AW coach is the first big appointment on Andy's watch and it will have his stamp on it rather than freds. When he moved to London Irish (his first senior sporting job), he brought in the corporate suits and threw out experienced sports people, ie in a new environment he went for people that he knew. An ageing Brit might feel like a safer, more comfortable appointment to him, rather than a relatively inexperienced local. I hope it's wrong but I've heard Sanchez from one of my sauces.
I have heard too from some of my football contacts in the UK that Sanchez is on the short list. Don't know much about him except he did have a good run in WC qualifiers with Nth Ireland. However he has coached at some really low level clubs and his coaching win loss record is poor.
Of more concern is the fact that I have heard him described as an old school long ball merchant. If this is true then it is not the modern style of football that many of us were hoping for. We should have kept Ricki if that is the way NZF want to play the game FFS!
To be fair, Sanchez has some good experience, having played hundreds of games in England's top flight for Wimbledon, including scoring the winner in the 1988 FA Cup Final v. Liverpool. Followed by starting in coaching as Joe Kinnear's assistant at Wimbledon and then a few years at Wycombe in the third tier, including taking them to an FA Cup semi-final vs. Liverpool (held them 0-0 for most of the match). Five months in charge at Fulham in 2007 (saved them from relegation in 32 day caretaker stint at end of 2006-7 but replaced at the end of the year).
From 2004 - 2007 he was one of Northern Ireland's most successful ever managers:
When Sanchez was appointed manager of Northern Ireland in January 2004 they "were ranked 124th in the world, had a 1,298 minute-long goal drought, and had not won a game for nearly three years. Northern Ireland improved markedly under Sanchez. By the time he left, Northern Ireland were top of their Euro 2008 qualification group and reached an all-time high position of 27th in the world."
"Notable results during his tenure included a 1–0 victory against England in a World Cup qualifying match, a 1–1 draw against Portugal who went on to reach the 2006 World Cup semi-finals, a 2–1 win over Sweden and a 3–2 win against eventual Euro 2008 winners Spain in a Euro 2008 qualification match."
Last season Sanchez was brought in to Greek Superleague club Apollon Smyrnis halfway through the season but couldn't save them from relegation.
Interesting fact - Lawrie Sanchez once played alongside George Best and 1966 World Cup winner Martin Peters against the All Whites for Reading - on the UK tour in 1984.
Some Reading lineup!!! Best and Peters were guest players for Reading. One of George Best's last games in professional football at age 38.
Attracted a lot of publicity at the time. I think NZ's first win over an English club on English soil. A good All Whites side.
Match details:
http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nz-intres-det80.html#...
Oct 29, Reading, Elm Park, 3890
Reading 1 - 2 New Zealand
(Stuart Beavon 68' - Grant Turner 24', Colin Walker 59')
Reading:
Alan Judge, Steve Richardson, Martin Hicks (Stuart Beavon), Colin
Duncan, Ken Price, Dean Horrix, Trevor Senior, Lawrie Sanchez,
David Crown, Martin Peters, George Best.
Coach: n/a
New Zealand:
Clint Gosling, Richard Herbert, Keith Garland, Allan Boath [c], John
Leijh (Martin Felton), Grant Turner, Peter Simonsen (Steve Sumner),
Raymond Harris (Keith Mackay), William McClure, Colin Walker, Kevin
Birch (Steve Wooddin).
Coach: Allan Jones.
Referee:
D Keen (England).