Devere has suffered an injury setback and won't be fit in time. Jedinak and Irvine also with injury clouds above there heads and racing to be fit for the WCQ.

No Juric in any of these line ups? He played a full game on the weekend against Basel (with Marc Janko starting up front for Basel). I would also take a fit Jackson Irvine over Jedi, but I know Ange won't. Mabil can also play as a left sided winger and has half a dozen or so goals and assists each in the Danish Superligaen this year.

I assumed Juric was still injured.

He would be first choice central striker.

Mabil also has claims.

outside 90 has about the best feel for who should be in the NT.  their rolling roo's team is good news. i hope ange pays attention.

http://outside90.com/rolling-socceroos-xi-leads-axings-in-midfield-341/

Goalkeeper – Brad Jones: No clean sheet this week, but Jones continued as Feyenoord’s No.1 in goal.

Right-back – Rhyan Grant: A picture of consistency in an equally as consistent team.

Centre-back – Alex Wilkinson: Like Grant, Wilkinson continues to be a commanding presence at the back for the Sky Blues.

Centre-back – Bailey Wright: One of two inclusions in this week’s team. Wright has been a regular since moving to Bristol City from Preston North End.

Left-back – Aziz Behich: His Bursaspor side was thrashed 4-0 at the weekend, but remains a regular in their starting XI.

Defensive-midfield – Jackson Irvine: Holds his spot despite sitting out at the weekend with injury. A worry for Roos fans.

Central-midfield – Aaron Mooy: First name picked.

Central-midfield – Mark Milligan: A regular for Bani Yas, who are in-season. Moved into midfield from centre-half.

Right-wing – James Troisi: Looks unplayable at Melbourne Victory. In the form of his life.

Left-wing – Mathew Leckie: Missed Ingolstadt’s last match with suspension. Next week will be interesting.

Striker – Jamie Maclaren: Keeping Tomi Juric out – just.


SubstitutesMat Ryan: Back getting regular minutes with Racing Genk. Still behind Jones, however.Alex Brosque: One of the A-League’s most in-form men.Josh Risdon: Regular with Perth Glory. Fierce competition between he and Jason Geria.Jimmy Jeggo: His side Sturm Graz’s form is dipping, but Jeggo continues to be a mainstay in their starting XI.Mass Luongo: Unused in QPR’s last three matches. Seems unusual, but dropped accordingly.Mile Jedinak: The skipper looks to be starting to string regular minutes together after an injury-interrupted patch.Milos Degenek: Started life in Japan perfectly, playing 90 minutes for Yokohama F Marinos in the heart of defence. More minutes could see him into the XI.

Socceroos Exclusive: Postecoglou puts national team on notice ahead of crunch World Cup Qualifiers

SOCCEROOS boss Ange Postecoglou has voiced his concern over the individual ambitions of several of his players and says he’ll be selecting his upcoming squad for crucial World Cup qualifiers away to Iraq and against the UAE in Sydney, accordingly.

In an exclusive sit down interview with Fox Sports News 500, the Socceroos coach says there aren’t enough players that have taken their careers forward since the Asian Cup triumph of 2015 and that will force him to choose some diamonds in the rough for the WCQ clashes at the end of the month.

“It’s a challenge for all these guys. We talk a lot about the Asian Cup and you look at the starting eleven and the squad and where they were in their careers then and where they are now there hasn’t been a hell of a lot of progress.

“That’s a little bit alarming for me. Back then the idea was to introduce a whole lot of players and hopefully by this time at a critical time of a World Cup cycle they’re all playing at a higher level, well we haven’t got many of those.

Ange Postecoglou speaks to his squad. Picture: George Salpigtidis
Ange Postecoglou speaks to his squad. Picture: George SalpigtidisSource: News Corp Australia
“Apart from Aaron (Mooy) who wasn’t even in that squad, he came in after, not many of them have. I’m not going to just pick guys who are playing well enough to be in the national team, we need to be more ambitious than that.

“What worked leading into the Asian Cup was picking some players that many weren’t expecting and I’m almost at that point where I might have to dig a little deeper to find more guys who have that ambition.

“We’re going to be really aggressive this year and I’m going to pick guys who suit that. If you want to go to a Confederations Cup you have to play well now, if you want to go to a World Cup we have to win these games. There’s so much at stake.”

Australia currently sits third in their qualifying group with five matches still to play. The top two qualify for Russia 2018.

Postecoglou will announce his squad on Wednesday.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/socceroos/socceroos-exclusive-postecoglou-puts-national-team-on-notice-ahead-of-crunch-world-cup-qualifiers/news-story/1b10c40cbc235ab33f302fd0fbd9256c

@decentirc zullo?? Really? When was the ladt time he got called up

Just saw Sweden Australia women's is on tv before I kept searching for a show.
Really slow. Grass is very long on pitch.

Case in point Craig Goodwin hasnt got off the bench for his club in about 6 weeks. He is still on the bench in a cup game as we speak. Players have not improved. Ange has a very small pool to use.

this is why the quality of the a - league is so massively important.  there are plenty in the a-leauge, you could fill an 11 that could do a decent job.  but the league needs more depth and more players on the pitch and we need to start thinking about what we can do to ensure that australians are getting a run as strikers and creative midfielders.

rhys williams please ange do the right thing

Juric scoring in Switzerland means that MacLaren won't be starting.
Selection headache for Postecoglou
GK Mat Ryan or Mitch Langerak or Brad Jones. On form and competition it has to be Jones for a start
RB Franjic or Degenek or Geria or Rhyan Grant.  On form Degenek and Franjic only.
CB Sainsbury or Spiranovic or Wright or Wilkinson. All four to be selected
LB Brad Smith or Gersbach or Aziz Behich. On form and game time, Behich and Gersback only
MF Jedinak, Mooy, Troisi (or LW), Ikonomedes, Milligan, Luongo
FW Leckie, Juric, Kruse, Goodwin, Giannou or MacLaren

If Ikonomidis gets picked ahead of Mabil and/or Amini then Ange can no longer claim to pick players on form. They're all currently playing in Denmark (Ikonimidis at the same club as Amini), with the following respective stats for the year (in all competitions):

- Iknonimidis: 15 appearances (10 starts, 5 sub), 2 goals, 1 assist
- Mabil: 20 appearances (14 starts, 6 sub), 5 goals, 6 assists
- Amini: 25 appearances (22 starts, 3 sub), 5 goals, 2 assists

Would also like to point out that Mabil began getting starts in the league 10 games ago and has 3 goals and 6 assists in those 10 games. Would love to see him selected.

I think having him just as a bit of x-factor could be a win win for Australia (an impact player if you will). I'd say that is one area that I think Ange hasn't got at all right with the Socceroos. His subs usually don't make a difference (unless it is Tim Cahill). I think he has too many like for likes subs, and it would be good option to have something a little bit different on the bench ... just in case.

Don't see Giannou getting a run in this squad this time. Spiranovic could struggle for a spot too (Degenek would be a better option as more a CB, and utility to play defensive mid or RB).

RB and LB still wide open for me. Franjic's form for City hasn't been good enough for a call up IMO, Risdon and Grant have been the two from the A-League I'd be choosing between (Geria had a slow start but improving his form now). Degenek is not a wing back, so he is a stop gap player at best in that position. I think if Gersbach is playing (Norwegian season started again??) he should probably be first pick on the left (Smith's big assist is his engine), Behich doesn't seem to be rated by Ange.

Honestly, I think that's too simplistic. I'm more critical of Ange than most but in fairness to him it's not as simple as saying this player has played more than that and this player has scored more goals or provided more assists.

Ange has to take into account individual things such as the way a certain player combines with another, his individual strengths (maybe he's quicker, maybe he creates chances better from deep, maybe he dribbles better, maybe he is stronger and more adept at shutting down opponents than another option who has been playing more).

I realise this may not be the case with the Ikon (not necessarily quicker or this or that than the other options). But no doubt Ange is trying to be mindful of the variables.

And, let's face it. We're not rich on options. So even when some are playing better than others, some of our footballers are miles better than the others (regardless of how well or poorly they're doing compared to others in club football). For that reason, Rogic, Mooy will be certs when they're fit (even if they're having a bad spell with their club sides).

Behich has to be a go at left back. And, frankly, it's high time that Ange gave serious consideration to three at the back with overlapping wingbacks. Then he can just put Leckie at right-back. That kills multiple birds with one stone and suits our relative strengths and weaknesses.

I deadset believe continued use of this backline

Behich/Gersbach/Smith---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Leckie

-------------------------------------------Spiranovic-------------------------------Sainsbury----------------------------------Wright


------------------------------------------------------------------------Langerak-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And we're in business. It looks a lot less penetrable. I imagine the other Asian sides would battle to break that down (especially if you put Jedinak in front of those back three and with licence to engage in duels further up). If those guys get used to playing in that formation around each other...

They can be a formidable defence for top 8 nations to take on. Leckie and the left-back options are fast as fuck but shouldn't be in the last line of defence. While Sainsbury, Spiranovic and Wright aren't quick enough to cover the ground that two of them would need to cover but have good heads on their shoulders.so will do well together. Then Mitch Langerak is far better at shot-stopping and commanding his area than Mat(t)y Ryan.

Do that and then let Rogic, Mooy, Irvine and whoever strut their stuff further up with a lot less pressure. Germany can play with three at the back. That Australia won't is bewildering.

But they actually have players good enough and a good talent pool to be able to change the system they play. I feel sorry for Ange, that defence is shambolic and it doesn't matter if it is 3 at the back or 10, it will be a shit show. The fact we are talking about Leckie being RB and Smith on the other side shows how screwed we are.

It's a shame in the sense that whomever Germany put in defence will be well-rounded while we don't have that option. Let's think about Leckie's first touch, for starters, ghastly for the most part.

But once you get to grips with that and think let's work with what we've got...

Leckie doesn't play a drastically different role to right-wing back at Ingolstadt. He basically plays as defensive right-wing there. Not a huge departure in role. He can do that and it's better that he does that than that he is further up.

Smith, yeah, I agree and it pains me to say it as a Liverpool fan. Still, if he has less defensive responsibility...

As for three at the back (in general)... yeah we have a really weak side at the minute. But they do have their relative strengths and weaknesses. We just need to accept we don't have a well-rounded side. But we can play to their strengths and accommodate their weaknesses (which is what three at the back does) and go from there.

Maybe Jones doesn't want to be in the national side. Perhaps he's just interested in his club and family. We've got 3 very strong options.

My squad now would be:

Ryan, Langerak, Jones

Sainsbury, Wright, Degenek, Wilkinson, Behich, Williams, Smith, Milligan. 

Milligan, Degenek and Williams give us all the versatility we need and Spiranovic just can't stake a claim here. Norway resumes April 2. Gersbach to sit this out.

Jedinak, Luongo, Irvine, Mooy, Jeggo, Troisi, Amini 

Cahill, Juric, Leckie, Taggart, Mabil

Ikonomidis and Goodwin are doing better but just miss out this time.

Tbh I don't expect much change overall and certainly not many new faces. I think some comments from Ange are aimed at some individuals to consider potential moves carefully in 10-12 weeks when the windows reopen. From here on it deadly serious and not the time for experimenting too much. Some recent ideas here wouldn't be competitive in an East Asian Cup torny tbh.

Adapt or die. I know the Australian way is- do the same thing again and again. But it won't work here.

We have to adapt now. The fact that the stakes are higher makes it all the more important. Providing the alterations are within the bounds of conventional, professional football (which is certainly the case with three at the back), there is no reason to regard it as reckless experimentation.

At this rate, there's a chance we'll qualify playing the type of football we're playing. But we'll get slaughtered in Russia. There's also a horrifying chance we won't qualify at all.

Whereas, if we implement certain, specific changes, we should improve our chances of qualifying and at least be able to achieve some kind of results in Russia. Without any changes, we can expect Ange's World Cup record to be 0 and 6 (unless he gets exceedingly lucky with the draw).

Guus was able to be flexible. Why can Ange not?

@quick the only change we could make in th WC is to park the bus and hope for a result. This is the worse Australian team in a long time, sometimes there just isn't anything to be done.

Ofc. Almost preferable to lose, I reckon.

But don't you think that's basically reductio ad absurdum? Why can't changes be made that aren't quite so drastic but which still shore things up at the back a bit and see how it goes.

We don't need to park the bus in the way that Mourinho had Chelsea playing against Liverpool on that ghastly day after Steven Gerrard coughed up the ball a few seasons back. But we don't need to try to replicate all the excesses of proactive football.

Some kind of balance can be made which is still broadly proactive. Guus was happy enough to compromise there (yes, he had a far better side). Ange, with the worst team ever, is trying to get them to play in the way Barcelona like to play. It won't work. On the other hand, if he tries to be more flexible (in the way Guus was flexible), then he may well be able to get some kind of results while playing broadly proactive football. Formations such as 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 allow just that.

glory perth..   how many times have you seen ange play 3 at the back?  and you want him to trial it for the first time in a competitive fixture?

@quick Only small tweaks would be beneficial, the current Australian team and Ange are very used to the formation and what is expected of them and it will lead to them playing better. A change to 3 at the back will simply cause new defensive issues and transitional problems. We'd be no better off and I'd say it'll become worse. What needs to happen is to free up Rogic and let Mooy run the show from deep. We need our 2 best players to have a big role in this team.

The positive new is Leckie covers the entire length of the pitch for Ingolstadt and does a lot of robust defending. I really don't think he'd have an issue playing as wing back.

i think it would have happened by now.  people have been dreaming of it for years on this forum. 

Leckie IS a wingback being played out of position. 

according to you.  he would probably say he is a striker being played out of position. used on the wings because of his pace when he should be central.