Choose two left backs for Australia

[JS96]

On what basis do you say that Caceres has been a "resounding success"? He has played one full game, where he was maybe serviceable but certainly nothing beyond that, and made a 16 minute substitute appearance in another. And Velupillay, while admittedly looking quite good, has only made three substitute appearances for 54 minutes of total playing time, so it is a bit premature to be calling him a "resounding success" also.

Or maybe your definition of "resounding success" is somewhat different to mine.

The only good thing Caceres has done with the slide tackle that led to the Yengi chance against Bahrain.

It's really insane how these players are brought right into the tough nature of do or die qualifiers to the disappoint. We won't know until they play but Brattan and Caceres just don't belong in the national set up. The latter maybe years before. Given his form and focus, Balard had to start that game.

 

[JS96]

The Australian left back narrative is as such: McKay under Holger.

Davidson: Came in under Ange to decent success. We hoped as he was so young. A tough world cup but a very successful Asian Cup. He the went to football backwaters but it was the magic of the pink hair and the inevitable bias of having been a Victory player that made him get touted strongly again. I always wanted him to succeed but was left disappointed by his wayward club decisions. He came across as very unfit in the Jordan friendly pre UAE and was dropped after that.

Behich: Didn't he start against Kuwait 2015? Ange was already fond of him. He came back to the fore off the bench against Saudi and looked sharper which led to a tenure in the position. A fairly ordinary Confed Cup but he went alright at the world cup in Russia. Behich certainly milked his experience in the 2022 playoffs and his world cup was alright. I was very pleased for him to get two clean sheets. Since then he's just been complacent and wasteful.

Smith: Ange saw him as the athlete for his system. A good assist for Cahill UAE away and some good shifts at home to Japan and Jordan. Japan away saw poor marking leading to a goal as was his less than ideal coverage Saudi away. It was the Saudi home game that saw Behich replace him from the bench and the latter's firmer short passing was what we needed it that time. All embellished by Smith's poor technique. He actually started Vietnam away but to fade again.

Gersbach: Seemed a revelation against Cameroon. Won the penalty but then club nirvana and injuries held him back.

Meredith: BVM picked him for Russia and it was warranted. Seemed handy for the squad but probably wouldn't have done much more. We'll never know.

Rowles: Arnold deployed him there to decent effect against Mexico and England. I can't remember exactly whether Elder was injured then but windows wasted on more viable alternatives.

King: An annoying inclusion as he never seemed viable at world cup level let alone qualifiers. He wasn't disgraced against Japan but just another Arnold preference.

Elder: It's something of a tragedy how this panned out. I came across him in 2015 while on loan to Mansfield. I watched him live at Fulham while at Hull and he was a machine. Up and down the flank, can cross and tackle. I'd hoped Irvine's presence would've had our coaches glance along the squad list and see another Australian there.

Elder had at one point the most balls into the box in the league. It's just nearly every window he's come down with some niggle, something so minuscule every time. I heard and interview with Adam Peacock during covid and he came across as very well spoken and with leadership qualities. He's well educated and went to a sports high school.

In turn, it appears this could have gone to his head. Apparently Arnold said he didn't fit to the group culture and there had been some run ins with Hull fans at a casino where he gave a run down of everything wrong at the club. It's just frustrating how his talents haven't been used. His left peg and movement on the flank has always looked get.

Bos: Should be the automatic starter but his wing and right sided play shows he could be employed elsewhere. The last window showed he was feeling the pain of post injury recovery and was off colour.

 

[WhatAmIWatching]

The annoying thing is that JBos should be Left Back, Behich to keep the seat warm for now and then there is the emergence of Farrell and KBos. Whilst on the opposite side...

 

[Decentric]

We can agree to disagree. Goodwin is a grade above the other player mentioned in regards to intelligence. On the ball Behich, Duke and Irvine are an indictment to how we should want to play and Bos, Toure and Robertson are who we need in their place to even have a chance at scoring from open play.

The issue is, our players don't run into spaces. We're way too static.

I think Behich is a decent technician on the ball - first touch, running with the ball, handling speed, rapidfire pass and move sequences in limited time and space - but both Duke and Irvine sometimes can't get their body to execute what their brain tells them to do!

Duke has good heading technique. Irvine is a good ball carrier, often a decent one touch passer, but can't follow it up with rapidifire two touch passing and moving sequences like McGree, Hrustic, Brattan, Silvera, Nisbet, Caceres, Yazbek, Hof, O'Neill, Arzani (best of the lot), Piscopo, and the much younger Youlley, Valadon, Jake Hollman, Schreiber, Segecic, Jelacic, et al.

Where this Socceroo quartet are so intelligent is where they move in combination with each other, reading the play, the good decisions they make and execute with the ball, being ahead of the play, before it unfolds.

You've mentioned Toure, Robertson and Bos as decent technicians. Totally agree with you, JS96 - but so are a plethora of young players who are displacing older gen Aussies in the AL, now even aged as young as 17.

Guys like King, Jurman and Jeggo, former Socceroos, are now being relegated to the bench, because of all the young whiz kids coming through! Brimmer had to leave Vic, because he was displaced by the technically superior Teague and Valadon. The whiz kids will be inconsistent though and make heaps of mistakes - leading to more goal scoring chances.

This is the scenario at SFC where there are so many young kids playing in the defensive unit. They only have the experienced Grant and Redmayne to organise their positioning.


With running into space, if Aus is maintaining more possession over the 90 mins than all of our opponents except Japan, coupled with more time in the opposition half, it indicates our players are moving into space proficiently enough to support the Socceroo in control of the ball. Superior to our opponents too. Moreover, the younger gen coming through are capable of moving the ball more quickly than the senior Socceroos ATM.

 

[Decentric]

The Australian left back narrative is as such: McKay under Holger.

Davidson: Came in under Ange to decent success. We hoped as he was so young. A tough world cup but a very successful Asian Cup. He the went to football backwaters but it was the magic of the pink hair and the inevitable bias of having been a Victory player that made him get touted strongly again. I always wanted him to succeed but was left disappointed by his wayward club decisions. He came across as very unfit in the Jordan friendly pre UAE and was dropped after that.

Behich: Didn't he start against Kuwait 2015? Ange was already fond of him. He came back to the fore off the bench against Saudi and looked sharper which led to a tenure in the position. A fairly ordinary Confed Cup but he went alright at the world cup in Russia. Behich certainly milked his experience in the 2022 playoffs and his world cup was alright. I was very pleased for him to get two clean sheets. Since then he's just been complacent and wasteful.

Smith: Ange saw him as the athlete for his system. A good assist for Cahill UAE away and some good shifts at home to Japan and Jordan. Japan away saw poor marking leading to a goal as was his less than ideal coverage Saudi away. It was the Saudi home game that saw Behich replace him from the bench and the latter's firmer short passing was what we needed it that time. All embellished by Smith's poor technique. He actually started Vietnam away but to fade again.

Gersbach: Seemed a revelation against Cameroon. Won the penalty but then club nirvana and injuries held him back.

Meredith: BVM picked him for Russia and it was warranted. Seemed handy for the squad but probably wouldn't have done much more. We'll never know.

Rowles: Arnold deployed him there to decent effect against Mexico and England. I can't remember exactly whether Elder was injured then but windows wasted on more viable alternatives.

King: An annoying inclusion as he never seemed viable at world cup level let alone qualifiers. He wasn't disgraced against Japan but just another Arnold preference.

Elder: It's something of a tragedy how this panned out. I came across him in 2015 while on loan to Mansfield. I watched him live at Fulham while at Hull and he was a machine. Up and down the flank, can cross and tackle. I'd hoped Irvine's presence would've had our coaches glance along the squad list and see another Australian there.

Elder had at one point the most balls into the box in the league. It's just nearly every window he's come down with some niggle, something so minuscule every time. I heard and interview with Adam Peacock during covid and he came across as very well spoken and with leadership qualities. He's well educated and went to a sports high school.

In turn, it appears this could have gone to his head. Apparently Arnold said he didn't fit to the group culture and there had been some run ins with Hull fans at a casino where he gave a run down of everything wrong at the club. It's just frustrating how his talents haven't been used. His left peg and movement on the flank has always looked get.

Bos: Should be the automatic starter but his wing and right sided play shows he could be employed elsewhere. The last window showed he was feeling the pain of post injury recovery and was off colour.

Thanks for that! What a memory!

Interesting about Elder's background.

 

[Keeper66]

Compiling passing stats and 1v1s, one evaluates players more closely.

Both V and Caceres are new players.

Caceres

* In the Bahrain game and hi s16 min cameo won a lot of tackles and body on body duels - screening the defensive line. Won as many or more than anyone else playing Socceroo DM in the last three games.

* Caceres passed and moved well in tight spaces , keeping possession in tight spaces, rarely coughing the ball up.

* When Socceroos were in possession, Caceres quickly and proactively moved into position to support the ball carrier. If one compares this aspect of play to Hrustic, the current Serie B player did not do this anywhere near as well as Caceres. Ditto Yazbek, but he moves much more proactively to open passing lanes to support the ball carrier than Hrustic.
Players on the ball looked good passing to Caceres, as he was frequently showing early for the ball by opening angled passing lanes to keep the build up progressing forwards. Maybe Brattan had a baptism of fire against Japan in comparison?

* When Bahrain had the ball, Caceres' defensive running/positioning frequently kept the defensive shape compact - and - timed his sprints well to close down space in team Squeezing plans to dispossess a Bah player , or, force them to turn the ball over to a Socceroo teammate.

Villupillay

* Scored against China - when goals were hard to score for Aus.

* Provided defensive impetus from the front of the pitch in forcing turnovers and winning hard balls.

* Effective off the ball running to open passing lanes. When he replaced Hrustic in one game, I think against Saudi, Aus became more effective playing down the right flank.

* V is only 22-23. It is a young age to play international football.

* V has played quite a few balls into the pen box, or has run with the ball/dribbled into the pen box.

Both players seemed to work in well in a team unit, cohesively, both in possession and without the ball.


For new caps, probably what seemed from left field, I consider them a resounding success.

Your threshold for “resounding success” is not very high. I’m not saying they were bad, in fact Velupillay was quite effective, but they’ve only had very limited minutes in international football so far.

 

[Quicky]

On bos - he started the season injured and has had an interrupted season. I'd expect him to improve soon. Young players tend to improve with age when it comes to duels in any case

I wonder when kasey will be ready. Looks a clone of his older brother!

Kasey needs another couple of seasons to learn his defensive craft and iron out his defensive lapses. A tonne of promise though.

 

[Quicky]

Imagine Goodwin LWB and Bos RWB. That'd be something to watch!

 

[WhatAmIWatching]

Kasey needs another couple of seasons to learn his defensive craft and iron out his defensive lapses. A tonne of promise though.

JBos first game was a shocker but one and a half season's later had displace Jamieson. If KBos follows his older brother, it may happen earlier than that and maybe even in time for the next WC.

 

[Decentric]

JBos first game was a shocker but one and a half season's later had displace Jamieson. If KBos follows his older brother, it may happen earlier than that and maybe even in time for the next WC.

Kasey Bos has already displaced Traore at Melb Vic, who is a decent LB.

Of course the younger players make more mistakes, than the more senior players, which is possibly why we are seeing so many goalscoring chances in the AL - with a much greater injection of youth in the last few seasons, making mistakes. Young players tend to be less consistent too.

 

[Decentric]

Your threshold for “resounding success” is not very high. I’m not saying they were bad, in fact Velupillay was quite effective, but they’ve only had very limited minutes in international football so far.

Villupillay is pretty young, so his performances are exciting for the future, given he has shown ability at international football. There is a strong likelihood he will keep improving.

Caceres' performance was a pleasant surprise - for an AL veteran with no Socceroo caps. It is only one game, but looking at it slowly at the replay, it was surprising how effective Caceres was - against that particular opponent. Popa will have coached against teams that Caceres has played for in the AL and will have had to devise plans to nullify him. He has obviously disrupted Popa's MV and WSW game plans. Hence, Popa will have admired a few of his qualities.

After being so tied up in the emotion of matches, live, when so much is resting on some of the current results in the WCQs, it is quite relaxing analysing the replay some time after the live event. There are always surprises.

Apparently, there are scouting reports quite critical of Hayden Matthews, particularly his heading ability and questions about his ground technique. After scrutinising the Bahrain game, very closely, it is the first time I've had a really close look at Matthews. With the experienced Souttar playing next to him to organise his positioning, Matthews dominated in 1v1s, particularly in aerial duels. He was composed on the ball too. His one glance off his head which hit the post, was decisive in the outcome though. Ditto Burgess's one mistake. I disagree on the particular scout's assessment of Matthews, based on what I saw against Bahrain.

 

[Decentric]

JS96 has also mentioned Rowles as a LB. He has played there for the Socceroos, in very much a defensive LB role.

The Socceroos have pushed up on the right side much more than the left, when Rowles has played LB. He isn't an overlapping, attacking left back ( Behich, Bos brothers, Farrell), but is a very solid defensive player as a rugged Left Back able to outmuscle most opposition wingers. Although he has the tough assignment in the FB role of jockeying against nimble wingers in an advantageous body position to run at him with the ball, and cross.

For a few years I thought Rowles was our best CB, including Souttar, but since going to Scotland I feel he has stagnated and been overtaken by 4- 5 others in the CB role. There are too many quality options coming through at LB for him to play that full back role either. The other issue is that Farrell's heading ability makes him a candidate for a Left CB in a back three, like Geria is a RB playing Right CB in a back three.

Despite having had a mediocre WCQ comp in Qatar ( probably recovering from injury) I've thought Farrell could be the best LB option of the lot. Funny how things change so fast in football!

 

[WhatAmIWatching]

Villupillay is pretty young, so his performances are exciting for the future, given he has shown ability at international football. There is a strong likelihood he will keep improving.

Caceres' performance was a pleasant surprise - for an AL veteran with no Socceroo caps. It is only one game, but looking at it slowly at the replay, it was surprising how effective Caceres was - against that particular opponent. Popa will have coached against teams that Caceres has played for in the AL and will have had to devise plans to nullify him. He has obviously disrupted Popa's MV and WSW game plans. Hence, Popa will have admired a few of his qualities.

After being so tied up in the emotion of matches, live, when so much is resting on some of the current results in the WCQs, it is quite relaxing analysing the replay some time after the live event. There are always surprises.

Apparently, there are scouting reports quite critical of Hayden Matthews, particularly his heading ability and questions about his ground technique. After scrutinising the Bahrain game, very closely, it is the first time I've had a really close look at Matthews. With the experienced Souttar playing next to him to organise his positioning, Matthews dominated in 1v1s, particularly in aerial duels. He was composed on the ball too. His one glance off his head which hit the post, was decisive in the outcome though. Ditto Burgess's one mistake. I disagree on the particular scout's assessment of Matthews, based on what I saw against Bahrain.

Hayden Matthews pairing with Jake Goodrich-Reich last season at SFC was quite a decent unit. This dovetails with Souttar giving him positioning coaching.

 

[highkick05]

Phoar.. such pitiful options.
Behich is good against really shit Asian teams with no defensive organisation.
The rest I have absolutely no clue. I'd put Goodwin back there if he wasn't such a great attacking option. Perhaps having him overlap, but thats a lot of legwork in a high stakes game. I see out LB options are as thin as always - what's that about 2 decades now lol