Anthony Hudson - Technical advisor

Of the non OFC teams we have played I would have expected to beat China, Thailand, Myanmar, Oman (which we did) and Belarus. I also expected more than narrow wins against Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and a draw against Papua New Guinea

Seems to me that Saturday's result has elevated Hudson, in some people's eyes, to the position of supercoach. Yes, he set the team up well to do a job in the 1st leg, and they did it and achieved a great result. For me, one game doesn't excuse the fact that selections and performances had not particularly inspired a huge amount of confidence up to that point. I am obviously the only person who thinks, for example, that the performance against Japan, in the last game he had before Peru, wasn't particularly impressive and the Nations Cup stuff, and the off field stuff, has already been covered here earlier.

I'm fairly ambivalent about him, and his future. I don't hold him in the high regard that some seem to, but I don't think he's a complete dud either. The nature of NZ Football is that he is about as good as we can reasonably expect to get so while I believe we could get better than Hudson, I'm also not sure who that might be or where they'll come from. I'm also not convinced any obvious replacement would be any better. If we qualify, and for me that is a HUGE if, then I suspect we may well be stuck with him for the foreseeable future unless he chooses to jump ship. I can probably live with that either way, but it might be in his own interest that he attends some PR classes, as getting the doubters on his side may well make his life a lot easier in the future.

^ pretty decent assessment imo

As far as I'm concerned I'll rate him based on his attempt to have us qualify for the World Cup - that is what he was employed to do. Being one game from decided that, he has more than a pass mark. The expectation was always that NZ would be in a very poor position after the first game against whoever the 5th ranked South American team was. We are not, we are in a very good position.

Even if we fail to qualify now, Hudson has achieved a pass mark as far as I'm concerned and I see enough to warrant him being retained for the next World Cup cycle if he wants the job.

And look far from an exact science, but just from watching at departure lounge and on the plane, I think they yes like Hudson and have a great team spirit. They made a few of the younger guys enroute get up and sing to us plebs in economy class. All good fun, and a sign of a team in good health - of course helped by Saturday's result.

Hats off to those of you whom criticised AH earlier, and are now giving him some praise. Maybe he knew what he was doing all along, slowly building into these games? The availability of Reid now, is also massive. Such a huge loss 4 years ago.

Yes sometimes over last few years, it felt lonely indeed to defend Hudson or even dare say he was doing a half decent job. Hopefully it all doesn't unravel in game 2!

Unless we get spanked in game 2, the club job offers will be coming for Hudson. Not a huge number but a few. Unless we qualify he will jump. Who wants to coach a team that will play 3-4 games in a calendar year (2018)?  Why hang around if we fail to qualify.

That's awesome mate! I'm sure you'll have a great experience at the game. I've never got the impression that the players don't like AH. Perhaps one or two (Doyle, Ingham) have some personal issues however.

My Mum.

Sorry I meant young players sang to us. Yeah for sure there will be some players, who even after Saturday may not be big fans of Hudson. Moss for example maybe upset not having started a game the last 2 years. Danger I guess of making yourself unavailable and your replacement doing well. Tuiloma, Lewis & Ingham may also hold a grudge about their kicks up the arse re fitness. Still as someone else said AH is the manager, not their best friend. 

In Herbert's defence his worse results (Honiara & Mexico playoffs) were when without Reid. His presence is massive.

Bring on Wednesday here. The locals are genuinely nervous. An early goal to AWs and it's all on. Of course if Peru go one, and then 2 goals up it will be very very difficult. That will be a very real test of Hudson's tactics, going a goal down.

The longer the AWs keep it to 0-0, the heat with keep ratcheting up on Peru. After 36 years, the pressure valve is full bore. The All Blacks went 24 years between World Cup wins, and the choking tag started to feel real. They were big favourites against France in the 2011 final, but were very lucky to win in the end. Funny thing pressure.

Trust Doloras to come out with a remark like that. Funny as. Bush is a little essentric (Poor spelling, I know) at best. 

A little? She's a nuckin' futbar, and a witch to boot. She's my role model (although I have a voice more like Roger Waters :D )

Can't wait to see Roger in a coupla months - he'd go ok in Hudson's pressers too. And he's moved well beyond Powerpoint presentations!

Personally I don't get this revisionist Hudson thing.That somehow Saturday was the end point of some master plan. The truth is that except for the occasional bright spot Hudsons AW's have played some very very poor football over the last 3 years. There has been no linear progression leading up to Peru. We have stunk the place out with some of our football this year. We were poor against Nth Ireland and Belorussia. The Russia game was the worse performance I have seen from an AW side for a long long time. We still don't know what Hudson style football looks like.

I do give him credit for Saturday. He set the side up well. He also got his selections bang on(I thought he would play a teenager at RB and do something weird like start Fallon). 

But what people are underestimating is the impact of the senior pro's in the side. Guys like Reid, Smith and the other experianced pros would have arrived in camp and gone ""ÖK, this is serious shiite now"" You could see the grit and determination that Reid, Smith, Weemac etc were putting into their game. We saw the influence of the Nelsons, Vicelich's, Elliots had on the South African World cup side...they were immense. To the point that there is now an urban myth that they actually coached the side.

You could argue that the senior guys arrived and took over the show(the difference in performance was that big) Or you could argue that Hudson finally got it right......the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Hudson's biggest problem is he comes across as a mouthy, self promoting blowhard. In this part of the world we go for a little bit more humility. You don't talk the talk until you have walked the walk. 

Merrick was humble... its overrated.

Unfortunately most fans expectations do not reflect reality... we are a small nation with limited resources, both financial and in players that do not play enough high quality / regular football at International level, nor are many of our best players at great leagues around the world.

We are a more professional unit before, and the reality is, the fruits of that shift may not be seen during Hudson's reign and if result improve as players like Thomas / Tuiloma / Lewis mature etc, he won't get any credit.

Managers are only loved when the win something - and even that may only last a season or two.

What credit should he get for the inherent talent of our up and coming players?.None in my opinion.

As he so often lamented he had little time with them and thus zero impact as far as I can see.

If we can(please,please,please) triumph over Peru and move on to Russia with him so be it but it has more to do with our lads and their professionalism than the often hard to fathom approach he has brought during his tenure up to this point.

That being said I can hardly wait for the game tomorrow and hope we can get the result we so desperately want.

COYAW

Right now he's our con artist and here's hoping he can do a job again in Peru today. This has to be a highlight of his career and it looks like he's absolutely loving it. 

His Spanish speaking is hopefully helping a little.

COYAW!

I think he also gets some credit for building the squad. Lewis, for example, is someone he's kept an eye on. And absolutely- Reid, Smith and Wood lift the team.

He also gets credit for Themi and Crocombe who will go on to keep at a decent level and for bringing Marinovich in despite the level he was playing at.

He better hope that the Colorado Rapids aren't watching todays game

HA HA HA HA in before the hilarious outpouring of bile and venom :D

We need some super rich Kiwi, and we have a few, to put a few million dollars into NZF to give us enough games in the next few years to attract a competent coach. Let's face it, no one decent is going to sign on to coach four AW games in 2018.

The problem is none of them like Football, that's why we're being propped up by Handa who is a super rich Japanese guy

Hudson did well. Two shark house goals decided it. Did well in Wellington, reacted well in Peru.

He's stepped on some toes in his time, but to be honest I think he has delivered some hard truths to numerous players.

A lot has been learnt in the last four years. Now we need serious games regularly, and that's on New Zealand Football.

Like he picked 18 year old Ingham who is not up to A league and 35 year old Fallon who has only  played a few games this year.

Then to add insult to everything else he does not start Wood but has three other strikers on the bench, knowing that we have to score to stand any chance.  Please.

Yes - Wood is constrained to 60 minutes a match given injuries. And it worked perfectly well in Wellington.

You can't look back at hindsight you need to consider what actually happened. Peru, a much better team, scored two very average goals. One I reckon would've been saved if not for a deflection, the other from a scrapy corner.

New Zealand missed three prime opportunities and probably had a penalty shout 20 seconds in. (We'll never know because the broadcast was such a crock of shark)

Would we have been in a better position given a different manager; considering the potential managers that would've signed for us absolutely not.

' absolutely not '    Impossible to say  that.

Had to laugh about Hudson's comment about ' I am always really honest '  Of cause you are.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c...

I watched the game via a You Tube stream in Sydney with American commentary - they had swallowed his wiki page hook, line and sinker - mentioned Redknapp, Mourinho & Real madrid and Bielsa, Colorado rapids...

It will be interesting to see what stories come out in the next few weeks.  If Wood turns out for Burnley there will be a few questions asked but I'll be surprised if he does play on the weekend.  I suspect he could not afford to get cold at half-time.

I think over the 4 years Hudson has been let down by a few matters outside his control by the NZFA, such as the Olympic eligibility, lack of games, not getting more time with the players with the sole Japan game in that final window, and the travel arrangements to Peru.

On the other side of the coin though, we scored one goal total in 7 games against Northern Ireland, Belarus, Russia, Mexico, Portugal, Peru home, Peru away so whilst we have been more than competent in the defensive half of the pitch, at the other end of the pitch we have not been performing at all.  If we'd scored twice in each of those games, we'd have won 3 drawn 3 lost 1.   I didn't see much evidence of plans for corners, free-kicks, long throw ins so I don't think we got as much out of our time in the attacking half as we could have, we didn't have a plan B if Wood got injured, and we didn't have a plan to get most out of Rojas, Kosta.   I think the Melbourne Victory template with Wood=Berisha up front, Kosta, Rojas either side, Thomas in the middle with two defensively minded midfielders in front of a back four would have got some goals.  

So is Hudson off to a new gig or staying around?

I would be shocked if he stuck around.

I would be shocked if he stuck around.

I expect him to go, and within the next two months... NZF to be managerless for the next 6 months with no games.

I read this morning (NZ Herald article I think) that NZ only scored 4 goals in 11 games against non OFC teams under Hudson. Considering we had a striker who is in the Premier league playing lots of those games that's pretty terrible.

he claims to be a Bielsa disciple but his offensive strategies are anything like Bielsa. The problem with parking the bus is that your essentially telling your team that your only chance is to hold on for dear life and try and sneak something.

If you have a player like Wood its up to you to try and bring him into the game constantly. Of course if he was truly injured then I can understand him not starting, but from what I saw from Wood he did not seem hampered by injury when on the field

My issues with Hudson were summed up by the 'we shouldn't think of ourselves as underdogs, it holds us back" type comments. A team who don't think of themselves as underdogs don't set their stall out to play for a draw, and maybe nick a goal, in the HOME leg of a qualifying play-off. I'm not saying I can't understand why they set up that way, and the 0 - 0 was a great result, but the comments don't marry up with what we're seeing and that's pretty much been the issue I've had with him since Day 1.

Before anyone jumps on me, I've stated earlier in this thread that, even though I'm not wildly enthusiastic about him, I'm not particularly a hater. He got us to within 90 minutes of qualifying for the WC, and I think realistically that's about the best we could've hoped for.