Sam Malcolmson: Kiwis need to coach NZ teams

Chris Milicich (left) is the type of qualified, ambitious New Zealand football coach that we really need to see more of mentoring Kiwi teams. Photo / Shane Wenzlick

Opinion

"What's wrong with New Zealand coaches?"

That's one of the questions that has been fired at me by football people since I started as a Herald columnist, and it's an issue worth delving into.

It is amazing that not one New Zealand-born/raised coach is in charge of a national team, men's or women's.

The Olympic team, women's under-17s and women's under-20s, have no confirmed coaches. That leaves Anthony Hudson (All Whites), Tony Readings (Football Ferns), Darren Bazeley (men's under-20) and Jose Figueira (men's under-17) in charge, and they can all be considered imports.

To take this theme further, Aaron McFarland (Football Ferns) is the only long-time New Zealand resident among our assistants. New Zealand's most successful local team, Auckland City, have a Spanish coach and their rivals Waitakere United an Irish-born coach. Our only fully professional side, the Wellington Phoenix, are coached by Scot Ernie Merrick.

This is not necessarily to attack the appointment or performance of each coach. But taken as a whole, it is definitely an issue which raises questions including:

Is the selection panel made up of people who see overseas applicants as having more experience and understanding of the game at a higher level than locals?

Is the local system such that we are not producing coaches good enough for the elite levels?

Do Kiwi coaches lack the confidence to sell themselves?

Whatever the reasons, the most successful coach of this era at international and domestic level was the New Zealand born and bred Ricki Herbert, who led the All Whites to that wonderful unbeaten run at the 2010 World Cup finals and the Phoenix to the A-League playoffs. All Whites legend Brian Turner, who came to New Zealand aged 3, was Herbert's right-hand man in his greatest success. The women's under-20 side reached the quarter-finals of the Fifa World Cup tournament this year under the coaching of the Vanuatu-born McFarland.

In other words, New Zealanders - and people from our little football region - do have the ability to lead and coach at the highest level.

Somehow, pathways need to encourage the next Herbert or McFarland to take centre stage.

Former All Whites Danny Hay and Ivan Vicelich spring to mind as candidates. But where are the likes of Chris Milicich, Che Bunce and other qualified, ambitious New Zealand coaches?

Here's a twist. New Zealanders are being embraced and accepted overseas. All Whites legend Vaughan Coveny is the assistant coach with the Melbourne Victory youth side, while Sean Douglas is the technical director of football in Victoria, and Jason Batty the goalkeeper-coach for the San Jose Earthquakes. It's time for a rethink, so New Zealanders get serious coaching opportunities again with our national teams.

4 thoughts on the game

Olympic coach
NZF should appoint Anthony Hudson as coach of the 2016 Olympic team -- this would give him much needed time to develop the young players he used on the recent Asian tour before the 2018 World Cup qualifying games. He has the time because the All Whites are in mothballs until March.

Lack of depth
The latest All Whites tour highlighted the lack of depth, not coaching issues. Time and money needs to be put into the development of elite NZ youth to ensure we have a seamless succession of players into the All Whites. If not, New Zealand will struggle to qualify for future World Cups.

City play Japan
Auckland City have scored again, with an all-expenses paid game against Japan in Australia as part of that nations preparation for the Asian Cup in January. The Kiwitea Street team have already secured a friendly against Uzbekistan in Dubai on December 6 in preparation for the Fifa World Club Championship.

Brockie under pressure
Jeremy Brockie will be feeling added pressure at the Phoenix. While Brockie was away with the All Whites, his Phoenix replacement Roy Krishna offers another dimension to the A-League side with his blistering pace and eye for goal. A lack of goals must also be affecting Brockie's confidence.