AW v Slovakia Tue 15th 11:30p (SS2, TV1)

AW v Slovakia Tue 15th 11:30p (SS2, TV1)

What's our best 11 now with Reid/Smith/McGlinchy/Fallon available.

I'd have Lochy over Smith, and toss-up between Siggy and Ivan at CB.

I rate Fallon, and don't particularly rate Killen, so I'd have Rory in there too.

Siggy over Ivan At CB. Lochy at left back.

I'd probably go Reid Nelsen Vicelich Lochhead across the back.

Vicelich or Siggy and Lochy or Smith?

You decide. . . vote now!!

Just to be different I could even go Reid Nelsen Smith Lochhead.

I would go with  Reid - Nelsen - Sigmund - Smith

LondonChris2010-03-14 12:32:55

I would play anyone except Tony L

                                    PASTON/MOSS

 

It will be a tough game, but if NZ are gona take any points from the group...this is the game I think you guys might.

Have to keep an eye on Hamsik tho, he's a class midfielder, and young Vad Wiess on the right wing, he's absolutely class, wish we didn't loan him to trotters
Tevez_Hates_Utd2010-03-24 14:10:02

guys, we are slightly out of control at the moment as far as threads about AWs games, squads and starting XIs. From now on can we keep all speculation about World Cup squad and starting XIs to the AWs at the World Cup Forum, and try to find an existing thread if you can. Marius Lacatus2010-03-24 16:05:14

They'll be tougher than many people think- this show pointed out that the Slovaks dominated football in the old Czechslovakia at certain periods, especially in the 1970s when Slovan Bratislava were the dominant club team having beaten Barcelona to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1969.

Can't agree with this part, looks rather like a bit of surprise that they have finished over Czechs in qualification group. Czech team has better players as such, but had some problems with their coach changes during the qualifications that influenced final result. They didn't show anything special in qualifying round, don't see them perform particularly well in South Africa.

Absolutely spot on.

Slovakia (and Slovenia too) got an incredible piece of good luck when being drawn with the Czechs (change of generations, nowhere near the team they were 5-6 years ago) and Poles (FA absolute shambles, no great players either) as the 1 and 2 seeds in their group. Put Slovakia in any other qualifying group (barring perhaps the one where Greece was the top seed) and Slovaks would have been absolutely nowhere near the World Cup.

Seen them play in a couple of qualifiers, they are a fairly limited and pedestrian side. Nothing to be scared of there for the All Whites.

Big Pete, I'm not going to worry about seven ex-Czech come Slovak from the '76 team when they are about in their 60+ years old.

But seriously old history is not going to scare us. The 93'-06' Czechs were only good because they played together like a club by playing about 20+ friendlies a year until their budget blew out and the country was divided. But they still didn't get in the 2006 World Cup despite their high FIFA rankings. Seriously they (slovaks) are good enough to get to the World Cup but really don't think they are as good as you might think.

Of course we have to watch our backs and go hard from the whistle.

Wow.

1. Czechoslovakia disbanded in 1993.

2. The reason Czechs were good from the separation to until a couple of years ago is because they had some very, very good players - Nedved, Berger, Poborsky, Smicer, Koller, and they played very good football. They were the best team at EURO 2004, it's a shame they didn't win it. Have absolutely no clue where you got this idea of them playing '20 friendlies a year like a club team' and the budget blowing out. Most of those players have moved on now, they have a binch of new guys who aren't anywhere near as good and that was felt in their latest qualifying campaign.

3. Czech Republic did play in the 2006 World Cup, but got knocked out after the group stages.

After Rosicky scored a beautiful, beautiful goal that should go in that great world cup thread you started EG.  Can't remember who it was against.  Not USA as they lost 3-0 to them (or did they beat them 3-0? Who knows).

It was against USA, I remember the goal. It was also the only game in which the Czechs scored in that tournament.

Oh, lol, I was still think about the time in 2002 and not 2006. I didn't keep up with them after that. I was exaggerating about 20+ friendlies but I did recorded at one stage the Czech Republic did have the highest number of friendies in a year which contribute to their high rankings. I obviously had my wires crossed on the Czechs and the Slovakia divide. I do get my time and dates back to front.

Still I understand that the Slovakians has an aging striker, a 22 year old midfield captain and one notable star in the central defence. Then I only read it from an US article so what does the Americans know about football?

 Wouldn't take several of their players too lightly- Big Pete 652010-05-21 07:13:37

Like I said, Slovakia's nothing special - Hamsik is overrated at this stage of his career, but could become a very good player if he keeps his head right.
Skrtel is nothing special, and everyone else is a mix of journeymen and youngsters. As a sum of parts, they are a very, very average product for World Cup standards - they are a class below both Italy (even if they aging and nothing special themselves right now) and Paraguay.

Slovakia is our best chance of points, just like we are for them. Won't be an easy game for us, but like I said, there is nothing to be scared of - we can play against them.

Stoch is class. Small, but class.

Stoch on Chelsea's books too, isn't he?

SToch had a good season in Holland I think with McLaren's Twente.

Yeah, Mucha has signed for Everton with the end of this season. Fortunately or not - it backfired at him quite heavily, having played way below from what he showed before signing the contract in winter.

Only real class player from this side is Hamsik, although he didn't show too much during the WC qualifiers, plays better in club football so far.

Surrounded by better players at Napoli, that's why he looks better when he plays for them.

Viable point.

Ah, will we have Dewhurst and De Jong as our commentators in South Africa on Sky?

Please, for the love of Paston, No!

Yep, you betcha we will. They will be there, so it will be slightly improved, but it will still be them.

I think your right, Dewhurst is off to WC for 6 weeks so he's one confirmed for the commentary

Fard - I'm staying over there. Fred is worse. Complete rambler

On the commentary they were going on about DJ's official officiating role at SA (match commissioner or whatever it was) so it doesn't *sound like we'll be *hearing from him!



*World class piece of double punnagery there. Or not! 

Based on watching the NZ vs Pitch Invaders and Cameroon vs Slovakia game I'm confident we can draw with Slovakia at the very least.  They dived a fair bit which the ref was having none, as a team are very short and they all appeared quite weak getting pushed off the ball easily by Cameroon.

Distribution of picks by Yahoo sports users.

Would love NZ to win, but my head tells me a draw against Slovakia. Hope my head is wrong this time.

OP mentioned "Moss appeal".