A Quick Look at the team sheet now it’s just before kick off and a wonderfull sight to see, another start for Thomas! And named captain! Edit- both teams score just after half time Edit- Thomas replaced at 76 in a double substitution and still 1-1
This is good news. Finishes 1-1. If he's run on captain at the moment, that must mean the club think he's now basically at full fitness.
Edit - after the break Zwolle play Zawada's RKC Waalwijk. Waalwijk still likely to be relegated (2nd last, 7 pts from safety), but have been better lately and Zawada has 9 goals now in 21 Eredivisie games. Looks like he missed a month of action, returning in a 0-3 loss to leaders PSV last night.
Last week it was 55 minutes in his first Eredivisie start since December 2023. This week he went even further, lasting 75 minutes away against Sparta Rotterdam... before cramping up and having to be substituted. Took it all the way to the limit. Just like his previous start, Thomas wore the captain’s armband (passing it to Davy van den Berg as he left the pitch)... and if you peep that little graphic at the bottom of the screen you’ll see that he covered 10.2 kilometres in those 75 minutes which, at that stage of the game, was the most of any player from either team. This is a bloke who’s had three season-ending knee surgeries. The work ethic is unreal.
" ... dares to dream of playing at the highest level ... again" sounds to me like he's willing to make himself available for AW selection. Which is excellent. Hopefully Baze has already picked up his NZF phone
The 2 games in Toronto in June would make some sense. Eredvisie season finished, so not having to jump on a plane post a Zwolle game in a hurry. His body would be well rested.
And if he's to feature next year in Nth America he would be benefit from travelling there in June. AWs could even make it a 2 week long camp, as would be out of Euro/ALM season for most of the squad. Bed in some longer term planning for 2026.
If he's fit - he takes over Garbetts role in the squad. I think Bell and Rufer are competing for the same role - Stamenic is a lock alongside Singh.
or would Thomas come in for possibly McCowatt? Garbutt plays maybe a bit futher up the field than Thomas, a different player than McCowatt but in the attacking end of the game not lying deeper like Thomas will. Thomas in, Garbutt with an attacking role, McCowatt doesn't make the squad?
If he's fit - he takes over Garbetts role in the squad. I think Bell and Rufer are competing for the same role - Stamenic is a lock alongside Singh.
or would Thomas come in for possibly McCowatt? Garbutt plays maybe a bit futher up the field than Thomas, a different player than McCowatt but in the attacking end of the game not lying deeper like Thomas will. Thomas in, Garbutt with an attacking role, McCowatt doesn't make the squad?
McCowatt makes the squad, more likely that Rogerson and Randall drop out for Thomas and Old
Thomas has arguably the biggest engine in the team ( as shown by his recent game stats)... always has been an incredible athlete.
You lose that by playing him out wide.
NZ is better technically than ever before, but we are still behind the 8 ball. To help us be competative, we are going to have to out work teams, particularly in the middle.
Thomas spent some time as a false 9 at PSV. He’s pretty versatile. Though there was criticism back in the day before his bad knees, he didn’t score enough
Thomas has arguably the biggest engine in the team ( as shown by his recent game stats)... always has been an incredible athlete.
You lose that by playing him out wide.
NZ is better technically than ever before, but we are still behind the 8 ball. To help us be competative, we are going to have to out work teams, particularly in the middle.
I would play a midfield 3 with Bell deep and central, flanked by Stamenic and Thomas.
Old and Singh ahead of them as inside forwards, allows Thomas to push forward into the 10 and Old and Singh to go wide, whilst Bell and Stamenic can cover behind.
That's the last piece of the jigsaw, I still would like Bell and Rufer alongside each other, they could be massive for football control, I watched the game Bell didn't complete only two passes the whole match and one was a long pass.
That's the last piece of the jigsaw, I still would like Bell and Rufer alongside each other, they could be massive for football control, I watched the game Bell didn't complete only two passes the whole match and one was a long pass.
That's how we closed out last nights game. I agree though, Rufer and Bell could well be the anchors against tougher opposition,
If he's fit - he takes over Garbetts role in the squad. I think Bell and Rufer are competing for the same role - Stamenic is a lock alongside Singh.
or would Thomas come in for possibly McCowatt? Garbutt plays maybe a bit futher up the field than Thomas, a different player than McCowatt but in the attacking end of the game not lying deeper like Thomas will. Thomas in, Garbutt with an attacking role, McCowatt doesn't make the squad?
McCowatt makes the squad, more likely that Rogerson and Randall drop out for Thomas and Old
yes forget my comment, post game euphoric talking bollocks. If playing decent first team football Garbutt and Thomas ideally. Who then to drop. Randell doesn't even come into thinking for my world cup squad
“He got in contact to say congratulations and well done,” Wood said on Tuesday.
“Obviously he's playing well over in Holland. He's back from injury and playing week in week out at the moment, which is fantastic. It's nice to see him doing well.”
Asked if he would like to have Thomas back in the fold for the World Cup, Wood said: “That's a decision he has to make for him and his family.
“I think he's focused on being fully fit for for a long period of time for club football.
“That's the main thing, and after that, he can worry about other things, but he will always do what's right for him and him and his family.”
Bazeley said he has been in regular contact with Thomas during his two years as All Whites coach, knowing that he would be one of the team’s best players if available.
“He's a super player. He's a very good player. Potentially, the World Cup might be a nice carrot for him to come and put the shirt on.
“In the conversations I've had with Ryan, he's obviously been through a lot fitness-wise, injury-wise, and he probably needs a good six months playing at club level before he even contemplates taking on extra load.
“It's great to hear that he's in a good place. He's told me that feels good and feels fit.
“That's exciting and we will always leave the door open.”
Bazeley said that while he would definitely be talking to Thomas ahead of the June window, “we’ll never put any pressure on him”.
“He’s always one that we will have an open door for.”
Feel like the Oct window for Thomas would be more realistic, gives him a good few months of club footy under his belt and sees how his knee holds up
Yes given those Oct games (Norway & likely Poland) are a short trip for him, that's likely the most realistic involvement.
But feel that he then needs to make himself available for every window after that (Nov, plus March & June next year). Even if those windows will involve travel away from Europe. He hasn't played for the AWs in 5 years. Most of the team he will barely know.
Needs a good 6-8 games with the squad prior the WC. Maybe he can just go to Toronto in June as a travelling reserve or something. Light training, sitting in on meetings without actually playing.
Also don't be surprised if Wood is unavailable in June. He becomes a father next month. Will be coming off a long EPL season, with the prospect of a heavier schedule in 2025/26 with Forest qualifying for Europe. You wouldn't begrudge him taking some time off from football.
Feel like the Oct window for Thomas would be more realistic, gives him a good few months of club footy under his belt and sees how his knee holds up
Yes given those Oct games (Norway & likely Poland) are a short trip for him, that's likely the most realistic involvement.
But feel that he then needs to make himself available for every window after that (Nov, plus March & June next year). Even if those windows will involve travel away from Europe. He hasn't played for the AWs in 5 years. Most of the team he will barely know.
Needs a good 6-8 games with the squad prior the WC. Maybe he can just go to Toronto in June as a travelling reserve or something. Light training, sitting in on meetings without actually playing.
Also don't be surprised if Wood is unavailable in June. He becomes a father next month. Will be coming off a long EPL season, with the prospect of a heavier schedule in 2025/26 with Forest qualifying for Europe. You wouldn't begrudge him taking some time off from football.
I wouldn't mind to see Thomas tried as a false 9 if he comes in. He played there a bit at PSV. That Plan B if Wood is injured.
In reality logical Wood replacements Waine and Mata ain't gonna do much at a World Cup, based on what we are seeing currently. Kosta scoring for fun against the Island teams, but his overall AWs scoring record is poor, especially outside of OFC.
So yeah why not try a completely different plan B setup. Thomas was world class (by our standards) 5-6 years ago. He hopefully still is. Could him alongside Singh, Old, Garbett, Just etc be the sans Wood combination to create something??
I'd rather Bazeley didn't leave the door open forever for Thomas. If he stays fit until October and doesn't appear in the October window (or before) that'd be disqualifying for me.
But if Thomas does come back into the mix, I hope that encourages Bazeley to spend more time trying out a 4-3-2-1. A midfield 3 of Stamenic, Bell & Thomas, with some license for both Stamenic & Thomas to surge forward. I think our 4-2-3-1 is too ambitious for the World Cup.
Ryan Thomas is a must, because he is coming to age, but as I say before, let the guy run the show, no tactic reference just let him roam around. Rojas can be an option from the bench, but you need Thomas as a false nine in a front 3 when Wood is not there , and check the under 23, under 20 and under 17 plus an eligible player waiting. Sam Sutton can play both flanks and was the best all white in the OLYMPICS he could be the versalitiy player, you need one of those like Tuiloma
From Niche Cache. Some interesting stuff on Thomas's injuries, surgeries and where he is at now. It does genuinely sound like he is getting into his best physical shape in years. Fingers crossed.
Matchup agaionst Zawada's RKC Waalkwijk this weekend.
Ryan Thomas: “I feel like old Ryan again. That gives me a lot of relief. I’d known for a long time that I still had the qualities to contribute. In recent months I could feel in trainings and in games that it is still in me. But of course the problem was the physical part. Now that that has been resolved, I can finally look to the future again, instead of looking no further than day to day or week to week. That is something very beautiful... I'm thirty years old now. That's a little old, but not yet old enough to think about quitting. As long as my knees last, I want to keep playing football. Hopefully I can stick to it for many years now.”
Those are blessed words to read. Ryan Thomas had his right knee practically reconstructed by the end of his time with PSV... and the left one got cleaned up and repaired last season so he’s basically got two brand new knees now. Look up the paradox of Theseus’ Ship and that’s what Thommo’s got with his knees. Because of that, he says he practically needed to learn how to move again because his body was no longer the same. He had issues with his hips, his hamstrings, his heels... keeping him from only getting fully back into the swing of things with starts against Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam leading into the international window.
Frustrating as that must have been (even though he’s used to it by now... assuming a footballer ever gets used to being injured), Thomas now reckons it was a positive thing for the coach, Johnny Jansen, to hold him back through most of the first half of the season.
Now he’s ready to rock, free of pain and full of ambition. Jansen himself, who will be leaving at the end of the season (the club’s not going to renew his contract), has said that he’s “delighted” with where Thomas is at, and loves the calmness and experience he brings to the team. According to Thomas, his biggest physical issue right now is fatigue from being unable to slow down, even in training sessions he’s running everywhere.
Remember last week he’d covered more grass than any other player on the pitch at the time of his substitution (by which stage he was cramping up). He’s on record saying he intends to do ninety minutes next game... assuming the coach lets him.
More Ryan Thomas: “I had a problem that is not very common but now that I've had this surgery, I walk the way I should walk, the way everyone else walks. That's pretty good for me. I’ve never felt better in my career, I mean it. I am very happy with what I can do on the pitch now. I always feel some mild pains, but at the moment I feel very fit. I feel good about myself and my body ensures that I continue to feel good after a game or training. It is very important not to feel any more pain in the knee, tendon, or any other part of my body for two or three days. I don't have that any more. Now I am mentally free and happy to be able to help the team.”
RT is only on a one-year contract but PEC Zwolle did a little housekeeping during the week confirming those that they’d be allowing to leave (like the coach) and those that they’re trying to retain. Thomas was among those who are in discussions to extend. Sweet as.
Up Next: Sunday at 9am, PEC Zwolle vs RKC Waalkwijk (NZT)
He Is flat feet like Messi Cruyff Jordan Henderson and many more ? They say that flat feet footballers are less injury prone but they get tired more easily , because the full foot is in contact to the grass. What happened to him in his prime was a crime. The guy was flying and I'm argie so ai can recognise class footballers.
That’s fantastic. Here’s hoping that they stay up. If they do and he keeps on playing you would think he is preety much guaranteed a contract extension.
If he’s playing in this league next year and stays injury free you would have to think he is guaranteed to go to the World Cup.
Via Niche Cache. MOTM award may have been partly on sentimental value (first full game in the Eredivisie in 4.5 years), but hey all good signs.
Ryan Thomas completed 56/65 passes, made a couple tackles, covered gigantic pastures of grass with his running, and generally just anchored the show from midfield. Such a joy having him back doing this stuff again.
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