Got Roo ticks for Sydney Lebanon clash on the 21st.
Will be good to see our guys live and close.

news.com reporting Taggart and Hrustic are back in the squad, with Tilio, Behich, Boyle, and O'Neill missing out

I've just looked at the squad. I'm on record as supporting Arnie over a lot of issues, but I'm quite disappointed in this squad.

Arnie had a chance to bring in some new, different types  of players with more attacking flair - and has wasted a golden opportunity.

* Nisbet - this guy operates well in limited time and space, and  is nimble on his feet. It would be interesting to try him against deep defensive blocks. Despite Hrustic coming back, Aijden lacks game sense and thinks far too slowly, despite having excellent technical qualities on the ball. Nisbet has displayed greater game sense from when I've seen him play for CCM  this season. Would love to hear Arnie's rationale for leaving him out. 

* Arzani - although not always consistent, other A L teams have pushed up on him recently so he rarely receives with his body shape facing forwards and able to run at players. Notwithstanding, Asian teams won't have done their homework on him.  Arzani is also effective at dribbling through  deep defensive blocks. His blocks, steals and tackles, plus playing some excellent crosses that his Vic teammates aren't reading, have all been impressive. Not one player in the current Socceroo squad is anywhere near as good as Arzani on the ball at running at defences - particularly the deep defensive blocks. Moreover, Arzani is  comfortable at a swapping wings frequently, which players like Boyle are not.

* Disagree with a few on here who think Bos is a better LB than LW. He is good at both. Why not give Jacob Farrell a go at LB?  He has been dynamite in a lot of CCM's accelerated attacks. Farrell is the future, being  very young. 


* Players who should not be selected.

If Souttar ( he wasn't a while back, it  might have changed recently) and Baccus  haven't been playing for their clubs - leave them out! Force them to change their club scenarios to enhance Socceroo selection - like everybody else.  

CBs Rowles, Circati and Burgess, have all been good at CB. They should be adequate. 

Baccus has struggled with recent first team football. We have plenty of depth in this position. Niewenhof, Teague, Jake Hollman, Yazbek - all play this position well. Not sure Genreau and Devlin have been good enough at DM?

Baccus and Souttar are good Socceroos, but there is depth to cover them - and importantly younger players who are the future. I know O'Neill is suspended, and can't play.

* Strikers

Was a big fan of Borrello's as a central striker, but unless I've missed a few recent WSW games, he hasn't been scoring much since returning  from injury.

Bruno F - too old. I've seen Vic play a lot recently.  Bruno isn't anticipating some excellent crosses that Arzani has played in the  pen box. Bruno isn't scoring  in the AL and is too old!

Pleased Taggart has been selected. He is  in form and has scored some good recent goals.

Arnie should also have selected Stametolopoulos  too. He is only 24 and has scored a lot of A L goals. 

I've been raving to  all my cricket mates how Arnie keeps selecting good Socceroo squads with an eye to the  future, the antithesis of the Aus cricket team selectors, but I now have egg on my face!

With a lot of Scottish league players being selected for the Socceroos, one weakness in the games against Asian teams at the Asian Cup, is that the team  ball movement is often too slow in the attacking half. 

Those players who have gone to Scotland, aren't making much progress in handling speed - which desperately needs to improve for the Aus midfield to move the ball more quickly and wrong foot defences, pulling them out of  shape.

Borello has scored big fat ZERO goals this season. Just 3 assists. 

Underwhelming squad.

It’s quite odd given Merrick the disruptor said we lacked the quality but Arnie said we need to regenerate the squad?

Conflicting messages. 

Boyle is in hospital mate. 

Yeah i know he can’t play after concussion. Leckie and Tilio injured and unavailable. That’s my point- he chose out of form Borello as replacement?!

Sorry I misunderstood your gripe... all good.

Just two games but imbalance remains. 3 right backs. Bos the only left back. Too many strikers in this case. 

A lot of U23 at the WAAF.

25 so 2 may still drop out. Miller went off injured last night. 

Don't agree re: Souttar.
Yes he hasn't been playing in clubland, but he has been playing well when selected for Australia. It's better for him to still keep that tiny bit match fit, rather than still not being picked in clubland, if he's still performing for us. Plus, it also helps that these aren't "must win matches"
Yes, I know it's not really Arnie's job to keep players match fit - but I think given the scenario that Souttar finds himself in + his performances when he does play, doesn't warrant non-selection.

It's a very disappointing squad. Why select 3 RB? It's stupid and unecessary. Same group of biege midfielders in Irvine, Baccus and Yazbek. No Nieuwenhof (edit forgot his hamstring/add Nisbet) but glad Hrustic is in. Same group + 1 of biege centre forwards in Duke, Fornaroli, Borello, Taggart. I'd stick with Yengi, Iredale + 1 (probs Dukes) and find some dangerous width. Guys like Irankunda, Kuol, Mabil. Would love to see Circati in. Glad Behich is out. Shame O'Neill, Robertson and Boyle are inj./susp. casualties. 

3 RBs is nuts. Suspect Arnie is throwing darts at a weak area and hoping something sticks. 

I don't mind Bos as the only LB but provided Rowles is available for cover. At least he'll likely play there now. 

I really hate our selection of strikers. 

I'm just glad Iredale got in again despite the fact I don't he'll see a minute. So think in midfield and Arnold really ought to pick another. It's just two games so we won't burn out. I suppose he wants all these fullbacks and strikers in camp together. Just win the first game and then try something like a back 5 and two prong attack. While I don't think we should insist on Jones he might seem better in a back 3. Give Yengi and Iredale a run up top together. Something like this for some stage of the second game. We could even try a half each with a different formation.

                            Gauci
               Jones Deng Burgess   
   Atkinson           Yazbek            Bos         
             McGree            Hrustic
                   Iredale  Yengi

Taggart isn't foreign to Arnold's system so we may see him start. It was only after Japan away with injury that he didn't feature. A quality finisher.

Have a feeling GA may start.

                     Ryan
Jones Souttar Burgess Rowles
                   Baccus
       Hrustic.           Irvine
McGree.                           Goodwin
                     Duke

Disappointed Tete Yengi didn't make the squad, has some good form and was a handfull for Celtic to deal with the other night...... Arzani misses out again,  surely he holds value even as a sub.

Looks like arnie is taking this time to find a rb and a striker. Zillions of picks in both positions

Yengi is probably my favourite with duke missing some sitters lately. Surprised how well duke has played the last 2 years given his club record. One of the best purple patches for a striker in a roos shirt i have seen

I appreciate Duke's world cup efforts and his general pressing but I'd like to move on and have someone who can do much more on the ball and be a bigger scoring threat. Yengi and Iredale can drift wide, beat a man and whip a good cross in. Versatility is needed across the park to maximise our chances.

Kusini Yengi should be our number one striker now. Iredale should be next in. I base this on club form and the level of the league they're playing at. It's pretty skint for proven goal scorers atm.

I appreciate there are A-League guys (also Duke) but it seems to me they're all a bit NQR. They've either had chances at NT level and haven't set the world alight (Taggart), are ancient (Fornaroli), meh club form (Duke, Borello). 

I would have gone with Yengi and Iredale as next gen, Duke and Goodwin for experience, and then G. Kuol and Irankunda for bench impact. I wouldn't rule out Mabil either, his NT record is good.

Oh well not to be. 

With the squad we have I'd like to see this 11

                    Ryan
Jones Souttar Rowles Bos
                   Irvine
          Metcalfe McGree
     Hrustic Yengi Goodwin

Would be pretty eager to watch that side to be honest as much as i would have liked to see nisbet picked as well as volpato and circati released to play for us

https://ultra.zone/2026-FIFA-World-Cup-qualification-AFC-Second-Round#group=i

I expect Palestine will be buoyed by their Asian Cup and they'll get 6 points against Bangladesh. Australia should be fine here but let's not leave anything to chance.

Given we have 2 home games in succession, I thought it would have been a good opportunity to have the domestic based Olyroos in camp with the current Socceroos?

I saw  Pim Verbeek do it on the training ground, before a WCQ game against Qatar in 2008 or 2009.  Pim had his first eleven play his second eleven in  practice games. The first eleven started the set plays all the time. Pim was trying to inculcate a specific  mode  of playing out from the back.

Arnie could have done this with the Olympic team. Have them play medium intensity exercises against the Socceroo first team.

As a former coach myself,  one always learns things in game related scenarios. Some Olyroos, will inevitably show up weaknesses in the current Socceroos in the types of training games Pim undertook. Of course Arnie needs to rest his identified starting players, or use them sparingly.

Also, having these games would have given a chance for Arnie to have a  closer look at players I think should have been selected in the senior squad - Nisbet, Arzani, Stametepoulos, etc.

How would Jacob Farrell perform as Olympic team LB against the current Socceroos?

Could Ryan Teague, or Jake Hollman ( recently guilty of  tackling  off the wrong wrong foot ceding a goal) perform the number 6 role instead of Baccus, who is not playing club football?

Would the central attacking interplay of Olympic team's Brook,  Milanovic, Jake Hollman, Teague, etc, display  superiority in speed of  ball movement in the central attacking half, compared to the current Socceroos like Irvine, Metcalf, Baccus, McGree?

Would Arzani's seamless switches  from left to right flank show more adaptability  in game plans, compared to Boyle who is more  comfortable on the right than left? 

Would Nisbet's fast handling speed and nimble play in the central attacking third provide a  useful  avenue to busting open deep defensive blocks?

How would Nisbet and McGree combine together in the same team?

How would the Socceroo full backs jockey, delay and show against Arzani? Daniel A being a step up as a ball player than any current Socceroo incumbent winger.

It would give a chance for Vidmar to coach the Olyroos against Arnie with the Socceroos.


I have felt Arnie was a progressive coach, but  in this instance, I feel by selecting Bruno 36, this is a regressive step.  As a central striker, Borrello is not in scoring form since returning from injury for WSW. Stam is in scoring form. Taggart is a good selection.

South K, played us off the park in the Asian Cup quarter. True we had good chances to score, but  SK dominated territory, possession, were better technically, moving the ball faster as a team,  they pressed better off the ball, they kept the ball better in tight spaces, etc, etc.  That Socceroos team was shown up. 11th at the WC is a high water mark, that is unlikely to be replicated. 

Arnie needs to take the team forwards. He hasn't against a modest opponent. He has wasted a great opportunity. 

Really good points raised here.

The problem is Arnie as a coach states he only selects players playing for clubs, then  contradicts himself selecting a few select players who aren't playing.

As a teacher and coach, one has to be consistent. Inconsistency develops class or team disharmony. One rule for some, and not for others.

Souttar's heading ability at both ends of the pitch, is the best we have. 

I still believe the other 3 CBs  I've alluded to can do the job.

Mabil & Behich are injured as well, otherwise they would've been picked for sure. 

Arnold actually said in press conference yesterday that ‘Souttar was top scorer for Roos since he first played for NT’

a bloody CB is top scorer!!! Hello?! Doesn’t that tell you something Arnold?! Strikers, Wingers and Attacking Midfielders should be scoring the most. Maybe you’re not picking the right attacking players then?! 

Age and comfort might be taking a toll. After a successful WC, has he lost the drive to try new players and tactics? He's 60 now and is maybe beginning to look a little calcified. For me, for the time being, the jury is still out.

I think Arnie should have left after the World Cup on an all time high and taken he’s chance to back to Europe this time as a coach.

I feel staying for the another 4 years might potentially undo all the good work he did at the World Cup.

What’s the saying you leave on a high and people will remember you for the last memory you left them with. 

Yep. Arnold did really well to qualify for WCup and win 2 games to finish 11th. Fantastic 👏
but since, ACup he failed. Latest squad selections not very promising or progressive.