Road to Russia

[Holy]

For anyone who missed these. I thought they were great. And speaks highly of the headspace our players are in leading in.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/video-socceroos-touching-tributes-to-mentors-493069

I love that sort of stuff, thanks for sharing FP

 

[sydmariner]

its’ the same starting 11 as last weak so no jedi & no king Cahill.

 

[true believer]

very surprised . i thought jurman at least had to start over milligan

 

[true believer]

their giving us a kicking . pull off milligan and bring on jedi

 

[true believer]

robbie kruse ? why ffs

 

[true believer]

daniel arzani , what an x factor game for the kid

edit jackson irvine must start over robbie kruse.

pps jedi must start over milligan

 

[VicMariner]

Irvine was impressive and Kruse did nothing as usual. Arzani is something else.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

God it's hard to find highlights on the Fox Sports and World Game sites....Fox Sports is an absolute mess, always hated the updated format. Anyway, I didn't watch it, looking at the highlights....my god.
Ok, so out of 3 goals, none of them should have happened.
Arzani's, the shot was ordinary, slow, close to the keeper, he just screwed it up (I think the Arzani circle jerk needs to get past that a bit). Arzani's goal reminded me of Kennedy in that game that never actually happened at the end of the season that never actually happened. People say he played well, maybe he did. He's also the biggest diver in the HAL and I still find it hard to respect cheats.
The other one we scored, there was nothing happening in that attack, no support, a HAL-level cross. Leckie should have been moving into support, Nabbout was standing on the wing, never going to get it. Kruse crossed like Kruse does anything. Anybody got a more comprehensive highlights package? The socceroos highlights pack only shows the goals. And none of those goals were international quality. They shouldn't even be professional quality...
Sainsbury, what on earth were you thinking?
Haha, we're going to get slaughtered.

 

[true believer]

you didn't miss anything CGB . both sides were rubbish . it's just they found a way to lose .

 

[Offsider]

After being bored to death by hill and zzeelick’s commentary and overcoming the seasickness zoom in zoom out camera work ........... we learn that the game plan was to be ........ boring ......... sorry patient.......... very patient. Hence all the goals being scored by mistake, or players half asleep.

Does anybody really care for commentators reviewing opponents high lights and lowlights and careers etc etc ?????. I have had a bit of experience with commentators and producers and it was always thought of as bad ............ to talk or comment about anything that the punters cannot see.

Surely kruze has murdered enough chances now to be put out to pasture. His body language after each miss or mistake says it all ......... “shoot me now.”

If I were kruze, milligan, jedinak, jones or risdon .............. I would be investing in a pair of splinter proof undies. Any pressure on our centrebacks playing “ keepball “ will put a cat amongst the pidgeons.

The only other impression I took from that wasted two odd hours of missed sleep is that okon really is not a fan of bert.

 

[Tevor]

It was clearly a training run and nothing more than that as Bert made wholesale changes at half time and even gave Cahill 10 minutes at the expense of Juric who came on at half time. Whole game plan was different to the Czech game, looked like Bert wanted to see how well we can keep the ball. Sure he wasn’t impressed and may not use that tactic in the WC now.

I’m not reading anything into it, and Hungary would easily beat Czech and apparently it was their best performance under their new manager. Also you don’t want the give our opponents to much material on how we are going to play.

Can’t wait for it to begin.

Don’t know how Okon got through interviews for our manager position. The bloke is so unassuming and talks jibberish so no wonder our team looked lost with our game plan.

 

[Big Al]

God it's hard to find highlights on the Fox Sports and World Game sites....Fox Sports is an absolute mess, always hated the updated format. Anyway, I didn't watch it, looking at the highlights....my god.
Ok, so out of 3 goals, none of them should have happened.
Arzani's, the shot was ordinary, slow, close to the keeper, he just screwed it up (I think the Arzani circle jerk needs to get past that a bit). Arzani's goal reminded me of Kennedy in that game that never actually happened at the end of the season that never actually happened. People say he played well, maybe he did. He's also the biggest diver in the HAL and I still find it hard to respect cheats.
The other one we scored, there was nothing happening in that attack, no support, a HAL-level cross. Leckie should have been moving into support, Nabbout was standing on the wing, never going to get it. Kruse crossed like Kruse does anything. Anybody got a more comprehensive highlights package? The socceroos highlights pack only shows the goals. And none of those goals were international quality. They shouldn't even be professional quality...
Sainsbury, what on earth were you thinking?
Haha, we're going to get slaughtered.

Select the sub heading football and should be easy to find from there. The app is really good to if you have football as a favorite sport

 

[Big Al]

Bert playing one on each post at the corners and what do you know the header goes to the defender on the back stick.

Must be some new tactical genius our Mariners coaches didn’t know about.

Overall a pretty scrappy game but good confidence to be winning especially after dropping the lead

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Forget the keeper error goal. Arzani’s cameo was fantastic.. He was all class and showed how poor Kruse is. Offers us so little now.

Juric. Every time I watch him I’m bewildered that people continue to say he’s got what it takes. His goal scoring and performances never support it. And as hold up man, please he’s bloody average. At least Cahill feels like he will score and Nabbout works 3 times as hard as Juric and I think is twice as likely to score also.

Milligan at CB is a liability. We also badly lack height and strength without Mile and a Jurman or og monster etc and so at set pieces we look very frail.

Pogba and co will head it in at will if we line up and play like that against the frogs.

Ball movement was much better in the second half. Mooy who is loooking tired or lazy and not adventurous worried me. Irvine was great.

Tommy has been starved of service. And showed why it’s so important to make sure we consistently look to get him on the ball.

Arzani should start against France because What do we have to lose, Kruse is not going to rip France up anyway or defend for that matter but he is odds on to butcher any goal scoring chance he gets and go to ground and whisper a few times.

All the Arzani so young and pressure stuff. f**k off okon. He’s actually jealous of attackers, it’s pathetic. Pffft, just read the kids nature will you. He’s precocious, loves it and believes he should be there. So let him shine, god knows we’ll need any inspiration we can get against France.

 

[Big Al]

Still think Arzani should be a sub. Perfect against a tired defence. If starts I’m sure he won’t be as a effective.

Kruse got in good position a couple of times but no clue.

Don’t care what people say Cahill’s sheer presence makes things happen. The boys lift
and the defender made that error knowing he was around. He should be the sub attacker as well.

So my 1st two subs are Arzani 60mins and Cahill 70. Third Irvine. Could swap him and Cahill depending on score.

Mile over Luongo. Luongo is to up and down. Rocks and diamonds stuff. He could be a good replacement if yellow cards effect the team.

Jedi has to start for France game and Milligan will be the weak point but seems pretty clear he is in (unfortunately)

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Feel it again.
Remember remember the 16th of November
Patriotism, glory and goals.
Such emotional reasons
Why that winning season
Is imprinted upon our souls

 

[Josho Howe]

I remember that night very well. 11 years old and my first Socceroos game. Was there with my Grandfather and when Aloisi's pen hit the net l went down a row of seats and was picked up by a random bloke who put me on his shoulders. Unbelievable atmosphere and emotion in the stadium that night.

 

[pjennings]

Still think Arzani should be a sub. Perfect against a tired defence. If starts I’m sure he won’t be as a effective.

Kruse got in good position a couple of times but no clue.

Don’t care what people say Cahill’s sheer presence makes things happen. The boys lift
and the defender made that error knowing he was around. He should be the sub attacker as well.

So my 1st two subs are Arzani 60mins and Cahill 70. Third Irvine. Could swap him and Cahill depending on score.

Mile over Luongo. Luongo is to up and down. Rocks and diamonds stuff. He could be a good replacement if yellow cards effect the team.

Jedi has to start for France game and Milligan will be the weak point but seems pretty clear he is in (unfortunately)

I don't think Arzani will start against France. Though he may in the later games. They asked Mile what he said to Arzani after the goal. I assume he joked when he said "Don't forget your defensive duties." I'm all for giving if you are good enough you are old enough - the question more is horses for courses. As someone said last night Kewell played home and away against Iran in 1997 at 17 and scored in both legs.

I would start Mile and Irvine together as the screeners with preferable Rogic in front (but I could live with Mooy or Luongo) Irvine defends better than Mooy or Luongo and is more aggressive though not as silky as the other two. We need to defend well but also need outlets otherwise we will continue to be pushed back until we are defending way too deep.

I would prefer Jurman over Millsy as well but that seems unlikely at this stage. Arzani to get 30 minutes in this game if we are still in the game.

 

[pjennings]

Just listened to Harper on a podcast channelling Mike Cockerill pushing for Rogic as the striker. Considering that our striker may well be isolated against France someone like Tommy that can turn and shoot is probably not that outlandish. I suspect it would look something like this with Irvine or Luongo pushed forward

---------------Ryan--------------
Risdon--Sainsbury--Jurman---Behich
------Jedinak--------Mooy-----
------------Irvine/Luongo-----------
Leckie--------Rogic--------Kruse

 

[Big Al]

Just listened to Harper on a podcast channelling Mike Cockerill pushing for Rogic as the striker. Considering that our striker may well be isolated against France someone like Tommy that can turn and shoot is probably not that outlandish. I suspect it would look something like this with Irvine or Luongo pushed forward

---------------Ryan--------------
Risdon--Sainsbury--Jurman---Behich
------Jedinak--------Mooy-----
------------Irvine/Luongo-----------
Leckie--------Rogic--------Kruse

I see the temptation but he isn’t fast and not good in the air when the wingers do penetrate or throw a cross in.

His dribbling skill would be lost and a good #10 should be hitting them from outside imo.

I think he needs to be used more effectively. They by pass him for the wingers.

I’d leave him as is but would be tempted to play him off the bench against France and go with Irvine and then unleash him against Denmark and Peru