Tony to get a contract?

Tony to get a contract?

I for one, think he's good but not good enough for EPL.

I am saying he will get a contract, and am expecting everyone who says he won't to come here and apologise in a couple of weeks.

I hope he doesn't but I suspect he will.

It would be sad to see him go, but good luck to him if he does get a contract.

I think he'll get signed, but whether he'll get a lot of first-team action is up for discussion.
The reality is you never know whether players are good enough or not until they get there and try out at that level. Some thrive in a more competetive environment and lift their game, others wilt under the pressure.

Will gladly do that if he proves us doubters wrong (but I really hope he doesn't stay in reserves if he is offered a contract!).

Spurs should have picked him up.

How is Lochead going to get a work permit? Does he have any family ties that will allow him to gain a EU passport, because New Zealand I dont think has an average FIFA ranking of 70 over the past 2 years.

Currently a non-EU player applying for the permit must have played for his country in at least 75% of its competitive 'A' team matches for which he was available for selection during the previous two years, and his country must have averaged at least 70th place in the official FIFA world rankings over the previous two years. If a player does not meet those criteria, the club wishing to sign him may appeal if they believe that he is a special talent and "able to contribute significantly to the development of the game at the top level in the UK."

To answer part of my own question, NZ has not been in the top 70 since Sept 2003
Bullion2008-07-30 13:52:57

Not sure if the loophole is still available, but when Nelsen joined Blackburn, he started on a Commonwealth visa, and once that had expired, they got one on the grounds he had proved he was able to play at that level.

So if they did sign him, I guess thats an option if its still available. But if they do, he would prob be a squad player, so might be a bit hard to extend the visa based on performances.

I think he will get the contract but struggle to make first team football.. Good luck to him though!

I am unsure whether he will get a contract but I think another team will pick him up.

I hope he does, I dont think he will

If our two fullbacks stay fit that shouldn't be a problem area. However, TL might get a chance at striker!

Fou goals against Norwich...  go on Bent !

Some of the (mostly) regular commenters on FFT don't seem to even rate him much as an A-League player, let alone his chances in the EPL. http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/81443,lochhead-in-talks-with-boro.aspx

Ah, 4-4-2 foums, now there is a bastion of credible thought.

Seriously Lemon, makes The World Game Forum seem like a brains trust.

......And now we can talk about how wrong they are.

I suspect he may well get a contract, but I'd have my doubts as to if he'd be a starter.

firstly i think that those posters on 442 are dingbats, it's hilarious how uninformed they are, but I'm very doubtful lochhead is prem first team quality, and apparently southgate has wants lochhead to push a group of younger left backs up into the first team also. This is obviously a lot to ask from a 26 year old jumping straight from the aleague to the EPL

he's good by a league standards, but he's not even our best player, let alone the A league's best player, and the A league is a couple of divisions down from EPL, so i just don't see how it could logically happen...maybe they are broke? good luck to him though!

If there's any issues over his legitimacy, I have an EU passport so can step in if required ....

i would say he is the best wing back in the league but im not 100% sure he is premiership material

You may very well find that he gets a contract, but he won't get any first team action.  My guess is that if boro see some promise they'll sign him and then stick him out on loan to a Championship or league one side to see how he goes.

I am still trying to work out Ricky's strategy in offering up one of his best players for transfer. I can't  remember a football manager doing this ever. Normally they fight tooth and nail to hold their best players.

Not really a problem, he must have a US residential visa like Elliot. He has played three years college soccer for UC Santa Barbara. Lochhead has appeared in the US Major League Soccer for New England Revolution and Orange County Blue Star, winning the Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. That's five years of US football with records of the best assist for a defender and midfielder as well as one of the highest game time and shuttime records. So that is a good appeal for special talent as well. A better record for the Home office than 18 year old Wynton Rufer offered at Norwich City in the early 80s.

It's a NZ football strategy for a better All White player by World Cup Qualifiers and Finals and a chance to bring other players into the professional arena. The whole idea to have a professional team in NZ is to give NZ players a stepping stone to contracts in Europe. If he does well, then other players in NZ may get some closer look and that includes the NZFC level to a slim degree.

nope, apparently it's to give players opportunities - or give football good publicity or something

It does seem strange. A manager's role should be to help his team win, not some loose goal of improving NZ football or whatever it is that he's trying to do.

I'm compelled to disagree, as I think the premise you are working from is that NZ football has reached some sort of level of maturation, where protecting perceived valuable assests is the be all...

We all know that NZ football has traditionally (and still does) bled talented youngsters because they see no career pathway by going through the NZ system. This opoprtunity given to Lochead, with the blessing of management, is a realistic attitude that says "the Nix is the place to come, we have top EPL contacts, blah, blah, blah".

I simply view it as a sacrifice for a bigger aim - NZ football and the Nix must have long term strategies in place at this stage of their development.

In 10 years time I hope to be arguing your side though...

Well put HH.

When does Lochhead's contract expire?

Cosimo2008-07-31 16:17:07

all well and good, but when i first read that article, my reaction was "uh oh", not "well played Nix!", or "good show Tony!", and i think that's a valid emotion, especially as someone who is a nix supporter first, NZ football "in general" supporter second. And as for long term goals, people are already almost demanding the nix to finish in the top 4 THIS SEASON, so short-term goals are obviously just as important. When the nix lose, most people on here are gutted, and not all "oh well think long term! in 10 years...", which is a natural reaction to your teeam losing. I'm not bitching, just defending some people on here who are a bit disappointed - i think it's fair enough.



Fair enough Cosimo, I can't ever say that someone's emotion is not authentic!!
My 10 years timescale incorporates a much bigger picture than simply having knocked off the odd A-league title. My guess is that short term goal (I'll put it at Year 4 rather than Year 2!) will be complemented by a raft of other objectives that work together to create a truly sustainable(and hopefully expanded) A-league footballing presence in NZ. I tend to think that the Lochead decision is part of that.HarryHotspur2008-07-31 16:42:18

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I will politely suggest that if Lochead gets asmuch as half a dozen games in the EPL (If he does, I hope he gives Keane a right good kicking with my blessing) plus the training that goes with it he will develop more than a permanent fixture at the Nix. I imagine he would become much more financially secure as well!! HarryHotspur2008-07-31 16:48:13

fair enough, if he is offered a contract it comes down to wether he wants it or not, but from the viewpoint that we want to improve new zealand football, it's down to wether he'll have more impact improving for the all whites in england, as well as giving NZ kids another Kiwi footballer in the premiership to idolise, or being in new zealand week in week out helping a new zealand team succeed. In this second scenario he is closer to the kids who want to follow in his footsteps as well as being able to help both the nix and the all whites