World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

[Decentric]

Reading some speculation on the Hearts forum that Arzani wasn't picked this morning as already on his way to Edinburgh.

Seems a long bow to me - I know Arzani loves playing for the NT and why wouldn't he want to be there at the pointy end?

Good if true though.

Respectfully disagree.

Hearts and Scotland is a backwards step for Arzani. It is a physical second ball league, albeit Boyle has a reasonable skill set from playing there.

I’d like Arzani play in a more technical league if playing in UEFA.

 

[Decentric]

surprisingly frank from him considering he is usually quite generic and guarded in his comments!

He might have given a message in the media to arzani so perhaps he was trying to do the same

Could be the case?

 

[grazorblade]

Respectfully disagree.

Hearts and Scotland is a backwards step for Arzani. It is a physical second ball league, albeit Boyle has a reasonable skill set from playing there.

I’d like Arzani play in a more technical league if playing in UEFA.

at this rate there will only aussies there to be fair

 

[Decentric]

I would select players who can hold the ball.

I'm not just talking about this morning - I'm talking about all Popa's matches (or nearly all). Yes, his defensive system has been outstanding but we never have any outlets. In the last two games we were constantly clearing the ball anywhere (or missing passes under pressure) so wave after wave kept coming back at us.

O'Neill, Metcalfe, Miller, Geria, Behich, Yazbek, Boyle... none of them could hold possession and their passing was diabolical. I don't blame the strikers so much as they had no support (although Toure did set up Tilio with a lovely ball - if only he'd been more ready for it...). Duke's ball to Metcalfe also was a peach.

I'm aware of the Robertson/Triantis issues and desperately hope they are resolved, especially now qualification is done. But I also want to see Balard, Nisbet, Arzani, Irankunda get a go. Even Okon E is an infinitely better ball retainer than the lot I've mentioned (albeit at a lower level). If he can get 1st team football somewhere I'd say he's a strong chance of a call-up.

Okay.

This team I’ll put up could hold the ball better, but in the 87 mins average per players don’t have it, the team would struggle a lot more than the incumbents in Ball Possession Opposition.

…………………........Ryan

Bennie……Trewin……. Circati…....J Bos

………...Valadon………....Okon Jr
………………..Segecic/Jake Hollman

Arzani……..Toure/Botic…….....Tilio

 

[Decentric]

at this rate there will only aussies there to be fair

They will hack Arzani to bits in Scotland - unless playing for a team who moves the ball quickly - like Celtic.

 

[Decentric]

Okay.

This team I’ll put up could hold the ball better, but in the 87 mins average per players don’t have it, the team would struggle a lot more than the incumbents.

…………………Ryan

Bennie……Trewin……. Circati…..Bos

………..Valadon………,,,.Okon Jr
………………..,,,.,,,Segecic

Arzani……..,Toure/Botic…….Tilio

I probably should add Nisbet instead of Segecic.

 

[ashtongate]

They will hack Arzani to bits in Scotland - unless playing for a team who moves the ball quickly - like Celtic.

He has already been hacked down in Scotland- it was at Celtic years ago that he acquired his bad knee injury.
So he would know what he is in for; it's his choice to go there.

 

[Decentric]

He has already been hacked down in Scotland- it was at Celtic years ago that he acquired his bad knee injury.
So he would know what he is in for; it's his choice to go there.

Arzani will probably be paid more too.

 

[Decentric]

View attachment 2110

Only 1 of 11 teams in world football to qualify 6 times in succession is an immense achievement for a nation where football isn't close to being the number one sport!

It receives little govt funding and has virtually no mainstream media coverage in Aus. I surmise in the other 10 national teams who've qualified for 6 WCs in succession, football has a huge mainstream media presence. I've been in a number of them and football is huge.

 

[Decentric]

Stop showing off Decentric. Use everyday English.

It came about as Keeper 'pedantically' and correctly ridiculed my misuse of grammar!

'Here, here', as opposed to 'hear, hear,' I used incorrectly.

I, and plenty of others, sometimes get confused by some homophones - here/hear, minute/minute, great/grate, to/too/two, their/there, write/right, sea/see, know/no, knew/new, knight/night, etc.

I wasn't 'showing off'. I was embarrassed!
,

 

[TheSelectFew]

Given the increased in size of the WC, is a pass mark still qualification?

 

[Decentric]

Degenek is an excellent defender, I was watching the highlights of the Japan game in Perth, and when one of the Japanese players missed one of their chances, it was because Degenek narrowed the angle giving the Japanese striker less goal to aim at.

Welcome to the forum, SR1968!

I inadvertently responded thinking it was 442/IS and you were posting there.

 

[Decentric]

Given the increased in size of the WC, is a pass mark still qualification?

I might be biased, but I thought the opposition was tough, so yes. A big pass qualifying directly with the improvement in Asian teams.

 

[TheSelectFew]

I might be biased, but I thought the opposition was tough, so yes. A big pass qualifying directly with the improvement in Asian teams.

There is still two more rounds after this. We qualified at the first hurdle. So again, I don't think it is anymore. Also, the public reaction isn't the same as 06, far from it.

We must make it out of our group now.

 

[Decentric]

We could have two Aussie coaches at the world cup if Arnie's Iraq get through the play offs.

Not sure if Arnie has to live in Iraq?

I was astonished he took the job? I thought he was burnt out?

 

[Decentric]

sadly its not good for the shop window. Your odds of getting a transfer out of there are lower to similar quality leagues (greece, norway, israel and sweden) unless you go really young where scotland does as well as anywhere

Do only very few Aussies manage to leave Scotland for better leagues in UEFA?

 

[Decentric]

As a quick aside, I'd say that we were very fortunate in the final moments of the home game against Saudi Arabia that their late goal which would have been decisive was fairly contentiously ruled out due to another player in Gauci's line of sight.

Great point!

We were very lucky with that decision!

 

[grazorblade]

Do only very few Aussies manage to leave Scotland for better leagues in UEFA?

Jackson Irvine managed it via bundesliga 2. Keanu Baccus had to drop to league 1 which for the most part plays a similar style to continental europe/a league without the la pausa. For some reason rhthym changes aren't a thing in England and that really remains the main difference between english and continental football imo. The style difference has other wise closed

 

[Decentric]

Jackson Irvine managed it via bundesliga 2. Keanu Baccus had to drop to league 1 which for the most part plays a similar style to continental europe/a league without the la pausa. For some reason rhthym changes aren't a thing in England and that really remains the main difference between english and continental football imo. The style difference has other wise closed

What was Mooy’s route to Brighton?

Was Celtic before or after?

I’d consider Denmark a better option than Scotland, as they’ve imported Dutch methods.

Yazbek has improved. Wasn’t sure if he played in Scotland before Scandinavia?

In the past English League One would have almost been a demotion from Scotland.

So not many besides Irvine have progressed out of Scotland then?

 

[grazorblade]

What was Mooy’s route to Brighton?

Was Celtic before or after?

I’d consider Denmark a better option than Scotland, as they’ve imported Dutch methods.

Yazbek has improved. Wasn’t sure if he played in Scotland before Scandinavia?

In the past English League One would have almost been a demotion from Scotland.

So not many besides Irvine have progressed?

denmark has the challenge that it is hard to get a visa. The left wing party managed to stop the far right by drastically reducing immigration. So yes I'd love players to go to denmark, but easier said than done

Yazbek went to norway
Mooy was celtic late in his career, he went via the championship and got promoted in his first season with huddersfield