Terry Maddaford: Innovative Herbert key to All Whites' success

Sitting back in reflective glory after the All Whites' commendable results on their whistle-stop, four-match European tour may be a trifle premature.

Two losses, a draw and that historic first international success in that part of the world were beyond expectation.

That the players were able to walk away from the four matches on the back of competitive, attack-orientated performances and with no hint that they would ever be donkey-licked justified the innovative, break-from-tradition (defensive-minded) approach taken by coach Ricki Herbert and deputies Brian Turner and Stu Jacobs.

But, there remains a much bigger picture.

The first ball has been kicked in World Cup 2006.

For Herbert the next month, surely, should be little more than a bit part in the big picture as he seeks to build on the encouraging results achieved in testing clashes with higher-ranked Hungary, Georgia, Estonia and Brazil.

Herbert's sights are already set on the next big show - South Africa 2010 - and the ambitious international programme drawn up by him and New Zealand Soccer chief executive Graham Seatter.

Seatter has won much-deserved credit for the programme put in place for the national side.

Long may it continue, but only if it is self-funding.

The national association can't afford another budget blowout.

The eight matches played by the All Whites so far this year, for good wins over Malaysia (twice) and Georgia, the draw with Estonia, a narrow loss to Chile (away) and a solid first-half effort against Hungary, underlined the step up Herbert and the Danny Hay-led team have made.

But those results must be seen for what they are - the foundation.

They will be irrelevant if the All Whites don't kick on.

Herbert, the first New Zealand-born coach with inventive ideas, and his staff are the key.

But they must get the juggling act in balance.

Without Ryan Nelsen, Tony Lochhead, Mark Paston, Duncan Oughton and Simon Elliott on the European tour, Herbert will be keen to include at least some in coming matches as the evaluation process continues.

Just as importantly, Herbert must soon make calls on longer-serving players who may, or may not, go all the way to South Africa.

The age group programmes, chiefly at under-23 [Olympic] and under-20 levels along with the NZFC, A-League and whatever other competitions New Zealanders play in, are critical in the search for the handful of players Herbert will need to introduce to ensure he has a well-balanced (long-term) squad.

With first matches on that long World Cup road little more than a year away, the trick will be getting the mix right.

Turner, like Herbert a member of the historic 1982 World Cup squad, was emphatic in claiming the European results were the best achieved by a national side.

He accepted that the public might not see the one-win, one-draw, two-loss as a raging success, but Turner is convinced this team performed way above expectations and showed they can foot it with the best and go a whole lot further.

There will be plenty of interest in matches against English premier clubs Blackburn Rovers and Charlton Athletic and hopefully one or two yet-to-be-named clubs in August, but only if Herbert, Turner and Jacobs do have access to all the players that they want.

Soccer in New Zealand is back on a high with Auckland City Japan-bound for the World Club Cup and the All Whites, dare we say it, jostling so-called major codes for column centimetres and airtime on radio and television.

The challenge now is to maintain that momentum.