Australia have plenty of goalkeepers, central defenders and central midfielders for the qualifiers, but full backs are a bit of a problem in terms of the better players playing regularly at club level, or suffering from injuries.

Even central striking tissues could be reasonable if this group of players play regularly at club level, maintain form and remain injury free - Cahill, Juric, Bulut, Kennedy, Taggart, Babalj.

Franjic and Davidson, also Herd, are not playing at club level a short time ago. With the lack of depth in full back positions of players playing well and regularly at club level, apart from Behich, and maybe Wilkshire, we have a few worries.

I thought Franjic and Davo were weaknesses in the Asian Cup, compared to most other positions, even though they are possibly the best we have.

Herd has looked good at RB for the Socceroos. He may be better playing in the HAL on a regular basis. Look at what it has done for Milligan, Spira and Burns, who had intermittent success overseas.

The coaching on offer in the HAL, is probably better than most overseas leagues now, apart from our parent European powerhouses we've borrowed from. Even at a lower playing standard, if a club plays ACL to augment the HAL length season, it becomes a decent length of season.

I was astonished when watching top League One team, Bristol City, play West Ham, how commentators said they were trying to use sophisticated tactics to play out from the back.

The commentators say this only occurs in the better EPL clubs. All Aussie HAL clubs try it now. It is par for the course. Players/teams are trained to act on the ball appearing in the keepers' hands or feet.

I was staggered about the lack of education and know how from many English coaches. There appears to be too much of a culture there of coaches ( gaffers) blaming their players for lack of success.

In Australia there is more of an effort to value add to the playing cattle that coaches have. Aussie coaches, through FFA, are educated on getting the best out of teams.

Players like Herd could do with a few seasons of regular football here, like Milligan, Spira, and hopefully Burns, have benefited from over a sustained period.







Edited by Decentric: 7/3/2015 01:25:15 PM

Disagree on herd. The guy has just been unlucky with injury. Was playing well at wigan till he got injured and alai the same when onloan at bolton. The kid just need to get over his injury problems. Which is easier said then done.

Ange Postecoglou is building towards a group of about 40 to 50 players whom would be able to come into a Socceroos squad of about 23 at anytime & know what Ange's way, style or system is & wants for each player. He can't rely on 23 players & expect them to all stay injury free, fit, in form & getting game time at club level. Different players will be suited to different conditions on this Road to Russia 2018. Could be Uzbekistan in the snow one day & Thailand in the heat & humidity of Bangkok 4 day's later. There will also be some young players or late developers whom aren't even on the radar yet.

Goalkeepers: Matt Ryan, Mitchell Langerak, Adam Federici, Mark Birighitti, Dean Bouzanis.

Defenders: Matthew Spiranovic, Trent Sainsbury, Ivan Franjic, Jason Davidson, Luke DeVere, Bailey Wright, Rhys Williams, Chris Herd, Aziz Behich, Alex Wilkinson, Tarek Elrich, Brad Smith, Curtis Good, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Josh Risdon, Ryan McGowan, Cameron Burgess.

Midfielders: Mile Jedinak, Mark Milligan, Matt McKay, Massimo Luongo, Tomas Rogic, Tommy Oar, Adam Sarota, Carl Valeri, Joshua Brillante, Mustafa Amini, Aaron Mooy, James Holland, Mathew Leckie, James Troisi, Oliver Bozanic, Chris Ikonomidis, Terry Antonis, Dario Vidosic, Ben Holloran, Luke Bratten, Daniel De Silva.

Forwards: Tim Cahill, Robbie Kruse, Tomi Juric, Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite, Eli Babalj, Kerem Bulut,
Nikita Rukavytsya, Adam Taggart, Bernie Ibini, Kwame Yeboah, Corey Gameiro.




Edited by Greekaroos: 4/4/2015 11:17:17 AM

GK: Ryan, Langerak, Feds
DEF: Franjic, Risdon - Spira, LDV, Sains, Wright - Davidson, Smith
MID: Luongo, DDS - Jedi, Brillante - Antonis, Oar
FOR: Leckie, Borello - Cahill, Bulut - Burns, Troisi

I'd love to see that squad. Caceras/Mooy/Ikon as first calls for injury replacement players.

Unfortunately would have to make room in there for Milligan, McKay, Wilko at minimum. Probs Juric, too.

Edited by roary's mane: 12/4/2015 12:57:32 PM

A front 2 of Bulut and Taggart would to unspeakable things against some of the weaker sides.

Bulut is made for this socceroos team.

Very aggressive pressing, forces turnovers and ruthless in front of goal. He would have a field day under Ange.

He's exactly what we need as he can hit shots from distance accurately and can poach goals with snapshots, basically something Leckie hasn't been able to do.

I agree.

One of Ange's big things, is that his two wingers hunt in packs defensively. They don't actually stay on either side of the striker. It's a pretty unique tactic that gave defences hell in the Asian Cup. Leckie and Kruse pressing the same defender and forcing turn overs. Bulut can do that, and score goals.

From the stats i did for the last two games against Germany and Macedonia, Mooy showed that he is already the equal to the best ball winners in midfield we have - Jedinak and Milligan.

Given he has decent attacking capabilities, shooting from range and is a free kick taker too, and still only young, it is going to be difficult to keep him out of the starting eleven.

In an inexperienced team, Milligan, McKay and Wilko's collective experience is needed.

One has to know one's own game well, before thinking about the whole team, and organising other players.