The adrenaline's kicked in, I'm wearing my lucky Socceroos shorts, I'm onto my third vino (after a cleansing ale) and it's still 3.5 hours to kick off. I'm gonna be rooted tomorrow - either way.

It's at set plays we can most expect their dark arts (unless they do get their noses in front). They'll stop at nothing to prevent us from getting to crosses and that's where a red card could happen, if the ref was confident of getting out of the country alive.

The sight of my star striker lying on a bench with a damp cloth over his eyes while his girlfriend laced up his boots is an image I can never forget... Sigh...

Speaking of penalties, I'm pretty worried about home town decisions tonight - for all sorts of reasons. However, given the desperately (recklessly) passionate way the Chinese can go about the game, I wouldn't be surprised to see them cop another red card. Of course, it would be a brave ref to...

Babalj had about two months of looking absolutely devastating for City (or was it Heart back then). I particularly remember a header he scored diving away from the goal - I can't begin to say how difficult that is to do. God knows what happened to him. I remember thinking that the less radical...

Just spat beer over my keyboard you arse!

Of course the tragedy of Football University was that by the time the lads were in their mid 20s - when they should have been reaching their football peaks - we'd train really hard and scientifcally on Tue and Thu night. Everyone would be totally in the zone, fit, motivated and knowing precisely...

Agree with everything except the last sentence. How on Earth is a rugby tackle a favourable decision? Absolute stone waller and I was celebrating the moment the ref was told to go and look.

Ha! Yeah I see how that could be ambigous. Full disclosure... I did not coach my beloved Arsenal. Instead, I coached in the Central Coast NSW Premier League a few years back. I stand corrected.

Farrell has also done reasonably well as a stopgap CB

I think all Aussies admired him and followed his career with interest, but he paid a price for refusing to play for the Socceroos. He's since said he regretted that but haven't we all regretted stuff we once said? As for his book - highly recommended to all fans. I'd be interested to know...

Has been injured forever. Hope his injuries don't hurt his career because I'd say Farrell is our best LB defender. Bos could be the best LB attacker but Farrell wouldn't be far behind him.

Then it's definitely not the game you're thinking of. Behich copped hell for those - dreadful defending.

It's now up in the General Football section.

Quicky asked me to post my coaching philosophy, which is pasted below, but this thread is for anyone to comment on football philosophy. In my Premier League coaching days I used to put the boys through football university. What follows is their reading homework. REdaing it just now it's a...

Probably the best football bio I've read was Craig Johnston's Walk Alone - superb. Some on here know I'm an author and my two football books are Mr Cleansheets (novel) and Political Football: Lawrie McKinna's Dangerous Truth (biography). Both are available here.

Cheers. In my Premier League coaching days I used to put the boys through - what I referred to - as Football University. If I can find the notes (quite short) I'll start a thread somewhere - to which people can add their own ideas.

Well made points. If people aren't allowed to have opinions in this most democratic of places without being criticised for not having coaching credentials then what is the point of the internet? There are plenty of people who do have the creds who are also utterly clueless when it comes to...

Behich was decent the other night but got the fans offside after a disastrous game about three(?) years ago against Japan where he was responsible for us conceding twice. Since then the fans have wanted Bos (or Farrell) who always seems to be injured. I doubt Behich would still be in the squad...

Viduka of course never quite delivered for Oz. He was elite in Europe but for us? Took him a while to get going and he was still capable of missing penalties in high pressure games.