I'm sorry but in 96, Zelic was playing in an all stars team running around the field with Ginola, Laudrup, Klinsmann and Weah. They were playing against the greatest brazil team of all time. No one is near his level. Harry was the only one near him.

hesgoal.com

Agree with all of this, BOH.

One thing I'm really pleased about with Ten TV coverage is they've axed all the supposed GG  who  used to host Fox ( Bozza, Bulldog, Zelic), apart from Archie, who constantly used to talk about how good their generation was.

The likes of Milligan, Brosque,  Georgia Yeoman- Dale and Grace Gill are as good as we've had - and provide a more contemporary perspective. Is Schwarzer still living in England?  He probably has no idea about the transformation in the Aussie system since  he was last living here.

Regardless of how good we are compared to past generations, it isn't helpful for former  Socceroo players to disparage our current team. They are the best we've got, trying their hardest to qualify for a World Cup.

That game was  an exhibition friendly.

Ned never played World Cup football at senior level.

Failing to beat Iran  (1997) in a sudden death games, home and away, isn't a great achievement either. The same team (supposed GG) also lost to 5th ranked South American team in WCQs, Argentina (1993) and Uruguay (2001).

If one goes back to view those games, the standard wasn't great. At the same time many Socceroos  in that era played for European big clubs,  which is good, but it didn't  extrapolate to WC qualification.

More like 65-35. Peru are clear and deserved favourites, but anything can happen in a one off game on a neutral ground.

That said, I just can’t see it. For all the (welcome) optimism in this thread, we’ve been dreadful for a long time now. It’s a team without a recognised goal scorer, with shaky defence and sluggish midfield, coached to a standstill by a pathetically conservative and fearful coach (oh arnie, how you have disappointed me). I’ll be amazed if we make it.

None of Cantona, Best or Giggs eve played World Cup football at senior level.

Does that imply that, for example, Jedinak was a better footballer than those three? After all, he played in multiple WCs.

Can’t see us winning this. I would guess a 2-0 loss, but after the mess that Arnie has dished up, I honestly won’t be that disappointed to not make it. 

I tend to agree with this.

It means Jedi tested himself at a higher level - the pinnacle of international football, the WC. 

Disagree about 65-35 Peru, more like 50-50. 

I doubt Peru have played in Middle-East before. 

Home pitch advantage to Aussies. 

The better Peru players aren’t there from Russia. 

Our biggest losses from Russia are probably Millsy, and Sains not being matchfit. 

Souttar is with the team. Cahill in the stands. Do you think Ange has travelled? I think he's probably on holiday with the family. They also met some of the the NZ players at the hotel. Spirits seem high. There's clearly a big support network around and amongst the team. Whether that translates to a good performance is another thing. Just enjoy your football, follow your plan and adapt accordingly and fight to the end.

I cannot see how we can win this but I will be watching with my family. 

Tomorrow I'm either gonna be buzzing all day or in one deep state of sadness.

Please please Aussies win 🙏

on paper peru are weaker than i thought

Tonight we conclude a 1,007-day qualification journey that started in Kuwait on September 10, 2019.

20 games. 4 at home.
15 stadiums. 11 opponents.
48 players featured. 17 debutants.
13 wins. 45 goals scored.

From socceroos Facebook. I wonder how many debutants have happened in other windows? I feel McGree and Hrustic are still 12-24 months behind in their level of involvement. McGree in particular. 

yeah mcgree and genreau feel underused. Duke arguably overused

Qualifying for 2010 was delightful. 2014 I was sent into a rage and my mind thought 3rd would be eliminated but we snuck in. 2018 was ever so tight and a dose of reality. This time around it's been such a painful drag on that will have its end tonight.

I want them to come off at full time soaked in sweat with grass stains all over. Give it absolutely everything. 

So in terms of level/quality of football…

Playing in the group stage of the WC > Winning the Champions League (or equivalent) or the Premier League?

Sorry Decentric, with all due respect, that method of comparison is about as credible as a Soviet graph to show that Soviet economic productivity was greater than that of the United States.

It's the silliest criterion I have ever seen.
Hundreds of ordinary players have played in the WC, means nothing.
There are modern socceroos who have played at more than one world cup, and the majority of them are barely fit to carry Zelic's and Okon's bags.

Good night everyone see ya at 4:00 am

I think Covid had a role to play in feeling like it dragged. Also reducing blooding of new players. No games for a very long time took away the hype. Poor performances really haven’t helped. 

Good luck Socceroos.  Good luck everyone.   I don't care how we win, just win.   

Godspeed.  

:cool:

You can put up whose playing for Peru and where, but the fact is they failed to qualify directly for WC.
So they are just as shite as us.

Will take a bit of luck as well as Mooy, Irvine, Boyle being in good form. Sure will be good to see us make it, and a new coach hired before WC

Good luck Socceroos! Pretty nervous, but believe they can do it in such a tough game

I agree.

I think these older guys get off on being called a special generation and enjoy that we are struggling so they can keep their egos inflated. 

Im so up for this game. Two teams 90 minutes. You'd think some of us have never watched football before and seen teams win against the predictions of "experts" 

I wouldn't worry too much. Peru are only the 5th ranked South American team.

We saw them at the last World Cup. Mark Milligan stated their biggest asset was unpredictability. Also, he said were good at changing the rhythm of the game - fast to slow, slow to fast -  and do it quite suddenly.

Playing against World Cup winners, France in the 2018 WC.

Playing against Spain (WC winners in 2010), Holland (WC Finalists in 2010) and the Chile of 2014 (South American Champs) all in the 2014 WC.

Playing against Germany (WC winners in 2104) in the  2010 WC.

Playing against Brazil in 2006 WC.

The Socceroos have done all this. Maybe apart from the odd team in the late rounds of the Champs' League, no international  teams in history  have been much better than the France, Spain, Holland, Germany and Brazil that Australia have played in the group stages of the last four World Cups.

Sadly, in Australia we have a shocking inferiority complex, or proffer far too little respect for some of our Socceroos if our players haven't played high level European club football. That is  despite playing against the best international teams in history at the World Cup - and Australia being competitive.

And some of our former  Socceroos, who have been TV pundits, who've never coached professionally, or even made it to any World Cup, display gross disrespect to some current Australian  players in general, who have achieved more in international football than they have.

In this era, where the gap has closed between  good and weaker playing football  nations, no players from any team who qualify for World Cups  from any country are average players. 

Some express concerns about Arnie not being a good tactician.

Players who've played under him, and who've played high level European football, claim he is a good tactician and a good player manager too - which is rare. He won a CCM total with quite a modest team on paper. His  game plans and strategic planning  were sound.

Matt Ryan was interviewed in one article where he stated this - that Arnie is a sound tactician and a good player manager - superior to any other coach he has had.

Also, these days in Australia, coach education has improved immeasurably. Coaches are well educated in tactics. That is why Aussie coaches are starting to be recruited overseas. The Peruvian coach may be a sound tactician. So is Arnie.

It'll either be:

Peru absolutely maul us and some very smug types will say 'told you so.'
We lose and were never really in it and the word 'dominated' gets thrown around.
We just lose and the reaction is time for changes.
We go to penalties and lose in heartbreak. We win on penalties and feel the escape.
We win narrowly then get told we have zero chance at the WC and it's undeserved.
By some miracle we batter them and the deafening silence will linger for a week amongst jubilation. 

Ha ha!

You've posted here for a while!

I'd love the last sentence scenario.