Young Nix Options

Young Nix Options

Who are the better young New Zealand players around the nix could look at?

Sam Peters?

Unfortunately I think those two will be too old once they�ve finished.  Sam Peters, not quite sure he�s the best of that age group.  Jacob Matthews is a name that�s popped up and I don�t think he�s playing in the NZFC this year which could be a sign (although I stand to be corrected). james dean2008-03-07 12:52:33

But Sam Peters is a specialist right back, and we could do with one of those...

...and Dodd and Lia...

darren Ahkoui

WHAT ABOUT MICHEAL EGARRRRRR WHAT A PLAYER HE IS

Darryns moving to aussie, and has had enough of soccer tragically. Hes going back to playing rugby but his scholarship offer to the united states is still on offer for another 2 years so there's still hope.

what the heck. this is a professional football club not some hilton petone kick pre season garbage or ole soccer acadamy training. sam peters can't even make team wellington team for the last 6 weeks let alone play for the nix same goes for darren. what planet are some of you on think before you speak ffs.

Hi Simon, nice to have you back.

Please play nicely.

howdy.

Peters has been a regular for TW and has been good.

Oh dear. Serious? How bout Kris Barbarouses? Hes a bit like Costa

What, insofar as he's Greek?

His 8 year old brother... Id have him over Oldy too

You make a good point.

Jeremy Brockie and Michael White.  Although I think Michael White may have found a Welsh club.

I think in terms of young players that have performed this year, Cole Peverley has by far and away moved forward with big leaping steps.

He has been a head case in the past but is is playing controlled football this year and I think would be my winner for most improved. I'm not saying he is a role model, but he has stopped concentrating on the silly stuff and started playing ball to feet football as a defensive midfielder sitting right in front of the back trio and starting to 'call' the game a bit better for his team and stand up.

sounds like he's developing an 'old' head on young shoulders

Where does Michael Eager fit in all this do you think?

About Row D of the Fever Zone...

Well thats a catch 22 then cos most of the good uns are playing overseas in scholarships or UK academies and do you seriously think they would come back to A-league youth league?

I say they should stay where they are and mature and develop there game without the pressure of having to push forward to make the 1st team.

I think its too easy for the young ones to get early promotion and then they get discarded far too quickly - so unless you are like Costa (whom I have no doubt will go all the way), then you have too much to lose when you graduate too early, ALA White, Brockie and to some extent Old.

At the end of the day we don�t need to fill gaps in our squad with the under 20s, we need to find the players who have a future at A-League level and stick with them.  I�d rather have three right backs who are all talented, or three strikers, no matter on the balance of the rest of the squad.  They�s have to be super talented, or us to be super short, for them to slot in regularly as well.  We should be able to find 20 better players than the under 20s in our squad.  Therefore for me, Sam Peters = no go.

I just dont think we have the structure or programmes to continually develop our young players and I am not talking about these quarterly 2-3 week camps etc - REALLY what do these camps achieve?????

Every team that the player is associated with (e.g. college, club or national age group team etc) has there own objective and is not necessarily focused on the development of the player (which is fair enough as its not all about the one player). So while they may be talented at a young age, when its time to get involved in a professional environment like the Phoenix then it could be too late.

I guess there is no quick fix here cos a lot of it depends on having an identification programme that is focused on REGUARLY developing and funding these potential players - there are too many distractions as a youngster and football is competing with everything else (other sports, mates, girls, going out etc) and trying to keep these players in the game.

I have read and agreed with other forums that your 2-3 day training a week is NOT good enough.   So if you ask the question are there many other "costas" (pure talent) out there ...then I am afraid the answer is NO!

So maybe (for now) its about setting up an infrastructure at an early age that continually develops these players on a more regular basis (which may mean, relocating most of our talent to a central point - like an academy where they train all year round) and then when the call comes, they should be ready to be promoted to age group national team, A-League youth league and ultimately, A-League or Overseas clubs.... The $9.99 question is who funds it???? Well thats my 5 cent bit anyway.

Actually I do like Sam Peters, good composed player who plays above his weight (literally) ....but there are also Niyonsaba, Okeefe, Jake Matthews, Ferendis, Zane Sole, Chang, Hunt - maybe even Eager, Blackburn and even Roydhouse obviously excluding those boys who are to about take up overseas academies/Uni (e.g. Heslop, Woods, Gleeson, Chettleburg etc)....unless anyone else knows of any 13/14/15 year olds coming through?

Definitely not running Sam down, I�ve seen him do some great things for his school and team welly.  I just don�t think he�s the best under 20 player going round at the moment.  And in my criteria, which is of course only my opinion, we should have the under 20 spots for the players most likely to make it in professional football and in my view there are other guys above him in the queue.

To have a reasonable chance to progress to being a professional footballer, then you have to be in the right environment from around 14 years of age. Essentially duplicating the youth systems at the pro clubs in the UK. While the exceptional talents (like Neilsen) will still make it, most athletes are giving away too much of a start on othe players in the world who have been groomed for pro football from an early age. Even our friends in Australia with the AIS are duplicating that. In NZ we have the problem of where the money will come from; I'm afraid to say that its only people like Terry and the Nix that are in a position to do this. Scenario - get the kids into the Nix youth set up on a contract basis. Play them at A League level and sell them off to Europe and Asian clubs to recoup the investment.

Sorry, maybe got myself a bit mixed up here - I meant that these players I mentioned in an earlier post should push for selection the A-league Youth team - and agree JD that does not necessarily mean they are good for the U20 Nix spots up for grabs.

Rumour has it that Eager may have other options he is exploring but hey its "rumour"

He played okay for Team Welly today after a pretty short notice call up from the Youth squad.

The best thing about the potential A-League youth comp is that it gives young players a obvious pathway in football. Rather than hoping to make a NZ age grade team and then get noticed at an international competition.

I think you'll find that if we get the green light they will have to be predominantly Aussie kids to keep the Aussie government happy.  Also for affordability reasons.  Can't see Terry paying to house, train (and maybe house-train?) and play a full squad of kiwi kids in Australia.

Draper/Spoons and Costa would presumably stay with the first team to be in with a chance of actually playing.

its a bloody joke. If wynton rufer can set up academys that turn a profit AKA wyners why the hell cant nz soccer set up the same thing to at least break even and have the kids taught three times a week bye a professional after school from ages five an upwards. That would bring at least some professional structure to nz football. It not hard if a man like wynton who isnt a naturally gifted business man can do it. Nz soccer needs to take responsibiltiy for the training of younsters maybe not that young although wyners does provide a midgett service that trains toddlers. But at least from ten years upwards. This would give some sort of consistant professional training from a young age and prevent the volunteer coaches who turn up late and teach you how to kick the ball with your toe. kapeach