+xDon't see the point of this debate, like it is obvious at least our 2006 and 2010 squads were playing at a higher level (Bigger clubs or sides competing hard in European competition such as UCL and Europa League) and had better depth. That's not really debatable (And i have provided the stats in the past two pages to back it up_ Myths that the 06 team were not playing regularly have already been busted. People rewriting history, we have fucking 1 point in our last two World Cups lol.
World football is obviously improving, especially with the competitive environment, improved scouting, improved sports science if you were to make both teams play i don't know who would win. Football has changed so much, but the thing is these players compared to peers in that era were playing regularly for clubs competing for titles and doing well in European competition. Who have we even got left in European football at the moment? Rogic? When Viduka and Kewell broke into the EPL the Serie A was a top league, and a lot of the countries that now provide talent to the EPL had players based in the Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga. Football has changed a lot.
I'm all for the curriculum and trying to create a factory of footballers who will make us regular threats to win games at a world cup but not at the expense of rewriting history.
I have never doubted that the Kewell and Viduka era that Aussie players were playing in a higher league.
I agree football has changed, but my point being, when Kewell & Viduka was breaking into the EPL, how many French players were playing in the league, how many Africans, how many south Americans & how many Eastern Europeans, yes there were a few, but just have a look at Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Man U & Arsenal, how many foreigners are the stars, Mane, Sane, Augeruo, Hazard, Salah, De Bruyne, Silva, Silva, Firmino, Progba & the list goes on & on. I could pick a side of very talented French players, who couldn't get in the French National team playing in the EPL. Look how many Africans & sth Americans there are compared to in those days of GG generation.
We are also seeing alot more football these days then in those days, I can watch Ronaldo & Messi play every week, I don't remember being able to see Maradona every week, I just remember his glory days, not the week to week grind. I hardly saw any of Okon & Zelic after they left the NSL, we didn't see the Bundesliga or the Belgium leagues much & Australia only played a meaningful match once every 4 years. Imagine if we got fed that Leckie was playing in the Bundesliga every year & never saw him play & for Socceroos once every 4 years or so.
Okon 28 odd Socceroos appearances, Zelic, 34, Kewell 56, Viduka 43, all legends of Australian football played less then Kruse 73 caps & Leckie 59 & many more to come.
How many of them would play in the top leagues today? I'm not knocking what they achieved, they were my heroes, but my point being outside Kewell & Dukes, the players now are not as poor in comparison as some would like to make it out, just because they are not playing in the top leagues any more. Look at Juventus today in super cup, just 2 Italians in starting lineup for the top team in Serie A.