Bhutan will fancy themselves against Guam. I'll say Mongolia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia will go through. 

No info as yet. Firstly these playoffs need to be completed on June 6 and 11. Damn Macau away in Sri Lanka on the 11th when I'm in HK that day. Doubt you'd even catch wind of the match.

I reckon the draw will be in June or July at the latest. There'll be quiet a number of kilometres for us to clock again. Really curious who we'll get and FIFA need to announce their 2022 plan as it'll affect some aspect of qualifying at some point. I really can't see them having 2 large groups and allowing lower placed finishers going to Qatar. I'd actually be pretty uncomfortable with a CAF style qualifying where only the group winner goes through. Nervous stuff that'd be. 

Assuming the second stage is still 40 teams in eight groups of five teams, instead of having the group winner and half of the runners up go through like last time for two groups of six teams in the third round, you could simply have both winners and runners up of the same second round advance to have four groups of four teams, with the top two qualifying, and there'd be enough matchdays left for the third placegetters to play off for the .5 spot.

Or to be a bit more generous and use the same amount of matchdays as last time, you could also keep the same second stage of 8 groups of 5 but with the top 3 qualifying to the third stage, then you can have four groups of six still with the top two qualifying, but with the third placegetters playing off in stage four's two matchdays for the .5 spot, with just the team with the better record getting a home game. The playoffs would go forever otherwise.

Wonder what the latest Mens Australia NT starting XI looks like lately.

Ryan/Vukovic/Langerak
Sainsbury/Deng
Degenek/Chapman
Grant
Behich/Gersbach
Irvine/Luongo
Mooy/Dougall
Rogic/?
Leckie/?
Mabil/Ikonomidis
Taggart/Maclaren/Nabbout

Injured N/A
Arzani/Boyle

There have been some injuries and form / fitness issues. I think it'd be a little tough to drop Behich or Sainsbury.

I'd like to see McGree, Atkinson and Deng come in.

Are we going to have any friendlies after the season? Or does GA just want to avoid playing any more matches after how shit we were in the Asian Cup

Yes it seems we'll be playing in China and South Korea in June. Nothing completely confirmed but that's what has been mentioned.

Doesn't seem like the ffa has any confidence in the Socceroos pulling a crowd these days.

Seriously the FFA has been completely rubbish at communicating with the fans since the WC. We never know when upcoming matches are on or when the squads will be announced anymore. They have morphed into a full amateur operation.

Good to hear, have other nations organised fixtures yet or are the FFA just late to announce it?

If Brad Smith keeps up his form, Behich will struggle to match him. Sainsbury and or Denegek bar paying time. Shame for Sainsbury. I wonder how ppl feel about Spiranovic?

I think Milligan will be in the centre of the park regardless of Age -> and someone should be pushing him to keep his spot, preferrebly younger Dougal? Irvine? Atkinson?

RB should go to someone like Grant or Risdon. Luongo injured or playing? Ikon and Mabil are musts going forward. Kruse should give it up at this point in our timeline to the next WC.

Rogic should be in the middle, would be nice to see McGree introduced as a sub for him. Mooy an obvious inclusion but I do think he will be busy organising his next move by then.

I want to see Nabbout blitz a game against these Asians to prove a point of him getting minutes in Japan. Boyle is a must as soon as he's able, thoroughly enjoyed watching him in his first run.

Anyway, that are probably some of the decisions that will be weighed by GA, and probable player inclusions.

Spiranovic I'd welcome if fit. Davidson I'd have no issues. Will MLS still be on in June? I trust they'll also take a break for internationals so Smith could come. 

Dougall is out for the season. I like Dougall a lot but I'd prefer to see Atkinson and McGree enter the frame. Interesting how so many of us just ignore Amini and Jeggo who've done everything required but don't seem to reach the heights we want. They're such hard workers and don't get the credit. 

Kruse has to be done now. Milligan, it's up to him. I always go blank with CB. Souttar, Burgess are of League 1 level but excite me for the future. Deng is a good prospect. Who else do we have as CB? Jurman, Wright and Susnjar. I always forget Nabbout. He's doing enough to get in amongst others.

For me Taggart, McGree, Atkinson must be included in June. I want to see more of Giannou as well. If Arnold could perhaps chat with Behich and Sainsbury and give them an early summer to let Souttar, Gersbach and Davidson Smith play, that'd be good.

I feel many good U23 will be rejected. Surely they can focus on Roos and Olyroos like Gersbach does? 

Davidson cannot play at this level at rb. As a rwb outside a back three he is good. 

I'm sure you meant left back? I agree he'd probably be better suited as a wing back. Do we dare go back to the back 3? 

I’m not ready to return to a back 3 yet - still have PTSD 🙈

How's R.Williams doing in the Middle East?

Midfield is our strongest area, don't know why we'd take a player out of there to go to a back 3.

they need a solid break. 2 seasons with a world cup and asia cup. leckie, ryan, mooy, rogic are all overplayed atm and frequently injured because of it.

we really need to be breaking out the second team - or the aus based team in these periods. 

Me too. Remember when Wright or whoever else would essentially be on the sideline and hook the ball central for an interception leaving a 3 on 2 situation?

The last friendly against Germany saw our front 3 against their back 3 and we shredded them. Back 3's can get so exposed with wing backs too high up and the opponent using a front 3.

Playing every week in an average side. Not sure if he's a standout though. 

Forgot Leckie, can start or come off bench I don't mind. 28 years he is , still ripe and at his prime.

I just got sick of that Leckie Kruse combination, it was fruitless for about 2 World Cup cycles. I'd rather Ikon and Mabil because

1) RW Mabil has more awareness around the box a little quicker 1v1 and thus gets in better positions

2) LW Ikon a bit more of the same, 1v1 little better on the ball and uses other players around the box a lot better, instead of head down fruitless solo missions 

Strikers is the problem more than anything. Jmac and Taggart are both not up to scratch. Nabbout is only effective against shorter teams otherwise he is screened and jostled off the ball. Apostolou is alright and maybe Boyle at a stretch although i think he should stay on the rw.

Taggart already has 4 goals in the k league.

Only a few of our players really need a break, most of our OS players have been on the bench and not played that much football.

I think our Rb moving forward needs to be grant (who has turned into a phenomenal footballer) and atkinson. 

CB’s need to be thought of now for the future. If I had to pick four id pick 
- sainsbury
- deng
- degenek 
- souttar/burgess

with the 5th option of bailey Wright. Wright has done nothing wrong but I feel like we need to start putting minutes into these guys for the next cycle 

If n one over 30 is chosen...
Only real possibilities are

Grant 28 RB
Behich 28 LB
Sainsbury 27 CB
Wright 26 CB
Degenek 24 CB
Chapman 24 CB
Susnajr 23 CB
Deng 22 CB/RB
Gersbach 21 LB
Atkinson 19 RB

Bit harsh on Wright imo. He’s still quite young and is playing regularly and captaining a side pushing for EPL promotion. 

Personally I’d have him fighting Degenek for that second CB role partnering Sains. 

Sains shouldn't be guaranteed a spot, he has been a liability post world cup.