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World Cup 2026 Australia thread

socceroosmad said:
Popa is definitely risk averse. (OK understatement of the year!) .which is why he favours the old guard he knows and trusts.But as Eric Paartalu said on 10 soccer, Leckie was knocking Auckland players over left right and centre. He's spent a lot of his recovery time in the gym and is like a tank. Popa said he was the best player on the park. And he was doing this for 120 minutes at the age of 35, having come back on 12 April after 5 months out injured. There's prejudice at both ends "he's too young/he's too old". It will be interesting to see what the average age of our squad is after June1. I'd like it to be about 26
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Also, remember that for some time Leckie was the fastest player in the Bundesliga. 100 and 200 metre sprinters hold their pace well into their 30s. Leckie will still be quick.

I think he will be a significant asset.
 
LFC said:
oh you guys and cheap shots hahaha
I remember well at Norton St winning '82 '06 and quali's to '14 hehe amazing times.
You got to take your medicines this is life.
Making 6 is great no doubt about it but those gold stars still shine and badges you wish for :)

I'll be at any close by place for our Roo games live and then also to Madeira Club or Hurlestone Park RSL for Portugal games with inlaws.
Cro games also another important watch considering Azzuri MIA cry cry ce la vie.
My isn't it great having so many blood lines its like having many each way bets lol :)
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So do I I was working in Norton st on 1982 - great times.
 


A preview of the Socceroos and how we stack up heading into the World Cup from Zealand, who you may recognise from the video announcing Nestory Irankunda's transfer to Watford last summer. We're touted as a dangerous side capable of punching above our weight, as has been the case in previous World Cup cycles with Alessandro Circati mentioned as a player to watch, interestingly along with Aziz Behich, but there's no mention altogether of the likes of Lucas Herrington and Mo Toure.
 
No doubt Souttar and Leckie are more or less in the same situation re coming back from injury, I just can't understand that Leckie should make the plane over someone like Devlin who has been one of the best midfielders for Hearts in possibly a title winning team.

Also Souttar is 27 and Leckie is 35.

Love Lecks but he has only played twice for us since Qater 2022 - once in 2023 and once in 2024. We have better options.
 
onedaywinners... said:
No doubt Souttar and Leckie are more or less in the same situation re coming back from injury, I just can't understand that Leckie should make the plane over someone like Devlin who has been one of the best midfielders for Hearts in possibly a title winning team.

Also Souttar is 27 and Leckie is 35.

Love Lecks but he has only played twice for us since Qater 2022 - once in 2023 and once in 2024. We have better options.
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I think poppa puts a premium on athleticism, which is funny because we have had nearly 2 decades on emphasising technique above all

But i cant remember a physically weak player that played for him?

I Remember mooy being behind la rocca and thinking mooy was good enough to play for the socceroos
 
onedaywinners... said:
No doubt Souttar and Leckie are more or less in the same situation re coming back from injury, I just can't understand that Leckie should make the plane over someone like Devlin who has been one of the best midfielders for Hearts in possibly a title winning team.

Also Souttar is 27 and Leckie is 35.

Love Lecks but he has only played twice for us since Qater 2022 - once in 2023 and once in 2024. We have better options.
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Leckie wasn't always that reliable. He'd give effort but his pound for pound beating the man, effective crosses and scorer points weren't good. More of an athlete.

Stupid attempts to play him as a central striker cost us. The same with Behich post WC 22. I must say Behich looked very good against Tunisia. Both score spectacular important goals but this doesn't redeem themselves from a lot of complacency and the manager's refusal to try others who were warranted a chance.
 
Check out this episode of CBS Sports Golazo programme, evaluating Australia as Group D opponent to USMNT. Pretty good analysis of our strengths and weaknesses, but - in the end they fall for the same old stereotypes we can't shake off - Australian players are physical, tough, athletic but little respect for our football. That is their Achilles heel. I so want us not just to beat them but outplay them tactically, at least match them in techique and skill, and dominate them mentally (team spirit, guts and determination, will to win).
 
Here's another North American team evaluating Australia. You can skip his out-of-date adulation of Behich and Mabil (no disrespect for them but there are new boys in town). But skip to 11'25" in, where he talks about Irankunda who the dude says is a personal friend and it was him who got him the gig at Watford!? Whatever, he gives the greatest wrap to Nestory, all of which is so accurate, he got me excited

 
socceroosmad said:
But skip to 11'25" in, where he talks about Irankunda who the dude says is a personal friend and it was him who got him the gig at Watford!?
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This is partly true. No idea if they’re close at all but he’s a Watford fan and he was in the announcement video which was a FM-style video where he signed him. He’s called Old Zealand on Insta.
 
socceroosmad said:
Heeree is good inteelligence for us on Turkiyeee. CBS Sports Galazo assess the Turks. Very big wraps on Yildiz:oops:.
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That's if they turn up. Really lethargic games against Kosovo but I guess they had a rough job to simply get done.

Our defence is good and if we can also have our midfield stalk their best attackers then we shouldn't afford them too much space.
 
socceroosmad said:
Check out this episode of CBS Sports Golazo programme, evaluating Australia as Group D opponent to USMNT. Pretty good analysis of our strengths and weaknesses, but - in the end they fall for the same old stereotypes we can't shake off - Australian players are physical, tough, athletic but little respect for our football. That is their Achilles heel. I so want us not just to beat them but outplay them tactically, at least match them in techique and skill, and dominate them mentally (team spirit, guts and determination, will to win).
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I can't believe no-one on these panel shows mentions Toure, McGree, Circati. They misunderstand the team and how we play.
 
Quicky said:
Council opens the land up as a dog park, dogs pissing and shitting everywhere, when this is a place for sport and a place a lot of people have had their ashes scattered. Their love of the club. I know some will find that funny but its pretty fucken disrespectful all the same.
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This was a huge issue for the club when Arsenal moved from Highbury to Ashburton Grove - how to continue the legacy for those families who'd had ashes scattered.

In the end they dug up part of the pitch and laid it in the new stadium, which kept everyone happy (more or less).
 
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