The road to the WC Finals - now 2022

[Shahanga]

Fuck that hurts. Might not need to worry about Russia now.

[GreenSeater]

Terrible coaching. Terrible ball security. Terrible defending. Fuck this. Disgraceful.

[Shahanga]

4 minutes ago, GreenSeater said:

Terrible coaching. 

Can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

[fidrildid6]

Fold the Socceroos

[Tony999]

Ange you fat turd. Go back to Victory!

[Forever City]

FFS 

 

[Shahanga]

Probably should have lost that 3-0.

[xXJawsaXx]

We have players who are in pretty good club form, such as Rogic, yet they play like shit for the national team. Same goes for Mooy, we have seen how creative, and dangerous he can be, live, yet, he has rarely played like that for the national team.
Also, why the fuck was Behich, who has been consistently playing for his club dropped for fucking Brad Smith? Who has probably played more for the nt than at a club level.
 

[Nate]

lol, that was so shit. Stupid starting XI, not having a striker on the pitch for the first hour was ridiculous. 

Oh well, it's out of our hands now and all we can do is score as many as we can against Thailand to boost our chances (which isn't a given tbh)

[Shahanga]

12 minutes ago, Nate said:

lol, that was so shit. Stupid starting XI, not having a striker on the pitch for the first hour was ridiculous. 

Oh well, it's out of our hands now and all we can do is score as many as we can against Thailand to boost our chances (which isn't a given tbh)

Going in with a plan for your #9 to work his arse off and then bring on a goal scorer at 60 min was always pretty risky.

Still if Juric wasn't fit to start (&I can't believe that Cahill would have been) what do you do? Frankly Maclaren would be WAY out of his depth. Now why Cahill didn't come back for pre season earlier, that I can't answer.

Brad Smith well no need for me to say anything much. Keeps getting a game even though he isn't playing for his club. Bettter options out there.

midfield? Aside from Mooy and jedinak all the "big names" were there and they were poor. "Disappointing" hardly covers it.

Troisi looked like a bloke who missed the beaches of Haifa.

Leckie was probably our best to be honest though that's not saying a lot.

oh loved how Cahill was rushed on for a corner that was promptly delivered as a "worm burner".

[dr lime]

I wish I could say I was surprised. 

Been listening to the fuckwits on Channel 9 saying "we have goals in us". Really?!!

During the Qualifiers, go back and have a look at how many goals we have scored in open play that weren't opposition goalkeeper blunders?

We score from the occasional penalty and corner but other than that, goals have been very very few and far between.   

Which is why we are now two goals behind the Saudis. 

So if they can beat Japan we need to win at least 3-0 against a team that we couldn't beat last time around. 

On paper we should beat Thailand easily but in attack we are useless. 

Our form for 70% or more of the qualifiers has been very very poor with only a bit of luck and the occasional bit of individual good play saving us.  

Not confident that we can do anything meaningful even if we scrape our way through to get to the World Cup. 

The worst of it is that we are so fucking BORING to watch. 

I haven't missed a World Cup qualifier in Melbourne for more than 40 years (and only missed one other Socceroos game in that time-couldn't bring myself to go to a Paraguay friendly after the Iran debacle in 97) but won't be going on Tuesday. Wouldn't cross the road to watch these boring twats play at the moment.  

 

Edited September 2, 2017 by dr lime

[n i k o]

45 minutes ago, dr lime said:

Which is why we are now two goals behind the Saudis. 

So if they can hold Japan to a draw we need to win 3-0 against a team that we couldn't beat last time around.

If they hold Japan to a draw and we win regardless of scoreline we go through no? That'd put them on 17 points and us on 19 which puts us second. I think you're saying in the instance that Saudi beats Japan by a goal.

Edited August 31, 2017 by n i k o

[Shahanga]

Just getting the win will be hard enough. Thais will get players behind the ball and try to be hard to be breakdown. 

Hopefully Mooy is fit, looking forward to seeing the bald genius again.

[Shahanga]

Oh after watching that match and reflecting I hope the FFA review the rules around the A League in the context of that performance.

i get the argument maybe we could have started this guy or that guy but to me the fundamental problem is our players aren't that good and what quality we do have drops off very quickly. Someone is having a bad night in midfield and our options are ummm zero.

We need more young talented players coming through desperately.

[japiedog]

our first touch is awful, seriously, these guys are playing for the national team,? our passing was shiteful as well.

once you start with with shit touch and shit passes, and giving the ball away cheaply, forget about movement and defending, you are chasing shadows always

to tell you the truth , Japan weren't that much better,

Andy Harper has to be the most one eyed, biased commentator I've heard , since the old days of 3GL

 

[Dylan]

1 hour ago, Shahanga said:

Oh after watching that match and reflecting I hope the FFA review the rules around the A League in the context of that performance.

i get the argument maybe we could have started this guy or that guy but to me the fundamental problem is our players aren't that good and what quality we do have drops off very quickly. Someone is having a bad night in midfield and our options are ummm zero.

We need more young talented players coming through desperately.

Yeah I don't think the little pundit bubble we have realises most of AUS players just are not good enough.  IMO nothing will substantially change until we miss a World Cup

Edited August 31, 2017 by Dylan

[n i k o]

The clear difference was in the tactics. Ange wants to play his way on the international stage and has been figured out. 

[Jovan]

46 minutes ago, n i k o said:

The clear difference was in the tactics. Ange wants to play his way on the international stage and has been figured out. 

This was a game you had to avoid losing at all costs as opposed to try and win. 

We deserved what we got. Just another example of being ahead of yourself.

[belaguttman]

1 hour ago, japiedog said:

our first touch is awful, seriously, these guys are playing for the national team,? our passing was shiteful as well.

once you start with with shit touch and shit passes, and giving the ball away cheaply, forget about movement and defending, you are chasing shadows always

to tell you the truth , Japan weren't that much better,

Andy Harper has to be the most one eyed, biased commentator I've heard , since the old days of 3GL

 

It's not just the first touch that is poor, the touch problem is exacerbated by the pass to the attacking player usually being poor and difficult to control - poorly weighted, bobbling ball or inaccurate, it slows play, moves players into danger rather than into soace and unbalances players so that their subsequent disposal is poor

[n i k o]

14 minutes ago, Jovan said:

This was a game you had to avoid losing at all costs as opposed to try and win. 

We deserved what we got. Just another example of being ahead of yourself.

Agree with that. At least look to set up a but more conservatively rather than a full fledged attack on away soil. 

[Jovan]

4 minutes ago, n i k o said:

Agree with that. At least look to set up a but more conservatively rather than a full fledged attack on away soil. 

In a game that basically determines your own fate a loss was the worst possible outcome. 

The basic fact that every player for player comparison we were below our opposition should dictate a more pragmatic approach but no we went in with the mindset of dominating and playing  "our way" and tbf for periods it worked but for a 90 minute away from home plan it was destined to fail. 

 

[belaguttman]

The positive from the game was that at home Japan set up defensively and counter-attacked, indicating in part that they weren't confident that they could outplay us with their usual possession football. OTOH they set up to exploit our vulnerabilities and did it well, compress our attacking third of the field limiting our chances and wait for the inevitable turnovers in our defensive third, provoked with a good press. In order to play like this we need to pass accurately. 

It seemed strange to setup offensively but without a real striker, and also to play so narrowly as this just brought the ball right into the middle of a congested Japanese defence

[bt50]

1 hour ago, Jovan said:

This was a game you had to avoid losing at all costs as opposed to try and win. 

We deserved what we got. Just another example of being ahead of yourself.

100%. We should have gone there with the biggest fucking bus the Japs have ever seen, but instead we tried to play our usual flaky football and walked away with nothing. A draw was as good as qualifying; Ange let his ego get in the way of it.

[Forever City]

Does anyone know the team we will face in the playoff if we don't get automatic qualification? 

Edited September 1, 2017 by Forever City

[bt50]

10 minutes ago, Forever City said:

Does anyone know the team we will face in the playoff if we don't automatic qualification? 

3rd place in the other group, which will be the Uzbeks, Syrians or South Koreans. If we win that we then face the 4th place finisher from CONCACAF, which at this stage looks likely to be Panama or Honduras, but USA and Costa Rica are possible too.

I'd still be fairly confident of getting through tbh, but I'd rather we qualify directly on Tuesday.

[Tesla]

Didnt watch the game, so I'm assuming the outrage is over the performance rather than the result? Not saying losing isn't bad, but losing 2-0 to Japan away is hardly a shock.

[bt50]

6 minutes ago, Tesla said:

Didnt watch the game, so I'm assuming the outrage is over the performance rather than the result? Not saying losing isn't bad, but losing 2-0 to Japan away is hardly a shock.

More the tactics and selection than anything. Ange was far from pragmatic in his approach to a key game. 

Anyway, equation is that we need to beat the Thai's by 2 goals more than the Saudi's do Japan and we are in.

[n i k o]

1 hour ago, belaguttman said:

The positive from the game was that at home Japan set up defensively and counter-attacked, indicating in part that they weren't confident that they could outplay us with their usual possession football. OTOH they set up to exploit our vulnerabilities and did it well, compress our attacking third of the field limiting our chances and wait for the inevitable turnovers in our defensive third, provoked with a good press. In order to play like this we need to pass accurately. 

It seemed strange to setup offensively but without a real striker, and also to play so narrowly as this just brought the ball right into the middle of a congested Japanese defence

I don't necessarily see it as Japan being inferior to taking us on with possession based football but more so them being pragmatic given the importance of the game. In the end whatever the reasoning it worked for them. 

[playmaker]

In summary, this tactical suicide needs to stop.

There is no way we can be competitive at the top level playing the way we do.

Ange is an idiot if he can't see the consistently of our failings. Either he changes the defensive structure and stops with this attacking wingback rubbish or he resigns.

He tries to play like Chelsea or Italy with a team that is a pub team by comparison and then they get their ass handed to them by a team at a similar level playing a low risk, solid and conventional tactic and structure that has been proven to be the most balanced and successful at all levels for over 100 year. 

Ange is an egotistical moron.

As Bruno would say, 'fuck off'

[belaguttman]

5 hours ago, n i k o said:

I don't necessarily see it as Japan being inferior to taking us on with possession based football but more so them being pragmatic given the importance of the game. In the end whatever the reasoning it worked for them. 

Of course, Japan was being pragmatic, but if they were confident of beating us with their natural game then they would have done it. Looking at the big picture, the pendulum has swung away from possession based football towards counter-attacking football (of course counter-attack is also possession based). It's up to the proponents of possession based football to come up with solutions. The pendulum will undoubtedly swing again

[Dylan]

fuck off Ange, go back to construction

[dr lime]

I blame "The Curse of the Green Socks". 

Need to get back to "traditional values" ... Gold/Green/white - the strip that won us the Asian Cup!

[dr lime]

Do we really think we can score enough goals to get us to the World Cup? 

I suspect the Saudis will probably drop their bundle and fail to win against Japan. But as we are playing first and they will know what they need to do, I'm not confident we will be able to score at least a 3-goal win to get past them if they win by a single goal. 

Our recent form in official games suggests we are hopeless in open play:

World Cup qualifiers

v Iran home (W2-0): Luongo -open play, Juric-from a corner

v UAE away (W 1-0): Cahill-last gasp winner from open play when we could easily have lost. 

v Saudis away (2-2): Sainsbury -from a corner, Juric- from open play; could easily have lost this one.

v Japan home (1-1): penalty

v Thailand away (2-2): 2 penalties

v Iraq  away: (1-1): Leckie from a corner (should have lost, keeper was great for us)

v UAE home (2-0): Irvine from a corner; Leckie from a corner

v Saudis home (3-2): Juric from open play (GK blunder); Juric-open play header; Rogic-open play (GK should have done better, wasn't exactly in the "top corner").

v Japan away (0-2).

Confeds Cup

v Germany: Rogic from open play (GK should have saved it); Juric a tap in after GK just dropped it from a set piece.

v Cameroon: penalty

v Chile:: Troisi from open play after a poor GK clearance. 

So, the tally: total goals: 18 from 12 matches;

goals from penalties:4 ; goals from corners:5;  goals resulting from poor opposition goalkeeping: 5; "remaining" goals from open play: 3  

So, what this tells me is: 

• we need the Thai Goalkeeper to have a nightmare
• Don't shoot when we get in the box, just dive and try to get a penalty.
• need to forget about trying to cross the ball in from advanced positions, just play for a corner
• Juric must play as he's the only guy likely to score from open play.

Okay, this is tongue in cheek, but we really have been very very poor in the past year. Ange's "possession" game has turned into "try and keep the ball and do fuck all with it, but make sure you move it around very, very slowly". To be honest we haven't even done that very well!

Not sure why we thought we had to "go for the win" in Japan when we have never done it before and a point would have been very very valuable, leaving our destiny in our own hands. 3 at the back away from home? Madness! Athough I understand why he doesn't want to play with traditional full backs when you have Smith, Degenek, Behic, Bayley Wright etc. to choose from: all of them defensive dunces.    

As I said, I think the Saudis are a bit weak mentally and probably won't be able to beat Japan anyway, especially if we can win by a couple of goals and put some pressure on them.

Which, if we can't do against the bottom side in the group, well what right do we have to be going to the World Cup anyway? 

Hopeful but pessimistic all at the same time. But overall just depressed at how shit we have been for the whole campaign. Even the games we won we were very very poor for at least half of each game.

If we don't get to the World Cup, keep Mooy, Irvine, Luongo, Sainsbury, Spiranovic and the keepers and fuck everyone else off and play the Under 21 squad for the next 4 years.   Okay, keep Leckie as well, he has the touch of an elephant and the decision making of a cretin but can scare Asian opponents with his strength and running power and does score from corners.Sigh...

 

Edited September 2, 2017 by dr lime

[mattyh001]

The more I think back to Thursday night's game, the more prevalent two thoughts are;

1) losing to Japan away is no disgrace in and of itself, but not getting a point / losing by more than 1 really hurts us since we are praying for things to go our way.

2) by God we got lucky with the Saudi's losing to UAE.

 

All I hope is that we smash Thailand. Qualifying still won't be in our hands, but puts it back on the Saudi's

[Shahanga]

Apparently we are playing before Saudis vs Japan? WTF?

i thought this was banned by FIFA after the  disgraceful Germany - Austria game of 1982? For some reason I thought in the past we'd played at the same time.

[jw1739]

29 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

Apparently we are playing before Saudis vs Japan? WTF?

i thought this was banned by FIFA after the  disgraceful Germany - Austria game of 1982? For some reason I thought in the past we'd played at the same time.

Looks as though they KO 7 hours after we do.

[mus-28]

Time to get Mike Bassett in. We'll play a 4-4-2 and every ball is put in the mixer for Juric and Cahill.

[Shahanga]

5 hours ago, mus-28 said:

Time to get Mike Bassett in. We'll play a 4-4-2 and every ball is put in the mixer for Juric and Cahill.

Sneak Benson from NPL1 and Hedges from State League 3 into the squad too.

[Tony999]

So who's going? We have 8 of us going but not overly excited. We don't put 4 past the Thai's Ange's fat ass can kick kiss direct qualifications goodbye.

[jw1739]

17 minutes ago, Tony999 said:

So who's going? We have 8 of us going but not overly excited. We don't put 4 past the Thai's Ange's fat ass can kick kiss direct qualifications goodbye.

Going with a couple of mates. North end cheap seats.