I expect oar to start stepping up for the roos in the next few games or so
jedi is a mystery

sure he isnt ideal for anges style
but i dont think he was great under holger

he seems to be good at keeping defensive shape though

Last year I was proffering him as a CB, now I think about him in that role under Ange more and more.

Crystal palace and Man U are tied on points. It must be worrying for Jedi
They are tied on points with a side of Championßhip quality :cool:

Sounds like Oar is doing all his damage from deep. Perhaps its time to play to his strengths, and give him a go in midfield.

Tommy Oar's assist

[youtube]/watch?v=sbE8uurq7tU[/youtube]

Bailey Wright's goal



gyfcat link
http://gfycat.com/ScaryPoliticalBarebirdbat


Edited by moofa: 22/9/2014 10:19:01 PM

Tidy finish from Wright with his weaker foot. Even called for it, so he new what he wanted to do there. Let's try him up top for the Socceroos. :lol:

what's with the awful music on some of these football videos. always with the trance pop shit. wtf is that??

Franjic on the bench. He played for the reserves a couple of days ago.

Being nursed back or not considered a first team player?

given franjics interrupted preseason I think that if he starts any time within the next two weeks I would count him amongst those that "went from the a league straight into the starting 11 of a european club"

Ivan or Petar? :-"

no love for franjic...or too many subs at all today only made 1 sub in a 3-1 loss

Something just clicked, or was reminded, when viewing footage of Ibini's performance in the A-League All-stars game...

His composure and tactical discipline performing to his role under Gombau - reminded me of what we lacked at the World Cup, especially when Halloran came on. I don't like to hate on Halloran, or Leckie, but you only really appreciate the likes of Kruse, when they're gone and the likes of Leckie and Halloran are filling in. Leckie had his moments, but seems a better super-sub. Halloran should be usurped in the pecking order and hopefully will be by young stars coming up through, like Fulham's Ryan Williams or the like?

Anyway, one of the values of Robbie Kruse and what we missed, was his composure in the final third? Kruse has always brought that since his earlier NT days and hence his becoming a key player. His off the ball movement, positioning and composure when on the ball - his crossing delivery better than average too and ofcourse his added asset of composure/finishing infront of goal - something most of his would-be rivals in Leckie, Halloran and co, clearly lack. Instead of panicking and blazing away, or massively over-hitting crosses, or bad-touch after bad-touch, losing possession - bad passing, bad decisions - much of what we've seen from Leckie and Halloran, we see Kruse more often holding onto the ball, drawing fouls, free-kicks and corners, completing passes, one-twos (So FEW of our guys do this, only Bresc!), good off-ball movement/runs and even creating or finishing threatening moments for Australia. I make Kruse sound ideal, he still has his flaws, but he's certainly a star of our NT, especially compared to our rivals. Certainly leads the pack, only needs to be fit! Hopefully he features more with Leverkusen or with somebody, this season.

If only we could have more attacking wingers with good first touches, decent technique and composure on the ball and in decision-making, as we do in Kruse? They are surely on the way with the coming generations - like the promise we saw from the Joeys wingers recently.

Edited by GloryPerth: 23/9/2014 05:36:27 AM

Mysteries of the Cosmos - which is indirectly part of Ange's job remit, to address!


There's a third-way and it's with more flexible tactics or what not - people have discussed how he's a deeper, sweeper, cleaner-upperer-type with Palace. Just screens, supports their backline and intercepts, clears, quick opposition forays?

We see with some teams, where the deep midfielders drop soo deep in tactical set up, that they can essentially be a third CB. We see under Ange, Jedi dropping a fair bit deeper too. So Ange IS adapting him that way, to a degree.

To be fair to Jedi, some of his passing at the WC much better, esp his diagonal lofted balls to the wingers running into space, notably the pace of Leckie. Against higher lines, this useful, but against deeper, counter-attacking teams, like most AFC opponents, these balls not appropriate, less they're perfectly accurate, Bresc-style.

Edit: With better ball-playing CBs, like, ironically discussing below, Rhys Williams, that also relieves distribution responsibility from Jedi. Rhys and to much lesser degree, likes of Spira and Good, are some of our better passing CBs, and Rhys Williams also reflected this good passing against Costa Rica, with his lofted balls to Leckie and Kruse exposing Costa Rica's high line with ease. Again, those balls not best for deep defences, but the snap shots we've had of Rhys, show that he could help take our that slack in our transition play going forward and tying to Jedi, perhaps more freedom can be given to Rhys to roam forward into a midfield position, with Jedi dropping into a temporary CB position when we're with the ball - to cover counters and buy time for Rhys' tracking back? Lucas Neill used to roam forward into midfield, when we were struggling to break down - with mixed results - but he was the last with the bravado/nous to do so. Rhys Williams very capable of doing so, including his technical ability on the ball, driving forward - so hopefully he has that licence - as I saw him do this at times with Middlesbrough to good effect (As a DM).



Good to hear Kruse back. Only a matter of time as to when he features and when he does, hopefully he features even more.

Herd apparently impressed at RB, against the Saudis and he's done well there with Aston Villa in the past too - that's how he got his break with Villa (Promotion from Reserves), as a RB initially. Rhys Williams initially impressed at RB with the NT, but that's not his prime position (He prefers playing centrally) and I think even he's been exposed there to a degree, against stronger opposition (Was it Romania or ?!) - Rhys is our leading CB too though and our strongest CB combo on paper is he with a Spira or Curtis Good. He could arguably be our leading CB option. So no need to cut off our nose to spite our face with that one, especially with Franjic and Herd about.

Edited by GloryPerth: 23/9/2014 05:07:01 PM

Rhys Williams and Robbie Kruse - we're soo much a better side with those two in the there and it's no surprise that was the game we last won (Before Saudis), when they both featured!

May we track their Aussie Abroad progress so closely this season - we need our potential Asian Cup stars, shining!

Edited by GloryPerth: 23/9/2014 06:05:05 AM

Yeah, I thought that Ibini played well in that game. I was kind of surprised by his performance and discipline. Will be interesting to see what he serves up for the NT, since it seems like Ange may be calling him up.

Leckie starting. They should be top of the league again after this one.

why did you say that?? Ive got a deadline that is going to be missed now.

Leckie playing well, getting free and shooting just over the bar just now.

Leckie just over from 8m.

should have had that. and almost another assist already.

Missed a sitter to make it 2-1, ended 1-1. Two important points dropped.

Bozanic finally back from injury, on the bench.

Ingolstadt had 29 shots to 4 :lol: they are top atm but other teams have a game in hand.

Given what you guys just described and his past history - If Leckie would score even a fraction more of the chances he gets himself into, he'd be playing a far higher level than Bundi 2 already!! At club level and the NT - It's one of his key missing ingredients - no point getting in dangerous positions if the opposition aren't punished, via a goal, assist or corner/fk earned. And if you shoot on-goal atleast force a stretch/effort from the goalkeeper - rather than blazing over or straight into them! Leckie hardly alone there, but it's just frustrating, including at the World Cup, when he got into soo many wonderful positions in the final third, via a quick transition or counter attack. He could've scored a few goals at the World Cup, instead he had none.

None-the-less, he HAS scored 2 goals this season, so hopefully he can keep adding to that tally, take it to double digits, then he'll really get noticed!

Edited by GloryPerth: 24/9/2014 06:02:38 AM

Amini scored and played 90
Willshire starting
Kruse and Brillante on the bench

and Yeboah scored

Edited by playmaker11: 25/9/2014 05:01:02 AM

In the Capital One cup

Herd starting for Bolton
Davidson starting for West Brom

Schwarzer on bench for Chelsea
Jedinak not in squad for Crystal Palace

Herd and Davidson played the full 90. Brom beat Hull 3-2, while Bolton lost to Chelsea 2-1.

nice for both sad i missed it

Good for both to get minutes, especially Herd.

Any word on how Davidson played seeing as he's been struggling a little bit this season?

Glad to see Davidson playing a full 90 after his recent poor performances, even if it was a cup game.