Soccer side's new look

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 14

Soccer side's new look

(By

D. P. Mansbridge)

QIX months ago, Christchurch United ended its first Rothmans National Soccer League campaign with a stirring, 5-3, victory over the Auckland club, Mount Wellington, under the floodlights at English Park, confirming its hold on third place in the league and $lOOO in prize money. Next Saturday, again at English Park, but this time in daylight, United will begin the second national league season against the Hutt Valley team, Stop Out, its hopes high of improving on its 1970 performance. What is perhaps extraordinary, however, is that in such a short period of six months the United team that will take the field against Stop Out will show so many changes from the one which met Mount Wellington. Present indications (with one more build-up match to be played, against Dunedin Suburbs in Dunedin tomorrow) are that five of the team that finished last season will be missing from the side that will start the 1971 campaign next Saturday. And there is the possibility that one other might have to play himself into the team because he has not been available for the pre-season games. Definitely out are last year’s captain, P. Frost, now retired, T. Haydon, not available, F. Madrussan, playing in Sydney, W. Weir and R. Taylor, who were not members of this season’s squad. The one with a doubt against his name is the double international. V. Pollard, who has been training regularly with the squad but has missed the build-up matches because of his cricket commitments. Of the side that has beaten Dunedin Suburbs, 3-0, and Western Suburbs (Wellington), 4-0, in practice matches this month, only four players filled the positions they held at the end of last season G. Davis (right-back), G. Griffiths (centre-back), D. Finnic (right-wing) and G. Dacombe (striker). And there is only one other player from last sea-

son’s winning team certain to play against Stop Out, the new club captain, K. France, who has been moved from the middle of the defence to left-back, filling the role of his predecessor as skipper, Frost ’ The players consolidating their positions in the build-

up matches are A. Fleming (goal-keeper), who travels from Ashburton three times a week for training, T. Blake (centre-back), T. Randles and B. Hardman (linkmen), M. Ellis (striker) and K. Doomenbal (leftwing). For Pollard to win his place, one will have to be dropped, and here, perhaps, lies the greatest problem besetting United’s new coach, T. Conley. Last season, Pollard was a powerhouse in the midfield; both a deadly shot from anywhere up to 30 yards and a swift, accurate distributer of the ball. And it is in the mid-field most see him in the United and the New Zealand team. Should he win back this role, the probability is that Conley will switch to a 4-3-3 system, allowing Pollard, Randles and Hardman to fill the mid-field roles and to link with the attack. In this case, one of the four present forwards would have to step down. However, a good case could be made for Pollard to move into the forward line in a 4-2-4 system,

which would probably mean him displacing one of the two strikers, Dacombe or Ellis. Such is Pollard’s powerful shooting in either foot and his defence-splitting passing that few United spectators could contemplate a team without the soccer-cricket international. Nor is Pollard the only player pressing his way into the team. The former New Zealand goal-keeper, D. Phillips, another whose build-up to the season has has been affected by a summer sport, this time softball, in which he could soon represent New Zealand, will be jogging Fleming’s shoulders now that he is getting into full training. The former Southland representative, P. Dick, is a constant reminder to all

Other defenders that he is straining for his chance to displace one, while two outstanding younger players, A. Smith and N. Francis, are just as determined to win their way into the side before the year is much older. Francis’s pre-season hopes were dashed when an injury from the end of last year forced him into hospital for a cartilage operation. He is only now resuming full training and will need more time to get fully fit. Conley will have to make the final assessment of his players at Dunedin tomorrow before he names the team to play Stop Out on Thursday. He will give to it his usual, long, careful attention. A sole selector is a lonely person at these times.