Australian National Teams Thread 5: WC Playoffs Here We Come

[Stokz]

4 hours ago, BoyFromTheWest said:

I agree that the pedigree and higher level capability isn't there - compared to golden era. But, I think our current problem is less to do with personnel and more to do with the lack of strategy, wrong player choices... Ordinary, ineffrctive coaching. Arnie is very effective as A League coach but continues to demonstrate an inability above that level. Grant continually plays as if he is in SFC and gets in Boyles way, for example. There doesnt appear to be a strategy to attack. The defence works because two good defenders and keeper hold it together.

We aren't a team of great players but not we formed into a solid, effective team.

I think personnel is a big factor, we dont seem to be producing much talent that is good at taking on players, those creative types.

In tight games, they make a difference.

I think the A-league has played a role in this and hindered the development of young players in this country, we have become reliant on importing the no9, no10 into this country, the so called creative players who at times are have been no better than the local players.

We are seeing this effect of this now.

 

[Paul01]

Arnold's diabolical team selection have Australia's Mens FIFA ranking drop.

Playing Mooy as DM with Rogic was idiotic. Made Behich look ordinary when Mooy should have been criticized.

Playing Leckie ahead of Duke or Ruka in the game against Saudi as well as Mullet man ahead of Karacic.

Playing Leckie ahead of McGree and still playing Mullet man against China.

Arnold is just pathetic at international level when it comes to good opposition.

We should poach the Saudi coach Renard now

[marron]

Anyone else see the continental playoff has been confirmed to be a single game in a neutral venue? They will draw soon as to which confed plays who out of Asia, OFC, Concacaf and Conmebol.

[Davo]

So as it stands, Arnie will get us knocked out by either New Zealand, Panama or Peru, probably playing in Doha because of course that's where they'll play it.

[Sithslayer1991]

10 hours ago, marron said:

Anyone else see the continental playoff has been confirmed to be a single game in a neutral venue? They will draw soon as to which confed plays who out of Asia, OFC, Concacaf and Conmebol.

So essentially finishing 3rd means 2 sudden death one off play-offs on neutral ground most likely Qatar.  Honestly if its NZ we will be ok, if its north America its close between US, Panama, Canada and Mexico, outside of Panama I don't think we can beat the other 3, and then if its South America forget it regardless who we draw the team isn't good enough to go up against any of them.

Edited November 22, 2021 by Sithslayer1991

[Paul01]

11 hours ago, Sithslayer1991 said:

Honestly if its NZ we will be ok

Really, they have Chris Wood EPL Striker for Burnley 

[GunnerWanderer]

Yeah NZ isn’t a pushover 

They might actually fancy themselves over us. 

[marron]

Colleague at work is like, "hope it's NZ", me:

 

[marron]

At least we'll have the schadenfraude, is all I can say.

[Stokz]

Bozza is 100% spot on.

 

 

[GunnerWanderer]

Haha bozza now doesn’t have his fox overlords to ask him to go easy on Arnie 

If qualifying turns uglier him and foster will have Arnie in tears 😝

[Sithslayer1991]

1 hour ago, Stokz said:

Bozza is 100% spot on.

 

 

Ooft I love this. I think its all that is missing from the 10 coverage someone who just goes BANG.

[Unlimited]

Needs more SBS Chief Football Analyst Craig Foster on, but yeah it was pretty dire 

[Paul01]

And the draw for Intercontinental Play-offs

AFC v CONMEBOL 

Arnold needs to stop being an idiot 

[mack]

We won't win the play-off anyway.

At least we wouldn't get knocked out by NZ now.

NZ might play Panama.

This should be the last WC both us and NZ fail to qualify for as long as they keep the 48 team madness. OFC now gets a direct slot, and we'd have to drop below 8th place. The only way I could see that happening is if the AFC keep the same structure as the current qualifying except they just give a WC spot to the top team in each of the second round groups, and then we get a group with a highly rated 2nd place team then fail spectacularly.

If they retain a final round of two groups of 6 we should be easily capable of finishing top 4 in a 6 team group that should have at least 3 much weaker teams than us.

[marron]

Well it was fun while it lasted.

[marron]

(actually most of the time it was not that fun was it...)

[Paul01]

3 minutes ago, marron said:

(actually most of the time it was not that fun was it...)

But the playoffs helped with FIFA Rankings.

[Sithslayer1991]

had to laugh. Were finished if we finsih 3rd

[marron]

It's a one off as well, not two-legged. Neutral venue.

[marron]

Colombia, Peru, Chile or Uruguay, at this stage.

[Unlimited]

Just heard Alex Morgan didn’t make the trip to Australia with the US team

 

Hope there’s a good turnout today nonetheless

[marron]

****

[Davo]

Wow…

[Wanderboy]

Just now, marron said:

****

Could they have made a worse start?

What a pathetic 24 seconds.

[marron]

****

[Paul01]

Kyah Simon doing a Simon Cox

[Paul01]

Matilda's thread this way 》》》》

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

Graham Arnold: “Me? To the Wanderers? Please. They can get the banner back out...” Arnold told the Sydney Morning Herald in reference to a controversial tifo Wanderers fans made of the former Sydney FC coach.

Bit of a weird answer, do you want your family to be distressed again? 

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/football/news/a-league-and-australian-transfer-news-and-rumours-graham-arnold-rubbishes-wanderers-rumour-as-he-commits-to-socceroos/1vh6eod88zjs91l1dbx4ogb7ge

[mack]

The fact he's doing these rubbish puff pieces when we're heading for a playoff exit vs the other AFC team must mean he's worried about getting sacked if the results get worse.