MIDFIELD WEAKNESSES IN SOCCER

Press, 14 August 1976, Page 18

MIDFIELD WEAKNESSES IN SOCCER

By

BARNEY ZWARTZ

Midfield is an area where the New Zealand soccer squad to visit Korea as a World Cup warm-up in September is most likely to falter against the high class international opposition it will meet. However, this is not the fault of Barrie Truman, the national coach, who will bear the brunt of failure. The unpalatable fact is that there is a dearth of competent Rothmans League midfield players. This is one of the most disappointing aspects of New Zealand soccer. Truman’s midfield is Brian Turner and Dave Taylor (Mount Wellington), Warren Fleet (Eastern Suburbs), Steve Sumner (Trans Tours United) and Dennis Tindall (Hamilton) — the most contentious choice — with North Shore’s Adrian Elrick at centreback providing midfield cover. Of those, only Fleet, Turner and Sumner are true midfield players and. although the class of Turner and Sumner is undoubted, Fleet’s worth is debatable. Truman admires Fleet as the nearest to an allround midfield player in New Zealand, but many soccer cognoscente do not rate him at all. Taylor and Tindall are both runners who springboard forward into attack and mainly work the flanks. Tindall played 19 times for New Zealand up to 1973, but has

secluded himself from national soccer since. Even if his style of play is essential, it is problematical whether he can bridge the gulf to international soccer. However, it is not so much the individual player but the blend their combination creates that is important. Assuming a coach has a three-man midfield, he might prefer: (1) a defensive ball winner, such as Nobby Stiles; (2) a playmaker, who can slow play down and hold the bail under pressure and pass, such as Bobby Charlton; and (3) a striking midfielder, such as Martin Peters from the 1966 England team. Any midfield players must have certain qualities, such as athletic endurance, the ability to turn on a ball and the ability to pass accurately, over a certain distance. All these qualities are seldom found in one player. For New Zealand recently, Fleet has played the defensive, ball winning role. Turner has been the play-maker and Taylor has moved forward into attack. The greatest deficiency by most midfield men is their limited vision and accuracy in making long .passes. If a team does not have a man who can pass 40 yards to a striker breaking on the edge of the penalty area — it has to work much harder to build attacks, probing and

playing possession football. The following is an analysis of the leading national league midfield men, and those that play for the two Christchurch clubs. They have been rated out of 10 as midfield players — some, like Elrick and Kees Doornenbal might score higher in other positions — by two experts. Ten would be a good World Cup international, five a good national leqgue standard. The marks are an average of

The ratings are.— Brian Turner 7. Steve Sumner 6|, Bill Amey 6, Adrian Elrick st, Eric Lesbirel Warren Fleet 5, Martin Ryan 5, Dave Taylor 5, Brian Hardman 5, Kees Doornenbal 5, Fred Roest Johan Verweij 4j, Doug Hemmings 41, Peter Bennie 4, John Legg 4. Technically and physically, Brian Turner is very composed. He has that slight arrogance on the field that denotes the top class player, and. is a great trier, with his main strengths being slowing the game down and hold ing and screening the baii — at which he is superb. His passing and moving forward are efficient, but he does not hit. Jong passes, especially through the middle. He tends to be an emotive player rather than a cultivated one. Steve Sumner is very much a player on the rise, with enormous potential considering his age. He is

an exciting attacking player with wonderful skills. For control and speed there is none better in New Zealand. With Turner, he is the only man capable of changing a game or dictating its course. He is inconsistent, but his 12hour night job must take some of the blame for that. The only reason he has been scored slightly below Turner is that he has yet to prove himself at international level. Bill Amey (Trans Tours United) is another who is on the way up, and he must be very close to New Zealand selection. His great strength is that he is perhaps the best long passer in the country, the only man capable of splitting open a defence with a perfect 40-yard ball. He is also outstanding at dead ball situations, an elegant player who will do his share of chasing and challenging, although not a ball winner. Amey is a highly skilled footballer, but a weakness is that he is so left-footed. He does not always show up at the top level, and might lack something in temperament. Adrian Elrick is a skilful player, capable both in the air'and on the ground, whose reading of the game and interception is superb. Truman prefers him at centreback because he likes a defender who can distribute. His passing and tackling could be improved. Eric Lesbirel (W.D.U.) is good at attacking from deep positions, heading and recovering quickly to get goalside. His speed and competitive spirit are his greatest assets, while his weaknesses are his passing and inconsistency. Warren Fleet can win the ball, hold and screen it, pass it and control it, but is outstanding at none. He finds it hard to cover ground because -of his size, but reads the game intelligently. He does not use his left foot well and his club performances are inconsistent, but Truman likes his efforts for New Zealand. Martin Ryan (Gisborne Cityj is a busy player.

quick, tenacious and can win the ball. He is potentially good all round, with no emphasis on any particular quality. Brian Hardman (Trans Tours United) used to be an excellent footballer and is still decidedly useful, but is in his last season. He defends well, is good on the ball and at 12 yard passes, makes well and can bold the ball. He is extremelv consistent. Dave Taylor is an impressive attacking player, fast with stamina and a marvellous shot. He hits his passes quickly and early and is a great trier, but lacks in control and defence. He works the left flank more than the midfield. Kees Doornenbal (Trans Tours United) is swift, covers a lot of ground and is talented on the ball, but is too undisciplined for a midfield player. He is more a forward. Fred Roest, Johan Verweij and Peter Bennie (New Brighton) are all young players with much potential whose ratings will improve with experience. Roest is skilful on the ball, passes efficiently and can defend. He is dangerous anywhere around the penalty area in support. of his forwards and works vigorously. However, he does not yet really understand his position, tends to get a little lost with piay “by-passing him and, as such, can be a liability. Verweij is also skilful — technicaly, the most gifted in the side — holds and screens ably and heads excellently. Possessed of an agile mind, he is the team’s focus in the centre circle. He is not very quick, although this does not matter as he can turn well. He has a poor work rate and has much to learn, but he could progress far. Bennie has only played a few games and has done a sound job. He does the simple things quickly and competently, wisely at this stage playing within a 10-yard radius of himself. John Legg (Eastern Suburbs) has been a really good player, but is now slowing down with age. He has fine skills, talks well and defends reliably. Ha is a strong team

player but not a proficient passer. Doug Hemmingj (Caversham) lost an eye in an accident. Formerly a player with outstanding potential, he now has reduced vision of the width of the field, out is still valuable. He is small, quick and very sharp, with admirable ball skills but no long pass. This analysis is necessarily limited in that each footballer is tested on allround skills whereas none have all — each performs his own role. It is the blend that is vital, and this was illustrated by the West German midfield in the 1974 World Cup side. In this Bonhof was the ball winner, Overath was the playmaker, with superb skills, vision and passing, and Hoeness was the midfieldstriker..