All Whites coach Ricki Herbert must be wondering where to turn to next after Chris Killen joined the list of no-shows for next week's international against Australia in London.
Killen, who plays for English League One club Oldham Athletic and has cried off international duty in the past, yesterday joined
other first-choice players Ryan Nelsen, Ivan Vicelich, Tony Lochhead and Duncan Oughton in pulling out of the match at Craven Cottage.
He has been replaced by East Coast Bays striker Neil Jones.
"Chris had a calf problem after his last club game, but it was expected he would be right in three or four weeks," Herbert said. "He had a fitness test on Tuesday and could not get through it."
Herbert, who leaves for London tonight to join NZ Soccer chief executive Graham Seatter and others in talks aimed at securing further internationals this year, said he would press to have all 18 players involved.
"At the technical meeting on June 8, I will ask that we be allowed to name all seven substitutes on the bench and use as many as we want," Herbert said.
* New Zealand Soccer's technical director Paul Smalley is out of a job.
Smalley, with NZS staff and board members, received an email from Seatter explaining that the position had "become redundant".
Instead, Herbert becomes high-performance manager on June 20.
An upset Smalley, who was contracted until the end of November, said there was the likelihood of "serious legal action".
He said there had been meetings between the association's lawyers and his legal representative.
"As I understand it, the whole of the technical department finishes and is restructured into a new body. All the staff remains except me."
NZS board chairman John Morris said Smalley was involved in the discussions and given the opportunity to apply for the new role.
But Smalley said the details for the new job were unclear, the time scales were inappropriate, and that he was not involved in any consultation for the new role.
"The technical department was my baby," Smalley said. "It needs long-term stability."
Seatter is also looking for a new deputy chief executive to replace operations manager Alex Hayton, who has resigned.
A new marketing/commercial manager has been appointed to replace former marketing/sponsorship manager Hamish Miller, whose contract with the association was not renewed.
Former Hurricanes franchise marketing manager Nick Thurston is expected to start his new role this month.
Morris said the comings and goings were not acrimonious.
All Whites coach Ricki Herbert must be wondering where to turn to next after Chris Killen joined the list of no-shows for next week's international against Australia in London.
Killen, who plays for English League One club Oldham Athletic and has cried off international duty in the past, yesterday joined
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