Of all the conspiracy theories against Arnie this one is the the best. 

 I mean the fact you have a problem with him not picking his son in law confirms no matter what he does people will have a problem with it.

So Langerak rode pine?

What?  You expect a kid from Melbourne to walk in and be number 1 keeper at Dortmund?

He could have walked in to any team in Belgium.

But he didn't - he stayed there for 5 years with little to no game time and people here expected him to start over Maty for the national team. The exact reason why he should now be starting over Maty. You can't use the argument one way and expect it not to be used in other ways. After a while he needed to look for a loan to get game time - and yes Belgium would have been fine. The guy had the potential to be one of our all time great keepers. TBH his career has not lived up to his talent - he should have been playing in Europe constantly and he would have found his way to starting consistently in one of the top leagues. 

Who's using that argument?  

Between 2012 and 2018 Ryan was rightfully number 1.

After 2018 they played roughly the same number of games  Add Ryan's poor 2018 World Cup, there is no way Ryan should have been gifted the number 1 like he was this WC cycle.  It would have been healthy competition for both if he wasn't. 

And on that last point, the squad players should be busting a gut in the World Cup camp to get the nod.  Langerak would have at least pushed  Ryan.  Instead- barring some unforseen circumstance, Ryan knows his position against France is safe as no way will Arnold play Vuka, or Redmayne (FFS)

As for his career choices when you look the context c 2010 any young A-League player picked by world giants would have done what he did.  In hindsight we now know that's not the best development pathway in general but that's in hindsight.  Did he stay too long? -maybe, but we don't what he was being told by his club, and besides keepers have long careers anyway.

Was Ryan poor in 2018? I can't remember any particular errors from him but you might be able to quote instances.In 2014 when he was a young keeper he was caught out out several times,particularly by Depay's goal for the Dutch which won them the game and cost us a well deserved draw.He possibly should not have been the No 1 keeper in 2014 but there was no other outstanding candidate.

It was unfortunate for Langerak that he spent so many years at Dortmund as the No 2 and in that time Ryan was always the first pick for the Socceroos.He is now the team captain and a fixture in the team.He has played with most of the defenders for a a few games at least and he knows their games and they trust him.They don't have the same relationship with Langerak.This may have been a factor in him missing selection as well as  Crawley's bias towards keepers he has worked with at CCM,SFC and the NT.

No - he wasn't. But he did get blamed for a number of goals in 2014 where people say he could have saved them. He had one that he should have saved. Most were good goals but a number where where Davidson and to a lesser extent Franjic not playing the offside trap correctly. Many blamed Maty for that when it was essentially the defence marshalled by Spiranovic to blame. A year later at the Asian Cup when Sainsbury was the backline leader we kept a good line in defence. 

Could he have though? His only season in Europe where he was No. 1 was in Bundesliga 2 with Stuggart.  

Of course he was.  Peru had 4 shots and scored 2.  A taller keeper-or better positiioned one taps the Pogba ricochet shot over the bar.

How you can possibly blame Ryan for either of Peru's goals I don't know. 

Debatable if a taller keeper gets the Pogba one or not. 

Ryan did not have a "poor" tournament in 2018. 

I don’t remember Ryan being poor in 2018. He let in 5 goals but I can’t remember any outrageous errors. He was solid without being spectacular or distinguishing himself in any way. He was disappointing in 2014. I expected him to shine in Brazil but he let in some pretty soft goals.

The top keepers find a way to save those. 

There's a reason he ends up at number 2 most places he goes. If the ball is either side of him it goes in. Says it all really.

Exactly.

They can't prevent every goal. And it's not their fault if it goes in. The expectation, at the highest level, is that the goalkeeper finds a way to do the remarkable thing and save them.

Ryan hasn't demonstrated this ability. And now, isn't even playing regularly.  Precisely the reason previously used to justify his selection over Langerak.

Yep. When the news was leaked, that's what I said.

He should definitely go to Qatar. But the notion that he's the best keeper is ludicrous.

I think quite simply, he hasn't got the reflexes, agility, leg strength or speed to compensate for his lack of height and lack of wingspan.

Quelle surprise!

"Die for the shirt" (I realise that you probably didn't mean that literally but jeez). Those words are telling, I think.

I'm 95% sure that Langerak has done more for Australian football than you have.

By chance, do you dislike Langerak because he poses a threat to Ryan's place in goal? Or did pose a threat.

Look at Vukovic today - utterly flabbergasting he is in the NT

Atrocious display of keeping

Those last two lines from me were a bit much. Sorry if they were too rough, Bowden.

Your opinion is valid and is shared by lots of people in the Australian football community. Totally fine to express it. Hopefully, through discussions such as these we all learn to consider the opinions and perspectives of others. I think that improves us. But yeah, I'll try to be more civil with my words.

Shocking day for Vukovic. Some players crumble after getting the nod.

On the subject of keepers, it baffles me how Bazunu gets to play for Southampton. 189cm but so often out of reach. Lloris had goals go straight through him yesterday. 

If you choose not to play for the country during qualifying, you don’t deserve to to go the World Cup, simple as that.

I don’t care how good you are.

Picking him sets a precedent of allowing players to pick and choose when to play for the national team and it cheapens the shirt. Playing for Australia is a privilege, not a right.

Agree with the last sentence. But it's not a duty, either.

That's the distinction which, I think, gets forgotten or ignored. There are other considerations whereby a person might decline a cap (at a particular moment). It could be to do with mental being. It could be to do with family. It could be because of potential negative financial implications for your main job (club football).

I don't think that we should have some sort of puritanical court of inquisition which forever banishes a player from the NT simply because they've taken a break (i.e. something that it is totally acceptable in any other profession).

It's unfair for the player. It's also to the detriment of the NT.

Arzanai didn't play a single minute of qualifiers yet played in the WC.

Viduka and Kewell should never have played as much as they did because they skipped qualifiers. Plenty of them.

Lucas Neill was captain and skipped qualifiers for family reasons.

Its the World Cup.  The best should be picked.

I didn’t say he should be banished forever. I’d welcome him back after the World Cup but it’s completely unfair to call up someone who chose not to help get us there over those who made themselves available throughout qualifying.

He didn’t make himself unavailable though.

But yes, as a matter of principle if you flat out refuse to be a part of qualifying (unless there’s a good reason), then no you shouldn’t go to the tournament.

Everybody has different personal circumstances (accentuated by a pandemic).

Still, you're right, it isn't fair. But as you also said - playing for Australia is a privilege, not a right. Based on talent and hard work, there are plenty of footballers who deserve to have played for Australia who haven't. Or who deserve to have gone to the World Cup who haven't.

Those players whose skills most enhance the NT should be picked.

Vukovic has basically said he got picked because he made himself available for the qualifiers and that he also accepted Ryan is locked in as No1 and that he will not play unless Ryan is injured ( that and because Ryan is captain)

Langerak would likely not have accepted all. that

100%. But Langerak was talked into returning by Arnie (supposedly) so his previous retirement shouldn’t be a factor.

 Vukovic has been poor all season. But what happened today? Did he make a few howlers?

So what's a good reason?

I guarantee if Volpato progresses and says he was wants to play for us, the new manager will open him with open arms, as he should,

Family emergency, mental health break, stuff of that nature.

Also Volpato can get in the bin. He was offered the chance to play for us and he turned it down. We shouldn’t get on our hands and knees in order to beg players to play for us.