The clubs I've recently seen have been Ipswich (Ch), Wimbledon ( they didn't have the ball much), Stockport (L2) and Aldershot ( Conference), the first, third and fourth of these teams played slick football on the deck.  The camera was at a lower angle, which makes games look faster.

However, compared to when I watched Ch, l1, L2, a lot a few years back when only Luongo's Swindon in League One, and whoever Rafael Benitez coached in the Champ ( good football team) plus Notts' Forest and Derby County in the Champ, most teams were awful - including Jedi's Palace in the Championship. It was out and out hoofball. It was scrappy, move the  ball forwards as quickly as possible, second ball football.  Teams barely possessed the ball for any length of time.

 At Football Aus coaching conferences some English Lower League coaches' half time and addresses were recorded and played - I thought they were comedies! There was little difference from their instructions to Mike Bassett's - the comedy! Everything was the players' fault - with lots of personal attacks and abuse of players - nothing to to do with the coach's ineptitude form lack of coach education at problem solving as to  what was going wrong  on the pitch!

Now I can't believe what I'm seeing?   A pleasant surprise.  We are seeing lots of ball playing CBs, playing out from the back, sustained periods of possession on the deck, etc.

There has been a lot of recent data, showing how length of periods  of  Possession from Opta slightly diminishes from EPL, Champ, League One and League Two. Grazor has produced stats to show that these teams are starting to play continental style football , simply with the number of passes completed per game.

Conversely, Scotland outside Rangers and Celtic, and now Monty coaching one  of the Edinburgh teams, there is still a lot of hoofball. 

About 6-8 years ago Harry Redknapp wouldn't  listen to English Football Assoc Tech Dir, Dan Ashworth. Harry reflected the typical English coach in the EPL.

I'm not sure if the Football Assoc coach education has radically changed? Or it is the influence of so many Continental coaches coaching in England chasing the big bucks?  I take my hat off to the entire changing football  milieu in England.

 England have recently won under 17 and under 20 world championships - under Southgate, I think. In the past English clubs tried to discourage young players playing for England national underage teams, saying they were better off with the club.  England  struggled as a consequence. Not anymore.

Now Southgate has progressed to senior football, IMO England are performing similarly to the quality of their domestic players in the EPL. Last four in Russia WC, finalist in 2020 Euro Champs, last eight in Qatar WC - consistent performances on the big stage. English seniors are performing better as a team unit. 

I'm not kidding about tactics in the AL.  Coaches coaching in the AL are far better trained - and have been for about 12 years.  Berger 's overhaul was incredible. Speak to former Socceroos Craig Foster, Ante Jukic or Alistair Edwards, about  the  differing levels of coaching quality that Aus has adopted. I keep saying it, but our curriculum and coach education was developed based on Spain ( Barca Academy), France ( Clarefontaine), Netherlands ( KNVB) and German Football Fed.

A few years back when some L1 commentators stated one had to go to the EPL to observe sophisticated systems playing out from the back,  all  coaches in Aus were trained to do it. It is usually the imported French, Dutch, Spanish and German coaches in the AL who have had most success, outside the domestic Aussies.

The reserve Man U coach ( what was his name/) did things completely  differently at Melb City, than Aus, Spanish, German, French or Dutch coaches would do similarly -  within a framework.

You are giving past English coaches far too much credit.  Many have been former pros with no formal coaching training or accreditation. They were a laughing stock for most of the Dutch coach educators training Aussie coaches. There were a fraction of formally accredited semi- pro and pro  coaches in England, compared to Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Portugal.

Which English coaches have coached foreign national teams to be greater than the sum of their parts?

Steve MacLaren had qualified success in Netherlands' Eredivisie, plus El Tel and Brian Robson did in Spain at club level. They are the exceptions though - not the norm.

However, looking at the current playing style  of Lower League teams, plus  national English team success in seniors and underage, there may have been a metamorphosis in English football - for the better. 

 

 

Still crazy how Mitch Duke has more goals in fewer games than Mark Viduka did for Australia. 3 years ago, hating Mitch Duke was topical but now he has become a pretty solid option. I'd say it's a mix of Duke over-performing and Viduka severely underperforming. Duke ability in the air also helps add up the numbers against weaker opposition, Cahill can attest to that.

Still crazy how Mitch Duke has more goals in fewer games than Mark Viduka did for Australia. 3 years ago, hating Mitch Duke was topical but now he has become a pretty solid option. I'd say it's a mix of Duke over-performing and Viduka severely underperforming. Duke ability in the air also helps add up the numbers against weaker opposition, Cahill can attest to that.

How come Circatti isn't in the asian cup squad??

I can't see anywhere he is injured 

The body of ex-Socceroo has been discovered in bushland in northern NSW less than 48-hours after he disappeared.

Officers located Stephen Laybutt’s body near Cabarita on the North Coast at about 7pm on Sunday after an extensive police search.

Could you imagine a foreign coach coming in? I reckon they'd look at Behich Irvine and Duke and just phase them out on technical and tactical play grounds.

For Viduka’s incredible ability he always seemed to underperform for us, clearly the likes of Duke, Cahill and even Josh Kennedy got better results than him.

I suspect this is the last hurrah for a bunch of players and the new generation, starting with Olympics, and then rolling into WC qualifying, will see a very different Socceroos by the 2026 WC finals.

The likes of Gauci, McGree, Souttar, Rowles, Bos, Baccus, Strain, Yengi, Silvera, Tilio will still be around.

Arzani, Irankunda, G Kuol, Musa Toure, Circatti, Robertson, Farrell, Triantis, Hollman, Milanovic, Max Balard, Teague, maybe Volpato... the young keeper at Bayern...

Add another half dozen we've not seen enough of or not even heard of yet. 

We'll be quite tasty in two years time.

The 23-25 year olds are about to hit their peak - they are in a period where many can rapidly improve in a short period of time
It is interesting doing a depth chart for the 23-25 year olds compared to the olyroos. The 23-25 look an improvement over the 26-31 year olds and the olyroos look an improvement again. 

Gks: Glover/gauci
Rbs: atkinson/ miller
cbs: souttar/rowles
lbs: ??
mids: genreau, mcgree, metcalfe, devlin, oniell, De Silva
Forwards/wingers: Yengi, Iredale, Stamalopolous, Arzani

Did I miss any notable players? 

And it's funny because the U20's are looking to be better than at this age than what most of the previous ones were as well. Also, from what I've heard and seen the next U17's Joeys comprising of 2007-2009 born players is set to be the best we've had or at least for a long time with some real talents in there with heaps of them already playing in Europe. The exponential improvement s-curve is proof that the academies and contemporary implementations are producing required results. 

He played a different role for most of his socceroo career.  Still is the only target man who had the ability to play with his back to goal, hold off two defenders, stick the first touch and lay off a pass to the wingers.

Could you imagine a foreign coach coming in? I reckon they'd look at Behich Irvine and Duke and just phase them out on technical and tactical play grounds.

Amazing player, so much skill, even Alan Shearer said I wish I had half his technical ability.

However, never fulilled his true potential at club & definitely not at country level.

Whereas Cahill probably fulfilled 100% of his ability at club level & went to another level for country.
The Dukes was probably only fulfilled 75% of his ability at club level, he should've been at one of the big clubs, he destroyed a very good Liverpool side once.

From the man himself in an interview about his 4 goals against Liverpool":

"I don't think I played that well...when I look at my performance I want to be holding the ball up well, I want to be taking on players well, I want to be bring other players into the play and obviously scoring goals well and I got 4 chances and I put 'em away"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEIyGgNMkbA

He played a different role for most of his socceroo career.  Still is the only target man who had the ability to play with his back to goal, hold off two defenders, stick the first touch and lay off a pass to the wingers.

He was that good.

Viduka & Kewell at the prime, injury free were world class & we have never gone close to producing anything better before or after.

agreed and imo Dukes did fulfill his potential at Club level no doubt about it.
Its just that he has that laconic easy going type persona that I think people misread.
He creamed it at Leeds whilst in Div 1 - scoring 22 goals twice a season incl hattricks and the 4 rippas against LFC mentioned < (he was that good eh and some marvel of Duke the last year or so).
Fergie went for him but he opted for Leeds (strange call yet near on anyone else would have gone to OT you suspect)
Upon Leeds relegation he went to Boro who were in good form then and building up, got double figures really quick and injuires, made the UEFA Final they lost but he inspired them getting there......
Following season he again nailed on 20 goals and Boro didn't jump quick enough to resign went to the Toons on a free transfer.
Toons are not LFC or United/Arsenal of the times but still a big Club in the UK.
Injuries was getting on top of him but to say he didn't fulfil at Club level I think is a bit short robbos imo.

Its a real shame for the Roos numbers aren't there goal wise but as we all know, we played a totally different game as mentioned, we don't know all the poilitics but there was alot of backroom tug of wars as well over some periods, it just didn't click for him as we all had wished for and its sad the younger gen only see stats as proof of players careers for as you qouted we have delivered nothing like him to date since let alone HK.

He was that good.

Viduka & Kewell at the prime, injury free were world class & we have never gone close to producing anything better before or after.