2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

[sydmariner]

They won't beat Tunisia. Not even close.

If Saudi Arabia can beat Argentina then anythings' possible.

 

[StensnessGOAT]

I think we’ll be aggressive and go at Tunisia all game like we did in the first quarter hour against France. We play like that I don’t see why we can’t beat them.

They're Tunisia, not France. We are Australia, we shouldn’t really be losing to Tunisia in any sport lmao.

 

[StensnessGOAT]

Where is Lucy Zelic and why is she not weirdly pronouncing names? I can just hear her now, “Moroccccco”

 

[priorpeter]

I think we’ll be aggressive and go at Tunisia all game like we did in the first quarter hour against France. We play like that I don’t see why we can’t beat them.

They're Tunisia, not France. We are Australia, we shouldn’t really be losing to Tunisia in any sport lmao.

Did you watch Denmark v Tunisia? Both sides are miles ahead of us.

 

[true believer]

Found Mooy frustrating, negative, slow and losing possession way too much. Irvine and Mooy as our mids gave Griezman way too much room. Atkinson got a lesson but tough gig for anyone. Unfortunately for our boys they come on to a negative team and given hardly any chances to do anything.

don't know what game you were watching . mooy was our best till we got over ran

 

[true believer]

I swear Mooy is an energy vampire:

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no

 

[true believer]

Sorry - but if we can't pass the ball out from the back then they will just be back on us in 10 seconds anyway. TBH it wasn't even a heavy press from France. Irvine was open and called for it. He had Mooy inside who had more room but played wide to Atkinson. Atkinson was badly positioned because it should have been a simply play up the line to Leckie. Instead he played it back towards goal poorly and lost it.

absolutely atkinson and mcgree were liabilities

 

[true believer]

They won't beat Tunisia. Not even close.

well we're a chance now

 

[Tevor]

don't know what game you were watching . mooy was our best till we got over ran

Mooy fan boy ? Unfortunately we were over ran after 15 mins.

 

[true believer]

Mooy fan boy ? Unfortunately we were over ran after 15 mins.

enjoy mooy being the first player picked for the remaining two games .
i will

 

[StensnessGOAT]

Did you watch Denmark v Tunisia? Both sides are miles ahead of us.

Must admit I didn’t. Went to sleep early to wake up early for the Drifter’s Wharf live site. But anything is possible and fate is in our hands, that’s all you can ask for. Theoretically we should never be weaker than Tunisia in any sport. No point being here if we don’t go for it. What are we even trying to achieve if we fear countries like Tunisia.

No disrespect to Tunisia but we simply gotta go for it.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I think we’ll be aggressive and go at Tunisia all game like we did in the first quarter hour against France. We play like that I don’t see why we can’t beat them.

They're Tunisia, not France. We are Australia, we shouldn’t really be losing to Tunisia in any sport lmao.

Tunisia have a lot of players playing in top flight in France. Just saying. I'll be hopeful. But they looked a class above us against Denmark. But it's football. Anything can happen. Hoping they have a shocker, and we have a blinder.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Beyond France being a vastly better side. Our key issues for mine.

1. Not aggressive enough. Not even close. Not even anywhere near being even near being close. Not in defence. Not in attack. Not in intensity. Irvine the only player close to the level required. Scared of being dubbed Aussie brutes and thugs who can't play football...? Okay. Lose 4 -1. The French would have been absolutely delighting in how we chose to play them.

Arrogance or naivete..."We don't focus on opposing players. We're focused on what we're going to do"

2. You have to have a strategy for Mbappe. 80% of their attack went through him tonight, And"come on Atkinson do better" doesn't count. Little to no cover from Leckie is just insanity. Not rocket science. Fat chance trying to defend him one on one. He ALWAYS has to be double teamed. The players need to be consistently on him EARLY and fouling EARLY and sharing those fouls around, then plan to bring on Deng early when Atkinson has used up his yellow and is in danger of being sent. Sides with much better one on one defenders than us will still do this to him. Even then expect he'll still create a couple of chances and score. But it's the difference between that and simply running riot.

3. Tactically, didn't Arnie watch Saudi vs Argentina? Their simple but effective game plan and level of intensity was so, so much better than ours. Whenever they broke it was fast and aggressive forward play that forced Argentina to turn.

4. Ball speed.... You cannot move the ball slowly against a side like this. That was horrible. I'm a Mooy fan TB, but he was horrible. He and McGree were tactically the wrong choice in trying to contain a team like France. And ironically, the few times we actually did play with any real forward intent, we scored, hit the post, and looked like we were capable of being in the bloody game.

And yet, our movement was slow or non existent, we spent the vast majority sitting deep, playing clean, moving the ball slowly, and playing it backwards... really don't think there's a worse way we could have played it. As soon as France realised we weren't out there to fight, they instantly settled and went, oh wow, great and just had fun with us. Should have been an absolute bloody war where we and they could barely walk off the park. They were expecting that. How relieved they must be. How sad that is.

Bottom line, doesn't matter who we are playing, we are capable of moving the ball far quicker. And we must physically compete. EVERYONE else is . The only team less physical than us I have seen so far is Qatar. That's just crazy. That was a timid and ultimately disappointing display. And sad not to see JC or Kuol get any time on the ball in a decent position.

 

[sydmariner]

 

[FFC Mariner]

We have a 1.98m centre back and conceded 3 headed goals.
Can't jump if your knee is dodgy.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

don't know what game you were watching . mooy was our best till we got over ran

That may be true, but so is Tevor's post.

 

[Tevor]

enjoy mooy being the first player picked for the remaining two games .
i will

Agree, other than throwing in a young fella we have very little other option. Mooy isn’t the player he used to be, he is a 20 to 30 minute bench player in the best team in the SPL. He just isn’t up to a full game against France.

 

[Tevor]

Beyond France being a vastly better side. Our key issues for mine.

1. Not aggressive enough. Not even close. Not even anywhere near being even near being close. Not in defence. Not in attack. Not in intensity. Irvine the only player close to the level required. Scared of being dubbed Aussie brutes and thugs who can't play football...? Okay. Lose 4 -1. The French would have been absolutely delighting in how we chose to play them.

Arrogance or naivete..."We don't focus on opposing players. We're focused on what we're going to do"

2. You have to have a strategy for Mbappe. 80% of their attack went through him tonight, And"come on Atkinson do better" doesn't count. Little to no cover from Leckie is just insanity. Not rocket science. Fat chance trying to defend him one on one. He ALWAYS has to be double teamed. The players need to be consistently on him EARLY and fouling EARLY and sharing those fouls around, then plan to bring on Deng early when Atkinson has used up his yellow and is in danger of being sent. Sides with much better one on one defenders than us will still do this to him. Even then expect he'll still create a couple of chances and score. But it's the difference between that and simply running riot.

3. Tactically, didn't Arnie watch Saudi vs Argentina? Their simple but effective game plan and level of intensity was so, so much better than ours. Whenever they broke it was fast and aggressive forward play that forced Argentina to turn.

4. Ball speed.... You cannot move the ball slowly against a side like this. That was horrible. I'm a Mooy fan TB, but he was horrible. He and McGree were tactically the wrong choice in trying to contain a team like France. And ironically, the few times we actually did play with any real forward intent, we scored, hit the post, and looked like we were capable of being in the bloody game.

And yet, our movement was slow or non existent, we spent the vast majority sitting deep, playing clean, moving the ball slowly, and playing it backwards... really don't think there's a worse way we could have played it. As soon as France realised we weren't out there to fight, they instantly settled and went, oh wow, great and just had fun with us. Should have been an absolute bloody war where we and they could barely walk off the park. They were expecting that. How relieved they must be. How sad that is.

Bottom line, doesn't matter who we are playing, we are capable of moving the ball far quicker. And we must physically compete. EVERYONE else is . The only team less physical than us I have seen so far is Qatar. That's just crazy. That was a timid and ultimately disappointing display. And sad not to see JC or Kuol get any time on the ball in a decent position.

Spot on, I watched the Morocco v Croatia game and Morocco fouled the crap out of them and counter attacked and ended up with a draw. Wasn’t pretty but hey they are in a better position than us after one game.

 

[FFC Mariner]

If you look at the quality of the 2 teams that qualified ahead of us you can see how we have been damaged by the the AL.
FFA killed the AIS and the last world cup playing Socceroo to come through the AIS was Dario Vidisic. Have a look at the list of World cup players who were at the AIS (Viduka, Bresh, Kennedy, Aloisi to name 4) Arguably, Australia has lost 20 years of youth development. Its far less about systems and structures and far more about youth development. Pep could be coach but he cant make Atkinson a passable defender
The reason CCM have so many socceroos is not because we are better but that no other club bothered until recently (looking at Victory). Sydney have a brilliant youth side and dont play them. Wanderers attract the best and destroy them

We need every AL club to be playing their respective NPL's. CCM have to stay up to get these kids to another level, not pissing off to shit comps with more $$ (Rowles, Miller) at the first chance they get

 

[Big Al]

We have a 1.98m centre back and conceded 3 headed goals.
Can't jump if your knee is dodgy.

All were Rowles fault not Soutter

1st one Rowles gets lost and heads over to cover the player Soutter had covered and it goes to the second striker who is Rowles man

Next two float over Rowles who was the goal side defender. He gets caught half a step out and can’t recover and position himself close enough to the striker and can’t leap because he’s twisting to get in a better position

Rowles lack of match fitness and inexperience at this level showed up and he needs to fix those things to go to the next level. Shame but he was the weak CB.

Soutter was not the problem or his injury