2018 world cup qualifiers

[Tevor]

Ange out coached again and is all to common when we play the better teams. I think he is dreaming if he thinks he will get a European deal after the Socceroos or at least a decent European gig. That was the most frustrating game plan I have ever witnessed by a Socceroos team and we were totally toothless in attack. He clearly wanted to hold possession and get a nil all draw as we had no chance of scoring with that set up. Maclaren at least deserved a run with Juric injured so how would he feel seeing Ange put Kruse up front instead of an actual Striker. Part of me now wants us not to make the WC so Ange's record reflects his coaching ability.

 

[Big Al]

The minute Mooy was deemed unfit, Postecogolou should have immediately re-jigged by moving Milligan into one of the x2 DM positions and recruited Degenak to the RHS of the back 3 (quicker & far more capable than fckn Bailey Wright)

Would of been a completely different game then imo , as to me the midfield - a square block of 4 in front of the back 3, was a mess without an 'organisational player' such as Millsy.

Irvine worked hard in taking on that role of link between the back 1/3 to the front 1/3, (should of been - primarily) but it wasn't a role 'dedicated' to him per say, and therein lied the problem imo
.... too much rotation between the 4 of them ... dragging their shape all over the shop, none of them knowing where each was structurally.

The ■ block of 4 doesn't & didn't suit Rogic's abillity to
a) receive the ball, &
b) do anything with it, as Nippon were marking him tight and Tommy was getting it in wide areas as opposed to centrally where he is more devestating.

Kruse far too isolated up front, but he moved tirelessly, dropping to receive or getting too wide to cause damage. Ange should've risked Juric to start, he would've drawn defenders and opened up space for Leckie (if he was screamed at to do so ) & or Smith.

Overall it is Ange's 'stubbornness', as Al alluded to - that is a real Achilles heel to this team.

Brad Smith was a train wreck at LWB, all of which was Postecogolou's FAULT
... NOT Smith's, by selecting a player who's NOT playing regularly as per Ange's own fcuking criteria for selection.

Gersbach is apparently playing 1st team minutes at least, surely that gets you agead of someone just training/reserves

Likewise Luongo, didnt really defend well, didnt really distribute well and rarely came up with a creative move to set up an attack, not surprising to me - as he is just replicating his QPR form, which isn't receiving any plaudits ... so why would you select him on form ???

Musti Amini on the other hand IS getting good press out of Denmark. Would have much preferred him in there to Massimo.
- defensively more of a terrier but still has the eye for attack. Luongo looked aloof at times.

Nailed all of it.

Millsy is a DM, Irvine is known for scoring goals at club level and was dangerous further up in previous Aussie games. Luongo also likes to get forward and was dropped in confederations for poor distribution.
While the back 3 where very good I agree a RB comes in and move Millsy forward. Also when the game wasn't going our way we had no one on the bench the inject life into the midfield. It's to much for Amini in his 2nd game. Irvine or Luongo would have been good replacements for Rogic who is inaffective when the a packed defence is set and he has no one to pass ahead to.
Millsy some believe should play in front of Mile, now can't get in front of Irvine and Luongo who aren't DM's in the sense Ange needs a holding cover defender.

Still don't know what's wrong with the Asian cup formation. Never played better under Ange. He says he wants to have more choice but when you say I'm playing 3 at the back and not changing it defeats the purpose of being flexible. Japan just laughing going. Well 3 at the back with a left wing back who can't defend and hasn't played. I don't know lets attack him.
Very poor and Ange arrogance even had him shocked. He is always bullshiting about performance but tonight was result only and to shrug his shoulders at going to Russia. Come on.
The media started to finally get on him before confederation cup and he couldn't handle it. Some good performances there helped but it's a nothing tournament, glorified training run tournament.
Coming 3rd will be a massive fail

 

[Big Al]

Ange out coached again and is all to common when we play the better teams. I think he is dreaming if he thinks he will get a European deal after the Socceroos or at least a decent European gig. That was the most frustrating game plan I have ever witnessed by a Socceroos team and we were totally toothless in attack. He clearly wanted to hold possession and get a nil all draw as we had no chance of scoring with that set up. Maclaren at least deserved a run with Juric injured so how would he feel seeing Ange put Kruse up front instead of an actual Striker. Part of me now wants us not to make the WC so Ange's record reflects his coaching ability.

Ange is a good club coach where 3 points are the only thing at risk. He will be a good club coach in Europe.

He is not good at qualifying. It needs more adaptability and needs you to play for draws or setup defensively in some games.

In the tournament you have two teams away from home out to win, but here you had a team at home and in front on points where two draws was enough. We needed to be in front of the Saudi's at worst. Then a draw against Thailand can be enough if they draw with Japan. Now even a win might not be enough.
Sometimes foreign coaches like the Japan guy get crap for not playing Japanese football when they came to Australia but that point had them in the box seat last night.

 

[ZedSpecials]

The NT coach has first, last and middle say on who gets selected right?
Why is he stuck in his selections just like his predecessors? what is the mechanism for team selection?
My dopey (and illiterate.. YES why not? thank you so much) mental image of Ange, a magnet board and too much ouzo, cannot be true.

I know its often said in jest, that certain players must have compromising photos tucked away.
But from his tone of late, I can only wonder perhaps he is really not in control of all aspects of things ?

 

[dibo]

If we win in Melbourne, the Saudis need to be able to get within two goals of our margin (i.e. if we win by 3, they need to win, but if we win by 5, they need to win by 3). They'll know what they need to do before kickoff.

If we have a draw, we will go through if Japan wins, but if the Saudis get a point they're through.

If we lose, we have to hope the Saudis lose by 3 more.

So the equation is simple - win by as much as possible. Let the brakes off we should be looking to smash Thailand to give ourselves the best possible chance.

 

[dibo]

If we fail, we're not out. We're still in 3rd unless we have a complete disaster like we get beaten by 3 and UAE beats Iraq by 4.

So in 3rd in the other group is Syria! That'd be an... interesting... away trip. And if we win that playoff (as I expect we would), then we're up against the 4th place CONCACAF nation, which at present is Panama.

This is by far the easier playoff route than the poor Kiwis have to put up with, with Argentina currently in 5th place. Mind you, if they can't fill a ground to see Messi, they'll never fill a ground.

 

[Rowdy]

It's to much for Amini in his 2nd game.

Agree, if only Ange had given him a bit more game time at the Confed's ..... he could of been an earlier & 'considered' option last nite.
- As it was ...... Musti was a 'hail Mary'.

Irvine or Luongo would have been good replacements for Rogic who is inaffective when the a packed defence is set and he has no one to pass ahead to.

Should of been one or the other (NOT both) & playing alongside Millsy.
- Irvine for mine, a better balance of both defence/attack mindset coupled with the abillity to get both done.

Millsy some believe should play in front of Mile, now can't get in front of Irvine and Luongo

I think Ange would of penciled Milligan 2nd on the team sheet for last nites game (Mooy 1st based on his Hudders form)
BUT .. as you say Al ....

The media started to finally get on him before confederation cup and he couldn't handle it.

in regards to the failings of his back 3
- & so Ange was tooo scared to NOT have Millsy in at RCB, because it was a better team performance with him in there last time round against Chile.

Postecoglou 'cut his nose off' in trying to save face in both the media & the publics perceptions of his formational tactics.

 

[Rowdy]

He is always bullshiting about performance but tonight was result only and to shrug his shoulders at going to Russia. Come on.

That was a Big WOW! out loud from me when I heard/saw that.

Where was the, 'were still drinking the Kool Aid' ??? mantra ???

 

[Big Al]

That was a Big WOW! out loud from me when I heard/saw that.

Where was the, 'were still drinking the Kool Aid' ??? mantra ???

He was finally thinking 'i might have cocked this up'

 

[Tevor]

He was finally thinking 'i might have cocked this up'

Yep his philosophy sounds good but he is failing to put any of it into practice and even doesn't practice what he preaches any more. Game plan has gone backwards since Asia Cup. If we don't make top 2 I can just imagine how he is going to handle the press and all the negativity heading his way. Take off overseas and blame our poor development for his failings. At the beginning of his tenure I thought he was the answer but then he started not listening to himself. Really wish it was different.

 

[Rowdy]

The minute Mooy was deemed unfit, Postecogolou should have immediately re-jigged by moving Milligan into one of the x2 DM positions and recruited Degenak to the RHS of the back 3 (quicker & far more capable than fckn Bailey Wright)

Would of been a completely different game then imo , as to me the midfield - a square block of 4 in front of the back 3, was a mess without an 'organisational player' such as Millsy.

Irvine worked hard in taking on that role of link between the back 1/3 to the front 1/3, (should of been - primarily) but it wasn't a role 'dedicated' to him per say, and therein lied the problem imo
.... too much rotation between the 4 of them ... dragging their shape all over the shop, none of them knowing where each was structurally.

The ■ block of 4 doesn't & didn't suit Rogic's abillity to
a) receive the ball, &
b) do anything with it, as Nippon were marking him tight and Tommy was getting it in wide areas as opposed to centrally where he is more devestating.

Kruse far too isolated up front, but he moved tirelessly, dropping to receive or getting too wide to cause damage. Ange should've risked Juric to start, he would've drawn defenders and opened up space for Leckie (if he was screamed at to do so ) & or Smith.

Overall it is Ange's 'stubbornness', as Al alluded to - that is a real Achilles heel to this team.

Brad Smith was a train wreck at LWB, all of which was Postecogolou's FAULT
... NOT Smith's, by selecting a player who's NOT playing regularly as per Ange's own fcuking criteria for selection.

Gersbach is apparently playing 1st team minutes at least, surely that gets you agead of someone just training/reserves

Likewise Luongo, didnt really defend well, didnt really distribute well and rarely came up with a creative move to set up an attack, not surprising to me - as he is just replicating his QPR form, which isn't receiving any plaudits ... so why would you select him on form ???

Musti Amini on the other hand IS getting good press out of Denmark. Would have much preferred him in there to Massimo.
- defensively more of a terrier but still has the eye for attack. Luongo looked aloof at times.

Another fcuk'n 'No Shit, Sherlock! ?!' brain fart.
- this time from Sanga.

 

[MrCelery]

Mark me down as a paid up member of the KOTC (Kruse 'Oxygen Thief' Club). Yet another sub-par performance which was all 'headless chook' but no brain. As for those crosses, most were useless. The best one he put across the face of goal but behind the onrushing striker. Pathetic. Such a lightweight. I shudder knowing he's one of Angie's 'must pick' players.

Not that many other players shone either, I hasten to add.

Credit to the Japs. Showed up how to win well. One of the most glaring stats was the aerial duels. Nearly 60% won by Team Nippon. Long gone are the days when it was our major strength against Asian teams.

 

[VicMariner]

Mark me down as a paid up member of the KOTC (Kruse 'Oxygen Thief' Club). Yet another sub-par performance which was all 'headless chook' but no brain. As for those crosses, most were useless. The best one he put across the face of goal but behind the onrushing striker. Pathetic. Such a lightweight. I shudder knowing he's one of Angie's 'must pick' players.

Not that many other players shone either, I hasten to add.

Credit to the Japs. Showed up how to win well. One of the most glaring stats was the aerial duels. Nearly 60% won by Team Nippon. Long gone are the days when it was our major strength against Asian teams.

The sad fact is our national team is shit...except for a couple players.
The Australian fact is we waste our talent on league and the "spawn of Satan" AFL.
If only we could concentrate our people on football.....

 

[Rowdy]

Some AFL players if caught at an earlier age could become decent Footballer's, with the 'kicking skill-set' & athleticism crossing over. (Also as GK's)

Rugby League player's are ALL basically just 'Neanderthals' !
- hence the 'N' in the 'NRL'

 

[sydmariner]

NRL= Nobody Really Likes.

 

[Big Al]

Another fcuk'n 'No Shit, Sherlock! ?!' brain fart.
- this time from Sanga.

Sainsbury has also come out and said Millsy should have been in midfield. Interesting for a player to basically say the coach got it wrong.

 

[Insertnamehere]

Seems it's falling apart at the seams...
Coach takes the hit, players say they play for him but he's selected the team wrong and they don't fully trust his methods.
Don't get me wrong I like ange's style but he needs a plan b,c,d,e etc which he simply doesn't have. That's why Aussie guus is still the best NT coach we've had.

 

[Big Al]

Qualifying goes down to following if on equal points

1. Goal difference -
Saudi's +6, Aussies +4

2. Goals Scored -
Saudi's 16, Aussies 14

3. Points head to head
Aussies 4 points, win 3-2 and draw 2-2. This is where we win the tiebreaker

If we both win we need to win by 2 goals more than Saudi's to make up GD and GS
Saudi's 1-0, need 3-0
Saudi's 2-0, need 4-0
Saudi's 2-1, need 4-0 or 4-1 is ok

These results get us even on GD and GS then we go through on head to head tiebreaker.

Both draw Saudi's go through

Both lose we need to make up the GD and if that ends even we need to have scored 2 more goals than Saudi's in our loss.

 

[Tevor]

I'm using the tactic of having very low expectations for this game, Japan's attitude to their game is the clincher and cannot help but think the Saudi's are in the box seat for this round so off to third place qualifying for us. Then Ange gets more games to perfect his possession based game plan or is that just me not understanding him?

 

[Big Al]

I'm using the tactic of having very low expectations for this game, Japan's attitude to their game is the clincher and cannot help but think the Saudi's are in the box seat for this round so off to third place qualifying for us. Then Ange gets more games to perfect his possession based game plan or is that just me not understanding him?

Also the Thai's are no easy beats. Scoring four or five won't be easy (our most goals scored in a game in qualifying is only 2).
The Thai's totally outplayed us and only a penalty saved us from memory. They were to quick for us.