Saudi Arabia to host 2027 Asian Cup. Great....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFC_Asian_Cup

Japan last had it in 1992 and South Korea in 1960!

If they wanted to host they could have put in a bid...

Por Japan's economy couldn't compete even if they tried I'm afraid......

SA going for every sport imagineable to host or buy or linked with and they can afford doing so as we all know........
Asian Cup, chicken feed
Football WC - the whole Ronaldo buy was part of that for the exposure.
Expand buying more Clubs in other leagues.
I read elsewhere they are chasing to host some USA Basketball games like they just did the PSG vs combined Saudi game.
Host more Cup games, resigned the Spanish Super Cup deal etcetc
The LIV golf is booming and rocking the PGA establishment.

Here's a recent article and look at the varied sports
https://www.playthegame.org/news/the-expansion-of-saudi-investments-in-sport-from-football-to-esport/

I wonder if they will crack the esports world... thats one place where you have to be woke or PC to progress... lets see how they do it.

Definitely a Winger and when i say winger i mean a Wide/Wing forward in a 4.3.3.. Not a wide midfielder. Has all the traits for Winger and then some, just needs to add a bit more strength which he will do in the next couple of years. 

Inside Forward or as a False 9

I agree with both you and think G. Kuol has flexibility to play either role. 

The challenge for the NT is finding a no. 9 to support that system. Boyle is probably our best bet currently but feels a bit out of position. I hope A. Kuol comes on, or someone else. 

One challenge may be Arnie's pragmatic preference for a 4-5-1 when we are outgunned. I can't see current G. Kuol putting in the same defensive effort as Leckie the role the wide forward demands in that system. 

It'll be interesting to see how he develops and is used in NT moving forward.  

Kuol is a very exciting prospect.

Then again so was Arzani 4-5 years ago.

ATM although he may play a  different role at club level, Duke is delivering the goods as the Socceroo  number 9. He is a terrific defensive  player in the attacking line,  who has a good scoring rate over games played for the Socceroos.

Duke has 10 goals from 23 games played.

This equates to an average of 0.43 goals per game played for the Socceroos.

Only Cahill, Kennedy, Archie and Aloisi have  similar or better averages from games played, although Archie and Aloisi had games against Oceanian opposition to bolster the goal ledger. 

Given the level of competition Duke has played against in the last year  -

against Saudi, Japan in the Asian home and away WCQs;

the sudden death game against UAE;

then the sudden death fixture  against  Peru;

 plus France, Tunisia, Denmark and Argentina in the Qatar WC;

 only Tim Cahill has a superior scoring record in terms of games played  against tough opposition.

Kennedy has  a similar scoring record, but didn't score in a WC.

Yet Duke's scoring rate per games played in J2, isn't that good. They might use him differently. He is modest and describes how much better a finisher Jamey Maclaren  is than himself.  ATM it is difficult to improve on Duke's current record. Australia  didn't get anything like Duke's defensive  ability to break up attacks and  genger press from Cahill, Archie, Kennedy or Aloisi.

At 32, I don't think Mitch Duke will be around the national team much longer.

At his age, 32, players usually start to fade a bit.

Particularly with his high energy, defensive workrate  being such a big part of his overall efficacy.

Cahill lasted till he was quite old as a central striker for the Socceroos, but didn't do anything like the defensive work that Duke currently does.

In a 4-4-2 he should play RM. In a 4-3-3 he should play RW. 

He has always like that. He used to be called one-speed at the Mariners - always flat out. He if keeps himself fit then he will need to be bettered by someone else coming through.  

Duke may make the Asian Cup but I can't see him being around for the next world cup. 

Duke's should be proud of what he's achieved. The goal in the world cup was world class. The first touch and forward run were almost as good as the header.

I don't mind him as a role player, and when the NT needs a role player, I think we do better when we favour physical players with graft. But I hope we can find better. 

If we were to replicate Dukes role in NT (not necessarily saying we should, again I hope we can find better) I think D'Agostino is the most like-for-like option we have to Duke. D'Agostino is fantastic in the air, is fast and presses well. Whether he has the quality for the senior NT level (touch etc.) who knows. It'll be an interesting watch at Viking FK to see how he develops. 

What interests me with Kuol its hes movement as a forward is quite good and also he makes some good decisions when he has the ball too, I think it might suit he's game to play more centrally where he will also become a goal scoring threat whilst using he's speed.

As a winger you not only need be isolated more in 1v1 situations to dribble and at times cut inside but also need to create chances when you have it either with cut backs but also crossing, strong dribbling and creativity becomes important traits too.

I think he's more naturally a forward when he's instincts takes over, but then again its just an opinion at the end of the day.

Either way im curious where he lands up once he becomes more established at this level.

According to @AustraliaFut, the @Socceroos are set to play in Perth for an international friendly against Malaysia in March. The last time Australia played Malaysia in an international men's friendly was in 2011 with Australia victorious 5-0 in Canberra.

All I did was put their recent ASEAN Cup form and the Malysian community in Perth together. They are one of the few teams available. This is perfectly fine and SE Asia is always a thing we need to get used to.

At the WC one of our hardest positional fixes was RB. We started with Atkinson. Tried Karacic. Settled on Degenek, traditionally a CB. 

It'll be interesting to see how we approach this in the Asian Cup + WCQ. I'd like to see Strain given an opportunity. I really hope Miller gets into the starting team at Hibs. Are there any other options out there worth consideration? 

Rawlins at some point. Strain gets up and down the best so I'd go with him. Very grateful for Degenek at the WC but not a long term solution.

Carlos Queiroz is the new Qatar manager 

Paraguay Argentina Uruguay Chile officially bidding for world cup 2030.

At least we won't get Uruguay in the intercontinental playoff 

Strain and Rawlins definitely should be in the mix for RB.Lewis Miller if he gets game time at Hibs or at another club and can curb his impetuousness would be a beast in this position.Atkinson still worthwhile  to be considered,remembering he had to contend with Kylian Mbappe in that first game.

Aquilina at CCM looks a long term prospect .He also needs plenty of game time

https://youtu.be/FGHfJGpiq4o

https://youtu.be/tFCYHkJV1Go

Next all access episode. Craig Goodwin you legend 

I always get hyped when we have a good young bunch coming through I want to make some predictions and come back in 4 years, maybe we start a new thread for that?

but my top 5:

Garang Kuol 22 (EPL Starter/Maybe not at Newcastle)
Mohamed Toure 22 (Ligue 1 Starter)
Joshua Rawlins 22(Eredivise Starter)
Anthony Pavlesic 22 (Bundesliga .2 Starter)
Riley McGree 28(EPL Starter)

OK I'll try. You've gone very specific. 

Gauci: Playing in a top 8 European league.
Rowles: Championship at least but maybe continental top league.
Bos: European leagues 6-13.
Baccus: Championship or continental first league .
Metcalfe: Continental first league

Degenek started as a RB.

In the WC he was a more defensively minded RB. It worked for the Socceroos, because Derek  is now a very experienced international player.

Also Ryan as  keeper and Behich at LB provided our last two lines of defence with a lot more experience in Qatar. One has to know one's own game well to organise other players around them.

I'm nowhere near as worried about the correlation between clubs in prestigious leagues that Aussie  players play for and producing suitable national team players.

There are always surprises and disappointments in the playing  careers of players. Some in Qatar will already have reached their peak at nearly age, and will disappear from Socceroo calculation.

Look at Russia and Brazil WCs and how some Socceroos disappeared from national team representation  soon afterwards. Risdon, Juric, Kruse - disappeared quickly whilst still playing pro club football.

Luongo disappeared after the Asian Cup  2015 victory.

Wilkinson, McKay and Franjic after Brazil 2014.

One player who is an Aussie and is a forward we've missed out on, is Lyndon Dykes. He has  had qualified success as a Scottish National team striker.

When I was researching his Wikipedia history, he was overlooked by Roar as a youth player. I think he was overlooked by all A L clubs in Aus. He started playing second div Scottish football, eventually moving up to the top Scottish league. If we had had a NSD  Dykes would probably have started playing his club football here.

Expectedly, he is dirty on Aus football. Rene Meulensteen was just in the scouting process of watching him as a potential Socceroo, and  a few days earlier, he got a Scottish national team call up. However, he  grew up in Aus.

We should not feel guilty about recruiting Souttar and Boyle - who were probably both in the   frame for Scotland national team call ups - but we got there first. Arnie recruited big Harry and Milligan and Arnie combined got Boyle.   Socceroo selection has been life changing for them. 

Really enjoyed this.
I wish we could watch all A-League games from the coaches dugout it's so entertaining aha.

Nice to know Popovic and Barr give Veart a heart attack too with their passing and it's not just me

Was fun to see as Irankunda came on Veart told him to stick to the inside channel between their WB and CB and then 10 minutes later that's exactly where he ran through to score the winner