Karacic currently playing and he started. Brescia up 2-1. They are going along nicely top of serie b and he seems to be the main RB now. 

3rd best FotMob rating & best of the back 4. Hopefully with all of this game time, he gets back to the form he showed in his first couple of games for the Socceroos that had everyone excited.

another one flying under the radar is ryan williams.  starting every week in league one and has had a few assists in recent weeks. his team is also in the promotion spots.  by end of the season we could have a few aussies playing off in fight for promotion to championship.

Middlesbrough won!! They’re into the quarter finals! Hopefully McGree plays the next one.

Irvine played 90 but St Pauli lost 😞 
Luongo subbed off after 90 mins and Sheffield Wednesday won 5-2 😮 

mcgree wont be playing if he is cup tied

news is he has a calf niggle though

Ryan bench.
Atkinson & Devlin starting.
Rogic bench.

Ryan should have a good, hard think about his options - if he has any - in the Summer. It seems that he wants to play. If he was just about the money, why would he leave Arsenal who probably would have matched anything RS are paying. Signing for RS was strange because it always looked as though he was going there as a direct replacement for their backup keeper, who was leaving. And that's how it's turned out. If we assume Matty wants to play and that RS are willing to release him (by no means a certainty), where could he go? I think his options now are much more limited than when he left Brugge. In the big 5, promoted clubs are a possibility but most of them won't play the high line that suits Ryan best. I can't see him being first choice keeper in LA Liga or EPL. Bundesliga I would defer to johnszasz for his opinion, if he wanted to give one. Serie A I would only give a slight chance. Ligue 1 I think one or two clubs might be interested although his age might weigh against him slightly in that league, even though he is not old for a keeper, but nor is he young. But he would have to cop a lower salary, I'd imagine.

Outside of the big 5, Russia looks out. Belgium and Netherlands are more development leagues and he would likely have to cop a significant wage drop there also. Options might be one of the big clubs in Switzerland or Austria, but again wages. Also the transfer fee RS might demand could have them lose interest. Not sure about the state of play in Greece. One of the big 3 in Portugal would be ideal but, even though Benfica might think about goalkeeping options in the Summer, I can't see them entertaining Matty as their first choice keeper, unfortunately. One of the big clubs in Turkey theoretically could suit if they were looking for a new keeper. Currently Besiktas seem to be sitting back which would not be ideal for Ryan but the other the other clubs in the past have been willing to splash cash. Not sure if that's still the case given Turkey's economic problems. 

Outside of Europe, Japan would be perfect for him and he probably have choice of a few big clubs. However, he'd probably have to accept significantly lower salary. China and Saudi similar and they usually pay more but generally in Asia there might be reluctance to meet RS transfer fee, depending how high it would be. Matty could probably find options in MLS. Wages might be an issue because of league's budget caps. 

He needs to play, but he's only 29. He still has five years or so in prime as a GK

But Maty's prime attributes are not really suited to an aging keeper, his reflexes and athletic ability has made up for his lack of height. Once these traits start to wane he will struggle more. I think the main reason he picked RS was the lifestyle. He wanted to play in the EPL and he'd done that, played at a world cup, what else can he do? no ones really banging down the door to replace him in the national team either.

San Sebastian is one the best places in the world to live and play football he's basically on holidays lol

his form for the nt hasn't dropped much so there is that

This was a good breakdown. 

Alessandro Circati unused sub for Parma overnight in Serie B.

Thanks. I thought about Championship. They could pay decent coin. He would run the risk of being in a yo-yo club, promoted then relegated with regular changes in management and sometimes style. Even so, worth considering I agree. Boro might even be an option in the Summer if they get promoted as there seems to be discontent about their current keeper. Not sure how the fans would feel though about buying a keeper no longer deemed good enough to be Brighton's first choice.

In fact, if Boro missed promotion he would probably be more warmly welcomed at Riverside than if they were promoted.

Boro love aussies in general but I’d feel bad for lumley if he was to leave 

If Schalke goes up I think Ryan would be great there. I think Nottingham Forest would be good regardless of division. Current keeper has massive brainsnap issues.

Soccerwhos podcast with an interesting idea that Maclaren could enjoy the MLS. Also he may just be good only when a big fish in small pond.

I'll add Boro for Ryan. Boro or Forest. 

Schalke would be a great destination for him if they can get back to being the power they were. Possibly one of, if not the, best outcomes for him in Europe, realistically. The question would be how highly  Schalke would assess him and if they felt they could do better. What about Hamburg, if they get promoted? A former power that seems to have been in the doldrums for quite a long time. I don't know what's been the problem with them. 

What an opening day for our two Australians in the @MLS: 🇦🇺🇺🇸

- Milos Degenek, 90 minutes and a clean sheet in a 4-0 win over Vancouver

- Brad Smith, 90 minutes and a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Charlotte

Was in UK last weekend and wasn't sure if this was posted. 

Hamburg's keeper pretty much signed himself up got the foreseeable future in the cup penalty shoot out last night.

Word is Schalke probably won't start their current keeper in the first division. He was plucked from obscurity and has played well but that's the position that will need upgrading. Ryan is perfect. Langer is so old and Fährmann is nearly done. 

Chelsea are heading to the Riverside in the FA Cup. Someone mentioned earlier that McGree might be cup tied though, is that right? I know you can’t be cup tied in the Champions League anymore. 

Can I just say. There seems to be a pretty solid generation of kids coming through and in 5-6 years we are going to have a very good team. 

It's interesting that there seems to be a lot of kids that have done a decent portion of their development in Australia. Are we finally seeing the fruits of the national curriculum?

Jesus I hope so

We’re starting to see the fruits of having 12 professional academies rather than only 1 at the AIS. What we haven’t figured out yet is how to develop players after they turn 16. Circati went at the perfect time, for example, he was 16/17, a standout in NPLWA first grade, but probably wouldn’t have received regular opportunities in the A-League until he was 19/20 because of attitudes to young players, the lack of a bridge between NPL and 1st grade and not enough games. It’s all well and good seeing the likes of Circati and Volpato go over at 16/17 and succeed, but not every young player has a Euro passport and can leave at that age. We need to improve development between 16 and 18/19 

i reckon he will stay in spain or return to england

he might have to resign himself to being second choice at a big club or 1st choice somewhere smaller

Mitchell Duke started and played 76 minutes in a 1-0 win in J.League 2.

Still no Kuol. Sandhausen on a great run for survival and no injuries so he's the 20th man or so currently. 

Irvine started for St Pauli

No Mabil today.