For example, a player like Brattan prefers time on the ball, and in tight spaces will produce a slower 'action' to evade the press due to simply having slower legs/feet. Not really sure the mechanics of it haha.
Welcome to the forum, JBow04.
Have to respectfully disagree with you about Brattan. I think he has fast handling speed - the ability to receive and pass the ball on with one or two touches. Hence, he doesn't need the time and space on the ball, that many other senior Socceroos do.
Many of the younger underage Socceroos have this quality on the ball, from being longer coached in the revamped system of National Curriculum for underage players in Aus. There were plans laid by the FFA Tech Dept publicised in National Coaching Conferences to produce this type of player emerging in greater quantity of quality in the underage ranks 12 years ago.
There were a few instances of rapidfire passing sequences amongst McGree, Brattan and Hrusitc in confined space in the first half against Japan, but they didn't occur frequently enough.
Brattan's main issue was his inability to disturb build ups in our Ball Possession Opposition phase of play - which is Irvine's forte. However, Irvine is a player who needs time and space on the ball, albeit with slower handling speed capacity in two touch receiving and passing sequences.
Although the Aus captain often assumes good body shape to one touch pass once in a passing sequence - but he can't play rapidfire passing and moving sequences in tight spaces that Japan were so proficient at - and McGree, Brattan and Hrustic did well on a few occasions, but not often enough.
