Hopes are high for this current All Whites group, who could develop into the best team since 2010. Photo / Photosport
Hopes are high for this current All Whites group, who could develop into the best team since 2010. Photo / Photosport
COMMENT:
The All Whites game against Ireland can't come soon enough.
That match, at the impressive Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday morning (NZT), will be followed by a trip to the Baltic to face Lithuania in Vilnius (Monday NZT).
The activity will end a long period of hibernation forthe national team, and also bring to a close a tumultuous period in New Zealand football history, which encompassed the departures of NZF chief executive Andy Martin, former technical director Andreas Heraf and president Deryck Shaw.
It was a phase that also saw the bizarre appointment of Fritz Schmid, following a questionable recruitment process orchestrated by Martin and Heraf.
It was unfortunate for Schmid, who joined an organisation in disarray, but his lack of understanding about the realities of the local scene, coupled with some old fashioned methods, were never going to work long-term.
Now's a chance to wipe the slate clean, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
New coach Danny Hay has brought some traditional values back to the role, and made a smart choice in bringing back Neil Emblen as an assistant coach.
There's also an exciting feel to the playing group, due to the amount of talent that has surfaced in recent times.
Hopes are high for this current All Whites group, who could develop into the best team since 2010. Photo / Photosport
That bunch is headlined by Sarpreet Singh but also includes the likes of Liberato Cacace, Callum McCowatt, Max Mata and Joe Bell.
Two years ago, when the All Whites faced Peru, in their last high profile fixtures, they were relative unknowns, to the wider football public at least; now, they are banging the door down.
There's plenty of other young gifted players, within and outside this touring squad, making steady progress in professional environments.
It's quite a transformation. Six years ago, for the World Cup intercontinental playoff with Mexico, Ricki Herbert selected a couple of players unattached to clubs, much to the surprise of the media there.
It's hard to imagine that happening again.
The Ireland clash is also the start of a new cycle.
There are only four survivors from the celebrated World Cup journey nine years ago (Winston Reid, Chris Wood, Tommy Smith and Michael McGlinchey) and 10 who were part of Anthony Hudson's first squad against Uzbekistan in 2014.
Hopes are high for this current group, who could develop into the best team since 2010.
Wood is coming into his prime, and as a striker is second only to Wynton Rufer in Kiwi football history.
Reid (31) is young enough for one more campaign, if his body holds together, and Ryan Thomas has unlimited potential, once he settles in at PSV Eindhoven after his injury problems.
There's depth across the spine, particularly goalkeeper, central defence and attacking midfield, and hope that one of Bell, Alex Rufer or Matt Ridenton develop into the key holding midfielder.
The overall feeling is markedly different to the post-2010 cycle, when Herbert failed to regenerate his squad and was hit by the retirements of Ryan Nelsen and Simon Elliott.
There is a better base than at the start of the last cycle, which was also affected by the comings and goings involving Smith.
Hudson cast the net incredibly wide and capped more than 50 players during his tenure but took too long to settle on his best side and was still trialing combinations a few months out from the Peru clashes.
That's a mistake Hay can't afford to repeat, though the next year will be a phase of experimentation.
