No surprise but article states that Duke likely to start as striker vs France. A 2nd division player in Japan. France have Mbappe -  It’s absolutely insane when you think about it

At least JMac and Cummings are playing 1st division football in better league than J2.

Prove me wrong Duke and score/provide assist vs France and/or Tunisia, Denmark. 

TBH, the french defenders would lap up JMAC. At least duke gave give a bit of sack

Totally agree.
We are the team we are, no point comparing anyone to Mbappe.

I would start Duke in this game too. 

Yep, lock it up, niggle, push, elbow, kick, do what you need for 75 minutes....then let Kuol run at them for the last twenty.

Yep!

agreed but not from 75min mark, I'd get Kuol on 65 mark at least for more time taking them on for lets face it, our backs/mids will take how many attempts to feed Kuol the right ball to run onto behind their backs :)
Duke is perfect to hussle and bussle them, they won't like that - depending how the ref allows play to go on.

Yeah 75 is a bit much maybe plus Duke surely can't do what will be asked of him for that long.

It's a good point re the ref. His personality will have a big say in this game.

If he gives a yellow in the 2nd minute for an overly physical (but not nasty) challenge we will be in trouble aha

Maybe we should actually attempt to change this current Socceroo culture, where it's just about fighting and playing rough and dirty. Let's actually start Kuol, Boyle (if fit), players who are going to be positive; run at players and try to create chances.

How are we ever expected to produce good players when the football culture is let's start J2 level Duke because his physical and can throw a few elbows. Because guess what, when Duke comes up against Varane, whoever replaces Kimpembe, and Pavard he's not going to be able to do that against far superior athletes.  

You know what, thats not actually a bad call mate... I must admit I was on the side of the others about Kuol coming on as a fresh legs sub in the 60-70min mark but ..... fuck it.....  Start the young fella from kick off. Have Kuol and the cum canine run at the Frenchies HARD for the first 15-30 mins, play some balls to the wall, 3-2-5 shit with Behich and Leckie as touchline wingers ..... It will catch the world off guard... May even jag a quick goal and then all bets are off. 

You can't change the culture of a team/country an hour before kick off of a world cup.

Also I never said Boyle shouldn't start on the wing at he same time? Just that as a striker I'd start Duke over Jamie no heart any day in a game like this.

I also only said Kuol shouldn't because he has never actually played more than 30 minutes so would be knackered and not tracking back in the last 5-10 minutes of the half and 7 minutes into the second half.

That's reality and I'm actually annoyed at Montgomery for not starting him this season for this very reason.

I get your guy's cautious attitude, but don't think you guys realize that France is physically better than us as well, just because a player is technically shit (Duke, Irvine) it doesn't mean they are physically good. Trust me, Varane isn't going to be put off by Duke running at him or throwing some elbows, more than likely his just going to get sent off, or an early yellow. I agree with you that the lack of game-time is worrying, and Montgomery is some old era fuckwit for having to blood a young player, but there's no way he can do any worse than Duke.

We have seen this all before. Remember back in 2010 when we played Germany first up. Played defensive with no attempt to even play anything and we were smashed, making progression pretty much impossible. So just because we play defensively gives no guarantee of a low score line, you can it imagine now Benzema, Mbappe and Coman peppering our goal from the first minute (it's not going to be pretty)

I guess everyone here just buys in Arnie's fucking bullshit of having 11 boxing kangaroos out there ready for a fight. At the end of the day, it's a football match and I would be much prouder if Australia actually tried to play some. If they actually did this and succeeded, yeah, I think you could change the culture in a single night.   

I appreciate your enthusiasm but just as you try to point out Duke is not a better athlete than their CBs, us deciding we want to try heaps hard to be better on the day doesn't mean it will happen.

You guys must be a joy to be around, the cautiousness is amazing. 'Fingers crossed I only get beaten 2-0 this week'.
I can't believe the attitude is 'let's play super defensive and lose' instead of lets actually try and do something and lose. 

Seems like YOU are the one accepting we will lose and want to "lose with pride".
I don't want to lose!
I want to scrap, niggle (and bite if we have to aha) my way to a point or 3 the way every underdog in football has ever done that.

Not saying that at all, but if we play super defensively, we will. The only chance we have on getting a point or draw is actually trying to score goals. If we sit back, they will eventually score and even a point will be impossible.

If we play rough and dirty the way your suggesting, it just proves that how much of a lower-class Australian football is, and if that's the loser culture, we will never see Australian players in anything other than pox level Championship, SPL, and of course GA's favorite J2. 

We don't have the cattle.

So, what's the point of even turning up then. Why would we even care about getting to a tournament were 2 out of the 3 teams we play we apparently have no chance of scoring against because we don't have the cattle. Wes should have just gone out to Peru, that way the boys could have just remained at home to really secure there J2 and Championship bench spots.

 

The point is to get out of the group.  It is not to entertain or "have a go" and get the pat on the head from the winning opposition about "how hard we made it for them". 

Lets stop being so naive at this level.  France is not the important match. They will likely beat everyone and challenge for the title.  We just have to ensure they don't beat us by more than they beat the other 2.

And I said nothing about the any of the other 2 teams.  They are the two games we can-and have to- let loose on.

If we are going start Duke we might as well pack up and go home. It in absolute farce that we start a guy who plays in the Jap 2nd division, who doesn’t even play as a striker for club, and has scored a handful of goals in his career against the world champions, and expect anything other than a total drubbing. The notion that deploying Duke the Nuke will in any disrupt France because he will “get in their faces” is absolutely hysterical.

The only reason Duke is in the squad to begin with is his affiliation with GA at club level. He’s mates with Arnie, and scored some goals against some crap teams in Asia. That’s the trouble with competing in the Asian confederation, the low quality of the opposition has allowed frauds, bystanders and pedestrians to look better than what they actually are. Duke the Nuke can’t even get a game in the Japanese league, it’s an absolute indictment on GA that he sees this guy as the key to unlocking France.

If it were me I’d start Kuol and/or Cummins. We have absolutely nothing to lose, we are going to get thrashed anyway, might as well just swing the bat and see what happens.

Well said

That's what people said last time but we mostly outplayed France and were very unlucky to lose. Mooy bossed the midfield against Kante and Pogba and Sainsbury and Milligan were giants at the back.

They needed a dodgy VAR penalty for Risdon's tackle and then a cruel deflection that went to the only possible place Ryan couldn't save to beat us. Even then we should've had a penalty in the dying minutes when two of their defenders were holding down Jedinak at a corner - one had him by the arm ad the other had both arms around him. How the fuck does that not get seen?

Point is - I suspect we have a slightly better side this time and France are notoriously slow starters in tournaments. They're not used to Qatar conditions either. An upset (or at least a draw) is on the cards if Arnie plays the right team. Kuol and Cummings to start!!!

Socceroos have their own Mbappe but there's no Australian striker that comes close to Cummings - FTBL | The home of football in Australia

Sainsbury had Griezmann and Dembele in his pocket that day. I mean in hindsight to that game, which I've watched many times, the cautious approach kept us in it long enough yet watching Nabbout makes me wish we'd started with Juric or even Maclaren who had good form at Hibs. This is where I wonder if a battering ram of Duke and Leckie up front to press is right this time or we go all out and start the better ones who can score. 

If we go to rough approach and hold on until 55 by just one goal down, I'll be excited to flip it up but if we're down by 3 like some of those FA Cup games then it just becomes a scrambled rush forward to no avail.

Literally 75% of the socceroo's play on the counter every single week at club level... most aren't in teams dominating... except for maybe Mooy. All of sudden you want them to out pass the technicians in the midfield of France? Watch the 2018 run again, France are absolutely devastating on the counter... if we even give them one or two chances on the break its game over Mbappe will put a hat trick away in the first half. Mbappe cant get in behind if our boys are sitting on the penalty box(for the first 60mins at least)

Sit deep and absorb pressure and frustrate the French. So we can counter(its our best strength). If we play out from the back we might as well just hand them a 5-0 win. This isn't not having a go, this is playing to our strengths we can try out pass the Tunisians if you really want to.

There's a difference between playing on the counter and not attempting to play anything at all. 

But you're the only one suggesting that and you're then getting wound up by it :hehe:

.We need to see the 3 games as 3 parts.  Part 1 is the first game.  This actually isn't the most important match in the group.  A boring 0-0 draw a 0-1 loss will do just fine. No point in entertaining beltings.

If we sit back, we won't get a draw or a 0-1 loss we will get absolutely thumped just like we did against Germany. 

We could have  had Messi play for us that day and we'd still ship 4 goals.  Garcia could have scored on the line.  And Cahill could not have got red carded-which gets back to my earlier point about playing aggressively.  Open up the space and their front 3 will cut us to shreds.

You lost all credibility there. Montgomery plays young players for more minutes than just about anyone in Asia. If Kuol had not been picked for the U20 team and had stayed and played with the Mariners he probably would have been starting a few weeks ago. 

Your deluded, but I do concede that Montgomery does play some young players in defense, not really attacking positions though. I think I found a video that sums up your guy's attitude, I'm sure Arnold would love it, as its super boxing relevant.

The Simpsons S08E03 - Moe Saves Homer From Boxing Match With Drederick Tatum #thesimpsons #cartoon - YouTube
(1min-2mins, although after 1;45 will probably be result I'd much rather see that)

God damn I am getting pretty excited though!!!

Seeing Jack White on Saturday night then the World Cup starts.

Bring it on

You think the French players got to that level without having a full repertoire of the dark arts?

They'd know every trick in the book and then some. 

.hehe cum canine lol, your a funny b itch at times.

I like the blokes thought but nah
changing a culture in critical games coming up sure isn't the best way to test that, mind you I admire the thought but we are not ready for these coming games.
Besides we don't have the midfield to retain possession let alone outplay them.
Duke runs at players, I give him credit for his efforts there despite lacking technical ability, he's a soldier.
Aggressive in your face football has beaten Pep's city of late, they don't like being hussled thinking when a team is that dominate they are royalty, touching up the French isn't to be looked down on, its just a piece of the process, the mental aspect.

No I know mate, I was just being stupid :)  Plan B and Plan C should have been ironed out during qualifiers... I was watching the Mean Machine movie the other night and figured the only way we beat France is with a Danny Dyer tap in. hahahahahahahahahah

Exactly LFC.

Wasn't it at the Confeds Cup we coined the term Hard Takka (as opposed to tiki tacka)?

That's how we need to play.
With aggression, in your face, causing turnovers and using pace hopefully even winning a pen early on in the confusion with France all irritated coz we aren't respecting them.

We won't beat them passing it through the midfield, will we?

Like I said, I'd love seeing us develop into a cohesive pressing and defensive unit But its not there.
Hey we might and I hope get the chances to expose our pace but that needs in your face approach in any case gaining territory in the midfield.
Varane and the likes can't push the boundries as well, there is a whole lot to play for.
Their 2018 squad was just as good as this one - its not about lapping up arnie ball its about fight period, when isn't it in our circumstances without a core of top flight players.

All an easy being gun ho pre game, I'd sooner us sticking it up them any which way possible but its piece by piece, 1 half then next, only a headless chook goes out blazing in the HOPE of finishing against the tide.

The French will know our reputation for being physical like everyone else does and will exploit that like they tried to last time.  We could easily end up with a man down inside 20 minutes playing that way.  They will let us have the ball in our own half as we "play out from the back" , press hard and then get us on the turnover.  I'd go long and direct at every opportunity.  Element of surprise and all that.

5-5-0 requires no striker 

Mind games require no formation.....or shirt number.

Kuol’s never started an A-League game, can we stop this shit about him starting in the World Cup against the reigning champions?? 

When did GA coach Duke the Nuke ? I don't seen to recall this, corrected CCM.

Sure I'd give Canine woof a go might I add but Nuke could be a thorn (at least he covers ground) and won't be unlocking France but get in a position to poke his foot in or his head by the unlocking or a quality release from the mid support fingers crossed OR gain a pen.
socceroosrsdg our levels that you mention, reality.

In 2018, Nabbout was ‘striker’ vs France and barely had a touch (but at least Nabbout was playing 1st division football in Japan!)

I feel I have to say it out loud at some point.

I can't help but feel I'd rather lose with Duke than win with Cummings, Souttar and even Boyle

BUT i know if one of them score and we get a point I'll forget I ever said this (for at least a few weeks)

Because Duke is ‘more ‘Australian’? JMac then over Cummings too?

More?

Nah. I use this forum to vent sometimes- cos football is often frustrating to follow! and after i post things I often question wtf i posted - not that sure of things at all at times?! Nobody knows everything- just like to talk about football whether I’m right or completely wrong.
was genuinely asking why you favor Duke starting over JMac and Cummings- and took lame guess as to what reason could be? that’s all

I agree it would be ideal if each player that played for Australia was Aussie born and bred, but the world is not like that these days.

Look at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. A Gabonese international, born in France to a Gabonese father (admittedly also a Gabonese international footballer) and Spanish mother. He apparently spent his childhood in Italy, and then started his career with AC Milan. I doubt he played any football in Gabon until he was an international player.

A lot of other African players would have a similar story (born in Europe and never played in the country they now represent), as well as for example players in the Jamaican national team born in England.

@Cleansheets. Was that where Jedinak got knocked as he shifted the ball on to Arzani for the final shot? I've still got the game recorded and will need to check that. I'm just glad Hernandez survived all the sniper bullets. His brother has been selected too. The carrying on is an utter shambles. Hope we get a Scottish or Kiwi ref who are typically no nonsense.

Not sure, but my wife has a photo (we were there) of the two defenders climbing all over Jedi.

The fact the ref's no pen call for the Risdon tackle was overturned and the Jedi foul not even looked at was the reason I walked out of Kazan screaming. That and Kazan being an absolute shit hole where Russian officials went out of their way to destroy our experience...

@johnszasz I was at the ground that day and thought Nabbout had a blinder - constantly outjumping the French defence and winning headers - albeit to no-one as he was unsupported.

I get that the game can look awfully different on TV (and I was close to the fence so didn't have much of a helicopter view) but I thought Nabbout was really effective that day (in a Duke type role) and have since been mystified by the criticism he's had.

We all see the game differently.

Hannover away in Bremen is always better in the stadium :D Yeah, he just didn't have support that day. Isolated.

I think arnie really needs to rotate. There isnt much difference between our best 11 and our second 11 and we cant be exhausted come the third game

Yeah 2018 was frustrating how exhausted we were come game 3. We've got to use the squad.

Same with the olympics

we needed to play devlin and baccus against spain if we are playing deep but we played the same team pretty much and had no gas game three