7 June in Doha.

Sweet, i'll go! (i live in UAE)

Very cool - enjoy!

Why is it given to UAE?

Disregarded, Doha is Qatar, I'm an idiot.

Good chance Souttar will be back. 

That would be a huge addition if so 🙏 

Villa Boas has been on teh blower

NZ comfortable now. Probably Costa Rica opponent. 

Silly rumours that Peru are asking to play playoff in USA or Europe. Surely it's all been scheduled and sealed.

I actually think he’s the most important cog in the machine. Solidifies the backline so much more and keeps sains and degenek on their toes. 

Ruka will be double vaxxed too so whoever is coach will surely throw it all in.

If Souttar is back, I'd be partnering him with Degenek and pushing Sains up to 6.

That’s a great idea!  Let’s put our centre back in a position he has never played in before in a do or die World Cup playoff against South Americas 5th best. Matt Ryan also great feet, let’s pair him with Sainz in midfield, and stick Duke in goals. Wonderful tactics!

LOL. He has played there before, very successfully.

thought he was a good 6 at Grasshoppers, they seemed to think he was doing alright when they gave him the armband even though he was on loan. Might be able to play through the press.

Heard their away record early in the campaign wasn't the greatest. One thing Asian countries have to do is travel a lot due to geographical distances. Aussies mileage is insane when we consider it, from Europe and back. 

A do or die game and talking Souttar woefully lacking match fitness as we know - dear lord.

We got to back Arnie now, the question has he learned from the last two games and can he be more flexible with not only personal usage but also tactically.

It will be different that we have to play 2 must win games that will also have potential extra time and penalties included too.

But we can do it if the right squad and approach is correct for these 2 games.

I think both games should be in europe as neutral ground. 

if it was Aus +  UAE only, then Japan is good neutral venue

If it was AUS or UAE v Peru then europe is fair.

With the U23 Asian Cup on at the same time there will be no shortage of important games to watch. Wonder which squad the likes of Tilio and Folami will be part of. The Socceroos will be more important, but they will see much less game time (if any).  

I agree, we must back Arnie now. But FMD, he needs to sort out his team selection, especially the striker situation and this over reliance on Mitch Duke.

With everyone fit, we do have the squad capable of knocking off UAE. Peru will be interesting if we get there, a one-off game, in neutral territory, and where we will have had a game already to get into the swing of things.  

I would rather prioritize experience since these are very important games. So I would rather Goodwin, Leckie, and probably Ikon over these guys. Even if their ability may not be as good as the younger guys, experience in these matches is crucial

Not surprised that Arnie gets a reprieve here. Given it is now down to only two games in Doha, not home and away x2 like last time, I think it justifiable that Arnie stays.
Though a Sydney FC fan who enjoyed what he did over four years there, he has failed repeatedly at national team level - Asian Cup 2007, Beijing Olympics, Asian Cup 2019 Tokyo Olympics and now this dire situation.Pretty much disasters all the way through. 

If by some stroke of luck we get through UAE and Peru, and if a lot of things fall the right way that could still happen, I definitely don't want him preparing and leading the team to the World Cup. We will need someone else for that, and the next cycle.
However, I don't think that we will now make it and ultimately we are not good enough as a squad and the squad that we do have has been poorly managed.   
We can only some consolation in the fact that it is one of the most corrupt World Cups ( that we know about) and Italy did not make it either. Slim pickings I know. Not a lot that brings any joy in Australian football these days.

I think if he gets us there he's earned the right to take us to the WC.

I just can't see how that'll happen based off the last 7 qualifiers.  

The game isn’t for another three months bro. But nah you seem to be all over his recovery so why don’t you enlighten us with exactly when he will return. 

Literally laughed out loud reading this 😂😂😂

Somebody well established in Roos - maybe Matt Ryan - should organise a Roos player strike/protest against Arnold picking the players himself. Imagine if Ryan, Leckie, Mooy, Rogic, Mcgree, Sainsbury (even though he is Arnold son-in-law) all joined together & said ‘we aren’t playing for Roos unless you stop picking your favorites and start making the squad selections agreed upon by us as well as other coaching staff’ 
What the hell could Arnold do?! He needs those established players to have any hope? They could have him by the balls and make him give in…

only way i can see squad selections improving for June- otherwise just buckle-up for the Duke, Grant, Stensness express train to SHIT Creek again

ok josh, I'm sorry I left myself open for a smug response.
My statement was a bit ott at the same time he's not the only lifeline we need but one of many.
He's recovering and not every acl recovery ends up 100% for some, its 50/50 for sometime yet till he builds up confidence and that the repair holds up and tested under match conditions.
Sometime to go sure but it would be prudent that we wait and see......many don't comeback the same.

I wouldnt be surprised if Maty is better on the ball than half the team. The punt he did to Boyle against SA I think it was him maybe someone else was absolute world class.

Well the depressing news means we can at least turn our attention to this game. Arnie needs to really prepare us to play positive football and stop picking his favourites. The recent games at least showed us who is and who isn't ready for international football. As much as Arnie is tactically inept, having our big names back will help immensely.

Squad of 27 let's say:

GK: Ryan, Vukovic, Birighitti
DFs: Sainsbury, Degenek, Souttar, Good, Karacic, Atkinson, Elder, King
MFs: Devlin, Genreau, Hrustic, Mooy, Rogic, Irvine, McGree, Dougall
FWs: Boyle, Mabil, Goodwin, Tilio, Juric, Maclaren, Rukavytsya

-----------------------------Ryan-----------------------------
Atkinson------Sainsbury----Souttar-----------Elder
-----------------------------Genreau-----------------------
-----------------------Hrustic------Rogic-----------------
McGree------------------Boyle-------------------Mabil

The deadwood, we know who it is, time for them to move on.