The sad truth is there would be more football fans than AFL types who'd be revelling in this result.

I stopped reading online comments coz I can't stand the amount of schadenfreude from fellow Australians.

Both "football fans" who play as Mbappe on Playstation and people who watch half a game every 4 years.

Sure but what's your answer?
We have the players we have for these 3 games.
What's your strategy?
Being physical is naive so what? We pass France off the park?

Elder could not be selected due to injury
Hrustic also is recovering from injury.
So can hardly fault Arnold for not picking them.
He could have picked Gersbach though.

There is also good reasons for some of the other selections.
Rowles was selected because he was excellent against Peru.
Bailey Wright was also good against Peru but he and Souttar play at the same level and Souttar seems to be the better player.
Sainsbury has been poor for the Socceroos of late, if he had been playing well, something like his best he would have been selected.
When Dougall was given his chance to start he was terrible, he had a chance and well and truly blew it.
Rogic has hardly played since missing preseason and Mcgree who is playing well at the same level was selected ahead of him.
Genreau might be at a Ligue 1 club but he is not really playing. 8 appearances off the bench for a total of 87 minutes. Hardly demanding selection.
Mabil is at a La Liga club but is not playing. Goodwin has been in excellent form for Adelaide United and scoring a goal justified his selection.

Overall I don't think playing Rogic, Hrustic and Genreau in the same side would work too well against the French. I also doubt Karacic would have done much better against Mbappe, Mbappe is just too good for either of them to control.

Can one single person here answer if they KNOW Rogic WANTED to be called up?
People keep blaming Arnie for not selecting him but my impression was he has done a Viduka and just quietly retired

-No pace, physically bundled off the ball

Yep. We might as put out some dole bludgers or unemployed people in our Socceroos line up vs France.


Go the Centrelink Socceroos lol 

Talk of other LB options is folly too given Behich was basically our BOG

As mentioned Hrustic would have started if not injured.

Sainsbury and Langerak (maybe Taggart?) are the only squad non-selections I think people can TRULY argue a case that's anything other than mild personal preference.

We still would have lost anyway 

I don't think by any means that McGree was our worst on ground, but the non selection of Devlin was bemusing for me. Mooy has played his best football this season higher up the park and far too many times he wilted under the pressure yesterday as the 6. Defensively, we need to put the pressure on and Mooy doesn't offer that. Devlin can. If our game was meant to be all about getting stuck in, Aussie DNA blah blah Devlin is that. Mooy is not as a 6.

The selection of Atkinson too was surprising. Don't get me wrong the way Mbappe was playing he was gonna toy with whoever we put there however in a back 4, against arguably the best player in the World, it was silly to be a player who struggles with the defensive duty required of that responsibility. Was Karacic's gig I think. 

Pretty disappointed. Just hate the way we went away from what was working in that first 25 mins.

We move on though. Tunisia is gonna be tough. I don't expect us to win. But if we do, we're still in it up to our arse cheeks.

I'm still feeling deflated, it's been a long day at work.
That first 25 minutes was such a tease I hate when that happens!
Hope is such a cruel mistress

Frustrating match overall after a good start.

We started well with a good line and press and kept the ball quite well, the goal came from a good sequence of play which started with Souttar's long pass to Leckie who did the rest with a great assist to find Goodwin in the back post.
But after that it wasnt the same game, firstly instead of keeping on pressing or at least pressurising the French midfield we gave them to easy possession and after a couple of adjustments from the French they took complete control and it was lucky the scoreline wasnt 6 or 7 goals towards the end.

Especially in the second half I was disappointed that we didnt try and push up and press them early on, and by the time the 3rd goal happened it was too late to make those subs.
Overall it was very reactive and no different to how we approach our games during the Asian WCQs.

Which questions me why we are so timid when we play against these big teams? Look at Saudi Arabia against Argentina, they not only played a high line but also pressed the midfield of Argentina which resulted in Messi and Di Maria having little influence in the game.
Meanwhile we let France go through us when we sat too deep after having the lead straight away, just scared of the headlights.

This is our 5th World Cup and still play like it's our first time here, before we talk about 'we lack the cattle' we have to change our mentality but most importantly look at our approach if we want to take the next level as a national team,.
However let's not lose focus on the next two games, just hope we take a more ambitious approach if we want to qualify for the second round, otherwise whats the point of being here if we going to play like that? When we are capable of much better.

This. 

Was like a cemetery. All full of piss and vinegar in the bar before the match with chants and yahooing and then at the ground nothing. Couple of Oi Oi Oi's. Somebody launch those idiots into the sun.

The other thing I noticed was every bloody neutral was going for France. Annoying.

Saudi Arabia’s starting 11 all play in Saudi league and they beat Argentina. 

There is nothing wrong developing technique along with our existing traits.

If anything we looked technically deficient more than anything else.

LOL wasn't this forum preaching that Cummings should start. 
Legit the worst player at the cup and attitude stinks, if we had 11 Cummings out there, we would have been beaten 15-nil.
So glad Cummings went instead a young Australian player with at least some promise (Dagger, Tilio, Arzani). Hopefully he was able to show off his mouth tattoo absolute fu#king joke.

And pull your bloody socks up.

Well at least those numerous dreams ( not lying) of Goodwin getting a brace happened. Felt like I'd already seen that scene when it happened. The Federation square video is good fun.

I think the most disappointing thing is the last 65min. Where's the awareness from players and coach that pressure needs to be put on? I kept saying we needed to sub while it was 2:1 and when the 3rd goal went in it was too late. Maybe subs would seen more pressure and a better balance of territory and possession. 

I don't think it's fair to say McGree had a poor game when we didn't even have the ball two thirds of the night. 

If our mentality doesn't change, nothing else will change including issues in player development sadly.

I wonder what our disruptor Ernie Merrick is going to do about it? 

It's difficult as a football loving fan to decide what is best for Australian football.
I want Australia to win every game at the World Cup, especially as two of my sons have paid many thousands of dollars to go.
But for me the issue is if that happened, the gutless incompetent FA would resign Graham Arnold, which would be a disaster.
It's a sad reflection on Australian football at present.

The second goal was just so annoying. Forget who played what to who and what should have happened what I cannot get over is after the heavy touch Atkinson took how or why he didn't shield the ball and either get pushed over or dealt with it was unforgiveable. Just utterly pathetic.

I mean fuck me dead. The most basic stuff just thrown out the window. How can a professional player not be able to shield the ball?

Lol
If he won every he should be resigned.
I meant if they did better than expected.

Yeah just how avoidable it was and you watch the replay and see the car crash again and again.

At the same time Atkinson won about 5 to 6 tackles on Mbappe. There were bits where he managed to win the ball off him. A massive experience for him and hopefully coaches at his club continue working on certain aspects of his game. 

Who an Earth is saying McGree had a bad game? Definitely one of our better players for me.

Not too much to take out of that because France were awesome. They would've smashed most teams in that mood and we did reasonably well to keep them to four.

We definitely needed more pace and tackling ability though. Devlin or Baccus to start next time.

I suspect Atkinson will be unfairly castigated for this result as playing against Mbappe must be like playing against your dad when you're five. What did mystify me though was why he left Mbappe in so much space - again and again. It had to be instructions but I don't get the rationale. Please explain, Arnie.

A massive learning curve for Atkinson - probably the biggest there is for a RB. He took a touch which would've been perfectly safe in the SPL and would certainly have got a second, but Mbappe is so quick, Atki never saw him coming.

That's the difference in level. Mind you, I was surpised Arnie picked him against Mbappe. We needed our best and fastest at RB - I would've picked Deng. Much quicker than Atki or Karacic and a perfectly good defender who can certainly play RB.

Arnie has obviously got Ange's defensive strategy. Watch CL as  Celtic defenders try and run back from being inverted or just very high up and the CB's are at a disadvantage. Opposition goes over the top and Bob's ur auntie!

you'd think a Enzo watchs some euro leagues no, how has RM or City/LFC got beat over the recent years eh
Napoli ran riot over LFC in the 1st CL months ago, blitzed us by HT.
By in your face, aggressive rushing them, never give them peace game plans, just like SA doing it to Messi's fellas.
Poverty pack Brentford beat City few weeks ago, not by skill and wizardry.
Yep play tuff football but play basic in keeping shape and play well on the counter, if it clicks bingo.

I mentioned in my own team group chat Arnold make changes at HT.
I'm not a Atkinson fanboi as so many here, he's a pup for all to see, leaving him at RB into the 2nd was massive, Mbappe was licking his lips like a young buck lion on prey.
Sure he did get LUCKY reading a nutmeg, another one or 2 challengers on Mbappe but to leave a lamb against one of the most natural well built talented wingers we have seen was ridiculous.
Another was many wanted the new young order in, well that didn't work out that well, sure blood some in but to go to a WC with so many babes especially making the call who to play and on bench leaves you pretty thin and were pretty thin arn't we lol.........
Sainsbury was a must period.
Mooy/Leckie/Ryan are mouse's as leaders - yes Enzo and some what did we expect ?
A win out of the question, getting a goal in 9mins was so against our thoughts we all couldn't believe it for our fellas thought the same I guess, they went into their shells not long after.
3/4nil I couldn't give a fuck, alot hinges what Arnold had got into their heads BUT where was the natural born instinct to fight, run like mad, fight again - people go on about Arnold, tbh we have a pack of modern day pussies.
SA fought like dogs.
Tunisia fought like dogs.
Both are better than us all over the park but everyone no matter the standard knows how to fight but us.

Anyway no point going over the countless times of spilt milk, we've go over the same shit its the same same outcome.
We qualied - yes its great but for the life of me making up the numbers the last 4 has been deflating period.
16yrs - oh well some never quali, some like us will only play the grp games its go back home.
Maybe shouldn't have any expectations and hope, thats our football.

Just a bit of online chatter. I know I should ignore it. Some poor scapegoating if you will. 

Ange yes ...under ange we might lose but we would fight at least. Under Arnie , I have watched him throughout the whole qualification, that was his style whether at home or away we won't press and always played boring football.