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World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

He's been in and out with injury but Silvera is off the radar since having started Indonesia away and looking a decent prospect. At least we're looking around to find the best mould.
 
Saudi squad not updated on wiki but it's been announced. Bigger names there. Can't tell much about others. Kanno still suspended for our game.

Pacey right back Saud Abdulhamid is at Roma. Doesn't look like he's played yet. Dangerous type.

Goodwin plays tomorrow. Conveniently the bigger Saudi teams are all done Friday evening and it wouldn't surprise me if others start arriving on Saturday in Australia having finished Thursday.

Our players meanwhile are in an annoying jam of late games. Gauci in late late Saturday night game against Liverpool. Bos, Degenek, O'Neil, Hrustic also. Ryan and Izzo Sunday afternoon.

Burgess Sunday but at Spurs so he can get a quick flight out. Souttar in a derby Sunday (bubble wrap time). Hibs Saturday but Hearts 6pm against Rangers Sunday.

Balard, Yengi, McGree should be the first in having played Saturday. Irvine also after a big clash against Bayern.
 
JS96 said:
Saudi squad not updated on wiki but it's been announced. Bigger names there. Can't tell much about others. Kanno still suspended for our game.

Pacey right back Saud Abdulhamid is at Roma. Doesn't look like he's played yet. Dangerous type.

Goodwin plays tomorrow. Conveniently the bigger Saudi teams are all done Friday evening and it wouldn't surprise me if others start arriving on Saturday in Australia having finished Thursday.

Our players meanwhile are in an annoying jam of late games. Gauci in late late Saturday night game against Liverpool. Bos, Degenek, O'Neil, Hrustic also. Ryan and Izzo Sunday afternoon.

Burgess Sunday but at Spurs so he can get a quick flight out. Souttar in a derby Sunday (bubble wrap time). Hibs Saturday but Hearts 6pm against Rangers Sunday.

Balard, Yengi, McGree should be the first in having played Saturday. Irvine also after a big clash against Bayern.
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I wish we can leave some players in bahrain so they will be fresh

Popa ball really emphasizes conditioning
 
grazorblade said:
I wish we can leave some players in bahrain so they will be fresh

Popa ball really emphasizes conditioning
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Goodwin must stay there. No point travelling if he's not available.

Maybe O'Neil can wait and we start Balard, Irvine and have Hrustic, Caceres and Yazbek in reserve.
 
JS96 said:
Goodwin must stay there. No point travelling if he's not available.

Maybe O'Neil can wait and we start Balard, Irvine and have Hrustic, Caceres and Yazbek in reserve.
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My guess is most of the a league players stary at home?
 
grazorblade said:
My guess is most of the a league players stary at home?
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It's tricky as it's the most crucial game now.

I didn't realise how short the turnaround will be and Saudi will definitely be arriving early. We might be better off starting someone like Borrello to run them down for an hour and see how things pan out. Borrello's start against Ecuador was fine.
 
JS96 said:
It's tricky as it's the most crucial game now.

I didn't realise how short the turnaround will be and Saudi will definitely be arriving early. We might be better off starting someone like Borrello to run them down for an hour and see how things pan out. Borrello's start against Ecuador was fine.
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Yeah i think popa likes running the opposition off the park so a league players will be less jetlsgged. Euro players in bahrain but a league roos locally would be my guess?
 
grazorblade said:
Yeah i think popa likes running the opposition off the park so a league players will be less jetlsgged. Euro players in bahrain but a league roos locally would be my guess?
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The players selected have to be trusted so why not got with the freshest? It just seems risky to not go all out against Saudi but maybe the local players will surprise us by rising to the occasion.
 
JS96 said:
He's been in and out with injury but Silvera is off the radar since having started Indonesia away and looking a decent prospect. At least we're looking around to find the best mould.
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I feel like we're starting to get a feeling for who Poppa likes and doesn't.

Silvera, Nisbet, Kalik not favoured. Also, unsecured dual nationals haven't featured - is this a stance or coincidence? Mo Toure is a head scratcher.

Outside the obvious team selections Geria, Vellupillay, Duke, Behich all seem favoured. The trend there seems to be guys he's worked with and guys with previous international experience.

Strong conditioning also appears to be a big consideration, he's barely picked players returning from injury.
 
Quicky said:
I feel like we're starting to get a feeling for who Poppa likes and doesn't.

Silvera, Nisbet, Kalik not favoured. Also, unsecured dual nationals haven't featured - is this a stance or coincidence? Mo Toure is a head scratcher.

Outside the obvious team selections Geria, Vellupillay, Duke, Behich all seem favoured. The trend there seems to be guys he's worked with and guys with previous international experience.

Strong conditioning also appears to be a big consideration, he's barely picked players returning from injury.
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It's becoming clearer.

The Deng and Baccus calls are big in that Arnold gladly had them. Mabil definitely out.

Qualifying directly is the goal but for 2026 it surely can't be about Grant and others.

Kinda sad as I like a lot of them but Devlin, Mabil, Taggart won't be seen again.
 
JS96 said:
Alternatives for Degenek and Matthews? Stensness must have been locked in.

Deng dropped. Elder can play LCB in a back 3 if needed. JCP? Unlikely Alex Grant?
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I'd pick Triantis.
 
Isn’t Goodwin suspended for Saudi game?! If so he’s in squad for just Bahrain game?
Behich hopefully doesn’t start anymore with Bos in squad. No Irankunda and Nisbet bites!

Should be interesting to see Popa tactics against Bahrain deep block v Arnie ball
 
Has Degenek actually played any club games this season? I've been looking but can't actually find anything yet to indicate that he has.

The last game I can find that he played any time in was a Serbian league game in October 2023???

Edit. Correction I can see that he played a cup game on 31 October just gone. But how on earth could he have been selected with that being the only match time in over a year?
 
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Keeper66 said:
Has Degenek actually played any club games this season? I've been looking but can't actually find anything yet to indicate that he has.

The last game I can find that he played any time in was a Serbian league game in October 2023???

Edit. Correction I can see that he played a cup game on 31 October just gone. But how on earth could he have been selected with that being the only match time in over a year?
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He must have played amazing in that game 🤣
 
Pasquali said:
He must have played amazing in that game 🤣
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I generally didn't like what Arnold did with his squad selections, but I don't think he ever made any selections as bizarre as this one with Degenek.

Add in Grant particularly and to a slightly lesser extent Boyle, two more mystifying selections based on current form, you have to wonder what Popovic is thinking.

I'm shaking my head here.
 
Could it be that at 5 foot 3 inches Popovic considers Nisbet too small for International football.
 
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Decentric said:
Respectfully disagree Nisbet is our most technically gifted player. Good player though, and works well with the ball in tight spaces.

That title belongs to Daniel Arzani - by some margin. He might not be as two footed as some, but Arzani's first touch; handling speed; dribbling, using the standard body swerve/ shoulder feint, la Croquetas and reverse Elasticos; plus his constant changes of pace and balance when running with the ball, whilst having his head up; not to mention his ability to pass and move in tight spaces; is extraordinary. Now he can defend too.
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Nine clubs in seven years, and considered to have an attitude problem, Arazani didn't make it at Celtic.
 
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