OFC: An All Whites head coach will be appointed by the end of this month – and the new man may not necessarily be based in this country.
New Zealand Football have received more than 100 applications for the position, with interest from all corners of the globe.
It’s a challenging but also appealing role. Not only are the current All Whites a young squad on the rise, but their World Cup qualification path is also less complex than most nations. The chance to coach at Fifa’s showpiece event is a significant carrot and will undoubtedly attract interest from some of the bigger footballing nations.
The job is a full-time role (unlike during most of Ricki Herbert’s tenure) but that doesn’t mean the new man will have to reside here.
“Ideally, yes, they would be based here,” NZF high performance manager Fred De Jong said. “But that will get worked out in the application process and around what other capacities he will have. It’s about getting the best person and we are prepared to be pragmatic.”
Graham Arnold was previously touted as a strong contender when it looked like he would return to coach the Newcastle Jets in the A-League, with a dual role seen as possible. But that was scuppered when he landed the Sydney FC job.
The job description calls for a Uefa A coaching license as a minium and also emphasises experience with a National A team and at Fifa and/or Olympic events. It also states that “experience of coaching and winning matches in the Oceania region is preferable”.
“If you can tick every box then it’s obviously advantageous,” said De Jong, who adds an assistant coach could balance out any shortcomings if the new head coach had limited experience of the region.
De Jong was comfortable with Neil Emblen’s current stance, with the interim coach repeating on Friday after the All Whites 0-0 draw with South Africa that he was yet to apply for the job.
“We wanted Neil to concentrate fully on the [South Africa] match and we made that clear to him,” De Jong said. “But I’m sure we’ll have a conversation in the next few days.”
Emblen certainly has the playing group in his corner.
“He’s done a great job,” Ryan Thomas said of Emblen’s impact during his two games in charge. “He has prepared us really well and knows the style we want to play.”
Midfielder Michael McGlinchey agrees. “He gives you all the confidence in the world as a man manager – he taps into that,” McGlinchey said. “He has a lot of belief in the abilities of everyone in the squad and has created an environment where everybody wants the ball, everybody [is] trying to get on it.”
Herald on Sunday
