Injury can also play a part  too.

If many players are injured in one of the Socceroo positions where we don't have much depth, our depth can be tested.

https://ultra.zone/2026-FIFA-World-Cup-qualification-AFC-Second-Round

On paper Aus has an easy draw.

About 18 months ago we were at our lowest ebb compared to other Asian teams. Then 6 months later at the Qara WC,  we finished 11th.  Our best ever ranking compared to the rest of the world.

Not sure if  Aus have improved relative to Japan or Saudi Arabia since? If we are honest they were clearly better than  the Socceroos  in qualifying for Qatar.

 

Australia did finish 11th at Qatar but its ranking was 27th as a result of that not 11th.

I think it is much better to finish 11th in a World Cup than being a an underperforming,  high ranked team that failed  to get out of the group stage at the same World Cup, or didn't get there at all, like  Italy.

As far as I'm concerned where a team comes in the world Cup is its current ranking - not a general FIFA ranking.

Ostensibly, Mexico is currently ranked 12th, but they  didn't get out of the group stage in Qatar.

Argentina, France, Morocco and Croatia are the top four ranked teams in the world IMO, since they finished in the top 4 in the World Cup.

Your thinking is flawed if you truly believe what you have written.

The world cup was 9 months ago and isn't an indicator of current form. There is 4 years between  a world cup so in no way can a performance in it be taken as a current rating or indicator at any time other than the conclusion of the tournament.. The tournament itself includes the majority of but not all of he best teams in the world (Italy was missing for example). Mexico had a tough group there was no shame in not getting out of it. Luck places a part in football and in progressing through tournaments.

You would be alone in thinking Morocco was a top 4 ranked team. It is currently ranked 13th.

Australia is, possibly correctly,  ranked 16 places lower than where you have them. That is an unarguable fact. That doesn't diminish the achievement it is just nowhere near as high as you place it.

With everything kicking off in Israel I can't see our game being played in Palestine in 5 weeks time. I think it'll be played in the UAE. 

Great spot. Yeah UAE or Qatar for sure. 

Rockets from Lebanon too now. Just can't and won't be played there. Switzerland already requested a change from match in Israel and it's going to happen on neutral territory. 

As if covid 19 wasn’t enough already to screw up international fixtures 😡

Hopefully the AFC make the right decision and move the game. However they made Macarthur play in Myanmar which is a literal war zone so I’m not optimistic.

McGree injured and has withdrawn from the Socceroos squad for the matches against England and New Zealand.

You’d imagine Robertson is added to the squad proper now. 

That's a such a shame about McGree. We've got the train ons but I'd fancy bringing Kuol in now. 

Aiden O’Neill has been called up to replace McGree.

I would imagine this means that one of Irvine or Luongo will play in that #10 position. 

Just as I wrote the above post it's announced O'Neill has been brought in. I'd play 

 
                     Ryan
Strain Souttar Burgess Behich 
             Baccus  Luongo
                      Irvine
        Boyle   Duke   Goodwin

NZ game
   
    Glover and Redmayne half each
    Miller   Circati   Rowles  Bos
                O'Neill Irvine 
                    Metcalfe 
   Silvera   Borello  Mabil

Even with O'Neill coming on we've selected markedly fewer centre mids this time. 

I would have thought Aiden O'Neill was pretty well a certainty for a starting position if fit?

Has he been injured playing in Belgium?

For memories sake pre vs 3Lions coming up......
https://sport.optus.com.au/news/all/os64385/australia-vs-england-socceroos-graham-arnold-2003-harry-kewell-david-beckham

Looking forward how we stack up against imo some very good Pom players.
The Squad
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) 
Defenders: Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City) 
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Arsenal) 
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Nice koff time 5.45am Sat.

Some squad 🤕 hopefully Maguire can keep up his own-goal scoring form to help us out

haha yer I was thinking hoping Southgate starts up MGoo, very ordinary CB.....
Rest of the backline choices pretty much inform.
Overall compared to that last encounter those days the English players were more against each other due to the bitter Club rivalries, a massive achilles heal those days for as we know some of those players are Legendary but just didn't put it together enough back then.
Its farfar more cohesive modern days, Southgate has weeded out that of the past.
Mids what luxury they have, IF he starts TAA Bellingham Rice pretty much wow players that impress me.
Forwards again luxury.
Kane is Kane, if the service is there look out.
Foden Grealish either side again magic players then throw in Watkins pace, Bowens tenacity and fight our boys gonna get a work out you'd expect.
(Saka is out injured me recall ?)

I like johnszasz starting line up suggestion, hope GA goes this way.
We got to win alot of 50/50's/2nd balls and our mids work their butts off.
Boyle Duke Goodwin have the guile to cause them damage as long as we get the ball up to them enough.

Not to mention Maddison as well - incredible form atm. He could really open up Roos defense at will. Will be surprised if Roos can score against that squad - especially without x factor players like Irankunda and G Kuol

yer I know re Maddison, too much to type  - the bench is another start up squad haha

A friendly is such a 50/50 re intensity - who's going full on or not, mind you even though either team don't want to lose and the gaffas.
Its a sell out I think I saw.
Those first 20mins will tell us how much they want it and how much we can match up.
When I think of Bellingham and the form the last month @ just 20yrs is scary, above Maddison imo, he dribbled through 3/4 against Napoli CL game and smashed it in the net from range.
At RM already a key player ffs.
I really don't know how we are going to contain these players for long periods, I hate these games in ways due to the countless expected subs to occur......
Some here will fall back on the Qatar games/result and true we dug in and came out trumps luckily.
Maybe I should be more optimistic but this is a full house home game for them.

RIP Roos - but we were probably saying that before the Argentina game & we held our own for most of the game - nearly forced it to OT at the death. We definitely can't afford any major "unforced errors", like we had against Mexico & everyone will need to play to max ability, otherwise it could get ugly. 

Mo Toure looks really happy in camp. Main thing is to get him capped in the next window. Get it sorted. 

Did Toure get selected? 

O'Neill's form has been average and he's been dropped to the bench at his club. 

I got a bad feeling in my gut about this game but I had that same feeling pre-WC. This team has a habit of surprising. Sum of the parts and all that. I hope that carries on. 

Train on along with Robertson and Yazbek. 

I was kinda hoping to see Robertson and Toure actually selected in this squad. Yazbek is interesting. Devlin is really out of favour. 

Yazbeck is promising but need this season under his belt to learn more, be consistant and keep improving.

Precautionary ice pack for Irvine and channel 10 have the headline 'Irvine injury' when the staff confirmed it's nothing and he'll play Friday.