillful wide player (hicks).  clapham is a runner and merrick already had them on board.  of course, clapham may not have been his cup of tea, which is also perfectly reasonable.

re: highfield

i'm with baba o'riley here.  he's been one of the best asb prem keepers and is still of a very high standard

he's much better than robinson and not far off williams. probably comparable to spoonley and on his day, like imray, he is better than anyone

the reason guys like highfield and imray aren't picked up by the phoenix or called up for the all whites is because they haven't had big event / big stadium experience.  coaches like to sign players who have had to deal with the pressure.

I want to assume that 'service to the league' comes somewhere under the criteria. If so thumbs up to Robbo!