Road to Brazil

[eenfish]

so is kennedy being used as a super-sub

Probably. Our relative strength in midfield will push Cahill further forward I think, and our best bet at getting a goal is through high crosses and set-pieces anyway, and that is where Timmy's forehead is king and he can work as a target man. Josh can fit that role pretty well too, I think.

 

[Big Al]

Tim Cahill will be marked out of the game by the quality sides.

Thats why I like Taggart - Fast & good finisher & can press.

Like FP said Timmy is a funny one - never really fitted a spot that he could call his own but to good to leave out & always there to score when no one else would. He could be the goalie & still time his run into the box to perfection for one of those headers.

Bomb away to him & then shake his hand say thank you we love but times up (have already sold the tickets to Asian cup so don't need him but would be a great send off as well on home soil)

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Milligan was actually playing further up than Holland but had to try and cover his ineptness. How I think we'll line up against Chile...the talk is that Ange is committed to 4-1-2-3.

-------------------- Ryan--------------------

Franjic ---- Wilko ---- Spira --- Davidson

-------------------- Mile ------------------

--------Bresc/Tommy------Ollie/McKay------

Leckie ------------Cahill-------------- Oar

I think Bresc and Tommy will share the position - probably starting with Tommy and when he runs out of gas replace him with Bresc who will appreciate coming on when the pace has slowed slightly. Ange will probably be leaning towards McKay at LAM but with a couple of weeks to go I think Ollie will impress him with his sharpness.

Ahhhh! That was supposed to be a single DM. So 4123... explains what the f**k Troisi was doing a bit more... though Timmy made it look a bit more 4141?
Was hard to pick. Which worries me. In Milligan and Holland I just saw two players pressing wildly between consistently giving the ball away and assumed we were playing two holding mids again with Miligan prone to forward flights of fancy...

That actually cheers me up a bit. As you say Mile is bound to be the screener then... But do you really think Milligan will be dropped? I hope you're right as I think McKay or Ollie would take pressure off Mile in term of distribution and covering the counter attack after Milligan's typically telegraphed passes. And for Bresc or Tommy alongside him, another ball player will offer the interplay they need and less likelihood of being completely closed out. But I don't think he'll drop Milligan.

Mind you... do you think he'd consider Troisi or Vidosic over Bresc or Tommy? Being he's so devoted to mobility and pressing...? Be ballsy if he did. So much flack if it was anything but highly successful.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Tim Cahill will be marked out of the game by the quality sides.

Thats why I like Taggart - Fast & good finisher & can press.

Like FP said Timmy is a funny one - never really fitted a spot that he could call his own but to good to leave out & always there to score when no one else would. He could be the goalie & still time his run into the box to perfection for one of those headers.

Bomb away to him & then shake his hand say thank you we love but times up (have already sold the tickets to Asian cup so don't need him but would be a great send off as well on home soil)

I think Timmy is actually pretty hard to mark out of games, especially in the box, and is very good at finding a way to get involved... but if he is isolated up front - I think you're absolutely right. But it shouldn't be as much a problem if we can genuinely manage adhere to Ange's system...

Feel like a dolt, having watched two years of it with Roar. Then Ange failing to convert Marcos into a false nine... making it the dynamic duo show between Rohas and Archie until he tried to make it 3 again via Finkler... But I'm pretty sure I understand now what it was I saw that was so problematic up front after the first 25 against SA - and TBF it does make fatigue a large factor (besides the poor midfield play) I thought it was 4231... namely because the mids were such a disaster and Tim struggling to maintain the tempo after the first 25 played more like a lone striker.

Supposed to be 4123. And keeping Ange's 4123 is critical. Despite being let down by poor technique and decision making, we were far more dangerous when we attacked inn waves, namely Leckie and Oar getting forward the same time as Tim... which I now realise is what the players were supposed to be doing. But after the first 25 odd Tim played much more like a lone striker... The once Tim went off and Leckie switched upfront... supported by Halloran and Oar... we looked dangerous again- of course the midfield changes of McKay and Ollie helped.

Less fatigued, better drilled, with a stronger spine of Spira, Mile, Rogic and two more warm up games... we will be much improved. Good enough to topple Chile, Spain or the Netherlands... well no one really thinks so... But I think we might be a bit more of a look in than the horror show most are expecting after the SA game.

 

[pjennings]

Ahhhh! That was supposed to be a single DM. So 4123... explains what the f**k Troisi was doing a bit more... though Timmy made it look a bit more 4141?
Was hard to pick. Which worries me. In Milligan and Holland I just saw two players pressing wildly between consistently giving the ball away and assumed we were playing two holding mids again with Miligan prone to forward flights of fancy...

That actually cheers me up a bit. As you say Mile is bound to be the screener then... But do you really think Milligan will be dropped? I hope you're right as I think McKay or Ollie would take pressure off Mile in term of distribution and covering the counter attack after Milligan's typically telegraphed passes. And for Bresc or Tommy alongside him, another ball player will offer the interplay they need and less likelihood of being completely closed out. But I don't think he'll drop Milligan.

Mind you... do you think he'd consider Troisi or Vidosic over Bresc or Tommy? Being he's so devoted to mobility and pressing...? Be ballsy if he did. So much flack if it was anything but highly successful.

Millsy is not good enough a DM to play the lone DM role, he is not creative enough to play further forward and he won't make it to Russia. Will Ange drop him. I think he may (30% chance) simply because of the reasons I just listed. There are others that offer more than him.

Look ahead to February next year after the Asian Cup. I can see a big cleanout, coupled with a number of injured players that will make it hard to justify Millsy a position going forward since he won't make it to 2018. Jedi probably won't either but I would keep him until a natural leader comes through. Ange will be thinking of this as well and it may colour his thinking in Brazil. Why pick an older player when a younger player can do the job just as well or better.

Feb 2015

------------------------------Ryan/Langerak/Birighitti---------------

Williams/Franjic----Sainsbury/Wright-----Spiranovic/Good----Davidson/Smith

---------------------------------Jedinak/Luongo-------------------------

------------------Amini/Sarota---------------------Rogic/Bozanic----------

Kruse/Halloran--------------------Taggart/Juric--------------Oar/Leckie

 

[Roy Law]

As an interesting aside - Ollie has also been playing at LB in training...(World Game interview)
I thought he brought more direct purpose to midfield than Holland but it would be a big stretch for him to start in midfield with two of Ange's favourites - Milligan and MacKay - in the squad.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Really... LB...
Is he fighting for a spot with McKay - so they are comparing their versatility? Or is it rather with McKay likely to play a midfield role at times, they are ensuring they have at least one other point of cover for Davidson. This may help Ollie make the cut to 23 at least.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Great article. Terrific change from the simple puff or light weight opinion pieces. Frustrating to not have much high quality football journalism and analysis around in the approach to the WC.


Relax Australia, the Socceroos are rebuilding from the rubble

Tony Tannous Columnist


By Tony Tannous, 30 May 2014 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert
If there’s one thing Monday night’s farewell draw with Bafana Bafana highlighted, it’s that Australia appears to have lost touch with the reality of where its national team is at.

The overwhelmingly negative reaction to the team’s performance became a storm, with just about every Tom, Dick, Harry and former Socceroo lining up for their stab at Ange Postecoglou and his team.

The latest to join the bashing brigade were Paul Wade and Zeljko Kalac.

It’s as if Australia and Australia football has lost all sense of the fact the Socceroos are only just starting the rebuild process from the mess that was allowed to fester for so long.

Fair enough that mainstream Australia mightn’t understand where the national team is at in terms of its rebuilding cycle, but for the Australian football community to jump on the bandwagon and bash the team so openly has been quite mystifying.

To think that Postecoglou would just come in, have no more that a fortnight in total with his newly assembled crew, and wave the magic wand is the height of naivity, to use a term thrown the way of the team in the past couple of days.

Remembering this has been only the third time the manager has had the squad together, and on the previous two occasions they barely had time to complete introductions before playing.

In that time Postecoglou has not only had to turn over his playing roster, but many of his support staff.

Kalac, in particular, should know better, having been a part of Guus Hiddnk’s rebuild in 2005 and 2006.

He would know, for example, that Hiddink had the best part of a year to rebuild his side ahead of the World Cup and that the ‘Roos weren’t as smooth in the playoff against Uruguay as they were in Germany eight months later.

That sort of fluency doesn’t happen in the space of just over a week on the training track.

From what I saw in Gosford on day three of camp and from all the noise coming out, the intensity of training has been extremely high.

Peter Cklamovski had been working the boys hard, and high standards have been demanded throughout.

Little doubt that’s to do with the way Postecoglou wants the ‘Roos to play, centred around a high octane pressing game.

The plan is undoubtedly to build that mileage into the legs in the early part of the camp and then taper off as the opener against Chile approaches.

Kalac should remember more than most the intense workload that Hiddink put his players ahead of the Cup and the resultant impact that had on the lead-up performances, where there were only sporadic signs of what was to come.

It made sense at the time when Hiddink and his men put those performances down to training legs.

Yet when Postecoglou mentioned it on Monday, he was criticised for seeking an excuse.

Perhaps the manager could have done himself a favour by pre-empting the tiring legs in his pre-match press conference. Yet to these eyes it seemed a valid mitigate..

Far from being the catastrophe it was made out to be, I saw signs of a team building through its foundation phase.

Admittedly there may have been more of an emphasis on the team’s defensive structure, but Postecolgou has rarely been one to rebuild from the back.

Indeed, he appears to me to be building a structure where the defending happens higher, and as a team, thus reducing the burden on the back four.

What I saw on Monday was a team, especially in the opening half hour, looking to evolve from their work in Postecoglou’s opening two friendlies.

Whereas he has used a 4-2-3-1 against Costa Rica and Ecuador, here he adjusted from a 4-3-3 in attack to a 4-2-3-1 in defence.

The subtle difference was in the position of central midfielder Mark Milligan.

When the Roos were on the ball, Milligan pushed up into a position known as the number 8 role, advanced of the holding midfielder but not as high as the number 10, in this case James Troisi.

When Milligan pushed up, Troisi would would peel over to the left, so the Roos would have only one midfielder screening, James Holland.

It was a staggered midfield.


The Socceroos in attack first half (4-3-3)

—————–Cahill——————–
—–Oar———————Leckie——-
——————————————-
———–Troisi————————–
————————Milligan———-
—————-Holland———————————————————–
Davidson—McGowan—Wilkinson—Franjic
——————————————-
——————Ryan——————-

The fact Milligan found his way into the box in the first minute and then had a strike from the edge of the box minutes later tells you how Postecoglou is thinking.

In fact, the opening quarter of the games was some of the best football seen from a national team in years, involving quick circulation of ball and bodies, overloading on the flanks, and some eye-catching combination play.

With sharper finishing, admittedly a problem area for a team without too many natural scorers, the ‘Roos might have had two or three goals rather than be chasing an equaliser.

When the Socceroos lost the ball, Milligan would retreat into a more traditional screening role on the right of Holland, with Troisi moving to his right in a more traditional number 10 position.


The Socceroos in defence first half (4-2-3-1)

—————–Cahill——————–
—–Oar———————Leckie——-
——————————————-
——————Troisi——————-
———-Holland——Milligan———–
——————————————-
Davidson—McGowan—Wilkinson—Franjic
——————————————-
——————Ryan——————-

You can see Postecoglou is looking to evolve the team and make it more dynamic in attack.

But it will take him some time to find the right midfield balance, and not having Mile Jedinak and Tom Rogic available gave him an opportunity to assess his alternatives.

We saw in the first half against Ecuador how effective the Tom and Tim show, Rogic and Cahill, can be.

In the second half Postecoglou introduced Matt McKay for Troisi and, in doing so, shifted the balance to a slightly deeper one, with Milligan and McKay advanced of Holland, but in the same line.

This is the conundrum for Postecoglou.

If he wants a more proactive Brisbane Roar style three-man midfield with one screener, then players like Rogic and Troisi might not fit.

Even Milligan, as we saw on Monday, struggled to cope with the non-stop run required in such a three.

Funnily enough, one of the players most suited to such a midfield is Oliver Bozanic, who caught the eye with his cameo.

Mark Bresciano, if fit, would also fit into such a three, but you have to have doubts about his ability to play huge minutes against the Chilean, Dutch and Spanish midfields.

Overall, Postecoglou will have been disappointed his alternatives, Holland, McKay and Troisi, didn’t take their chances.

But there were also some good signs, and neat passages of play.

Particularly when the ball was at the feet of the wide men, Tommy Oar and Leckie, they looked dangerous, dribbling, making South Africa’s defenders defend.

Often they were guilty of not showing the requisite patience, blazing away from the flanks, looking to hit Cahill.

It’s undoubtedly a tactic that could work against the Chileans, but the Roos mustn’t do it to a fault, ensuring there is always variety in their attack.

Given the historic problems in defence, it was perhaps surprising to learn Postecoglou has so far focussed on the attack. But then again, it is Postecoglou.

Undoubtedly his idea is to defend from the front, protecting the defence with high pressing.

If he can get it working in such a short time, it’s a noble tactic.

But given the quality of the opponents there’s every chance they will find a way through the Socceroos press and expose the new look defence.

Jedinak will make a big difference screening, but there’s still plenty of work ahead on the defensive set-up.

True, there isn’t alot of time, but fans must remember the World Cup is just the start of the rebuild. Bigger things await for this team.

Yes, everyone want the ‘Roos to make an impression, even be competitive in Brazil, but the reality is, given where we’ve come from, given our current position both in ranking and as a unit, we were never likely to upset any of our group opponents.

Expectations these days are high for the national team, and that’s understandable, but their ought to be a fairer assessment of where the ‘Roos are at, and heading.

The facts are Postecoglou is doing the work the governing body and it’s previous national team boss put off, and that he’s doing the critical rebuild at a time when we don’t have a bevy of regulars starring in European leagues.

This isn’t to say that Postecoglou should be above any criticism, but the noise after Monday night appeared well out of touch.

Hitherto the manager has the runs on the board, and Australia would be best advised to give him and his young team an opportunity to grow and breath.

Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyTannousTRBA

http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/05/30/relax-australia-socceroos-rebuilding-rubble/

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Ollie not doing his selection hopes any harm by bagging himself a goal against Parana Clube. C'mon son!

Ha! Nor Taggart either Big AL

I'll confess, we could really do with a poacher in the side. He's growing on me Big Al. (Nothing to do with the fact I hear he's planning to leave scum)

2 - 0 so far and sounds like they are playing Ange's style well from all the tweets.

 

[Big Al]

Ollie not doing his selection hopes any harm by bagging himself a goal against Parana Clube. C'mon son!

Ha! Nor Taggart either Big AL

I'll confess, we could really do with a poacher in the side. He's growing on me Big Al. (Nothing to do with the fact I hear he's planning to leave scum)

2 - 0 so far and sounds like they are playing Ange's style well from all the tweets.

Early low cross - goal (pay attention Storm that's what u need to add). Taggart suits Ange's style very well IMO - I know i'm getting carried away but I'd at least have him in the game day squad. We don't have another striker like him.
Taggart a must now that Kennedy has strained his back. Hopefully Taggart has seen the last of Newy.

Ollie surely a must now to - controlled the game - versatile & actually looks really good.

 

[pjennings]

Tommy, Kennedy, Birrighitti and McKay (TBC) cut

Last qualifier vs Iraq - only Spike, Ratboy, Tommy Oar, Bresc and Timmy remain

Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill, Mark Milligan, Sasa Ognenovski, Luke Wilkshire, Tommy Oar, Brett Holman (Tom Rogic 60), Matthew McKay, Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill (Joshua Kennedy 77), Robbie Kruse (Archie Thompson 78)

Late update - rumour now is that Bresc has pulled out and McKay is back

CONFIRMATION - Tommy, Kennedy, Birighitti and Wilkshire

 

[sydmariner]

Tommy, Kennedy, Birrighitti and McKay (TBC) cut

Last qualifier vs Iraq - only Spike, Ratboy, Tommy Oar, Bresc and Timmy remain

Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill, Mark Milligan, Sasa Ognenovski, Luke Wilkshire, Tommy Oar, Brett Holman (Tom Rogic 60), Matthew McKay, Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill (Joshua Kennedy 77), Robbie Kruse (Archie Thompson 78)

Late update - rumour now is that Bresc has pulled out and McKay is back

is josh kenneddy cut

 

[pjennings]

is josh kenneddy cut

Yep - injured like Tommy

 

[sydmariner]

Yep - injured like Tommy

wtf

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Yeah very disappointing news to lose Tommy. And Kennedy.

That's a big piece of our talent in the front third gone. Looks like Taggart will get his chance at some point Big Al.

Theres still a lot to be excited about I think. 6 defenders, 10 mids, 4 forwards... Surely Ange is thinking 352? Would suit his style and squad.

With Bresciano reportedly on the cusp of being dropped also... CAM is my main concern. Troisi and Vidosic are not the same calibre as Tommy and Bresc imo.
But Troisi presses well, which will suit Ange, so I imagine he will get the nod as our starting CAM.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Oh and...

CONGRATS TO WILKO!!!




LEGEND

 

[pjennings]

Triosi has had a great year - but he has never really impressed when asked to step up.

I don't think Ange will go 3-5-2 - more likely to stick to his 4-1-2-3 and I can't believe that Bresc will be ready for 90 mins against Chile so I would like to see this side start against Croatia. Bresc to come on after the pace has slowed slightly.

----------------Ryan
Franjic--Wilkinson---Spiranovic---Davidson
----------------Jedinak
-------Luongo------------Bozanic----------
Leckie----------Cahill----------------Oar

Similar wide players to the South Africa game but
Spira for McGowan
Jedinak for Holland
Luongo for Milligan
Bozanic for Trioisi

Luongo and Bozanic are both good ball players and will defend from the front better than Triosi , Milligan or Vidosic.

Bresc, Taggart and Halloran to provide attacking alternatives.

Well done to Maty, Ollie, Jedi and Wilko. Commiserations to Tommy - he will be back fitter and stronger.

 

[tsd]

On the money mr Jennings, I have only one offering...

My take on the Wilkshire cut: ange planning on shifting Milligan to CB, Wilko to bench

 

[Big Al]

Ange doesn't defend any way - hoping to loose 10-3 instead of 2or3 Nil.

Tommy was only ever destined for failure once he went to MV. What a crock that was. Unfortunately i think he has the skills but not the body. Another Harry Kewell without the the sucess Harry had before injuries. I am going to call Tommy a bust for the future. His body just can't handle it.

I thought Troisi was great towards the end of the year.

Come on Taggart show em what you got so you can get the hell out of Newy.

I thought McKay controlled the game pretty well in the 2nd half against SF so was suprised he was in danger. Looks like he scrapped through.

Ollie's push seems to have worked out well. Now will he get game time.

 

[dibo]

I'm not sure Rogic is just let down by injuries. He's never been fit and coasts through games with occasional bursts of activity. I rate him behind Amini and Flores in the list of our best ever CCM 10s.