I agree, as soon as I made the post I thought I should have swapped Sains and Degenek around.

I like this team as well but would have Jeggo in front of Stensness, only because I think Jeggo is underated and has done well in the limited opportunities he has been given so far. STENSNESS is still unknown at international level but I reckon would probably still do the job but maybe better for him to be eased into it.

really think the 3-4-3 is the best option, gives us extra man in midfield and both japan and SA will sit deep. Those defenders should be able to stop counters with the help of Stensness.

What when he handled the ball in the box v China? Some things I can't forgive & forget. Should be Dougall anyway, but Arnie has to have his mates in there!

Yes, that was a mistake but others have missed open goals, caused a goal to not be allowed by making a stupid run and whilst others have often given the ball away that has led to goals or put crosses into no one or played passes to no one and or frequently given-up possession or played the wrong pass at the wrong time, shooting when there are players in better positions to score etcetera but they still get selected time and time again and here we are in the position we are in struggling to make the world cup.

Anyway, this is most likely the team Arnold will run out with and I will still support them and hope that by some miracle they can get the job done but it is going to take a miracle to get to the world cup from here the way this team has been playing but I guess that's one reason I watch and support football. 

                                                                        Ryan

                     Karacic                Sainsbury                       Degenek                   Behich

                                               Irvine                                  Hrustic

                                                                        Rogic

                       Boyle                                   Mclaren                                  Mabil

So Arnie is out with covid does that mean Rene will be in charge with tactics on Thursday?

Yes - virtual meetings.

If Rogic injured & no Mcgree, guess Hrustic will step in as AM

For my money, which admittedly isn't worth a lot, he's our best option in that position in any case

                                Ryan

Smh Craig Goodwin has been deemed a Covid close contact and will miss both qualifiers

I sincerely hope so.
wouldn’t care if Arnie never came back again!!

Irvine out as well

Ben Folami and Kenneth Dougall come in 

Damn. Thought he could’ve been good in these games with some “usual” options unavailable. He always seems a goal threat.

Folami called in though which I’m happy about. He’s in form.

Goodwin out is a massive shame but Folami is in so thats not the worst thing. Irvine out is something so many people have been calling for and Dougall is in. Jeggo is near certain to start but I'd really like to see Dougall, Genreau and even Metcalfe come straight in. 

Shame about Goodwin 🙁 but stoked for Folami & Dougall - they both deserve it

Reading Sakai and Osako now out. Tomiyasu already out while some discussion about the omissions of Kamada and Doan. Fact is they've got plenty of good players. 

Real shame about Goodwin in particular. I'd have had him starting in a front three together with Boyle and Mabil. Irvine is a loss however I would say only from a depth point of view with McGree and Mooy already out too.

----------------------------Ryan--------------------
Karacic--Sainsbury--Degenek--Behich
------------------------Genreau----------------------
---------------Hrustic------Rogic----------------
Mabil-------------------Boyle---------------Tilio

Actually Atkinson has come into form so I'm starting him now. That wing position is a dilemma so I can see Boyle being on the wing still with Maclaren/Fornaroli starting.

I'm looking through a list of players that Japan have to pick from.. holy shit that's a good playing pool. One of the better ones in world football i'd say. 

People always talk about on here how our playing pool has regressed since the socceroos beat them in 2006 but truthfully they have improved more than we have regressed i'd say. 

Currently they can pick an 11 that meets our 'Golden Gen standard' of top 5 league/ CL club as per.. 

                                                                    Kawashima (Strasbourg)
Sakai (Urawa recent Marseille),  Tomirasu (Arsenal), Yoshida (Samp), Nagatomo (Tokyo recent Marseille) 
                                                                  W. Endo (stuttgart)  
                                                         Doan (PSV)       Hatate (Celtic)   
                                            Ito (Genk)                                    Minamino (Liverpool)
                                                                        Furuhashi (Celtic)

An entire team (just about, Sakai and Nagatomo both just left Marseille last season) of players in top 5 leagues or CL sides like our 2006 side. Difference is with them they have a few more players playing at that level to pick from than we did and then have a better national league to pull from too than we ever did. In addition to the above they also have the following at big 5 /CL club level...

Kubo (mallorca)
Hasebe (Eintracht)
Maeda (Celtic)
Haraguchi (Union Berlin)
Asano (Bochum)
Kamada (Eintracht)
Mitoma (Union SG, will win the belgian league this yr)

My Aussie team to take them... 


                      Ryan
Karacic    Deg     Sains     Behich
          Metcalfe     Irvine
Hrustic        Rogic         Boyle
                 Mclaren 

ooofft our team and playing pool looks bad these days :/ 

Best 11 all players available IMO would be 
                       Ryan 
Karacic     Souttar   Sains    Behich
                      Mooy
             Rogic        McGree 
Hrustic      Ruka/Macca     Boyle/Volpato

Mate Irvine is out with Covid

Replace Irvine with Metcalfe (due to Covid) Karacic will start over Atkinson. Jeggo will start over Stensness.
For the Japan Maclaren will start, not the serial diver. For Game 2, Duke will start.

Fuck. 

Ok Genreau or Jeggo in place of Irvine. 

Why Behich? Too slow and outclassed last time v Japan. Don’t say there’s no one else

I think a lot of us go Behich by default as even an in form and fit Elder couldn't replace Behich against the minnows in the previous round. Arnie's favourite. 

King is so young so we'll have a decade with him. Elder started last night and I'm livid he's only had a few caps and is now 27.

Smith's fit, long way to travel though. Behich playing regularly at an overall higher level.

Been over 24 hours so I'd like to think Rogic is OK and on his way. 

just heard Ray Hadley whinging about Arnold in Narrabeen haha wish we could could get some actual coverage or he could of mentioned the crucial game this week lol