A thread to post your Socceroos best XI. All ideas welcome from the serious to the experimental. 

I quite like this as a best XI atm, if everyone were fit. 

Goodwin - Yengi - Irankunda
                 McGree 
       Luongo - Robertson 
Bos - Circati - Souttar - Strain 
                    Ryan 

I have a similar lineup in my head.

I don't care about the keeper - any of them will be good enough on a good day and you can't pick when it will be a bad day.

I would still prefer a nippy Taggart style poacher/finisher over a taller more stationary target in principle. Ideally a player with both but I am not sure we have one. To some extent I would replace Taggart with any good, skilful, devious young striker and let them develop with the team. Both Irankunda/Arzani and Goodwin are able to make a good cross if they have a target who can get there and anticipates. To that end, I put Stamatelopolous in but would be happy with an Archie Goodwin type player or one of our promising underage strikers of a similar style.

I have always liked Geria and would be happy with him in RB although I do like Strain. Geria to me is more solid at the back and bringing the ball out under pressure, where I see Strain as being better at coming forward and complementing the forwards. With my vision of the Socceroos best system, I would rather have 6 of our best defenders to keep us solid and let our forward 4 do their business without worrying about what happens behind them.

I want us to play Nisbet enough to show if he is up to it like I think he is (same as Irankunda).

Goodwin - Stamatelopolous - Irankunda
                   Nisbet 
       Luongo - Robertson 
Bos - Circati - Souttar - Geria 
                    Ryan 

                     Yengi/Stam      Irankunda

Goodwin        Robertson         Nisbet               McGree

Bos                 Circati                 Souttar             Strain

                                       Izzo

Although I think Circati and Souttar are our best CBs, I'm a little concerned that they are susceptible to opponents getting behind as they are not particularly quick.

CF is wide open for someone. I'm open to whoever is in form. If Yengi or Stama or Toure or Daggers or Iredale or whoever starts banging in goals they'll be well placed to make it theirs. 

I like Geria too, especially vs the stronger sides where we want the best defensive cover. 

Playing off Roars XI above and the concept of a backline to look after their own business ditto the forwards.

I'd be interested to see a line-up like this:

Goodwin - Kalik - Irankunda

Some very good sides already posted.

I prefer Gauci to get a run in goals and want Irankunda running off Nisbet. Also want to see McGree and Robertson in the team.

Goodwin should be captain.

1st 11           Gauci
         Circati.  Souttar. Farrell
Metcalfe. Luongo. Robbo. Bos
         Volpato           Mcgree
                       Yengi 
     
2nd  11        Ryan 
      Geria.   Burgess. Rowles
Leckie    Oneill.   Irvine.     Goodwin 
          Hrustic.          Irankunda 
                       Duke 

       

No Nisbet, no credibility.

Have you watched any A League in the last three years?

In that system 343 that Popa plays and that I've used, Nisbit would probably be best as a RAM. So there begs the question, is he better than Hrustic or Volpato? For mine no

I'm gonna ignore injuries and availability
vs a superior team


---------------------------Ryan--------------------------------
--------------Circati------Souttar---Rowles---------------
-Metcalf-------------Irvine-Luongo-----------Bos-------
-----------------------------Mcgree--------------------------
-------------------Goodwin----Irankunda-----------------

Defensive starch everywhere, everyone a hard worker and lots of pace on the counter attack

Against a park the bus team

--------------------------Gauci-------------------------------
-------------Circati-----Souttar---Rowles----------------
-Metcalfe--------Robertson-Nisbet------------Bos----
-----------------------------Mcgree-------------------------
---------------------Volpato----Toure---------------------
Prioritized first touch and comfort in traffic

Kind of crazy I had no room for a bunch of players in either line up (e.g. hrustic, miller, italiano, triantis, yengi, iredale, O'Niell etc). Also crazy I went 3-4-3 each time

against every team, or would you go horses for courses?

This for me hits the mark. Struggle to really swap anyone in/out.

If we can get close to this XI on the pitch as much as possible, with obviously a few key rotations when necessary, I see the potential for our football to go up a level.

Good call on Farrel, Forgot about him and might be better than rowles in a back 3. Our 1st xi is almost identical against a defensive team except for Farrell (mistake on my part) and I went Toure over Yengi. Would you play a different team against an opposition that would put us on the back foot?

Can't and won't disagree with what's been named as yet. Clearly a set of 18 or so players who belong to the typical 11's. It depends on the opponent.

most fans tend to undervalue off the ball work and can underate a player who is brilliant off the ball but limited on it. I think fans underrate off the ball work in possession even more than they underrate defensive work

Occasionally you have a player like mcgree who is decent on and off the ball but struggling to get higher than championship level for whatever reason (probably has trouble with his body sustaining fitness over a full season, similar to luongo)

For your regular Asian opposition. I would adjust for Japan (H&A) and Saudi (A). Go more defensive but have bench options that can turn a game. Counter attack. 

It's interesting that Japan run with a 3-4-3 atm. Roughly this:

                      Suzuki
Machida - Taniguchi - Itakuri 
Mitoma - Morito - Endo - Doan

Interesting that Japan had a bac 3 then those attacking guns as wingbacks. While educated to help defend and position accordingly, neither were noticeable against Saudi. I bet they did a lot I didn't notice so I'll have to have a better look. Only with a very strong midfield can we do this but Bos is better defensively and should be at LWB regardless.

Perhaps Irankunda up top instead of Yengi when we play a top country to play on the counter. That and perhaps Oneill ahead of Robbo in midfield 

Had a bit of a go at looking at depth and a second 26 man squad outside of Popas.

Thomas, Glover, Redmayne Atkinson, Karacic, Bovalina, Mauragis, Degenak, Girdwood-Reich, Triantis, Laws, Good, Nisbet, Balard, Thurgate, J Hollman, Watts, Brook, Grimaldi, Kalik, Mabil, Peupion, Borrello, T Yengi, Toure, Irendale.

its certainly improving isn't it. Maybe a quarter of the way there though. I guess you are missing unavailable players like robbo, circati and volpato

Yes I only considered available players at the time of squad selection, to the best of my knowledge.