Aaaanndd they're 2nd. Late games on and Feyenoord lead. Anyway it's great how lose the league is this season and even little Sparta are in the hunt still.

Meanwhile Omlin has had a horrid start at Gladbach. Fortunate VAR for a cricket catch like drop in the 5 yard box. I like him yet coming from Montpellier like he did he's been much lauded. The way he concedes is Ryanesce and I wonder if Maty would be afforded such press immunity. 

Two easy opponents for AZ so far and the big exciting games to come.

Exactly the same as Mooy .. deep lying playmaker either as 6 or an 8. 

Not as physical as mooy though 

I think Kalik probably has a very good football brain. So glad Irvine gave it all in Qatar but I want a smart midfield who can balance most of the skillset and link the defence and attack. Genreau was doing it up until his recent crash. Metcalfe is actually quite tall. Niewenhoff seems to get back and forth well. Of course we can split our midfield but it'd be nice to have a passer, shooter and tackler in one.

Wouldn't mind Baccus and Kalik together in a Perth game vs Malaysia in March.

Malaysia ranked 150 in the world. We are 27th. What is a point of playing them??

I mean before he got injured he couldnt run past anyone in Asia. Yes I mean in Asian qualification when Arnie put him as a winger.

I like this style of warmup game/friendly our boys mostly play for the lower teams in leagues so a good 5-6-0 thumping I think really raises confidence and the headspace of a modern day footballer is crucial. I think not playing friendlies prior to world cup kept us in that high after getting thru the playoffs and beating Peru. If we took a 3 or 4 nil thumping from Germany a few days before the world cup heads would already be down.

They do it in Germany a lot. 

In regards to Hrustic as a winger he's more like a Grealish than a Sterling... not quick but good in tight spaces and likes to cut inside and shoot. Although Jack much better 1v1 than Adjin.

All these comments about Hrustic being our most technically gifted player really get my goat.Yes he is more than adequate at controlling the ball and his ability to take free kicks surpasses Mooy and Goodwin.However he is not any more technically gifted than Rogic,Mooy or Boyle.In the A-League Caceres and Da Silva have as good technique as Hrustic.

It is difficult to know where to play him in the Socceroos line up-he does not have the football nous to play as a 10 and is too slow as a RW.It has been pointed out that not all wingers need pace-Broich was excellent at cutting in onto his right leg from the LB and Arjun Robben always cut in from the RW( but he could also do the same from the LW) but he was quicker than Hrustic.He possibly could be a 6 but again needs better decision making in this position.

I am a bit old fashioned in that I like my wingers to have some pace and be able to get in  behind the defence and put it the pinpoint cross or killer cutback.

Nor could Beckham, nor could Broich. Zidane played LM for Real for a few seasons and couldn't outrun people.

Did you see how many assists Hrustic laid on when he played RW? 

Great comparison that actually Grealish. Another would be James Maddison whose ostensibly a number 10 but played on the wing. James Rodriguez is another '10' that usually played on the wing, Ozil played several seasons LW also. 

 Whether or not you think a winger needs or doesn't need pace and whether or not you think Hrustic is or isn't quick, i think anyone who watched him playing in the earlier games at RW would argue he looked a better player than he did in the later games at CM/AM. Granted we were playing a higher quality of opposition but relative to his socceroos teammates, he was close to the best player on the park each game at RW and only mediocre in the latter games at CM/AM. Supplied a lot of quality crosses and through balls from RW wheras at CM/AM his decision making finds him out. At RW he has more time to receive the ball and weigh up a pass given he only has players coming at him from one direction. 

Did you see many turnovers from him? I can even make a highlight clip out of it . You probably forgot but I recorded many games in Asia qualification. 

I'd argue that Rogic, Mooy, Arzani and Volpato are above or at least at his level technically. I'd say Boyle, whilst technically sound isn't quite on Hrustic's level, and relies more on his express pace. 

My thing about Malaysia friendly is more about availability. Most confederations have nations league or a qualification on. There are whispers about a Perth homecoming game and there is a big Malaysian community in Perth.

Other game at Coopers vs Thailand would be really cool. 

Yeah I got what U mean but  can't they find Asian nations in the top 80 at least?? Thailand ranked 111 & Malaysia ranked 150. Beating any of them you get around +1-1.20 FIFA points if draw and lose your FIFA points will go down hill.  Sometimes you have to be smart with who you r playing.  Like South Korea, Japan they choose their opponents for FIFA day very widely. Uzbekistan, Costa Rica , Qatar or even China are appropriate but not nations outside top 100.

Yeah I got what U mean but  can't they find Asian nations in the top 80 at least?? Thailand ranked 111 & Malaysia ranked 150. Beating any of them you get around +1-1.20 FIFA points if draw and lose your FIFA points will go down hill.  Sometimes you have to be smart with who you r playing.  Like South Korea, Japan they choose their opponents for FIFA day very wisely. Uzbekistan, Costa Rica , Qatar or even China are appropriate but not nations outside top 100

https://youtu.be/wKiy4BiHF2I

You're a gem Cammy Devlin! 

Kuol on bench vs Leipzig tonight. Progress! 

I've seen daggers has scored for viking in a friendly 

Kuol on for the final 5min. Stuttgart 2:1 down.

Alou’s Bundesliga debut! Absolutely huge!!

Dross Stuttgart attack at the end. Needed to keep it on the ground. Way too lofty and weak. Kuol with a good midfield loose ball gather. Kept lingering up top but got no service. Couibaly poor from bench so I'd hope Kuol nudges ahead of him. Kuol only on bench due to a suspension but hopefully his apparent pace and will to win a ball keeps him in. 

I dont understand why the need to put creative players on the wing, it feels quite a risk adverse way of using them into a team.

For me Hrustic is a No.10 or advanced right No.8 in a 4-3-3.

People need to realise that creative players are going to take risks and try things such as a killer through balls or trying to play out of pressure, otherwise how should playmakers play like? They are not robots.

Theyll never be out and out wingers. but hover there and close in when moving the ball into the final 3rd, with the wing backs advancing to provide width. 

For Australia, especially when irvine is on the park, its essential to have an extra technical player on the wing to give us better control in midifeld. If our midfield was Leckie- Mooy - Irvine- Goodwin our pass completion would be 20%.

Massive! 

Yes ,  but if you did that in the club. You will be straight to the bench. What the coach hates he most is the player who keep making the wrong decisions and turned the ball over. That few turnovers could turn into a goal to the opposition. You won't often see that cheap turnovers in Premier league.  There is a big big difference from taking a risk and lacking of ability to outrun or win the ball in 1 on 1 situation.

So wholesome!! Love to see this kind of thing!

Maynard Brewer starting again for Charlton. 

In Serie B, Circati starting for Parma and Karacic starting for Brescia.

Some of the keeping in Bundesliga 2 today.... Gauci would be a shoe in. 

2:1 loss for Charlton. Full game for AMB. No Iredale. Elder, McGree, Bilokapic starting. Rogic starting in FA Cup while Burgess and Luongo on the bench vs Burnley.