Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

The Australian National Football Team General Discussion*OFFICIAL*

Decentric said:
Pat Jennings wrote:

'What has Teague done to place him above Triantis, Balard and Nisbet?

He has played the last 2 ALM finals. In one Nisbet was the MOM. In the other a winger as a CM was MOM.

Teague should be considered as a squaddie at best. We have better players than him, his age and younger.'

All good points made by Pat Jennings. Fair play to PJ.

I've transferred this from Aussie Abroad, because it was derailing the thread - my fault too.

I listed 7 criteria Aus national team coaches use to evaluate players, and that all players have strengths and weaknesses.

1. Technique - 4-5 specific areas
2. Ball-winning capacity - divided into 3 facets.
3. Game sense- individually - and - ability to follow a team game plan and work cohesively in a team unit.
4. Football conditioning.
5. Communication.
6. Mental strength.
7. Leadership and experience.

I'm also a bit frustrated that so many G and G posters think that players like Triantis are so much better than what we have.

Moreover, that they don't recognise that Popa ( with vast experience as a coach) will have evaluated the likes of Triantis and Balard playing with, and against, Socceroos on the training ground in camp, comparing like for like.

My position is that I'm surprised that Popa with 18 points from 8 games, 5 wins and 3 draws, including 5 matches against really strong teams Japan 1 and 2, Saudi and Indo, does not receive more support and admiration from the Aus football community.

After 2 games with a dejected Arnie ( who had great success until recent times) the Socceroos had 1 draw against Indo and 1 loss to a mediocre Bahrain in the last home and away WCQ round.

Nisbet - is a different case. Have been very impressed with him at CCM and his last Socceroos game.

I think he may not have been very involved a lot with Ross County in Scotland (I might be wrong), and, he has moved to Eeerste 2 in Netherlands, not the vaunted Eredivisie.

From what I've seen to date, Nisbet should be close to selection. I also subscribe to the notion that national team coaches select Socceroos, not overseas club coaches.

Criteria 3, 4, 6 and 7 could have been decisive factors in Teague being selected over Triantis for China and Japan 2.

In criterion 2, Teague won a lot of hard balls against China with a plus 7 ledger, contesting 8 unique 1v1 duels.

Teague didn’t get to as many against Japan, but still won 3 out of 3 unique 1v1s contested in the first 45 mins.

Against Saudi when he came on as a sub, he contested 5 unique 1v1 duels, with a plus 1 ledger.

So Popa has selected a good ball winner to screen the defence in Teague. Teague will only get better at his age, and at his stage of his career isn't as good as O'Neill as a 1v1 ball winner - yet - who was outstanding whenever O'N was on the pitch.

Criterion 1- Nisbet is a decent technician - better with first touch, handling speed, passing and moving in tight paces, dribbling, than Balard and Triantis.
As Number Ten, Nisbet is better in Criterion 2 than Teague in an attacking context. However, Teague's passing as a DM/midfield screener against China with 1 and 2 touch passing was as good as O'Neill's - which amazed me! Not as good as his Melb Vic DM teammate, Jordi Valadon, though.
Click to expand...

TBH the point is that you really have to play or have played for one of the 'big clubs' in the ALM to be considered in most cases. At the beginning of the ALM Alex Wilkinson was by far the best defender. Instead Spiranovic was lauded. Wilkinson only got picked when he was overseas and then continued to be picked when to be honest he was in nowhere near the form he was earlier.

Guus picked Wilkshire from unfashionable Bristol City who went on to be a regular for the Socceroos for 80 games. I suspect that Popa at this stage has not done the homework across the board that Arnold did over a number of years and has relied on players he knows. He now has time to do that homework. Guus picked only a few ALM players but would have know the majority of the NT from Europe. TBH the team that qualified will probably struggle to make the top 32 at the World Cup.

As you said Teague didn’t get to as many against Japan, but still won 3 out of 3 unique 1v1s contested in the first 45 mins. The maxim is the best players often possess a strong self-belief that they can make a difference when they have the ball. This confidence allows them to take initiative and make plays that others might not attempt. In my mind Teague, because of the Japanese press, was not confident enough to put himself in the position to influence the game the way others would which meant we avoided the midfield. Yes it was caused by the Japanese press, but it isn't going to get any easier at the World Cup.

You can justify stats to why Teague did ok to well in the games but that is not the point. He wasn't the best performer before that i find it hard to justify him in the squad at all and your stats make no allowance for his lack of willingness to take on difficult balls. His run of the mill games in the ALM over the last couple of season were pretty good but he got outplayed in the big games. How many small games will there be at the World Cup.
 
Last edited:
Mr Cleansheets said:
Scotland down to 47 I note.

Would love to see a match between Oz and Scotland. The contempt for Oz football and footballers on Scottish forums is breath taking.
Click to expand...
A Scotland vs Socceroos friendly is long overdue. We’ve had Souttar, Boyle and CumDog with us for years, and they’ve got Lyndon Dykes. Surely we can arrange a match before this narrative fades away.

Considering Popa appears to enjoy scheduling friendlies against ‘physical’ sides such as New Zealand, USA and Canada, maybe he’ll be interested?
 
While considering Elder's career and lack of national team games it made me think there was a time when Rhys Williams was touted by Swansea in the EPL. Felt he was a good right back too.

Sliding doors could've seen Williams in the EPL and Spiranovic a Bundesliga mainstay.
 
Bowden said:
A Scotland vs Socceroos friendly is long overdue. We’ve had Souttar, Boyle and CumDog with us for years, and they’ve got Lyndon Dykes. Surely we can arrange a match before this narrative fades away.

Considering Popa appears to enjoy scheduling friendlies against ‘physical’ sides such as New Zealand, USA and Canada, maybe he’ll be interested?
Click to expand...
Just looking Scotland really have a cruel WC draw. Highest in pot 3 so they got 1 and 2 in Denmark and Greece. Maybe count themselves lucky as it could've been harder.

Denmark seem to be the worst in pot 1 while Greece actually look to be the biggest banana peel in pot 2 with their new ascendency but for Norway and Sweden.
 
Bowden said:
A Scotland vs Socceroos friendly is long overdue. We’ve had Souttar, Boyle and CumDog with us for years, and they’ve got Lyndon Dykes. Surely we can arrange a match before this narrative fades away.

Considering Popa appears to enjoy scheduling friendlies against ‘physical’ sides such as New Zealand, USA and Canada, maybe he’ll be interested?
Click to expand...
Scotland also seems to be symbolic of the sort of football we have been desperately trying to grow out of so there is an ideological angle too if we play them
 
JS96 said:
Just looking Scotland really have a cruel WC draw. Highest in pot 3 so they got 1 and 2 in Denmark and Greece. Maybe count themselves lucky as it could've been harder.

Denmark seem to be the worst in pot 1 while Greece actually look to be the biggest banana peel in pot 2 with their new ascendency but for Norway and Sweden.
Click to expand...
Who do we cheer for? If scotland make it they could tempt robbo, if greece they could tempt triantis
 
grazorblade said:
Who do we cheer for? If scotland make it they could tempt robbo, if greece they could tempt triantis
Click to expand...
Still shaking my head at the UEFA structure for this one. Calendar too full. Denmark missed the occasional tournament. Good luck to Scotland.

So many groups are basically a big one against a mediocre pot 2. 4 teams is just terrible.

Can't get the math around my head but some epic league like the UCL would be something else for qualifying. I don't think it'd be flawed if you played an equal number of sides from each pot as that's how the draws are done for groups.
 
Jens Castrop has changed from Germany to South Korea. Handy player. Certainly won't walk into the Korean squad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top