True, we have traditionally played well against the African teams with our superior tactical organisation. Having said that that was with coaches who were, you know, actually tactical. 

That's what I saw second half against Germany and we did a lot better. A lot of posters were saying that we changed back to a back 4  because they were dropping back when we didn't have the ball. Think Ange should stick to his guns. The system needed a personnel change and he made it and we did better. Wright and Degenek though make me nervous. Need 3 Sainsburys. Worth sticking with the game plan...we were dominating lengths of the game last night after Mooy dropped back and was able to control the tempo of the game. Ange made a mistake of putting Luongo instead of Mooy as the deep lying playmaker and having no pace in the midfield. He changed that by dropping Mooy further down and gon Kruse and we brought the game to them. Second half was promising and got me excited again and screaming for Ange's head and a change of game plan seems short sighted and hotheaded to me. 

People jumping on Ange smh. We have no right to be beating Germany...and people thinking we should be beating Cameroon easy and Ange should lose his job if we don't is just ridiculous. Cameroon have good players.  

                   Langerak
       Wright       Sains      Milligan
 Leckie    Irvine         Mooy     Gersbach
          Kruse                  Rogic
                       Juric


Or in 4-3-3;
                   Langerak
Leckie     Sains      Milligan    Gersbach
                     Irvine
             Mooy        Luongo
        Kruse                  Rogic
                     Juric

 
   

I reckon Ange will go with the below, although it's equally likely to be Troisi or Kruse instead of Irvine (though I have a hunch that Kruse could come off the bench).

----------------------Ryan-----------------------
----Degenek---Sainsbury---Wright--------
--------------Milligan----Mooy----------------
----Leckie---Rogic---Irvine-----Behich----
----------------------Juric------------------------

Personally, I've got question marks over Behich in an attacking sense. While his touch seems better than Smith's, I didn't see him backing himself to hit the byline and create real chances - if Smith were available I'd still probably go with him. Gersbach might be worth a crack.

Also, given their technical limitations, I think the defenders have done alright. With the game they are being asked to play (which Wright isn't capable of, Degenek struggles with and Sainsbury manages well enough), they are immediately under the pump any time we turn it over, so we're obviously going to concede more goals than we would have under someone like Pim. All things considered, I wouldn't swap them out for one of the McGowans, and I think we need Milligan in midfield.

It's critical that Milligan and Mooy stay at DM. Something seems up with Luongo's mindset, putting him out of contention, for me. It's essential that the two guys in that position are very comfortable on the ball, and don't turn it over unnecessarily.

It's worth keeping in mind as well that the next two games are nowhere near as important as the two that come after (Japan and Thailand - this assumes we don't get out of this group), major tournament or otherwise. I mean that if you were offered two losses now, but a win against Japan, we'd all take that, no questions asked. For this reason, Ange will stick with this formation in the hope that they can find some cohesion and be in good shape for the Japan game. There's zero chance that he'll line up with a back four in this tournament.

We played something interesting over the last 40. It was like a 5-2-3. I say 5 because either Leckie or Behich pushed forward whenever the ball was on their side. Essentially it was a 4-3-3 with Behich and Leckie occasionally sneaking up their wing leaving our 3 CB spread wide across. I quite liked and a felt it opened the game a bit. Behich was a bit isolated though which needed a bit more support from Kruse and Troisi. 

It was:

Leckie Degenek Sainsbury Wright Behich 
Mooy Milligan 
Troisi Juric Kruse

Given what we have seen from our back three in the past couple of games i tend to agree with those who want milligan moved into the back three. This formation requires players capable of passing the ball. I also think Milligan is quicker than Degenek which was one of the area's Degenek has been found out in recently.

Moving Milligan into the defence also allows us to bring in Irvine who provides an additional aerial threat from set pieces. Against teams with more quality this is something we need to take advantage of a lot more. I also have an eye on our game with Japan in this regard.

I'd like to see us give the opportunity for Langerak to have big game experience in this match. Ryan is out of sorts and needs to be pushed to perform at a higher level. Accepting the fact Ange is going to perservere with the current formation, I'd like us to line up for this match like:

-----------------------------------------Langerak-------------------------------------
------------------Milligan------------Sainsbury--------------Wright--------------
Leckie--------------------------------------------------------------------------Behich
-------------------------------Irvine-------------------Mooy-----------------------------
------------------Troisi--------------------------------------------Rogic-----------------
-------------------------------------------Juric----------------------------------------------

I've left Behich in there but i think it will all depend on how he has pulled up from the last game. He got through a mountain of work and being smaller physically he would be feeling it. 

I think we have seen we require a little bit more mobility behind Juric and like him or not Troisi offers that running.

Depending on how things go i would also consider this game to give Jeggo a hit out when Rogic comes off and move Irvine into the more advanced role.

Looking at our squad we are putting a hell of a lot of demand on Leckie in the tournament to get through three games in that role with realistically no one else in the squad to fill the position. If we want to continue down this path Ange is going to have to select an able deputy for Leckie. At the moment that may be a Goodwin playing on the wrong side which i don't particularly favour or give Risdon another chance to prove he is capable.

I do suspect Irvine may also be capable of playing in that role if push comes to shove

Is it just me ? or am I the only one who has noticed that the Confederations Cup is the Champion team from each Confederation ? Why do so many on here have this idea we should be beating everyone ?  We are arguably from one of the "weaker" Confederations . Our expectations far exceed our actual talents. It will be a long time before we are serious contenders in either this Tournament or the World Cup.

@miron, because it's an Australian tradition to cause an upset against stronger teams. It's never been an issue for Socceroos teams to get results against higher ranked sides in the past.

As for getting results against top African teams, we have a decent record against the likes of Nigeria & Ghana from our matches in the mid-to-late 2000's, so pardon some of us for having similar expectations.

Yes & we did this with Aggression & Physicality, let's go back to the old days. Even Joachim Loew says Australia has envolved from 2010 long ball period.

Don't think anyone expects us to beat everyone but i do think we should be able to beat Cameroon just to show some progress from 2014. They may have won AFCON but Cameroon won't even be making the world cup because they fluked there way to a victory in amongst massive FA problems with some of their best players refusing to play for the country. This Cameroon side is beatable and it is time to show we aren't just going to roll over and expect defeat against everyone.

If we are to make progress in next years world cup, we are going to have to beat african teams to do so. This is why this game will be a good test for the quality of our team because if we lose or are outplayed and sneak a draw we will have a lot of work to do.

@robbos, I would take Lowe's words with a grain of salt. He was being nice.

I personally cannot see any evolution in this side since Ange took over. In fact I'd say the Asia Cup was the peak, but we've slowly regressed since then.

We need to be fair dinkum about our limitations and stop trying to play like a team we aren't capable of being.

I'd rather get results at a WC/Confed Cup than play a style that's not suited to the player's ability.

Could be a bit of horses for courses in regards to Degenek. I actually thought he did quite well against Draxler (one of the biggest names on the German team sheet yesterday). Admittedly Draxler isn't know for his speed, and a lot more attacks came down the left hand side of our defense. Degenek's worse habit was being drawn too far in towards the middle especially when attacks came down our left (I personally think he needs to stay a little wider of Sainsbury until Leckie slots into the RB position in the formation). Wright was caught out lots (and provided little to no cover for Behich). Behich isn't use to this role, but he was starting to cover Brandt better by the end of the first half (he really was a stand out for the Germans in the first half, blistering speed and a great touch ... except for that one poor touch :)

I actually thought the back 3 (that did evolve largely to a back 5 in defense, similar to what most teams do with a back 3) wasn't too bad yesterday. They were caught out down the left a lot though. I think this had more to do with the personnel and lack of understanding of the tactics than anything. I think Behich would be solid in the left mid/wing role if he is given more chances to prove himself. I think he has a good balance of attacking prowess but also defensive nous. Gersbach or Goodwin would be other options possibly to look at down that wing. Wright is out of his depth in the system.

The biggest problem Australia had in the first half was poor passing (I don't think even playing out from the back was the problem ... the problem was that the backs couldn't hit targets and turned it over too much). At that level many times they were under only moderate pressure and couldn't hit targets (although the mids couldn't cope with the high pressure of the Germans ... except for Rogic). Mooy, Luongo, Milligan, Leckie, Wright and Degenek turned the ball over way too many times and in great spots for the Germans to launch quick counters. Comparatively the Germans turned it over only once (in the first half) in a similar fashion, and that led to Rogic's goal.

Agree Sokorny. We were also caught repeatedly down the left hand side of our defence against Brazil. That maybe due to the players rather than the system

How is Gersbach defensive in comparison to Behich?

I think we need to build our attack around Rogic, as he's the only player we can rely on to trouble even the best defences.
He would be better used as a lone AM rather than as a twin AM because he has more freedom to roam for the ball that way.
Not sure what formation is best for that but one with a single AM would work for Rogic I think

Ange will do 3 at the back but would rather see.

Degenek---Sains--Wright---Behich
-----------------Milligan--------------------
Kruse-----Mooy---Luongo----Leckie
-----------------Rogic----------------------
-----------------Juric-----------------------

Maybe Irvine for Luongo as we need someone to make those runs from deep.

Mix of both, all Brazil and Germany did was stretch us out as much as possible then try drag a wingback way forward and get in behind its a very simple tactic that works against this formation when players aren't zonal marking correctly. 

Curtis Good would be a handy inclusion too. All reports he's getting a fair bit of game time now at club level.

Get Juric the ball as much as possible is going to be key. Did he get even ten touches of it in the first half of the Germany game? However in the second half he was great. His hold up play which allowed to get Robbie Kruse a shot on goal was fantastic stuff to watch.

Mooy will drop deeper like he did in the second half, I'm confident of that. I really think we can get the three points here. We can win this game. 

Couldn't agree more Sokorny. The system is obviously a work in progress, and as you said reverts to a back five when defending. It was definitely the errant passing that was Australia's biggest issue, plus the lack of intensity when Germany had the ball. There were often times when we had them pinned deep in their half, and they were able to pass their way out of trouble far too easy. Wright is out of his depth, not sure what other options are better with the current squad. 

Pre-match press conference live now.

I'm a fan of that line up. It goes some way to accommodating both Rogic and Mooy in central midfield, apart from anything.

Reading between the lines, he was pretty much mocking the socceroos.

Well I think what he said was pretty well spot on, we had far more options in attack then in 2010, it was our defence that was poor.
I was there in Germany watching the Socceroos & loved every minute, but I understood their limitations, they were not as good a football team as the Asian cup 2015 team, though maybe 3-4 individuals Viduka, Kewell, Bresc & Grella (during this period outstanding, by 08-10 was just a hack) were better in 06.
However after the Asian cup, yes we have regressed, but more so because Ange trying to play a style that even Man City are struggling to master, we just don't have the cattle & we are picking the wrong players for a passing team, Degenek, McGowan, Wright, Irvine, Jedinak, Smith, just don't have the first touch not the technique to play this style

How do we stop Cameroon's dribble with the ball and speed ? to stats they did fairly well in

surely the first 45 minutes can't be some all out frontal assault .. it would leave us too vulnerable at the back.

You reckon Lucy could stop asking stupid questions as if 3 at the back was just invented by the Socceroos ?

best interview haha -->
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbsaEYBCruc

Mooy - "making simple answers look like highly complex algorithms "

The only predictable thing about the bigger African teams is that they are completely unpredictable.  They are just as likely to defeat a European team one day as lose to an Asian team the next.

So anything is possible in this game.

There were some strange VAR decisions in the Chile v Cameroon game, but on the whole, they are a good test for the socceroos.

If we want to be viewed as a legitimate top 32 prospect, we need to give a good account of ourselves in this game.

He always looks like he has absolutely nothing going on upstairs. But he really just ridiculously shy. Definitely not a someone you throw in front in camera. 

--------------------------Ryan
---------Wright---- Sainsbury----- Degenek
-----------------Milligan --------Mooy
--Leckie------Rogic-----------------Kruse----------Behich
------------------------------Juric

I had a choice, Milligan in defence or midfield but ultimately chose Milligan in midfield as that partnership with Mooy can really help us control the game.

We fukt.

-PB