We have a good CB pairing atm in Stott and Bowen. Don't really need Erceg any more, better to give opportunities to the likes of Bunge and Taylor younger players that are our future.
What the hell is going on? I don't support player power at all and they should be put in their place. Having said that,if they have a legitimate serious complaint, then the coach has to go. What a farce having a stand in coach for the Olympics ,and no idea whether klimkova is gonna come back or not.
Coach definately had to go, but the timing is problematic, players having too much power is the problem, too big for their boots, thinking they are bigger than the team and pushing their own agenda which is against the direction the coach/management wanted.
Could be an interesting Olympics squad. Will Mayne choose some youth over experience? Might be some big calls, against the backdrop of a somewhat splintered playing group??
Wilkinson, Hand, Jale & Clegg. 1 of them likely won't make the final 18. Only getting a travelling reserve spot. You would imagine it's between Jale and Wilkinson.
On the assistants. Not sure why Natalie Laurence keeps getting a free ride by NZF. She's english and works in england. And not likely to keep contributing to NZ football. Hope they actually pick a NZer that is working with local talent. Someone that is on the up and more likely to give to NZF for a while. Someone like Alana Gunn. She is already in the system being coach of the U17s. Gareth Turnbull would be another good option.
Reading through all of this and watching behaviours of many female sports women, I think many of them let being pro go to their heads.
The British tennis player Raducanu is a classic case in point. She's an ambassador for my company and I've met her a few times. She thinks her farts smell of roses and when pressed as to why she has been bang average since her win at Wimbeldon, gets very defensive and starts deflecting, blaming everybody under the sun but herself (I also think the UK media "bigged her up" pumping up her ego well beyond her ability).
I get the distinct impression that this attitude is rife in certain women's pro team sports, especially those that have only recently turned pro (ie football and rugby). I think a lot of these players have not had the grounding that the men have had (having to compete against thousands of others for an academy place, giving up their teenage lives to train etc) yet now that they are professional (due a serious lack of competition for places), think they are god's gift even when bang average. See NZ's rugby and football teams for evidence.
All too often you see the coaches blamed. I'm sure most of them, even Jitka, are more then good enough but the players are not.
Raducanu won the US Open. She was 18 yrs old. Then suddenly her every move is monitored, folks listen in intently to what she has to say, when in reality she's a young kid with a shark load to learn about life. And yeah Fleet St is terrible for jumping all over the next big sports star, blowing them up, or tearing them down.
I remember the days of Tim Henman, and the annual British angst when yet again he failed to win Wimbledon.
Naomi Osaka another young player who struggled with all the media attention, at a young age. It's far from a normal teenage upbringing, that tennis world.
I've never coached a women's sports team, but from what I've heard and read - it's very very different to coaching males. Mars verus Venus. So any new coach to the female space, has got to be very mindful of that. For example it's clear old mate Heraf really had no idea how to adapt from coaching males. A common thread is that females often, more want the fun aspect in the environment. It doesn't mean they don't take their responsibilities seriously, just that to get the best out of themselves it can't be serious all the time.
But maybe as the female pro scene develops and more money comes in, the stakes raise as standards get higher, and competition to 'make it' rises as increasingly more young talented girls wanting your spot come through. Maybe it's becoming less fun, and some players are taking a more serious male like approach. And maybe that's leading to some culture clashes.
But yeah with Klimkova, it's been reported that it's one specific incident, that's upset a number of the squad, creating this mess.
Being only an 18 player squad I'd say the talking points will be more about the ommissions rather than the selections. I'm picking Wilkinson and A Riley are left out. Riley has been injured and not likely match fit anyway.
Riley's NWSL coach at Angel City has come out and said she's basically fit for the Olympics, despite not playing for a few months.
From Burgess's post I think we can expect, that some players have been ommitted not solely off their form, or what level they are playing at. That is a clear attempt, at a cultural change shift. You are either onboard, or you are dropped no matter how good you are. May have it wrong, but get that sense. All to be revealed tomorrow.
Biggest surprise here for me is no Daisy Cleaverley in the 22. She has more recently been scoring goals in the Danish top flight. Rennie recent form in Finland has been great, so deserves her place over Wilkinson Moore over Bunge. Moore has better recent club form in Europe Barrys versatility in the back line trumps players like Neville and Foster. Green over Foster. Green performed better in Japan series. Longo is returning from injury.
still running with Ali Riley, get rid of her and put foster in the squad!
Main issue with Foster though is that she's rather slow, might struggle against our Olympic competition.
And with Riley when she is fit. She is a quality LB. Just question marks about her current match fitness levels. Surely this will be her last major tournament.
still running with Ali Riley, get rid of her and put foster in the squad!
Main issue with Foster though is that she's rather slow, might struggle against our Olympic competition.
And with Riley when she is fit. She is a quality LB. Just question marks about her current match fitness levels. Surely this will be her last major tournament.
Slow? perhaps, but her set piece delivery more than make up for it, plus you'd remove one of the big issues in the squad and that's Riley's influence.
Mackenzie Barry* (16 caps) Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand CJ Bott (46 caps) Leicester City, England Katie Bowen (109 caps) Inter Milan, Italy Milly Clegg* (8 caps) Racing Louisville FC, USA Victoria Esson (23 caps) Rangers FC, Scotland Macey Fraser* (5 caps) Utah Royals, USA Ally Green* (14 caps) AGF, Denmark Jacqui Hand* (27 caps) Unattached Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached Katie Kitching* (10 caps) Sunderland AFC, England Anna Leat (18 caps) Aston Villa FC, England Meikayla Moore (65 caps) Unattached Gabi Rennie (37 caps) Åland United, Finland Ali Riley (162 caps) Angel City FC, USA Indiah-Paige Riley* (24 caps) PSV Vrouwen, Netherlands Malia Steinmetz* (31 caps) FC Nordsjælland, Denmark Rebekah Stott (102 caps) Melbourne City FC, Australia Kate Taylor* (16 caps) Unattached
*First time being involved in an Olympic campaign
In addition, Claudia Bunge (HB Koge, Denmark), Michaela Foster (Unattached), Annalie Longo (Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand), and Murphy Sheaff (Kansas State University, USA) have been named as travelling reserves.
Im not sure how Rennie is going to be more use than Wilkinson, but she possibly is one for the future I guess (although she doesnt look up to it to me)
NZ Football note that in this squad 10 players will be at the Olympics for the first time. That's quite a welcome overhaul of the squad. Which many have been asking for. Biggest changes of note for me is the midfield, with the rise of Steinmetz, Taylor Fraser and the addition of Kitching. A few years ago none of these players were even in the conversation, when our midfield was Percival, Hassett, Longo and Chance. And Cleverley who doesn't even make this squad even though she is performing well in Europe.
“Paris 2024 is a pinnacle event, and I am excited to get to France, assemble the team, and get to work.
“I am clear on the outcomes we want to achieve, and we will be doing all we can to collectively accomplish those goals
“With this tournament having smaller squads than something like the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we have had to make some tough decisions, but through our selection process, we have selected 18 players we believe can achieve the outcomes we want and are prepared for the challenges we will face.
“It is great to be able to give over half the squad their Olympic debuts, and I know it will be a proud moment for all of the players and staff to wear the fern in France.
“There is no doubt this can be a special event for us, and we will draw on the uniqueness of representing the entire New Zealand Olympic team to give us the edge we will need.”
At Paris 2024, they have been drawn in Group A alongside reigning champions Canada, Colombia, and hosts France.
They kick off the tournament on 26 July (NZT) vs Canada in Saint-Etienne, before facing Colombia on 29 July (NZT), and France on 1 August (NZT), both in Lyon.
The team will warm up for the tournament with an international friendly against Zambia on 14 July (NZT) at Stade Louis Darragon, Vichy, France, with the game broadcast live and free on FIFA+.
It is not clear who was ultimately responsible for selecting this squad.
The Ferns’ usual head coach, Jitka Klimková, has stepped aside for the Olympics, despite being cleared to lead the team in France following an independent employment investigation that led to her taking leave the last time the team was in action.
100% agree. Rennie has dropped over in the past couple of years imp,runs around like a headless chicken, she has pace but not clinical. I doubt she will be a starter, I do like the Jale & Blake combo tho. Overall there are some positives in this selection and some really good up & coming playersFenix
Im not sure how Rennie is going to be more use than Wilkinson, but she possibly is one for the future I guess (although she doesnt look up to it to me)
Saw Mayne interviewed on the TV news .It was the lead sports story (ahead of the All Blacks) as they were obviously after some controversy.Thought he handled it well. A bit of a thrown under the bus situation.
Get the feeling at the moment some journos know a bit about the Ferns behind the scenes, but can't really report it. I imagine that's common with all high level sports teams in NZ. Unlike say the UK, where the press hounds with run away with any half truth.
Get the feeling at the moment some journos know a bit about the Ferns behind the scenes, but can't really report it. I imagine that's common with all high level sports teams in NZ. Unlike say the UK, where the press hounds with run away with any half truth.
Even me being an outsider, I doubt she was blindsided. There hasn't been anything in her performances for some years to suggest she's a must have,and she has barely featured lately.
Get the feeling at the moment some journos know a bit about the Ferns behind the scenes, but can't really report it. I imagine that's common with all high level sports teams in NZ. Unlike say the UK, where the press hounds with run away with any half truth.
Even as an outsider,I doubt she was blindsided. There hasn't been anything in her performances for some years to suggest she's a must have,and she has barely featured lately.
Maybe more blindsided by the fact that there was no communication about it, that she still gets more starts and minutes than any other striker?