Interesting with those numbers. From memory Petratos was in the 24 for the Colombia and Norway friendlies so I don’t read a hell of a lot into that.

Bailey wright was in his preferred number (5/6??) and he got the chop so who knows!

Looks as though Arzani is 26

Ruka should be used centrally - we have enough wing options, but Ruka is our only pacy striker option. The one and only, literally.

You're right. The lighting and sweat is couldn't pick him. Thought it was Karacic.

Imagine he will play 4231 with jedi and loungo as dm with loungo with more license to go forward. Mooy in the middle with instruction to distribute quickly, unlike under ange, and ruka up front with leckie and kruse around. All about the speed in transition and the pace to track back to defend. So need pace and big engines. 

So

                    Ryan 
Karacic Sainsbury Milligan Behich
              Jedinak Luongo 
Leckie        Mooy         Kruse 
                  Rukavytsa 

Juric and Nabbout still with small injuries. Asia Roos on route but Jedinak and Vukovic will be the last to join. 

Yep, when Juric hasn't played for a month, is it worth taking him to the WC? Makes the non inclusion of JMac a bigger puzzle.

The Dutch 4231 is played with a genuine central striker.  Juric will get the nod ahead of Ruka.

I'd say Jedinak alongside Sainsbury
Mooy next to Luongo
Rogic at #10
Juric up front

Id like to see Rogic play up front instead of Juric, i think he is a better option

No strikers needed. Play all defenders for the game against France. 

How many Goalies can you have ?

we can't just lay down and let them come at us, eventually they will score. We need to pressure them higher up the park and defend from the front, if we sit back a la the opening game of 2010 WC vs Germany, it's highly likely we'll achieve the same result.  Playing with the likely 4-2-3-1 is already a very defensive structure, so the advanced 3-1 need to press higher up the park, we can't just have the whole team sitting off inside our half.  Bert is pragmatic, but I don't think he'll be as uber defensive as Pim was in 2010. 

hopefully we see some proper structure at the back and better overall cover... players tracking runs properly.. etc.. if we can at least get organised at the back and not look like donkeys we can at least build a strong press from the front..

It'd be great if Big Tam could play up front. It would appear to sort out so many issues with our attack. It might work now and then. But, imo, it's wishful thinking overall.

I don't reckon he'd go that well as sole striker. And if it's a counter-attacking game built around quick transitions and moving into space very fast, that doesn't appear to suit his game (although he can hold up the ball and that's another facet of that kind of game). Basically, if he's sole striker, he'll be too easy to manage.

He's better drifting between the lines and having somebody to work off.

Any news on the three being cut?

--------------------Ryan---------------------
Karacic-Sainsbury-Jedinak-Meredith
Leckie----Irvine-----Luongo----Behich
------------Rogic-------Petratos-----------

Yeah Rogic as a sole striker simply won't work. As part of a front pairing with somebody like Maclaren (oh well) it could work very well - Maclaren good at making a run for a cross and digging something out, Rogic with a wicked shot from range or from a cut back.

In 2014 everyone expected us to sit back and just lob the occasional ball at Cahill. We took the game to them (well Netherlands and Chile at least) and it was a joy to watch. Sitting back and defending is a recipe for disaster, we simply don't have the discipline at the back for that to work - we need to press, limit their time to pick a pass the best we can and disrupt their game. The quality of opposition - France, specifically - will be used to having a parked bus in front of them.

True about juric but if he can not hold possesion in a game in which we mightnt have much he might prefer the pace of ruka to attack on the counter. 

agree.  as a false nine.  would be a total boss.  can totally hold up and feed incoming wings, as well as turn and shoot some bombs.  it would also take the pressure off him having to defend too hard and running out of gas.

jedi in the back. leckie at rb. rogic as a cf.  

i got the sense from the first couple games with BVM in charge that he is not going to play players out of position. he will play them where they have been at their club.

Celtic tried Rogic as a striker.  He was an abject failure.

I don't think we will be going with a front 2 at all. If we were, Maclaren would have made the 26.

4-2-3-1 with most of the squad on defensive duties for France and more aggressive v the other 2.

Only reason I'd be inclined to start Jedinak at CB is because it is the best way to have our best players on the pitch. I'm still hesitant to opt for it as I maintain playing Barnsley, Burton and Bolton is different to France, Denmark and Peru. And I think he'd be more likely to get eaten alive at the back by those dynamic players than say a Jurman would. However he is such a presence and his form for Villa has been quite impressive. So with that being said, it is tempting to have something like this IMO:

------------------------Ryan--------------------

Karacic---Sainsbury--Jedinak--Behich

--------------Luongo-----Mooy-------------

Leckie---------------Rogic-------------Arzani

------------------------Juric--------------------

I like this. As long as we press enough and unsettle France then it can work. We must not sit back. France will dominate possession and I think it'll be like the French cup final. We need to be like Frankfurt in the cup final and bully them around and stick to a plan. 

Jedi plays almost between a defensive mid and a third CB. Which is why the 3 CB system + Jedi made no sense IMO.

Huddersfield ground out two important draws playing 5-3-2 with the 3 playing defensively... I dont argue going that far but I think 4-3-3 best suits our squad with a back four then the 3 being Luongo-Jedi-Mooy.

The front 3 can then be Leckie with Juric/Rogic and Kruse/other.

Ryan
Karacic Sains Jruman/Milligan Behich
    Luongo Jedi  Mooy
  Leckie Rogic Kruse

I personally think Kruse is finally back to his best after taking some time to get over several injuries. At his best I think he showed that he is a dangerous player at Bundesliga level, making very intelligent runs.

I'm triggered remembering the Rogic as a false nine days at Victory, what a waste of talent.

I’d be pretty nervous with a mid 3 of Luongo, Jedi, Mooy. Only Luongo brings any closing speed across the pitch, which I think will be vital against our opponents (especially France) Expecting our front 3 to do all the pressing just leaves them fatigue and ineffective going forward. Mid 3 of Luongo, Irvine and Mooy is my preferred.

The midfield against Chile was Luongo, Irvine with Cahill as a 10, Kruse as RWB and Troisi roaming around on the left tackling in midfield. It worked so well. Speed was the key. We didn't miss Mooy or Jedinak that day. 

You know you've made it when "the" is in front of your name.