Football Ferns

Devlin has zero authority or credibility on any womens sport.

Remember the nonsense he made up claiming that the crowd noise at Nix vs WU at Porirua Park was just put in by Sky?

He's also constantly bashing womens rugby

imanixsupporter

Dear @NZ_Football

Do the right thing & sack Jitka.

Her record since taking over:
P32 W5 D6 L21 GF15 GA55

For fudges sake.
And you’ve given her 4 MORE YEARS.
What are you afraid of Mr Pragnall?
Read the results.
They are 100% rubbish.
At least call for a review ..

— Martin Devlin (@martindevlinnz) December 6, 2023

Yes but he didn't make up those statistics

the stats may be accurate but given his record of very anti women's sport he's probably not the voice you really want on your side, right or wrong.

Yeah, Devlin was going on and on about how the women's world cup was going to be a massive flop. Deleted his account when he got his new job. No need to post his rants in here, guy is a complete knobhead.

They are afraid of paying her out!

Well I guess it's all well and good that we can agree Devlin sucks. Who cares that Ferns never win or indeed play well, they're at least more righteous than Martin and at the end of the day isn't that what it's all about? 

imanixsupporter

Well I guess it's all well and good that we can agree Devlin sucks. Who cares that Ferns never win or indeed play well, they're at least more righteous than Martin and at the end of the day isn't that what it's all about? 

That's not what anyone said. You're strawmanning. 

It's not as simple as Jitka needs to go, even if the majority here, including myself, would like to see that. Considering it looks like NZF will not be sacking her, it's just a wee bit unconstructive screaming into the void for it to happen. But again - in Devlins case, this is just regular for any of his commentary on sport.

The goalscoring problem has lasted through multiple coaches and we have a dearth of quality attacking players compared to other areas of the pitch. That doesn't make 5 goals in 16 games acceptable, but provides some context. 

As I've said before, I'd like to see NZF provide Jitka with extra coaching support, particularly an attack-specific coach. We have actually improved at ball possession and competing well in the midfield in the last six months, and our defence is largely solid, so it's just that piece of the puzzle we need to fix. Do that and we won't be a bad team. 

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Incredible standard of journalism... just mindblowing to not only get simple facts wrong in the studio, but then to go plastering that falsehood across all your social media platforms too.

From Niche Cache, a nice littel yarn on Katie Kitching

Here’s a bit more on how she’s fared at for the Black Cats this term, with two goals and an assist in WSL Championship action. Her mother was born in New Zealand, by the way, making her eligible for the Ferns.

Katie Kitching on making her international debut: “I was really proud. My mum cried every time I mentioned something about it, she had tears in her eyes! It was amazing. In the first game, there was lots of fans there, they were really loud and I’ve never experienced an atmosphere like that. I think there were like 17,000 fans or something. In the second game, to come on so early it was a bit surprising, and it took me a while to get into it but it was really good. I think I eventually found a good rhythm. We were unfortunate not to get a good result but I think we had a good performance and have something to continue building on. I think just hopefully getting another call-up is the first step and trying not to think too far into the future. I think my goal is to be a consistent player but right now I’m focusing on the next step first.”

lthomas20

It's not as simple as Jitka needs to go, even if the majority here, including myself, would like to see that. Considering it looks like NZF will not be sacking her, it's just a wee bit unconstructive screaming into the void for it to happen. But again - in Devlins case, this is just regular for any of his commentary on sport.

The goalscoring problem has lasted through multiple coaches and we have a dearth of quality attacking players compared to other areas of the pitch. That doesn't make 5 goals in 16 games acceptable, but provides some context. 

As I've said before, I'd like to see NZF provide Jitka with extra coaching support, particularly an attack-specific coach. We have actually improved at ball possession and competing well in the midfield in the last six months, and our defence is largely solid, so it's just that piece of the puzzle we need to fix. Do that and we won't be a bad team. 

It's a sad state of affairs when its glaring obvious the coach needs help. But lets be frank there were about 4 men and 6 women standing next to her in the dug outs....are they all useless? let's add a striker coach to help 10-12 of the out? 

Youre right though they aint going to sack her half way into a life time deal...she also wont ever walk because realistically is she ever going to get another job? probably not unless the Marshall Islands find enough for a womens team.

This issue i believe is the coaching of youth players...all you ever see is box possessions (because they are easy to run and require less vocal intelligence). Not enough attacking finishing drills and teaching of specific runs. You barely see it anywhere now. The whole of football plan nzf came up with ears ago was a detriment to attacking development...simply based on possession. Huge issue in NZ. 

But the ferns lack more than just a finish in them. Been a long year if you think thats just it...appreciate the optimism though.

Thinking you can fix the Football Ferns like NZR "fixed" the shambolic Foster reign as ABs coach is an interesting angle.

Showtime Nixie

lthomas20

It's not as simple as Jitka needs to go, even if the majority here, including myself, would like to see that. Considering it looks like NZF will not be sacking her, it's just a wee bit unconstructive screaming into the void for it to happen. But again - in Devlins case, this is just regular for any of his commentary on sport.

The goalscoring problem has lasted through multiple coaches and we have a dearth of quality attacking players compared to other areas of the pitch. That doesn't make 5 goals in 16 games acceptable, but provides some context. 

As I've said before, I'd like to see NZF provide Jitka with extra coaching support, particularly an attack-specific coach. We have actually improved at ball possession and competing well in the midfield in the last six months, and our defence is largely solid, so it's just that piece of the puzzle we need to fix. Do that and we won't be a bad team. 

It's a sad state of affairs when its glaring obvious the coach needs help. But lets be frank there were about 4 men and 6 women standing next to her in the dug outs....are they all useless? let's add a striker coach to help 10-12 of the out? 

Youre right though they aint going to sack her half way into a life time deal...she also wont ever walk because realistically is she ever going to get another job? probably not unless the Marshall Islands find enough for a womens team.

This issue i believe is the coaching of youth players...all you ever see is box possessions (because they are easy to run and require less vocal intelligence). Not enough attacking finishing drills and teaching of specific runs. You barely see it anywhere now. The whole of football plan nzf came up with ears ago was a detriment to attacking development...simply based on possession. Huge issue in NZ. 

But the ferns lack more than just a finish in them. Been a long year if you think thats just it...appreciate the optimism though.

You'd be amazed how many fans say similar then said coach pops up somewhere else within not too long 😂 seen it all before

Footballs a shambles in this country...as much as i think Klimkova is a joke (based on her pre match and post match comments) she is let down on the development of players before her. Most of our licensed coaches have never played the game before so how can they tell an attacker where to run how to move in a scenario based or drill activity. Go watch your local womens and mens youth teams train....embarrassing education going on. I don't have all the answers but NZ development at a young age is shambolic compared to what i've seen at same age in European countries that I've attended sessions on. NZ 10 or so years ago had a "we dont develop midfielders" opinion so put all their time into developing those....well now we have very little natural strikers....both in mens and womens. Outside of Wood and Wilkinson...who would you actually count on scoring? name 1 player that consistently scores for club let alone country?? no one. 

Still want Klimkova out btw - and maybe your right maybe she will find another team but don't let the door hit you on the way out

On your comment about where would Klimkova get another coaching job if she left NZF.
She would easily walk into an ALW coaching job. She has already won the comp as a coach. With the lack of other female coaches in the comp atm, she would easily get a gig in Aus.  When the Matilda's were getting poor results in the early Gustavason days and the pundits were calling for his head, Klimkova was a name on the list of possible replacements from many said pundits........
But I tend to agree with the.. bring in a specialist attack coach to assist atm. I have no idea who her current assistant coaching staff are, but they are not getting results. Worked for the AB's when they bought in better assistant coaches.

Ferns now at all time low World Ranking. enough said.

Showtime Nixie

Ferns now at all time low World Ranking. enough said.

Ferns will control slowly drop down rankings. It is inevitable.
The only reason we’ve been up in the twenties is Women’s football has had slow adoption in football powerhouse nations, while NZ were reasonably early to embrace by comparison.

thats exactly the attitude that takes us backwards.

Showtime Nixie

thats exactly the attitude that takes us backwards.

We are a small isolated country, with many different sports competing for the best talented female athletes. Some traditional very well resourced football powerhouses even in 'enlightened' Europe are only just taking the women's game seriously. Then you have large nations in South America, Africa and Asia that are almost totally football centric,  only now starting to get their shark together. A WWC story I remember was Morocco (popn 37M) have just setup 2 divisions of pro women's football. These type of countries are going to have much bigger or more, talent pools of young female footballers coming through. Proper athletes.

I was briefly lost and strolled through a dodgy part (cheek & jowl with the wealthy part) of Panama City early last year, and came across some kids playing street football. The star a young black girl of about 12 with a proper impressive bag of tricks. A real street wise Macey Fraser. Get her on a College scholarship to the USA and who knows where she'd go.

The Ferns won't plummet down to FIFA ranking 100, like where the AWs sit - but an awful amount will have to go right in the female development space for them to consistently stay in the top 40 teams internationally.

We got a head start on other nations and we never kicked on with quality of player and team performances and results. We should've been better for our early experiences...we were travelling the world going up against top nations in all sorts of lovely tournaments. At times we were competitive against some of the best. But now we are dead set rubbish. And look to celebrate a draw against bang average sides these days.

I think we look for excuses too much. It's a problem here in NZ. 

Use to love watching the ferns 10 or so years ago - so aggressive, so desirable - well coached and proper mentality. 

Just fun in games now. If you don't get culture right expect to keep dropping rankings irrespective of other nations coming through.

end of the day we are lowest ever ranked in our history. thats a sad fact.

coochiee

Showtime Nixie

thats exactly the attitude that takes us backwards.

We are a small isolated country, with many different sports competing for the best talented female athletes. Some traditional very well resourced football powerhouses even in 'enlightened' Europe are only just taking the women's game seriously. Then you have large nations in South America, Africa and Asia that are almost totally football centric,  only now starting to get their shark together. A WWC story I remember was Morocco (popn 37M) have just setup 2 divisions of pro women's football. These type of countries are going to have much bigger or more, talent pools of young female footballers coming through. Proper athletes.

I was briefly lost and strolled through a dodgy part (cheek & jowl with the wealthy part) of Panama City early last year, and came across some kids playing street football. The star a young black girl of about 12 with a proper impressive bag of tricks. A real street wise Macey Fraser. Get her on a College scholarship to the USA and who knows where she'd go.

The Ferns won't plummet down to FIFA ranking 100, like where the AWs sit - but an awful amount will have to go right in the female development space for them to consistently stay in the top 40 teams internationally.

Yes places like Morocco have large populations keen on football but they also have male dominated cultures not as keen on women playing sport as us, especially in North Africa and the Middle East.

Out of curiosity have either Riley or Percival ever lived in NZ?
Not saying they are undeserving - Riley has certainly been a vocal advocate of the women's game - but there are likely others who have done as much or more, for the game actually in NZ over a long period of time.

Congratulations to Ford Football Ferns co-captains Ria Percival and Ali Riley who have been named in the New Year Honours list.

Both will be made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to football 👏🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/VIa0i5EtoB

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) December 29, 2023

Percival certainly grew up here.

Ranix

Percival certainly grew up here.

Did some digging. Born in the UK. Came to NZ as 14 yr old in 2003, and then left for the US in 2008 at age 19 yr. So yeah had a 5 year stretch in NZ - some of her growing up you could say.

Calling Riley a kiwi is an insult to actual kiwis. There no chance she would've ever played for us if the US had come knocking, we we're simply an easy option. 

Yes she's put in a lot of effort for us over the years but she is not and never has been a kiwi.

Jacinda became close with these girls. It was always going to happen. I was going to call Riley a Durante in disguise...aka fake asf kiwi...but to be fair she has a kiwi father. 

*coochiie to check above statement /information as only he can approve actual fact*

Jacinda has been gone for almost a year, pack it in already

(NOTE: I also said this to lefties who couldn't stop going on about John Key 5 years ago)

"processing and consideration of nominations is likely to take at least six months prior to the announcement of an honours list at King's Birthday or New Year" ....so was previous government nominations.

cheers

Riley is the least kiwi person I've ever seen speak on tv, in accent, personality, demeanour...

coochiee

Ranix

Percival certainly grew up here.

Did some digging. Born in the UK. Came to NZ as 14 yr old in 2003, and then left for the US in 2008 at age 19 yr. So yeah had a 5 year stretch in NZ - some of her growing up you could say.

 What did she do differently than Deklan Wynne to gain eligibility considering he too came to NZ aged 14 ?

Cripey a lot of hate here for a player with over 150 apps for the national side. 

I tend to agree that she and Percival didn't deserve NZOMs, but to say someone isn't a Kiwi because they have an American accent and a different attitude to the rest of the team is dumb and pretty insulting in itself. 

Dare you to tell our many immigrants who have made NZ their home that they aren't and will never be Kiwis because they don't fit your rubric.

First watched Riley play in u20 World Cup in Russia for a John Herdman side. That was 2006. So is 18+ years of service to our national sides enough? How many times do you think she was thinking stuff this, We get pumped all the time and we have a sharkty deal with facilities, coaches, resources and results? Let alone traveling half way round the world and being expected to perform when you are jet lagged.

lthomas20

Cripey a lot of hate here for a player with over 150 apps for the national side. 

I tend to agree that she and Percival didn't deserve NZOMs, but to say someone isn't a Kiwi because they have an American accent and a different attitude to the rest of the team is dumb and pretty insulting in itself. 

Dare you to tell our many immigrants who have made NZ their home that they aren't and will never be Kiwis because they don't fit your rubric.

Unused sub

First watched Riley play in u20 World Cup in Russia for a John Herdman side. That was 2006. So is 18+ years of service to our national sides enough? How many times do you think she was thinking stuff this, We get pumped all the time and we have a sharkty deal with facilities, coaches, resources and results? Let alone traveling half way round the world and being expected to perform when you are jet lagged.

lthomas20

Cripey a lot of hate here for a player with over 150 apps for the national side. 

I tend to agree that she and Percival didn't deserve NZOMs, but to say someone isn't a Kiwi because they have an American accent and a different attitude to the rest of the team is dumb and pretty insulting in itself. 

Dare you to tell our many immigrants who have made NZ their home that they aren't and will never be Kiwis because they don't fit your rubric.

Some truth in that. But the Ferns also get a free pass to both the World Cup & Olympics. Many sportspeople would give their right arm to get to an Olympics just once, or football World Cup. And seems the Ferns are now resourced as well as the AWs.

Female footballers get paid peanuts compared to men, but they also generally play far fewer games a year, with women club comps mostly shorter. So it's not quite Messi flying to Argentina fatigued after 45 club games for Barcelona.

It sounds like Riley was close to giving up on the Ferns, when Heraf was in charge. He was basically trying to force her out.

Ferns squad must be named soon. Their first game is 7th Feb verus Tonga. An understrength squad with tourney outside FIFA Womens window (7th-19th Feb)?
https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-womens-olympic-football-tournament-oceania-qualifier/

Heavily reliant on ALW players, supplanted by some US College players (Ava Collins & Aniela Jensen)?  I guess those in the Scandi leagues like Hassett,  
Steinmetz, Cleverley, Bunge etc will also be out of season, and likely available. Plus Riley in the US.

Will still be more than strong enough to win the tourney. Island nations remain very weak in the womens game. Samoa, Fiji & PNG likely toughest opponents. The heat & humidity will be the biggest challenge. 

Might be some players coming & going. Likes of Wilkinson & Stott not released by their ALW clubs until the knockout games?? No quarters. 3 pool games (Tonga, Samoa & Vanuatu) then semi & final. Aston Villa may even let Leat turn up if she is mostly riding the pine in the UK, though it's a long way to sweltering Samoa to basically do nothing.

Possible first choice XI - 
Edwards/Leat, Riley, Stott, Bunge, Foster, Steinmetz, Longo, Cleverley, Hassett, Jale, Wilkinson

Plenty of other young Kiwis through the ALW to flesh out a squad
Georgia Candy, Lake, Barry, Anton, McMeeken, Taylor, Whinham, Fraser, Nathan, Elliott, Main, Devon Jackson, Rosetta Taylor & Hannah Blake (both at Adelaide)

Few new caps likely. Klimkova will be challenging Hudson for players used during her reign!

lthomas20

Cripey a lot of hate here for a player with over 150 apps for the national side. 

I tend to agree that she and Percival didn't deserve NZOMs, but to say someone isn't a Kiwi because they have an American accent and a different attitude to the rest of the team is dumb and pretty insulting in itself. 

Dare you to tell our many immigrants who have made NZ their home that they aren't and will never be Kiwis because they don't fit your rubric.

Has Riley ever made NZ her home? Don't think so.

It's a marriage of convenience, one that has been helpful over the years for both parties. She's not a kiwi and never will be.

Don't forget to vote for Hannah Wilkson's goal for Sporting Moment https://halberg.co.nz/halberg-awards/vote/

reubee

coochiee

Ranix

Percival certainly grew up here.

Did some digging. Born in the UK. Came to NZ as 14 yr old in 2003, and then left for the US in 2008 at age 19 yr. So yeah had a 5 year stretch in NZ - some of her growing up you could say.

 What did she do differently than Deklan Wynne to gain eligibility considering he too came to NZ aged 14 ?

Riley has a natural right to NZ citizenship as a child born of a New Zealand parent. 

Wynne was an immigrant, neither born of New Zealander parents nor in New Zealand, so was required meet FIFA criteria of residency.

ClubOranje

reubee

coochiee

Ranix

Percival certainly grew up here.

Did some digging. Born in the UK. Came to NZ as 14 yr old in 2003, and then left for the US in 2008 at age 19 yr. So yeah had a 5 year stretch in NZ - some of her growing up you could say.

 What did she do differently than Deklan Wynne to gain eligibility considering he too came to NZ aged 14 ?

Riley has a natural right to NZ citizenship as a child born of a New Zealand parent. 

Wynne was an immigrant, neither born of New Zealander parents nor in New Zealand, so was required meet FIFA criteria of residency.

The question was about comparing the situation of Ria Percival to Deklan Wynne (which on face value appear pretty similar). Not Riley.

coochiee

ClubOranje

reubee

coochiee

Ranix

Percival certainly grew up here.

Did some digging. Born in the UK. Came to NZ as 14 yr old in 2003, and then left for the US in 2008 at age 19 yr. So yeah had a 5 year stretch in NZ - some of her growing up you could say.

 What did she do differently than Deklan Wynne to gain eligibility considering he too came to NZ aged 14 ?

Riley has a natural right to NZ citizenship as a child born of a New Zealand parent. 

Wynne was an immigrant, neither born of New Zealander parents nor in New Zealand, so was required meet FIFA criteria of residency.

The question was about comparing the situation of Ria Percival to Deklan Wynne (which on face value appear pretty similar). Not Riley.

Ah! Sorry.
That is because Percival was resident from 2003-2008 ish. Made her debut after 3 years here.
When FIFA shut the door on nation hopping in 2004, the requirement was to be resident in your chosen country for 2 years if you had no ancestral claim. Having then played for NZ, Percival retained that right.

A few years later they changed that to 5 years, and - critically in Wynne’s case - included ‘after the age of 18’ in the clause.

The intent of that was to stop talented players from, e.g. Brazil getting ‘hired’ by e.g. Qatar to do well in the World Cup. The unintended consequence was kids that immigrated with their families at a very early age were caught in the same net.

Note, this still only applies for players with no ancestral rights, which is why we have people posting about random kids in the Biggleswade U9s academy having a NZ parent in the ‘most wanted to see in a white shirt’ threads, and others counting the days until ageing  Phoenix visa players have been here 5 years.