3 goals and 1 assist from 8 games unless he got another assist tonight.

ingolstadt :D

Thanks for the info! I'm going to check these all out.

In other news:
Hrustic = bench
Antonis = bench
Andy Rose = not in squad

mate Kruse is coming back pretty good now after all the injury problemos

Maclaren on at 72 minutes.

Reports by fox sports that Sainsbury and Jedinak are in doubt. Clickbait saying they're probably out. I think Ange will always select Sainsbury. 

He's flying right now. Also playing on the left for Bochum, proving Leckie on the right and Kruse on the left can work.

Two late goals for Darmstadt to make it 3-3, a few minutes left.

Sorry grazorblade. But, for the most part, the rest of your post doesn't address my point; i.e. it is a problem if footballers are performing substantially better at club level compared to for the NT.

And that is the case, too often, right now. Leaving aside the statistical inferences (the relevance of which are exceedingly dubious, even from a statistical viewpoint) about average points accrued per game, etc... these players tend still not to play as well for the NT as they do for their clubs.

This much can be appreciated simply from watching them for both teams. Tom Rogic has been immense at Celtic. He has been lacklustre for the NT. Aaron Mooy, mercifully, was very good against the Thais. David Wagner tends to get a lot out of him at Huddersfield. However, there was an extended spell for the NT when he was decidedly average.

Not sure about Mathew Leckie as his newfound form at club level is decidedly newfound. So I suppose, based on performances in the long run, you might say there wasn't a huge gap between how he did for his club (Ingolstadt, before) and the NT. Tomi Juric, mmmm, still not thrilled with how he has played for the NT.

Also be very careful when taking strike rates into account. Do you suppose he gets nearly as many chances against FC Luzern as he did in the last WCQ?

This is probably a good example of why stats, for the sake of stats, are useless and can even be misleading. They need to be looked at through the prism of context.

And, sorry, but I still don't buy the argument that the AFC is of the quality you suggest it is. I agree that the NT is not as good as it was when the Golden Generation was there. But the AFC is still incredibly weak compared to Europe, South America, even Africa and arguably North and Central America. When you consider sides which won't qualify from those confederations (particularly the first two) and think that we can still, theoretically, qualify(given the quality of football that we have played)... the situation is risible.

Nothing is to be taken for granted. But if they don't qualify from the second crappiest confederation (where most of the footballers play in Micky mouse leagues)... big questions need to be asked.

And it wouldn't be out of order go down the path of an inquiry from an independent body and/or one from former pros. As is done with other sports.

OH DEAR. English commentator just through Mathew Ryan under the bus.
"There has been SOME conjecture whether or not Mat Ryan would be in the starting lineup ."
(OPTUS SPORTS)

Ryan starts

wow same bloke speculated Newcastle would be playing in Europe this year. guy must be in the loop big time

COME ON MATY @#!

Brighton exploding forward. never seen this before.

Maty with a good stop and some really good first passes to running players

How has he played so far?

Hasn't been tested much but also hasn't made any mistakes. Forgettable. Which is kinda fine for a keeper. 

!!!!!!!

Brighton up 

72 minutes in

Newcastle has had 2 shots on goal

heh March puts it out deliberate. free kick Newy

held on and won Brighton 1-0 Newcastle. defense was rock solid at the end. sweet Bruno motm

Behich started against Galatasary, leading 1-0. Managed by Paul Le Guen
Karacic started
Piscopo started
Gersbach on the bench

just need a couple more back line players getting game time in good places (though to be fair ansell is going well)

bernie came off the bench at 75

gersbach on bench ansell injured

behich starting

ansell another precious australian player

Ansell another injured Australian player. :(

Can't find any news about it either, nothing on his twitter. Not in the squad last night.

A start and 63 minutes for Piscopo in a 1-0 loss.

How's Maclaren going, anyone seen his games? I know he's not getting much game time yet but is he at least looking good when he's on?

Didn't he do a hamstring last game? He only played 31 minutes