Kevin Fallon: Mixed feelings over selections

Kevin Fallon. Photo / Greg Bowker

Opinion

I'm fascinated, excited and also a little concerned by the All Whites' lineup for tomorrow morning's World Cup qualifier against Bahrain.

Ricki Herbert has certainly surprised me in some respects with his team announcement.

There are two jobs a coach needs to do - pick the right players and put them in the right positions.

Herbert looks to have worked on the principle of getting his best players - including our leading professionals - on to the park and playing Shane Smeltz, Chris Killen and Rory Fallon up front fits that theory.

It's a theory I can easily support as the quality in our squad is concentrated on the front players, but my tactical side is a bit apprehensive.

I'm mystified what the All Whites' formation will now be, especially as Leo Bertos, who certainly deserves to be there on form, is a livewire attacking player who can pop up in a number of places but should not be pressed into a defensive role.

My initial thought is that New Zealand will have to play very directly, and get the ball quickly to our front men. Fallon is an old-fashioned centre forward who will be best used flicking the ball on for Smeltz and Killen. I just hope the formation won't push Smeltz out of his familiar area and put him off his goal-scoring form.

And should problems emerge early, the coaches and captain Ryan Nelsen will need to make quick changes rather than take the risk of waiting until halftime to make adjustments.

This side goes into such an important game lightly prepared compared with our team of the early 1980s when they qualified for the finals in Spain.

The 1982 All Whites always had a familiar ring. Most could boast playing over 50 times for their country.

It was not a difficult task for John Adshead and me to select the team, chiefly because they were together for nigh on two years. We knew our players and the way we wanted to operate.

There will never be a better opportunity to get to the World Cup - playing only island teams so far is unbelievable, but who is complaining.

Old football memories are being rekindled, back to those halcyon days of 1982. Can it be done again? Never in the same fashion but all things are possible in sport and life.

* Kevin Fallon was assistant coach of the All Whites in the 1982 campaign