Not yet. With Goodwin out why not just throw in Silvera? I really don't see the issue here. Post season most players are stuffed. It'll be 90min until their holiday. Bundesliga 2 only get about 3 weeks off if that. Winter break mind you.

Argentina squad being announced this morning.

Exciting times for the  selection of the squad. It will be interesting to see how many new players bought into the squad. Hopefully see more of O'Neill, Souttar and Rowles as the central defensive set up, and how Circati integrates with the group.

Pathetic that Glover was picked over Lawrence Thomas.
F*** off Frawley

Pretty good showing against Argentina. One thing I particularly liked was our press against them, we won the ball back in dangerous areas several times, even through we never capitalised on it. I'd love to see that carry across to when we play in Asia, and for Arnie to work on capitalising on those moments in transition 

Important to note that it will be much tougher for us coming up against Asian opposition. Argentina let us play, Asian teams bar Japan and Korea will all sit deep with 10 men behind the ball and counter. That's why we need more practice against against those weaker opponents so we can try break down a packed defence.  

Mo Toure speaking about his international future:

https://fb.watch/lbrW2nuOD2/?mibextid=v7YzmG

Great interview. A bit more than the usual fluff. It had sounded from reports that Toure was favouring Gambia but that interview makes me think he is genuinely on the fence. 

It's an interesting time of transition for the national team. There are so many players moving overseas and forging out careers. We have two big milestones ahead of us with the Asian Cup then beyond that the World Cup. 

It makes me wonder who we are going to bring through the national team. Also who we are going to move past. 

I imagine we may take some of our experienced players from the Qatar World Cup as far as the Asian Cup but not beyond. 

In particular there is a lot of competition in the midfield. Under our current formation we typically only run 3 in there. We've got guys like Mooy, Irvine, McGree, Hrustic, O'Neill, Baccus, Genreau, Metcalfe, Robertson, Peupion, Devlin, Jeggo, Jelacic, Yazbek, Kalik + possibly Volpato. What is our best formation and combination to balance and maximise this? 

I was chatting to a mate about the CBs coming through. We've got Souttar (198) Rowles (185) Triantis (191) Circati (190) Burgess (194) Rich Baghelou (196) all can play and are imposing. Hopefully Arnold can organise us to better deal with crosses. 

There is unrealised magic amongst G. Kuol, M. Toure, Volpato*, Robertson, Peupion, Irankunda that will be so much fun to watch if they develop, progress or maybe fall away. 

How do you see these next two milestones panning out? Who would you bring along for the ride? What do you see as the best 11 + squad moving forward? 

With the CB's there seems this obsession with extra-ordinary height.  In the modern game where possession-based football and playing out from the back is expected, I think you need CB's with height to deal with crosses, but you also need CB's with the technical ability to make forward runs, make forward passes, hit good long crosses to the wings. 

For example we've conceded twice recently to crosses that Souttar should really be gobbling up with his height, but twice now he hasn't and its cost goals.  He doesn't really add to the playing out from the back either relying on the full backs to do it.


  I want to see Curtis Good added to the list as he has the height, he has the strength, he can win headers and he can also drive forward deep in to midfield, plays forward passes and long balls to the wings

Please refer to the Grand Final. Bos was the third best Lb. Good was the third best cb. Jmac was nowhere. Bos is a good attacking Lb. He will do well against lesser teams but against better teams we need the Lb to be a defender first. Atkinson was surpassed by Strain last night and I see Bos, unless he can improve defensively instead of relying on the rest of the backing as a lm behind Boyle in that 4 2 2 2 formation. Definitely a talent but needs lots of work. As it is he unbalanced the backline against a team that we needed a cohesive back line. Individual brilliance is one thing but if detracts from the overall team. At lm he can use his attacking prowess and support his Lb defensively. 

Unpopular opinion but the commentary last night had Bos as the star as his judgement was constantly askew.

I wouldn't be going off one game, let alone this years joke of a grand final TBH.  City had the second lowest goals conceded and the most positive GD over the season.  You don't get that if you CB's and full backs are poor.  BOS has a massive ceiling and is more attacking IMO.  I'd have him cutting in from the right side, and taking shots on goalwith hsi left foot. 

And of course it works for Messi and they're both left footed, so there you go, its a no-brainer.

Oh and both goals came from the right not the left, that's not Bos's fault.

It's all seemingly coming to a back 3 in future. I'm considering post Mooy, Irvine, Goodwin. People want ball players and our defensively weak, attacklingly strong wing backs to play.
                               Ryan
              Triantis Souttar Rowles
                     O'Neill Genreau 
       Strain   McGree  Hrustic    Bos 
                              Boyle 
                            

You're right that height is not the only thing for a CB and I didn't mean to say it was. But it's preferable to have it and is a strength of that group. Souttars distributions is good, I can't agree with you there.

I can see what Arnold was doing with the formation last night.
Its nearly the same as his 17/18 Sydney team
The 2 no 10s in Mierzejewski and Ninkovic
The 2 screeners in O'neill and Brilliante
Overlaping fullbacks being covered by the screeners
Bobo up top as the target man and Brosque as second striker playing between the lines and making defense pulling runs.
The only thing i felt we badly missed last night was someone to play the Brosque role.
Boyle would be a good fit for that or even Borrello but i dont think Borrello has the pace at the top level.

Japan 6 El Salvador 0
South Korea 0 Peru 1
Jamaica 1 Qatar 2

This is bigger than people think, mainstream media interviewing a non Socceroo, in the a-league off season with no world cup on. Very unusual. 

Just shows how key it is to performing well at world cups. 

Yep unusual. I guess ch 7 broadcasting Womens WCup could be part of the reason? 

That's where Trent Sainsbury was so good as he could take the ball upfield and provide good passes to his midfielders and wings.Curtis Good does do this at A-league level but on GF day he had trouble coping with Cummings on several occasions and at international level he will be up against better ,faster and more skilled strikers than the CCM player.I might be a bit harsh in judging him on that game  but I wonder whether he could make the step up.On the other hand if Triantis can settle in to the Championship he has all the qualities to be a very good CB but that remains to be seen.

He did mention before the game that as he had no wingers available( Leckie wasn't playing as a winger in that line up) he was playing the formation you have suggested.MacLaren does not have the nous to play the Brosque role so Duke often dropped back though to do this though I think he was supposed to be the spearhead striker.

Sainsbury pass to Luongo in ACup final was superb assist. Maybe someone like Circati can play like that. Too many AL players seem to fail at International level  

That second striker would have been a good role for Boyle or Goodwin with Kuol off the bench. Thanks for the insight. 

It was the local news which I think explains it. 

This plays to strengths of the players we have. I must say back 3's worry me a bit. Do you think there are enough goals from that 11? 

Yea Robbie cornthwaite was the interviewer.

Sounds like Mo is just biding his time - comes across like a humble guy who doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself which is respectable. Next season is a big season for him, hopefully he cracks the first team.

Scotland with two late goals to win in Oslo. Credit to them. Somewhat scrappy. Dykes scored. Still prefer Boyle and it's all been said and done. Massive step towards potential Euro qualifications and this win is worth its weight in gold. 

Too much reliance on Boyle for goals and a back four for me.

Arnie played a flat midfield 4-4-2 in Ball Possession  Opposition.

In Ball Possession it manifested as the bowl shaped  midfield 4-4-2 at times, although he talked about a 4-2-2-2.

Unless, it is the false 9, which it wasn't, it is termed the 4-4-2 bowl shaped midfield. 

I've thought Borrello has searing pace?

Neither Norway or Scotland are renowned for quality deck football, or qualifying for big  tournaments.

I expect a scrappy game when these two teams play each other.