National team coach Anthony Hudson says there is a "big shift" required within the culture of New Zealand's top young footballers.

All Whites coach Anthony Hudson has labelled New Zealand's football culture "soft" and called for more international fixtures if the country's top team is to ever improve.

In the second year of a contract which takes him through until the end of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the 34-year-old Englishman is frustrated with the lack of professionalism displayed by some of New Zealand's brightest young players.

"I've met a handful of players over this Christmas period and I've been horrified at what I've seen and heard," Hudson said.

CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX NZ More games are required if the All Whites are to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, says Anthony Hudson.

"These are all young players that haven't made it yet, but all have the ambition to make it. They are supposedly our best young players in New Zealand, yet they are so far removed from reality of how hard you have to work and what you have to put in, what you have to sacrifice.

"There is no urgency and they've got people around them that tell them how good they are all the time. No-one keeps them accountable ... it horrifies me.

"It's a soft, laid-back environment. It's an epidemic here."

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Hudson, who also oversees the national under-23, under-20 and under-17 men's programmes, believes the laid-back approach is the major reason some of the country's top young talent are not fulfilling their potential.

"We need a big shift in how we do things here in terms of professionalism ... until it does we will stay at this level," Hudson said.

"The footballing culture here is an epidemic and there is a real problem with the mentality of our coaches and players.

"It is horrific in this country ... but I am almost a lone voice in sharing this. No-one wants to upset anyone here, no-one wants to make people accountable, everyone wants to keep everyone happy.

"It needs a big, big shake-up."

The other thing that needs a shake-up is the international programme – last year the All Whites played just three matches, the least of any country in world football, said Hudson.

With the Oceania Nations Cup in May and June, where the winner qualifies for the 2017 Confederations Cup and moves a step closer to World Cup qualification, the country's flagship side have no matches confirmed for the March international window.

If that remains unchanged the All Whites will have gone nearly seven months without a match come the crucial Oceania tournament.

"Our preparation for that tournament is key," Hudson said. "We can't afford to risk that at any cost.

"Momentum is something we never have, we meet up with the players and it is sort of like 'remember us'. We are never around them.

"I feel sorry for the players. There is no programme for them to visibly commit to. We are starting from the beginning every time we get together.

"We all have a shared ambition to go to the World Cup and when we talk about going to the World Cup you expect games to play ... it's impossible to build a team."

Hudson acknowledged being part of Oceania made it difficult to get more games, with the five other confederations regularly playing qualifiers for Fifa tournaments during international windows.

However, he said there were teams who would happily play the All Whites despite their ranking sitting just nine spots above their all-time low of 159.

A young New Zealand side lost 1-0 to world No 51 South Korea in Seoul last year and Hudson said the Asian nation wanted another fixture.

"It's got nothing to do with rankings," he said.

"We need to play, at a minimum, two games a window and there are five windows.

"We can't get away from it. You can't build teams from a distance and throw a magic wand at it.

"We need time with the players and we need games, there is no other solution. We are trying to get to a World Cup."

Asked if the All Whites could reach the 2018 World Cup, Hudson said he believed they could as long as they got more games.

The players were his "one shining hope," he added.

"The players make a real sacrifice. It's an honour to play for your country and the players know that, they give everything to play for New Zealand.

"The players all want to know when we are playing. They are on me about it all the time.

"We need to be more prepared for them. We need things to be planned, their clubs need to know."

New Zealand Football chief executive Andy Martin was on holiday and could not be reached for comment.