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World Cup 2026 Australia thread

JS96

JS96

Club Legend
Joined
Oct 17, 2024
Replies
3,670
Get it started. A good place for hopes and dreams. Listing of potential squads instead of umpteen individual threads posing a simple question. Travel? If you're going...
 
It's an absolute given that Miller and Behich will go. Important is that Bos is picked and played. Mo Toure is a must. Got a bit of deadwood to clear out like Borrello, Caceres and Taggart. Velupillay will return.

Teague less impressive this window. Matthews may develop well.

My squad should all be fit

Ryan, Gauci, Izzo

Miller, Geria, Souttar, Circati, Burgess, Degenek, Rowles, Bos, Behich

Irvine, Metcalfe, Triantis, Balard, O'Neill, Yazbek, Teague

Goodwin, McGree, Boyle, Velupillay, Irankunda, Toure, Duke, Iredale
 
Bennie hopefully kicks on too. I just can't see Popovic deviating too much but we have seen mix ups for tournaments before.
 
JS what IF Gersbach picks his socks up over the next season ?
Just a thought backing up Bos as a like for like.
 
JS96 said:
It's an absolute given that Miller and Behich will go. Important is that Bos is picked and played. Mo Toure is a must. Got a bit of deadwood to clear out like Borrello, Caceres and Taggart. Velupillay will return.

Teague less impressive this window. Matthews may develop well.

My squad should all be fit

Ryan, Gauci, Izzo

Miller, Geria, Souttar, Circati, Burgess, Degenek, Rowles, Bos, Behich

Irvine, Metcalfe, Triantis, Balard, O'Neill, Yazbek, Teague

Goodwin, McGree, Boyle, Velupillay, Irankunda, Toure, Duke, Iredale
Click to expand...

That is a decent squad. Not anything to get excited about, but solid second tier international standard.
 
LFC said:
JS what IF Gersbach picks his socks up over the next season ?
Just a thought backing up Bos as a like for like.
Click to expand...
Behich is in the way. Personally I'd drop Behich and Miller for our more able players.

Great game by Duke but I'd prefer forward looking strikers and dominant, technical mids. If Irvine weren't a leader he'd be dropped by now.
 
yer with you incl Miller.
Lets see how Behich is closer to WC, 35yrs, same applies with Duke, old heads is useful but who we'll be up against will be like jack be nimble jack be quick.
Bos is the preferred shoein for LB imo.
 
JS96 said:
It's an absolute given that Miller and Behich will go. Important is that Bos is picked and played. Mo Toure is a must. Got a bit of deadwood to clear out like Borrello, Caceres and Taggart. Velupillay will return.

Teague less impressive this window. Matthews may develop well.

My squad should all be fit

Ryan, Gauci, Izzo

Miller, Geria, Souttar, Circati, Burgess, Degenek, Rowles, Bos, Behich

Irvine, Metcalfe, Triantis, Balard, O'Neill, Yazbek, Teague

Goodwin, McGree, Boyle, Velupillay, Irankunda, Toure, Duke, Iredale
Click to expand...

Solid squad. It's going to be an interesting next couple of windows to see how much experimenting, and opportunities to new/young players Popa will offer. Would love to see the likes of Okon Engstler, Bennie, Segecic, Milanovic, Botic all get a look in at some stage.
 
Used the wiki for my squad. Can't believe I missed Segecic. I think it'd be a bit sour now for Robertson to make himself available. I can't see it anyway. Peru aren't going.
 
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ossi said:

Fringe players set to be given chance by Socceroos coach Tony Popovic ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup​


Click to expand...
Only for the regulars to be picked? I'm so glad we've gotten the results but this gaslighting by Popovic needs to be stopped.

Balard will get a debut, not play well, vindicating Popovic. Thing is it may take a few games. Some of our national team regulars needed a while to get up to speed.
 
4 years ago Australia had to do it the hard way after a huge penalty shootout against the 5th placed south American team. They would show they belong on the big stage after exceeding all expectations and making the round of 16, only to be knocked out by the eventual winners. On the back of such a good performance, Australia went into the Asian cup expecting big things, only to be humbled by a quarter final exit at the hands of Graham Arnold as head coach. We had a new, pragmatic coach take the reigns who put defense as their number one priority and we managed to qualify automatically with a result away from home in the middle east. One of our most promising upcoming players is a player in an attacking position whose main asset is their off the ball work, so their qualities don't always get noticed by fans who scape goat him despite him making it at a high level in his club career. Still fans had something to cheer about. Despite Japan playing a lot of pretty football in front of the lines but Australia managed to get the win in front of home fans.

Am I reporting from 2009 or 2025?
 
Last edited:
JS96 said:
Behich is in the way. Personally I'd drop Behich and Miller for our more able players.

Great game by Duke but I'd prefer forward looking strikers and dominant, technical mids. If Irvine weren't a leader he'd be dropped by now.
Click to expand...
Miller is a good as it gets at right back. There are equivalent options but that's it. This is more a comment on the other options than him. Unless we're bringing in Elder, none of the other left back options are playing at any higher level than Behich.

The Irvine comment is wild. Leadership set aside. He would never have been dropped by any coach.
 
Cunningstunt said:
Miller is a good as it gets at right back. There are equivalent options but that's it. This is more a comment on the other options than him. Unless we're bringing in Elder, none of the other left back options are playing at any higher level than Behich.

The Irvine comment is wild. Leadership set aside. He would never have been dropped by any coach.
Click to expand...
adamson or an inverted bos seems the only realistic alternatives at rb.
 
grazorblade said:
adamson or an inverted bos seems the only realistic alternatives at rb.
Click to expand...
Adamson is barely 30 matches into a professional career. he would need to be outstanding next season and have time to work into the team.
Maybe Bennie could is he cracks it as a starter at qpr because of the higher level. But are they even paying him in that role?
 
Cunningstunt said:
Adamson is barely 30 matches into a professional career. he would need to be outstanding next season and have time to work into the team.
Maybe Bennie could is he cracks it as a starter at qpr because of the higher level. But are they even paying him in that role?
Click to expand...
I meant in the future
good shout about bennie. They do play Bennie there sometimes but they are allegedly buying adamson who plays the same spot. They also play bennie as lone striker, attacking mid and winger
 
Cunningstunt said:
Miller is a good as it gets at right back. There are equivalent options but that's it. This is more a comment on the other options than him. Unless we're bringing in Elder, none of the other left back options are playing at any higher level than Behich.

The Irvine comment is wild. Leadership set aside. He would never have been dropped by any coach.
Click to expand...
Irvine is still poorer on the ball than the vast majority of our midfielders. We need to improve on distribution and proper passes are needed. Popovic uses him better. Arnold had him lingering on the sideline or inverted somewhere.

Of course Irvine has other valuable skills but there were games where he'd have been better from the bench and we started alternatives.
 
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