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AFC qualification pathway to Russia 2018 World Cup

Pablo

By Pablo
in A-League & Asia

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Sithslayer1991

Sithslayer1991

Posted
Posted

Irvine I really like him he was one good player in what was a dreadful team performance over two games. Everyone said it so I question why no journo has what is our soloution to the opposition getting past our wings? And how are we suppose to implement our strategy of possesion if the whole team can't pass 2 metres in front of them? And Aaron Mooy.... look I know Robbie Kruse is probably the easiest one to whip but I putting my anger on Aaron Mooy. I'm starting to beleive this rumour of "the myth of Mooy", plays well for his club but everytime he puts the green and gold he fades especially in the second half, Irvine and Troisi surely have given enough of a shout to start in the next games over Mooy and Kruse

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Swanderer

Swanderer

Posted
Posted

Was at the game. Made the fatal decision to opt for the cheap seats above the Cove end. Surrounded by Covites - biggest cheers for Vukovic & Grant who were on the bench FFS! Whitest crowd I have been part of for a long time. Ugh Sydney FC........

Thoughts on the game - we were awful in the first half and so was the referee - must have blown a hundred stupid soft fouls then misses real ones. Three at the back created nightmares without required back-tracking after UAE lofted long balls wide. So fortunate not to concede. Matty Ryan was great - better distribution than Langerak. Irvine and Troisi were good. Bailey Wright, Matt Leckie and Jedinak just terrible and Brad Smith had a poor first half, although improved later. Tomi unfortunately just doesn't seem to have that instinctive awareness in the area and some of his decisions in posession weren't ideal.

Anyway, a win's a win, but we need to improve markedly prior to qnext games and if we qualify - we'll get murdered if we play any of the better teams on current form

At the game as well, in members area. National squad in front of me and quite a few East Sydney shirts in the stands - WTF? Buy a yellow shirt FFS!

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Johnno

Johnno

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Posted

its going to take a while for the tribalism of the a-league to be forgotten at NT games, hence the atmosphere will always be shite. Other countries can do it, we'll get there eventually I guess

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JackDoff

JackDoff

Posted
Posted

Our national teams from 30-40 years would flog the arse off the current national team.... and they were part timers ffs!!!! I don't think Ange is the answer , he's an alright club manager , but......we seem to be getting worse with every game. No coesion, understanding , passion etc. just get us to Russia ffs

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SomeGuy1977

SomeGuy1977

Posted
Posted

Read a few news reports on the game last night....umm what fuuckin game were u pricks watching?? WE WERE SHIIT!!!!

If this is the best we've got to offer... God , or whichever deity u believe in , HELP US!!

I was thinking the same. If it wasn't so humid, I'd be tempted to tell these numpties a thing or too, I can assure you. :xmad:

 

A win is a win, but it was far from a spectacular.

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luisenrique

luisenrique

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Posted

The key games there are Aus vs Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia vs Japan. We won't even get a draw in Japan. We have to beat the Saudi's at home, and then hope Japan do us a favour and beat the Saudi's away. We also have to get our goal difference up.

 

That is a tough ask. I see us getting third tbh. Back to the dreaded play off..

 

Yep, even if we beat Saudi (which we won't on this form), the draw after that does us no favours. Start planning for a trip to Tashkent! 

 

Anyway, it's time for my daily Ange press conference rant:

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/03/29/postecoglou-calls-belief-socceroos

 

 

"It's not just about qualifying for the World Cup. It should never be about qualifying," he said on Wednesday.

"If I've been narkier than usual this week, it's because people challenged me and the things that actually brought me into the position in the first place.

"I don't see why we can't win one [World Cup]. It should be our objective.

 

I'll tell you why we can't...cos atm we're struggling to even make it. 

 

'I've been narky cos people challenged me'...really?

 

As for this:

 

 

 

"Maybe if it was a foreign coach, we'd all sit back and say, 'what a genius he is',"

 

Umm...the last two coaches were foreign and were in a better position at this stage, and they got bagged. So no, we wouldn't sit back and say that.

 

That last one is the worst for me. Astounding stuff to say and so easy to pick holes in his argument. 

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mack

mack

Posted
Posted

 

 

"Maybe if it was a foreign coach, we'd all sit back and say, 'what a genius he is',"

I'm sure certain countries in the rough equivalent of Australias position (say in Europe or South America), as regional cup winners, if they were 3rd placed in qualification they might be lucky to keep their jobs.

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Carns

Carns

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Posted

Are they really that much better than UAE? The Saudis didn't get out of their group at the 2015 Asian Cup (losing to China and Uzbekistan in the process).

 

The Saudis beat UAE at home 3-0 in October '16, I can't see them achieving that scoreline in the reverse fixture.

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WestSyd

WestSyd

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Posted

The difference is that Saudi Arabia picked up maximum points against the two worst teams in the group both home and away. Meanwhile we struggled badly away to the two worst teams in the group. We are also still yet to play Japan away. The hardest game in the group

 

It's SA's consistency which has put them in second position.

 

Also with Ange, you have to take the good with the bad. He was seen as a guy who revolutionised the game in this country, and won Australia its first Asian trophy. Got plenty of credit and congratulations for that. Now he is struggling to qualify, people will question his methods. That's how it goes.

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btron3000

btron3000

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Posted

Lol "genius".

 

If a foreign coach left us so exposed at the back everyone would be calling for his head and asking why we are paying big bucks for a foreigner when we could have an Aussie produce that.

 

This is up there with the genius comment:

I will not speak to our players as if they're not as good as somebody else just because they're Australian

This has nothing to do with nationality, they're NOT as good as "somebody else"! If they were they'd be playing for Bayern or Barca or even bloody Newcastle (United!). But they're playing for Brighton and Bristol and Melbourne!

 

Blaming criticism on some perceived inferiority complex is just deflecting. Don't tell me we don't think positively about our team when they're decent. The rest of the world, while admiring our '06 team, would never consider that we could have won it if we had a bit more luck. But many Aussies thought that then and still do. We WANT to believe in the Socceroos. These players and this system don't help us do that. How dare he basically lay claim to being more patriotic and having more belief in Aussies compared to anyone that dare criticise him!

 

Ange has got what he wanted - he asked for more public debate and discussion on the game. But what did he do when he got it? Did he admit we were a bit exposed and say it'd take a little while to bed down? Did he explain what we did right and wrong? Did he add to the depth of debate about tactics? No, he refused to participate in tactical discussions and went the "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" defence.

 

"I welcome the scrutiny"

"How un-Australian to criticise me and my boys!!!1"

 

Bad form Ange-y pangey.

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GunnerWanderer

GunnerWanderer

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Posted

Yep agree on this he said 12 months ago let's talk about this and he hasn't reacted well when challenged

 

The whole I'm an Aussie comment was obviously directed and certain people, he's pay a shitload of money and has the top job in Australia sport in terms of the world stage

 

He says he's thicker skinned funny way of showing it

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Sithslayer1991

Sithslayer1991

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Posted

Yea his comment about criticism because his Australian is false.... member Verbeek and his boring tactics or member Osiek when we qualified but we still complained because the team was playing crap. 

Qualification will go either way I think 3rd place is minimum we will finish. The top 2 I mean everything needs to go right in the last 3 games. If we go through play-offs I think it will teach everybody not take qualification for granted

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Gazmon

Gazmon

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Hmmm... said it once, say it again... we're not that good. Look at where our players are plying their trade. Missing Milligan for the next match will be massive IMHO. We were pretty crap against UAE, only scored off 2-set pieces, hardly scary stuff for Japan and Saudi Arabia.

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MartinTyler

MartinTyler

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Posted

Hmmm... said it once, say it again... we're not that good. Look at where our players are plying their trade. Missing Milligan for the next match will be massive IMHO. We were pretty crap against UAE, only scored off 2-set pieces, hardly scary stuff for Japan and Saudi Arabia.

 

Yeah, missing Milligan probably means that Jedinak has to start again.....

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nmh94

nmh94

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Posted

We can definitely beat SA over here. We weren't far off beating them over there a few months back - not that much as changed, and as has been said, they are notoriously ordinary travellers.

 

I am more concerned about the fact Ange seems to have lost the plot than anything the Saudis will do.

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