This is a fair comment and sadly what seems to be on the cards... In fairness to Arnie, what has he got to offer a stary eyed 18 year old? ..... a few minutes in a dead end qualifier, then locked in to a Soceroos team who is heading for a decade of pain from the looks of things. The kid is launching a serie A career and missing in action for national team duties can only harm his chances of solidifying a starting 11 spot. Do well at Roma and an Azzuri call up isnt unheard of ..... I don't blame him wanting to take a punt... The old ancestry.com scouting system only seems to work on players that wouldn't get a run at their alternative national teams....

What   a   Joke ...

I've been a bigger defender of Arnie than any.  I'll admit he does not have what is a very ordinary team playing better than the sum of its parts, something Ange achieved 2014-15 at least.  He seems out of ideas and as the the qualification campaign has fallen apart his team selections have grown increasingly conservative and frustrating. How Leckie starts over Goodwin, for example, is bewildering. This has been a standard tactic of every Socceroos manager since doing Asia though, with the coach picking the players he is familiar with the campaign reaches its end stage.  

I do feel though both Ange and Arnie did what the previous foreign coaches didn''t do, which was bring in new blood.  Arnie should be commended for bringing Souttar and Boyle into the fold, much like Ange was lauded for rejuvenating the squad in 2014.

I get the anger, but don't think its fair that he is going to get blamed if Volpato picks Italy. I genuinely don't think any other manager would be acting differently.  

Nah it’s just the life of an Australian football fan - one minute you’re down, the next you’re down even further…

Graham Arnold is doing a really horrendous job with the NT. Watching the last few matches attests to that. But it gets worse.

Now, not only will we miss out on qualification, we may also lose our most promising footballer in ages to Italy.

But hey, Arnie has played a part in helping people like Mat Ryan become millionaires.

It’s great that he’s invested in the wellbeing of the team. But jeez this is demoralising. Contrast that with what the Frenchman in charge of the Saudis is doing…

Harry *played* in a crucial WCQ against Iran at the age of 17

The way I read that, was if he proves himself over the next few weeks, he can potentially squeeze himself into the squad if he's viewed to be in the top 23 options available. Saying that, he consistently picked Mabil when he was getting NO game time for his club & Leckie/ Nabbout when the a league season hadn't started. 
He's 100% in the top 23 - it's only Him & Hrustic that are playing in a top 5 league ATM (outfield player). He's in Roma's Top squad again, so let's see how he goes this game. 
I liked hearing that Arnie has spoken to his Dad & is going to speak to CV in the next couple of days. I also liked hearing that he "obviously wants him to play for Australia" so he's saying all of the right things. 
I just think that if he plays all of his old mates, we're just not going to make it - so go out with a gutsy call 

Arnold has unique logic.

Im genuinely stunned people on here don’t think a player mourinho thinks is good enough for Roma isnt enough for our NT. If we had a national team of seasoned pros at top clubs I’d agree, but that’s far from the situation. He has more claim to a start than half of our best 11 FFS.

And yes, I believe he’d contribute in a more meaningful way against Japan and SA than the usual suspects who can’t control the fucking ball.

YES. Because the current Arnold favorites can hardly produce a decent cross/free kick/1-2/strike from outside the 18 yard box/assist or goal from open play against a decent opponent. 

He never said he wouldn’t pick him. I don’t get it. He said if he deems him to be in his best 23 he will pick him. Realistically March is the first chance he will get to properly pick him. If he doesn’t pick him then yea smash him but it hasn’t happened yet. 

I hear both sides of the story BUT.....under our circumstances not flushed with any outlier let alone a game winner amongst so so players like Cahill was I have to agree re Nabboutt/Leckie/Behich he persists with.
All due respect to them done more than any of us BUT its OVER for them.
I've been a GA supporter but its getting damn thin, putting aside his conservative game plans its his selections got to the point of ridiculous.
A roll of the dice as a sub 65min or so who is gonna do any better.
Minnow NT's can do this - why not.

I mean, would him running on for 15 minutes instead of Nabbout HINDER our chances?

Now you're taking a seperate grievance and trying to apply to to the Valpato situation. 

Answer this: Will playing a kid with 28 senior minutes in his career and zero experience of being in the NT setup help us beat Japan or Saudi Arabia? 

Leeds were playing in europe those days, 97 on in EUFA Cup and CL.
Yes always been a great developing club.

Volpato is currently one of Roma's top 23 players. Roma would easily beat Australia. It's clear he's thus one of Australia's top 23 players. 

If gets on a run in terms of match minutes, it will be interesting to see Arnie changes he's tune for those upcoming games.

The fact that an 18 year Aussie is playing minutes in a top 5 league is quite incredible and should not be taken for granted.

Well I vomited as promised.
I didn't say home friendlies
1 friendly in Korea in 2019 and 0 since.

Football has been played in Europe almost non stop.
I guess the squad would have to be weakened with no Rhyan Grant and Andrew Nabbout,  but we could have managed.

In that time Italy has played 47 internationals to our 22

EDIT - Japan has played 42 fyi

And Arnie has been FAILING in his job at picking the correct team ie. only drawing with China and Oman. If his current ‘favorites’ in the squad can’t even beat China and Oman how the fuck are the same players going to beat Japan and SA in Saudi??!! 

Not sure its an FFA issue. With COVID no one will come down here to play and quarantine for 2 weeks. 

Speaking of, has anyone actually ever asked the FA/FFA why we have played 1 friendly since the Asian Cup over 2 years ago?

There's no way this is Arnie's choice and pretty sure Ange had to deal with the same in large part.

If someone says Covid I'll throw up aha

thought Arnie might go this route. Just not listening to anyone, not changing at all lol he can have lots of fun in december when he's jobless and watching the WC from home.

I mean was Leeds at the level of current Roma? Leeds were a great development club producing quality youngsters they weren't quite UCL stalwarts like Roma.

Its tough to compare the two Harry had just started getting going for Leeds when picked in 97 vs Iran. Harry almost got us there.

It's Arnie's job to pick a team that he believes can best beat Japan, not use a World Cup qualifier to lock in a young player who may or may not want to play for us.

Should Arnie pick him if we were to play a friendly in the near future? absolutely. 

End of the day I don't believe what we see in the press is reflective of all that's happening behind the scenes.

The kid would unlikely accept a call up just to get tied down by a sub appearance or two when he could potentially still get picked for Italy (in his mind I mean) and when you get 3 days in camp before a do or die game you are not going to pick a kid to start that's never met the team before regardless of how much talented he is than other options.

I really don't think any coach in the world would do that

Either he has already said no to arnie and agreed to leave it out of the press until he gets rejected by Italy 

OR

"In my view, he has to be good enough to be in the 23 for these World Cup qualifiers."

he believes nabbout is a better players even after the laziest cameo performance I've ever seen for the national team in 40 years game or two ago.

I honestly thought he would be banished after that but now he scored an outside of the foot goal in the a-league he is sure to try harder

Tall poppy syndrome. If Arnie doesn’t want him for the do or die matches, he should be promising him a call up for the next window if form is still consistent.

Hell, he should be telling the kid, “come for the do or die matches, and earn yourself a World Cup berth….by qualifying us first.”

I tend to think so CH as well.
At the same time the kid and his fam have to consider the big picture re Italian NT hopes ??????
Really to me they already have countless budding Volpato's from U23's down to Youth.
Still developing might I add just like Volpato.
They need to consider 1, he's gonna be competing in a much larger pool of hopefuls compared to a very small pool.
Sure the presitge or desire using his Italian passport is a massive pull BUT will he cut above so many others consistently will be the question for them.
I hope for him as I've mentioned the Chosen One doesn't turn on him like he has the last few clubs he's been in.
There is alot of unrest might I add by the current results.
Ex players are throwing in their 2lira worth now against him.

Arnold is part right but at the same time I'm the spanner in the works type of guy at desparate times.

Short-sighted response from Arnie, and I like him. I think we’ve already lost this kid and not being willing to roll the dice now and invite him in to the squad is a backwards move that removes any doubt ... this kids gone. 

 I’m sure it would cost Roos a victory over Japan and SA if Volpato was subbed on for final 10 minutes 

Harry Kewell was capped in a friendly match, not a do or die qualifier against Japan