The big weakness for the senior Socceroos is  lack of sped of ball movement in  midfield and attack.

The U 23s have  this quality in spades.

Jake Hollman, Teague, Voladon, Jelecic, Youlley, Farrell, Talbot, C - Perkins, Natta, Segecic, Trewin, Brook, Milanovic, Villupillay, Garang Kuol, et al, have this quality  when playing with each other. 

Backed by an experienced and tough defence of  Ryan, Souttar, Atkinson, Rowles and Behich/Bos, the u 23s playing in more attacking positions in the senior  could inflict serious damage. 

I would like ot se this team in the not too doestan future.

..........................................Ryan

Atkinson...........Souttar........Rowles/Circati........Bos

...................Nieuwenhof..................O'Neill
....................................Jake Hollman

Brook...................Yengi/Iredale................. Goodwin 



Need to see more of Robertson.

Irvine should probably be in the midfield,   because of his recent goalscoring output, but if we want slick attacking interplay and faster senior Socceroo ball movement in central midfield to break down deep defensive blocks, Nieuw, O'Neill and Jake Hollman are the players to do it , ably assisted by Brook at right wing.

Goodwin and Souttar have to be  there  - Souttar for aerial presence at both ends of the  pitch. Goodwin for his ability to provide assists, and composure in front goal as a winger. Also, a team leader with great experience. Other players have said publicly  Goodwin lifts the whole team when on the pitch.

Can't believe you've left out Bacchus and McGree, who is easily our best technician, Bacchus our best ball winner.

Have to agree about Jake Hollman though albeit not ahead of Mcgree. Very well rounded player as you mentioned in the above. Brook seems to have a thumping shot on him on both feet, albeit just lacked the accuracy in qatar.

Think we really need to start blooding some of these guys into the roos team quickly to a. Lift our national side and b. Assist their careers. 

For mine, Mo Toure is already past Duke, Farrell is already past Behich, Brook milanovic and Hollman are all about equal to Boyle, Metcalfe and Hrustic and past Mabil. Think those 3 are better than Yazbek also. N'hoff already equal to Irvine albeit Irvines mindset, leadership and goalscoring from mid are all Cahillesque. 

Regeneration needed fast. 

I beg to differ. I think Hrustic is the best technician with the ball in the  front 6 with the ball at his feet. Where he is weaker is as a ball winner, and causing  turnovers, in his performance when they have the ball.

In the younger gen, we have good technicians in spades in midfield, who work harder off the ball  than Hrustic - Nieuw, Teague, Jake Hollman  - as ball winners and ball players - adding Jelacic, and  Priestman ( can't even make Aus underage teams),  plus Segecic, Youlley and Voladon as slick ball players. 

I'm a huge fan of Faz, but he was mediocre in Qatar when we needed him to terrorise the opposition defences. Vidmar didn't use him like that though. I think Faz wasn't 100% fit. 

Thanks for starting this thread, BOH.

I felt gutted when South K played all over Aus in the Asian Cup seniors. At U 23 level, I think we are better than South K. We have hope!

On pure skill yes I think hrustic is great and youre prob right prob our best but tactically and mentally not great ... his peripheral vision around him is poor always gets blindsided and decision making poor. Then mentality seems to drop his head/ act uninterested etc. As an overall package I still rate mcgree above any of our mids and forwards and think he has the highest ceiling. Already premier league quality imo. Easily can imagine him at an Everton or Fulham etc. And re bacchus I think he needs to sack his agent!  Played very well at the world cup, consistently one of our best for the Roos and yet can't move away from his lower half Scottish side. I do remember previously championship teams and AEK athens were linked to him but then nothing eventuated

St Mirren are 5th. There are 12 teams in the SPL. so they aren't bottom half.

The big weakness for the senior Socceroos is  lack of sped of ball movement in  midfield and attack.

The U 23s have  this quality in spades.

Jake Hollman, Teague, Voladon, Jelecic, Youlley, Farrell, Talbot, C - Perkins, Natta, Segecic, Trewin, Brook, Milanovic, Villupillay, Garang Kuol, et al, have this quality  when playing with each other. 

Backed by an experienced and tough defence of  Ryan, Souttar, Atkinson, Rowles and Behich/Bos, the u 23s playing in more attacking positions in the senior  could inflict serious damage. 

I would like ot se this team in the not too doestan future.

..........................................Ryan

Atkinson...........Souttar........Rowles/Circati........Bos

...................Nieuwenhof..................O'Neill
....................................Jake Hollman

Brook...................Yengi/Iredale................. Goodwin 



Need to see more of Robertson.

Irvine should probably be in the midfield,   because of his recent goalscoring output, but if we want slick attacking interplay and faster senior Socceroo ball movement in central midfield to break down deep defensive blocks, Nieuw, O'Neill and Jake Hollman are the players to do it , ably assisted by Brook at right wing.

Goodwin and Souttar have to be  there  - Souttar for aerial presence at both ends of the  pitch. Goodwin for his ability to provide assists, and composure in front goal as a winger. Also, a team leader with great experience. Other players have said publicly  Goodwin lifts the whole team when on the pitch.

Courtney - Perkins

 I thought C-P was only mediocre in the lead up games to the Qatar Olympic Qualifying tournament.  Admittedly, in one game C-P was played at LB, where I  thought he struggled in his  defensive duties -  jockeying, showing, delaying and timing his tackles in a wider position.

Yet in the three games in Qatar C-P excelled as a CB in his defensive duties - jockeying, tackling, delaying, heading, body on body duels - plus he displayed good distribution. Moreover, he played well going forwards when ball carrying.

C-P held his CB position well as part of a team defensive unit in Qatar. I can't remember him making an errant defensive pass, even under pressure.  An all round CB. One of the newer all round good ball winners and good ball playing CBs we are producing on a regular basis in Aus. He probably looks a bit older, but I think he is only 21. I think he is on the way to overtaking a number of CBs in the senior Socceroo pecking order if he plays like he did in Qatar - and- continues to improve.

Italiano - no. Technique not good enough for this new U23 generation of whizz technicians - more like an older Aus player of past generations. Great ball winner , plays well positionally but  lacks the first  touch and  handling speed that most of his U 23 cohorts have.  Good leader on the pitch. Atkinson still a fair bit in front. 

Talbot - slick technician, but needs to  become a more  dominant ball winner as a RB.  He executed sone superb first touches hder pressure and is a good passer and mover.

Nieuwenhof - being a Hearts better player, isn't  significant internationally. However, in the one Olyroo game I saw him play, he should be in the senior Socceroos. Very accomplished on the ball and off the ball. Some of his pass and move sequences on the right flank with Brook, Trewin and Talbot were outstanding. He is also a good ball winner. Goes into a twin screening role with O'Neill for mine for the senior Socceroos immediately. 

Farrell - before the Olympic qualifiers I thought he was best outfield player int he entire U 23 squad - Euro players included. He must have been  injured or fatigued in Qatar. He was very disappointing by his own lofty standards. Not sure now?
Faz has been brilliant in the A L and in his previous hit out with the U 23s against Saudi. Like Niew on right flank, some of his pass and move sequences with Volodan, Natta and possibly Rodriguez, Milanovic and Garang K, were brilliant. Superb first touch statically and when he takes his touch away from his marker. Saw little of his explosive ball carrying in Qatar.

Mo  Toure- had a few shots against Jordan, 7 against Indo and 0 against Qatar. Strong and physical, but  his shooting was a massive disappointment in Qatar, but was much better in lead up games. I like him more than Yengi, despite his poor shooting in Qatar. Wins a lot of hard balls against rugged CBs and causes turnoevers in attacking third. Has pace and power.

Milanovic - really developing , but lost his shooting form In Qatar Olympic Cup  qual comp. Defends well from  the front. A weakness is when he dribbles and ball carries he  doesn't  keep his head up like Jake Hollman and Brook.

Volpato - couldn' t care if he wants to play for Aus. I've seen so much talent coming through, we don't need him.  Segevic, Voladan, Youlley and Jake Hollman,  all have enormous talent at number ten.

Jake Hollman - outstanding ball winner, keeps his head up when dribbling and ball carrying, has terrific acceleration, magnificent passer and mover in tight spaces, fast handling speed, and can play 6, 8 and 10. I think he is aged 22 and is a bit older than some of his teammates, but has more complete skill set than McGree and Metcalfe - albeit the latter being a better header and is physically stronger.
Like Metcalfe, Jake H needs to score more goals. I'd be inclined to play him in the Socceroos now - like many of his U 23 teammates these guys have much quicker ball movement or ball circulation that most  of the senior players don't. Also, defends better than Hrustic. Needs to build some upper body strength - overhead presses, lat pull downs and bench presses for mine in the gym.

Lachlan Brook - I think he should be right wing for the seniors. Brooks is the most significant scorer from a wing, possibly apart from Goodwin. Shoots powerfully with both right and left foot outside the pen box. Terrific grafter in winning hard balls and tracking back. Excellent passer and mover in tight spaces. The complete winger. Take  goo positions at back post. Better ball winner than Boyle, being physically stronger.
Most players have a weaker foot, that good defenders identify. Brook is i accomplished on both sides of the body, he beats defenders cutting inside and outside. One issue he might lack speed over the turf. I have seen opposition players outpace him slightly wjhilst they have the ball at their feet, whilst he is running alongside them without the ball.

When I have time I will appraise C- Perkins, Vadon, Youlley, Teague, Segecic, Villupillay.

Some people reading this will be surprised any of us are  enthusiastic about the U 23s, because of not qualifying  for Olympics. If one has a look at the stats in Grazor's comprehensive U 23 thread, they absolutely dominated everywhere in all three games, except on the scoreboard.

They had 60 shots at goal  compared the combined  of 18 for the  opposition over the three games.

Can't believe you've left out Bacchus and McGree, who is easily our best technician, Bacchus our best ball winner.

Have to agree about Jake Hollman though albeit not ahead of Mcgree. Very well rounded player as you mentioned in the above. Brook seems to have a thumping shot on him on both feet, albeit just lacked the accuracy in qatar.

Think we really need to start blooding some of these guys into the roos team quickly to a. Lift our national side and b. Assist their careers. 

For mine, Mo Toure is already past Duke, Farrell is already past Behich, Brook milanovic and Hollman are all about equal to Boyle, Metcalfe and Hrustic and past Mabil. Think those 3 are better than Yazbek also. N'hoff already equal to Irvine albeit Irvines mindset, leadership and goalscoring from mid are all Cahillesque. 

Regeneration needed fast.