Currently I'd say Leckie, Arzani, Borrello and Mabil. Boyle has done OK so far but I need to see more. Ikon is immensely talented and should also always make the squad. We're so blessed and hopefully they can serve Taggart and Giannou. In thrilled about Iredale, Dykes and Folami. Despite the level they're at, they're beating the keeper. Finishing is so important. 

There is good competition for spots there, its still to close to call for me, although I don't think Ryan Williams has done enough to be on equal footing with the others. Iredale is looking promising and Dykes has also shown potential.

Just having a look at last time's results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_%E2%80%93_AFC_Second_Round#Group_B

I don't think people appreciate how much we benefitted from having a plucky, much improved Kyrgyzstan in our group which took points from Jordan away (something we've never achieved) and beat them at home.

If another team was in Kyrgyzstan's place and lost both games against Jordan (as Kuwait most likely will) then Australia would have ended up level with Jordan on 21 points with only the relative lottery of GD to separate us.

Our group does not have a team of Kyrgyzstan's quality or character as a third-seeded team, and we can expect Jordan to get maximum points home and away in games not involving us.

Anyone who thinks our current stage of qualification is a walk in the park needs this recent history lesson.

it wasn't a walk in the park but it should be. Jordan FFS.

You're talking about where we should be, I'm talking about where we are.

It is not a walk in the park......we are now out of the park. Even if Jordan finish above us (which they won't) we will still qualify in 2nd place. There is no way we aren't winning the 4 games v Taiwan and Nepal and the home game against Kuwait. That is 18 points plus the 2 games v Jordan still in hand. Even if we only got 1 point from the Jordan games (which again won't happen) It would be a one in a thousand chance we missed on 19 points. Try drawing up a scenario where we miss on 19 points and can't finish in the top four or five 2nd place teams. The probability of us missing now in this phase is minuscule.

So we would have qualified to the next stage with 4 points to spare. We don't even need to win the group to qualify, usually 3 games where you have dropped points is still enough to qualify.

Leckie, Borrello, Mabil and Ikon at this stage with Leckie as the only lock.

Arzani could easily break into the sde when he's fit and playing again, probably at the expense of Ikon.

Nabbout would be my 6th choice.

Hrustic can play play out wide too so it will be interesting to see whether Arnie sees him as a winger, a AM or a CM.

I honestly can't see the likes if Goodwin, Boyle or Duke winning many more caps.

I don't think you did the maths correctly. If Jordan got full points against Kyrgyzstan they would have finished on 21 points too, and qualification would have gone to the lottery of GD.

This time our group doesn't have a team we can count on to take points off Jordan.

Easy. It's entirely possible for any five other runners up to rack up maximum points and a higher GD than we will in our group, such as Syria or China against Philippines, Maldives and Guam, Iraq v Hong Kong and Cambodia, Oman v Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan v Myanmar and Mongolia, North Korea v Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka, or Uzbekistan or Saudi v Palestine and Singapore.

The last thing I want to to have an "I told you so" moment, but the "she'll be right" attitude of many as regards the dice throw of getting a best runners up spot alarms me.

It shits me that we've got good attackers but not one regular goalscorer. 

We can qualify while finishing 2nd in the group and we would have incredibly comfortably.

17 points was the cutoff last qualifiers, we were 21.

It is technically possible but not probable. We will either finish on 21,22 or 24 points anyway so it won't matter. 18 points will very likely get you through.

Taggart, ruka, mclaren all regular scorers. Rogic and ikon in full flight have good scoring rates also 

Looks like Arnold has notified the various coaches of his provisional squad with Hull boss telling goal that Elder and Irvine have been named. If that's the case, there will be no Gersbach for the next window.

It'd be nice to see Elder get some exposure but he's got very little practice to date. It'll probably be Smith and Behich again. Taiwan away should be fine but we can't be complacent. 

I don't think Rogic is worth a call up. Let Hrustic have a run and finally get that cap. Give Goodwin one final go with some minutes. Rukavytsya does deserve a recall but I feel even Iredale should get the exposure first against these teams. Souttar and Susnjar need capping! 

Throw in Hrustic also who this season has been playing AMR in a 4231. With all these quality wingers in mind i think we need to start converting some of them. Arzani can play AM, leckie RB or striker, Boyle striker. 

Arzani is just back so unlikely to get the call up this window.

It is very frustrating.

Taggart has been banging them in in South K, but didn't force the keeper to work hard enough from two left  foot shots in effective  scoring positions against Kuwait.

I hope Taggart converts soon for the Socceroos, and doesn't end up with a mental block about scoring, like Scott McDonald had.

+1, We need to get better at converting wingers into strikers.
It happens all over the world, but doesn’t seem to happen enough here.

Biggest change that Gus made was swapping people's positions - this is what took us from a decent side to a very good one (albeit just short of world class). 

Before Gus our starting 11 was:
        Muscat   Popa Moore Neill
Emerton Cahill/ Bresh/ Skoko, Grella Chippers
                       Viduka Kewell

Bench 
Aloisi, Skoko, Bresch, Vidmar, Lazarides

After Gus:
Improved pace and technical ability of team by dropping Muscat, moving FB Neill to CB, wingers chippers and Emo to FB's, demoting Popa and Skoko to the bench..

 Emerton  Neill  Moore   Chippers
                Culina  Grella
Bresh           Cahill          Kewell
                   Viduka 


We should be doing the same albeit Leckie to RB, Arzani to AMC, and one of Irvine/Rogic/Boyle/Ikon/Borello up front. 

Lineup like this basically-

               Leckie   Sains Degenek  Behich
                        Mooy   Luongo
Borello/Ikon/Boyle   Arzani         Mabil 
                             Irvine/Rogic

I never was but now I am on board the Leckie RB train. I also agree Irvine should be in the starting XI somewhere and I actually think he’d make a decent striker. 

However, I have lost faith in Luongo. Other than Ange no Australian boss will give him a game. It’s not coincidence anymore. For me, he’s not quite up to it. I wouldn’t mind seeing him get dropped for Holland in the next squad. 

Luongo suffered at QPR by being played deep. The risen of Mooy and Rogic since 2015 hasn't helped and Irvine has also consolidated his place. Luongo still made some fairly important contributions in qualifying last time around. Although just a friendly he was the best that night against Colombia. 

Perhaps Holland would be quite valuable for the Jordan game with his robust style. 

Reports in that Elder had been considered for a call up but his calf sees him ruled out. Other information is that the squad will be quite the same but there may be more rotation.

It's very important to finally get Souttar and Hrustic capped. 

Leckie as striker.grant has been great at rb

Martin Boyle should be back to playing again after the next international break. 

Well it’s around that time again when the squad announcement is due. As per usual we have absolutely no idea when it will happen so I’ll get it started. 
I’ll lock in Thursday 3 October, 12pm

Taggarts form seems to have dried up ? unless they haven't been playing at all in J-League