Martin faces familiar scenario

As he approaches four years on the job, it’s a case of deja vu for Andy Martin.

He began as chief executive of New Zealand Football in February 2014, and his first major task was hiring an All Whites coach to replace Ricki Herbert.

An independent inquiry into the previous Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign was being carried out, and a report eventually landed on Martin’s desk in May that year. Its findings weren’t made public, which caused a stir in the football community, but Martin soldiered on regardless, and by July, he had found his man - Anthony Hudson, then the coach of Bahrain.

Hudson was appointed that August, and after three years and three months in the job, it was announced on Thursday that he wouldn’t be signing an extension, and so he is off, having been strongly linked to the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer in the United States.

Now it is up to Martin to lead the search for his replacement.

The All Whites may have finished with a pair of efforts against Peru that exceeded expectations, but their overall record during Hudson’s time in the role was worse than their record in the 2014 and 2010 World Cup cycles.

This time around, there won’t be an independent inquiry, just NZ Football’s ‘‘usual review of [their] tours,’’ said Martin, even though this World Cup qualifying campaign came with a record price tag in the range of $8-9 million.

Given that there hasn’t been an influx of money like there was at this stage in 2009 - as a result of qualifying for the World Cup - or in 2013 - as a result of selling TV rights for the playoff against Mexico - it is hard to envisage that level of spending being repeated.

Martin is bullish, however, and said on Thursday that ‘‘the business is healthy’’. ‘‘You’ll see from the financial results from this year that the business is in good shape. I’m very pleased with what we’ve done - we’ve invested the right level.’’

Martin had been hoping to bank $14m by the qualifying for the World Cup, but even though that is now off the table, following the playoff loss to Peru, he is still upbeat.

‘‘We’ve got to cut things slightly differently, but it isn’t doom and gloom by any stretch of the imagination. The overall performance financially is good and it puts us in a good position going forward.’’

In its most recent financial statement, for the year ended December 31, 2016, NZ Football reported a surplus of $102,000 - but only following a transfer from its international teams reserve - and had $6.5m in accumulated funds.