Due to how awful we have been in recent years I feel as if we do.

They really seem to have stalled considerably. Looked set to become a leading footballing nation a few years back and they just haven't. They were pretty awful at the last WC and a QF exit is pretty abysmal. Not to mention Honda's stint in Russia looks like it has held him back a bit and Kagawa has gone backwards.

Over the last few years it seems as if they benefited from a lot of Asian teams just laying down to them because there are Japan. They sort of get given this aura as a top quality world beating side, when it reality they aren't.

If it wasn't for the low quality of a lot of sides in the Asian confederation (Australia included) I really don't think we would hold them in such a high regard.

Edited by damonzzzz: 24/1/2015 07:12:57 PM

They've been coached very badly. Their players play at the highest level. Our golden gen came alive with a good coach.

They were terrible at the World Cup in a much easier group compared to the socceroos, they can't produce a top quality striker, it's actually funny when you see so many j league teams with some 4th rate Brazilian playing up front, says it all. They also lack physically, they can produce as many little nifty classy ball players they like...if they can't produce elsewhere they will always be middle of the road.

Were easily the best team/squad here, but when your coach doesnt rotate your squad in these conditions with such short turnarounds, you're going to be in trouble. Ange learnt his lesson at the WC and we bounded our way through the quarters. Nobody else did (Japan were the worst) and paid the price with ET and 2 upsets. Happens.

They'll bring in a new coach and start clobbering teams in WCQ

Not overrated in Asia they are the number 1, poorly coached. However worldwide they are average. The lack of finishing and the size of the players has and will hold them back, the fact our awful side in WCQ for 2014 managed two draws against them was a joke. it showed to me that Japan is too weak against physically strong sides. Until they produce a quality forward they will always keep opponents in the game. At the World Cup Ivory Coast used their physical superiority and won against them, Greece played for 60mins with 10 men and Japan rarely threatened and the game ended 0-0.

I thought Honda was the best player for Japan, but he is not as good as he was when he was playing for cska. he was great at the 2010 World Cup man of the match in all three games iirc most valued player at the 2011 asian cup. He was good at the 2014 World Cup too.. he always looked good in the ucl for cska too.. if anything i think going to Milan held him back. they have been a shambles they were midtable last season and appear to be heading that way. If anything i think cska are a better side than milan from what i have seen of both sides this year. Cska's clubelo rating is also higher than AC Milan's...

They just choked big time and UAE pulled off a miracle victory. Shots : Japan 35-3 UAE / Corners : Japan 18-0 UAE. They have a good finisher (Okazaki) but he was below average in the Cup.

Japan prob still best team in asia,

They were unlucky against uae
Dominated most games

No, they are a quality team that are being coached poorly.

can't overstate the role of a coach for both us and them

Doesn't help when a coach has to be translated to his players.
Still #1 in Asia I think,just need to score a few more.

They have had terrible managers and are unable to get a striker through the system. Their midfield when managed properly can slaughter anyone in asia.

We definitely dodged a blue bullet. They were the reigning champions who beat........Australia in the final?

This. Aguirre was never the right guy for the job, I would've expected him to get shown the door when they get back to Tokyo but apparently they're sticking with him? :-k

The match-fixing stuff probably didn't help either..

For the record, we still would've had every opportunity to beat them if we met them, 50/50. Particularly after their short turn around and heavy loading thus far.

Edited by absent_doz_2259: 24/1/2015 10:37:50 PM

You can't blame the coach when his team had 10 times more shots than UAE.

I think we underestimate how good this UAE side really is. They are quality.

This.

Japan’s problem has always been that the National team is governed by sponsors who see it as a lucrative million dollar business.

Due to strong interference by sponsors Japan’s national team coach has to be a “yes man” who is willing to abide by sponsors’ demand, and play their marketing tool, Kagawa, no matter what. His sponsors and their associate media protect his interest to protect their interest while fellow players in the national team are forced to cover his mediocrity.

Successful coaches in recent years like Troussier and Okada refused to give in to their demand and rejected to play Japan’s #10 in big matches. (Kagawa is not a playmaker but wears the #10 shirt because it’s Japan’s sponsor shirt.) Both received all sorts of threats and needed protection: Troussier needed security guards after he received death threats from a religious cult organisation which has a very close link with a football fraternity and the succession of Japan’s #10.

As long as the national team is governed by sponsors who interfere with the choice of a coach, the player selection, tactical matters and demand their marketing tool Kagawa be played, Japan will continue to struggle in serious matches just as they struggled in the WC, and as Man U & the current Dortmund have found out how useless he is.

The guy in your avatar hit me in the feels

Japan are very good. I think whenever we meet them we're up for it. They have their tricks and we're normally fortunate not to concede more. At the same time, we have chances of our own. The last qualifier in Australia there we're good chances for Australia until Japan took the lead. The Asian Cup final saw Australia with tonnes of good chance creation. The last meeting is where Japan really put us in their place. It's never a game I'd bet on.

Do you have a reputable source for these claims? I just googled "Troussier death threats japan" and got no relevant results. This forum loves a conspiracy theory :lol:

I know right.

Not so much scoring a few more, as putting the ball in the back of the net more.

This is important. Their best result at the WC came under a local coach.

They have an inferiority complex that they need to shake. Enough of relying on import players domestically, and import coaches at NT level. At this tournament, Aguirre got everything wrong, from not rotating his squad, and his tactics.

And they need to get a genuine striker.

Edited by stefcep: 25/1/2015 10:39:10 AM

there are either problems in the locker room or they threw the game.

they played like shit against a decent UAE side (who also played pretty ordinarily).

Their players certainly warrant the no. 1 in Asia tag.

Perhaps we're underestimating the UAE instead?

Since leaving for United (and returning back to BD) Kagawa has had a career drop similar to that of Fernando Torres.

I reckon Okazaki is fine. He's scored a lot of goals for club and country, just had an off tournament.

They just need a decent coach. Imagine what Ange could do with their players.

Their biggest issue in tournament football is their mental weakness. Seems they've had an issue going from a good Asian side and an underdog internationally to the best team in Asia and one of the more fancied sides in world football. I thought 2011 May have ended that but the last 6 months show otherwise

We definitely overrate their penalty taking ability.

I also rate Okazaki but they have no alternative to him when they want to change things. They might as well start learning how to play with a false 9 at this rate.