I would have thought you would have given up on your Herbert bashing after his Phoenix side proved you so badly wrong last season.

Apparently not...

I assume the reference to 3 - 5 - 3 is a typo? Unless Ricki plans to field 12 players per game?

FIFA might have something to say on the matter if he does....

Any coach that can field an unorthodox 3-5-3 formation that you suggest, and get away with it, is a legend

"sticking with a 3-5-3" is definitely unorthodox ... I don't imagine playing without a keeper will work too well at the World Cup!

Love to be proved wrong but I dont think 3-4-3 will cut it against quality opposition. What about 3-5-2? Reid is a far better play than Siggy. Wood deserves a crack as a starter in this friendly since none of the others are in any form, particularly Fallon and Smeltz. How long is Herbert going to leave it to give these guys a run? Seems pointless using a sub for a defender.

i tend to agree. Herbert did magnificantly well in negotiating the Bahrain double-header. But now he needs to step up a level. Hopefully he will see at some stage over the next 3 weeks that Smith and Reid have to be preferred to Sigmund and Vicelich. The latter pair did a job against Bahrain and it's hard to argue with two clean sheets.

However, from what I've seen of Reid on European TV he is a class above Sigmund and is better than an ageing Vicelich. And Smith as well needs to be given a chance. These two guys need to be given time to gel with Nelsen.

Herbert has done well so far, but to announce himself on the world stage he needs to take it a step further. Unfortunately staying loyal (which he is prone to doing) to Vicelich and Sigmund is not the way forward.

Yea I’m not so worried about the defense, I think they will cope it’s the midfield where we have issues. With the greatest respect to Simon Elliot he hasn’t played well for NZ for a few years. Surely McGlinchey has to start in front of him?

Would hope that maybe he either trying to win this game or give his world cup side experience. But i don't think this line up fits either category.

Would like to see him give Moss, Reid, Smith some games to prove to the public why they should be going to south africa, and what better opportunity than australia.

Man, the first sentence of this article is hard to read.

I'm surprised Reid isn't starting, but I expect he, along with Smith and Wood, will get at least one start in Europe before the World Cup. Remember, as a friendly I believe each team will be allowed seven substitutions instead of three, so that young trio should all play, possibly even the whole second half. Clapham is also clamouring for some game time.