New Zealand Football have given few indications as to whether it is happy with the performance of Danny Hay as All Whites coach. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand Football have given few indications as to whether it is happy with the performance of Danny Hay as All Whites coach. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand Football's failure to endorse Danny Hay as the next All Whites' coach is a thoroughly puzzling situation.
As has been reported consistently over the last few days, Hay's future is uncertain, as NZF concludes their independent "de-brief" into the most recent Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign.
The review,which is being conducted by top sports lawyer Don Mackinnon, is standard practice at the end of a four year cycle and is due to be completed next month.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell has maintained that they will begin discussions with Hay, whose contract expires next month, about his future once that is complete.
That might seem logical, but that doesn't explain the lack of positive sentiments over the last few months, which has implied (by default) that they are unsure which direction they want to go in.
Off the back of the Costa Rica match in June, Pragnell and the NZF board have had numerous opportunities to express publicly that they want to keep Hay on; that he is their man for the next four years and they are hopeful he will stay, even if discussions and negotiations need to take place, before anything is confirmed.
Instead, there has been mostly radio silence.
That has echoed privately. Hay said after Sunday's game that he hasn't spoken to anyone from the NZF hierarchy for a "long time", which the Herald understands is a period of months, rather than weeks.
If NZF really wanted to keep Hay on, surely there would be semi-regular conversations between senior management and the coach.
The silence on all fronts is strange, as it would seem Hay ticks plenty of boxes.
Firstly, think back to Doha.
That match on June 15 was the biggest endorsement of Hay and his coaching staff.
Before the game, not many people (outside the All Whites inner sanctum) gave the team a chance, against a Costa Rican side that had the experience of two previous World Cups and had come through an 18-game qualifying campaign.
There were also frightening memories of the last time New Zealand faced CONCACAF representatives in an intercontinental playoff, with the punishing 9-3 aggregate defeat to Mexico in 2013.
Instead, the All Whites produced an outstanding display, outplaying the Central American side for long periods and left to rue some wayward finishing, along with an extremely dodgy VAR decision.
The large cluster of Costa Rican journalists there were amazed at the quality of the New Zealand performance, from a largely inexperienced team.
Chris Wood and Alex Greive celebrate a goal against Costa Rica that was later disallowed. Photo / Photosport
So putting aside the finding of the review – which early signs indicate is going to be positive – that 94 minutes was the best demonstration of Hay's capabilities.
He's a proud Kiwi, who understands the landscape of the game here, while his playing experience with Leeds means he can relate to the weekly pressures faced by many of the European-based squad.
Hay will admit he isn't the finished product.
He is still relatively inexperienced as a senior head coach and has plenty to learn.
He has made mistakes and needs to refine his tactical approach to get the best out of this generation.
But consider what has been achieved, off a short runway, following 18 months of inactivity due to Covid.
The win over South Korea and draws with Romania and Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, for a sixth-place finish.
Three consecutive victories over non-Oceania teams last year, navigating the Oceania qualifying tournament in difficult circumstances and a credible performance against Peru in Barcelona, ahead of the Doha match.
And before Sunday's disappointment, a strong performance (if not result) in Brisbane last Thursday against the Socceroos.
Hay has broadened the base of players and also built a new style, which is easy on the eye, (mostly) effective and the only way New Zealand can make a long term jump, to compete with bigger nations.
It is still evolving – and needs a lot more work – but that potential is part of the reason why almost 35,000 people came to Eden Park last Sunday and was another vote of confidence in Hay, his staff and the team.
