Makes me think that LBS has potentially come in for Ben rather than as a Cacace replacement. There’s already two left backs in the squad for the window.
Darren and the staff probably know Ben won’t be coming in this window but can’t announce anything till everything is confirmed with his potential new destination. YoungHeartHM
Surprised nothing had come from this, but having just checked, the Belgian window closes next week on the 8th.
If he's not even making the matchday squad for the lastest round in Ligue 2, then you feel something is definitely going on in the background. He's not going to want to be benchwarming in the lead up to a world cup year.
Do have to wonder though that if a loan deal does eventuate soon, will that then impact his availability for the AW's? ala Paulsen and his recent move to Lechia Gdańsk.
............another one to be aware of is Ben Old. He wasn’t included in Saint-Etienne’s squad for the 1-1 draw against Grenoble amidst talk of them loaning him out (there’s a bit more on that situation over here)... yet the window closed a few days ago and Oldy still hadn’t gone anywhere. Worth mentioning that ASSE only want to loan him overseas so as not to strengthen a rival and the windows are still open for a few more days in Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia... if any of those destinations catch your eye. Or he could simply stay with Saint-Etienne and fight for his place.
Gone under the radar lately probably due to the fact we’re all eyes on the All Whites atm but no move for Oldie.
Looks like he’s gonna fight for his spot at St Etienne. Hopefully tonight he can start and show his club what they’re missing.
Him not being included in their last matchday is a big concern though. I hope this isn’t a Garbett 2.0 again where he has to wait till January to find a move.
I ultimately think the left wing position is Old’s but if he can’t get into his club side then maybe Bazeley has to throw Garbett out there?
A bit more on the Ben Old situation at ASSE, courtesy of Peuple Vert...
“This 2025-2026 season was to mark the revival of Kiwi. The summer preparation also offered great promises. Against Carouge then Troyes, Old distinguished himself by scoring two goals and regaining the edge that was his strength in Australia. Logically, he started on the first day of Ligue 1 against Laval, where he even scored. However, despite this goal, his performance in the game was mixed. Since that evening in August, the situation has changed radically: only 8 minutes played in 3 matches and a worrying sidelining during the Grenoble match where he wasn't even in the group. The reason? Fierce competition within the Saint-Etienne attack. Davitashvili, Stassin, Boakye, Cardona and even Duffus today seems to have the confidence of the coach ahead of Old, who is at best the sixth option. Enough to considerably reduce his playing time prospects.”
Nothing new about those yarns but it’s helpful to hear it from the local perspective. That’s why there was talk about him being loaned out. So far nothing has happened although there are still a few countries where the windows remain open. But the likelihood seems to be that he’ll stick around in France and try and prove himself.
That Peuple Vert article even threw up an unexpected solution: apparently there’s a vacancy at left-back which Old could target, having played a few minutes there as a late substitute against Boulougne a couple of weeks ago when Ebenezer Annan got injured. In an attacking sense he’d do great there... defensively it would be a much steeper learning curve though you never know. If they want to toughen him up then some rugged left-back minutes might do as much as a loan overseas.
Yep. It looks like Oldy is staying at SE. Life is tough as a young footballer trying to break into Europe. You need a strong mentality and a lot of luck. Last year Ben made a great start under a coach who supported him. Then a long injury break and a new coach and he really is on the back foot. Not sure what happened to the transfer to Belgium. He 100% needs to be playing regularly......a loan back to the Nix?
Yep. It looks like Oldy is staying at SE. Life is tough as a young footballer trying to break into Europe. You need a strong mentality and a lot of luck. Last year Ben made a great start under a coach who supported him. Then a long injury break and a new coach and he really is on the back foot. Not sure what happened to the transfer to Belgium. He 100% needs to be playing regularly......a loan back to the Nix?
Absolutely bizarre if they sign him to play Ligue 1 but don’t play him a league down!
I watched this game. Ben did nothing wrong but the play just didnt go down his side. He took corners and free kicks....all good. The half time switch was tactical bringing on a no9 I must say that game wasnt a great advertisment for Ligue 2. It was like watching a bottom of the table A league match. Lots of turnovers, lots of basic mistakes, low level of skill. Neither side could hold the ball for more than 3 passes. Considering SE are top of the table i thought they were crap
Despite not even being in the squad for ASSE’s last game before the FIFA break, and despite playing in both games for New Zealand during that break, Ben Old was a very surprising inclusion in the starting eleven when Saint-Étienne faced Clermont Foot away in the fifth round of Ligue 2. He played on the left wing and looked decent. He was strong on the ball, keen to get involved on attack (including taking a few corner kicks), and tracked back when required.
Improvements were there to be seen. However, ASSE also conceded right before the break and responded with a half-time double sub that included Lucas Stassin replacing Oldie. Stassin proceeded to score one and set up another as Saint-Étienne fought back to win 2-1.
Cool to see Ben Old back in the mix but this game also highlighted why he’s where he is in the pecking order. Other guys are simply more effective at the moment. These were steps in the right direction though – and the substitution kinda felt like a pre-planned one, with Stassin moving to centre-forward and starting striker Augustine Boakye (who also scored) sliding out into Old’s wing position, rather than a case of Old being benched for his performance. Purely tactical.
It looks like Old’s dodged the loan speculation so fingers-crossed he can keep getting minutes like this for the sake of his continued development. ASSE are top of the table with 11 points from five fixtures.
Probably the best Ben can hope for at the moment is as a late sub. But the season is very long and with Cup games and injuries he will get plenty of game time. Saint Etienne are clearly the best side in Ligue 2 so unless they screw it up they should be back in Ligue 1 next year. Ben needs to cement his place as a valuable squad member. He needs to make an impact when he comes on. If he can do this then he will have an ok career
If Ben ain't getting enough significant minutes come end of December, he will leave on loan. He will be in constant discussion with Baze, who will encourage him (and any player in the All Whites orbit) to move and get minutes
To take any player (besides Wood) to a WC who is not match fit (battle hardened) will be a major mistake.
Gossip on SE sites is that the club will try and loan Old out in the winter transfer market. Apparently the training staff dont see him as starting level quality and believe he needs to develop his game somewhere else. SE were shiiite again. Couldnt defend in Ligue 1, got relegated and cant defend in Ligue 2
I watched this game live. Best moment was when the opposition scored their goal. They all piled in like they just scored in a CL final. Lovely scenes and it shows the joy of Cup games where little amateur clubs get to play in a big stadium broadcast live on TV. The guy who scored will probably never have to pay for a beer in his village bar for the rest of his life. Great to see Ben bang in a few goals too. He had a good game
