After two-and-a-half years in New Zealand, Anthony Hudson knows 2017 will be the year that defines his reign as All Whites coach.
With the All Whites heading to the Confederations Cup and World Cup qualifiers, results this year will shape not only Hudson's legacy, but his future as well.
To help prepare, Hudson has been spending time at Wellington Phoenix training, a rare chance for him to have face-to-face contact with his All Whites.
The nature of international football means he spends more time planning than coaching.
Hudson says he loves living in New Zealand. He's contracted until the end of the World Cup cycle.
"The only thing I have thought about is qualifying for the World Cup in 2018.
"I really would love to have more games and be on the training ground more.
"Whether it's here or somewhere else, the next step will be dependent on how well we do next November."
That's when his All Whites hope to be in an intercontinental playoff for a place at the World Cup against the fifth-ranked nation to emerge from South American qualifying.
"Whoever finishes fifth, finished fifth for a reason. They lost games they should've won," says Hudson.
"The pressure is on them. No team in South America wants to say they did not qualify for the World Cup.
"No fifth best team in South America can not go to the World Cup because they lost against New Zealand. That would be a national disaster, so the pressure's all on them."
After copping criticism early in his reign, the pressure's lifting for Hudson after a strong years which saw his team win the Oceania Nations Cup and earn a ticket to next year's Confederations Cup in Russia.
A daunting task, but performances in October against Mexico and the United States have given him and the team confidence.
"It's definitely given us belief.
"We're not going to beat everyone, but we've got to believe that we can and have the right mentality that we're going do that."
If Hudson's players can turn belief into results, 2017 could be the start of something big for the All Whites, and their coach.
Newshub.
