The Australian National Football Team General Discussion*OFFICIAL*

[Decentric]

The main difference in performance between Japan A and Japan B, was Japan A was the closest Asian team to matching us in 1v1s.

 

[grazorblade]

Good point, G.

I feel like we’ve played a lot of Asian teams playing a deep defensive block/ partial press and dominated, apart from having not enough clear cut chances and struggling to score.

I felt like Japan B dominated, but you make a good point about the lack of quality of their chances.

If they were often pushed out to the flanks, in the past under Pim, Jade North said it was Pim’s game plan to push them wide. That it was important to stop their central attacking interplay on the edge of the pen box,

Yeah if someone defines domimance as having most possession then u can consistently say japan dominated us amd we dominated bahrain at home

Alternatively you could say the team with possession failed to dominate in both cases due to the lack of chances

 

[JS96]

I find interesting that we had a decent degree of ball chances in the Sydney home game against Japan compared to the last two. Japan had way more chances in Sydney too. The last two games we were absolutely suffocated and I think Japan learned to not show us as much respect given how unsettled we are with a press. Regardless of opponent, Australia are best in quick transition when the opponent is scattered or by forcing errors with press when the opponent plays out.

 

[Decentric]

Yeah if someone defines domimance as having most possession then u can consistently say japan dominated us amd we dominated bahrain at home

Alternatively you could say the team with possession failed to dominate in both cases due to the lack of chances

I recorded chances and we had a lot more than Bahrain in both games, but Japan also played many more balls into pen box than us and had more shots.

We played more balls into pen box than Bah too.

Although Aus has repelled a lot of balls played into Aus’s def pen box too.

It is where Circati, Geria, Deg have been excelling. Burgess had 1 shocker of a half in Saudi, but otherwise has done well too.

O’Neill has screened the defence particularly well in the last 4 games when on the pitch. Yazbek too.

 

[grazorblade]

I recorded chances and we had a lot more than Bahrain in both games, but Japan also played many more balls into pen box than us and had more shots.

We played more balls into pen box than Bah too.

Although Aus has repelled a lot of balls played into Aus’s def pen box too.

It is where Circati, Geria, Deg have been excelling. Burgess had 1 shocker of a half in Saudi, but otherwise has done well too.

O’Neill has screened the defence particularly well in the last 4 games when on the pitch. Yazbek too.

japans xg was tiny though, just 0.46 with half of that kubos chance

Our xg against bahrain was slightly better around 0.7

 

[grazorblade]

I find interesting that we had a decent degree of ball chances in the Sydney home game against Japan compared to the last two. Japan had way more chances in Sydney too. The last two games we were absolutely suffocated and I think Japan learned to not show us as much respect given how unsettled we are with a press. Regardless of opponent, Australia are best in quick transition when the opponent is scattered or by forcing errors with press when the opponent plays out.

If not respecting us means pressing us then it plays into poppas hands

Fans might be uncomfortable watching us win with 30 percent of possession. But it seems to be poppas bread and butter for club and country

 

[onedaywinners...]

Many many valid points from all.

I think the crux of my frustration with Popa is how can we really properly understand our potential when so many of us agree that there is a bunch of players that appear to be as talented as any we've had in the past decade....not getting selected.

Our non-selected under Popa XI would look pretty tasty I'd think!

 

[onedaywinners...]

...AND if his play is to pick players he is familiar with for the sake of results and ultimately his own job...then eff off back to clubland mate!

What is best for Australian football has to be the central pillar of every decision in the role.

 

[JS96]

If not respecting us means pressing us then it plays into poppas hands

Fans might be uncomfortable watching us win with 30 percent of possession. But it seems to be poppas bread and butter for club and country

I wish one day to have players who can defend and attack well. Lots of compliments about how Australia kept shape and mitigated Argentina at the WC.

If I understand the terms correctly, respect means a team holds off as they fear damage could be done by going in hard?

One day having put players who can move and distribute quickly can then make press teams present space for that skillset.

It'll be interesting to watch Japan against a team like Austria for example.

 

[JS96]

...AND if his play is to pick players he is familiar with for the sake of results and ultimately his own job...then eff off back to clubland mate!

What is best for Australian football has to be the central pillar of every decision in the role.

I refuse to believe that Balard or Triantis can't do as well as what O'Neill does. Robertson would need a bit of space and move the ball quickly.

Bos Japan away went forward well. Surely there's an idea from the staff that we're going to have to look at ways to pull the trigger.

 

[Quicky]

I refuse to believe that Balard or Triantis can't do as well as what O'Neill does. Robertson would need a bit of space and move the ball quickly.

Bos Japan away went forward well. Surely there's an idea from the staff that we're going to have to look at ways to pull the trigger.

I'd like to see something like this in Popovic's shape:

Goodwin - Toure - Segecic
Triantis - Robertson
Bos ----------------------------------Bennie
Burgess - Souttar - Circati
Ryan​

 

[JS96]

I'd like to see something like this in Popovic's shape:

Goodwin - Toure - Segecic
Triantis - Robertson
Bos ----------------------------------Bennie
Burgess - Souttar - Circati
Ryan​

Would love to see it. Big question is how Bos and Goodwin go together as it hasn't really worked so far.

Given how Popovic played Goodwin, a narrowing or Segecic and Goodwin behind Toure allowing maximum attack from the wing backs would set a lot of getting in behind with good shooters lingering.

 

[Quicky]

In 3 of the last 4 games other teams, Indo, Japan, Saudi, have Squeezed us in a Full Press like I've only ever seen before occasionally from Japan or South K.

It was high risk for them. We won all three games though.

From assiduously accruing all the stats and 1v1s, our defensive line and midfield line had so little time and space on the ball. I give great credit to opposition coaches Kluivert, Moriyasu and Renaud to be able to coach this.

However, particularly against Saudi, even in the last 10 or 15 mins we still didn't control the game when they had no hope of qualifying. I particularly found the second half against Saudi hard to watch with Aus having so little ball. It is anathema to the national style Aus has been trying to develop.

In so many other games including against Bahrain in this round, we had the completely different problem of penetrating a deep block/ partial press defences! The defensive and midfield lines had so much easy ball with no opposition pressure!

However positives under the Poparoos.

*Popa's 3-4-3 game plan has worked. 18 points from 8 WCQ games including Saudi twice and Japan twice, is fantastic.

* Popa has got a lot out of older players not really in Arnie's game plans - Geria, Degenek, Arzani.
Geraint Jones has been discarded.

* Popa has tried some new younger players who have worked out for different reasons - Circati, Teague, Yazbek, Villupillay, Metcalfe, Toure. Who have I missed?

* O'Neill, Miller have improved under Popa.

* Aus has dominated 1v1s against all teams.

Lets call Popovic's system what it is. A 5-2-3. Thats our shape for the 70% of possession we give the opposition.

 

[Cunningstunt]

Would love to see it. Big question is how Bos and Goodwin go together as it hasn't really worked so far.

Given how Popovic played Goodwin, a narrowing or Segecic and Goodwin behind Toure allowing maximum attack from the wing backs would set a lot of getting in behind with good shooters lingering.

Godwin has played on the right so far hasn't he, because they invert? So the Bos overlap shouldn't be an issue.

Despite Japan dominating, there were still 5 or 6 players (from memory) getting into the box when we scored.

 

[Alex M]

Lets call Popovic's system what it is. A 5-2-3. Thats our shape for the 70% of possession we give the opposition.

Against Japan in Perth the first half was more a 5-2-2-1 and the second was 5-4-1.

 

[JS96]

Godwin has played on the right so far hasn't he, because they invert? So the Bos overlap shouldn't be an issue.

Despite Japan dominating, there were still 5 or 6 players (from memory) getting into the box when we scored.

I think Segecic could work better as Goodwin runs a lot of straight lines and Segecic can stop and lay a ball off. What happened was Bos and Goodwin both ran straight lines and often overran or ran into each other. Goodwin inverted has worked. Curious about seeing Irankunda more.