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Socceroos vs Egypt - 2026 World Cup R32 - Sat 4th of July 4am AEST

Quicky said:
My issue with our formation in ball possession is selection often favours defensive players so our wide forwards and midfielders are often not best suited to their roles in that formation. So when we're attacking we're stunted.

This is an aside, but related, thought may be interesting for some. A technical analysis of the 3-4-3 box midfield.

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I agree with you. Popovic's formation in attack doesn't favour out and out wingers. His variation of it has the front line wide players inverting to fill the forward midfield roles and the wing backs running a mile upfield and back. That sort of role suits people like Metcalfe and Volpato (and even a fit Leckie) but doesn't really suit Irankunda at this stage of Irankunda's career. I'm not sure that the way Popovic sets it up is the best way for us going forward.
 
Hounddog said:
What i am trying to say is, if we change the coach, some things will probably be better, and it is unlikely that anything important will be worse. Unlikely is not a 100% guarantee, just that we will be unlucky if changing the coach makes things worse.

But i don't see changing the coach as a 100% solution to all problems.

Against Turkey we scored counter-attacking running into plenty of space. That type of attack requires pace, but it doesn't require elite level skill, great ball control and accurate well selected passes.

But there were some good passes which opened up the opportunities.

The trade-off was Turkey had plenty of ball at our end and their own scoring opportunities.

I didn't notice our players running into acres of open space in any other game. I did notice tightly marked players not having the skill to execute under pressure.

If a player is tightly marked, usually there is space and opportunity elsewhere. After the Turkey game, the opposition knew our major threat.
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Turkey was the one game where we applied pressure upfield.

They came at us when they had their chances, but it was a team working to create something on the fly as opposed to a team putting all their pieces in place then executing.

When we went forward, we did not need to be doing it from 9 players behind the ball - we were already spaced throughout the field and looking like we had positive intent. Turkey had to defend against higher positioned attackers and their attacking raids then had to rely on half the team instead of their whole team.

I don't think our players need acres of space to run into. We are easily capable of simple one twos and triangles to create movement and probe for disruption. Our players are also capable of suddenly running up the wing or between defenders and have a ball find them. They have to be set up and allowed to do that though.

It's been said many times, but Irankunda showed threat and flair on the left. So he was isolated in a central role. Our opponents will always know he is dangerous and try to shut him down - but it is exactly his ability to get past defenders who are prepared for him that makes him dangerous. To not play him where he is dangerous because that is what they expect us to do is not an effective strategy in a 90 minute game. It is a tactic that might unsettle defenders for a few minutes if he mixes it up - but once his opposition gets used to him in the centre he is largely neutralised and we have gained nothing at all by it. No space is opened up elsewhere by cunningly tying his legs together.

In our final game we played 9 behind the ball and Irankunda was standing on the halfway line.

We have a coach who spends 30 to 45 minutes of every first half trying to play 9 behind the ball and harass with the other one player - even when we are a goal down. It is mindlessly defeatist football. We are left only with the chance of a player running in behind because we allow our opponents to step up knowing they only have to watch the fast counter and not having to defend against players in amongst them.

I think the coach is more than 30% of the problem. He sets the team up to not lose as many have said - but we cannot keep a clean sheet in most games against any team with a few decent attackers when we only contest the football in our own half. It is too easy to concede a single goal and lose on the back of a freakishly well struck ball, a deflection, or just individual brilliance.

I could not really put a figure on it, but I would say the coach is at least 60% of our problem. He is playing us as losers, solidly crushing any cohesive movement involving more than 2 or 3 players at a time and hoping we convert one of very few chances attempted by a few isolated players looking to get in behind.

We cannot win that way other than by luck every now and again.

It is not a system created to win.

We can play like we did against Turkey if we plan to, and we train to. Our players are far better going forward than the opportunities they have under Popa's stifling control.

We were not beaten by being outplayed in this World Cup. We were beaten by intentionally not playing.
 
grazorblade said:
It was italiano putting them onside
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Really doesn't matter - he did it against Switzerland where he and Behich didn't keep the offside trap. The step back is always going to be a problem and I think if Italiano did he was very close.

But the problem remains - we set up defensively and you need to be absolutely perfect every time as you won't be scoring many. In 2 out of 3 games we made simple coachable errors against Switzerland and the US.

We use an defensive box midfield in front of a back 3. Look at Manchester City. They use the same box midfield offensively with a back 4. One full back will bomb forward to make a sliding back three - but never both.

It asks a lot of your full backs but Bos, Miller, Italiano, Bennie, Farrell and even Metcalfe all have big engines. There box midfield supports Haaland, ours isolated Irankunda and Toure.
 
Quicky said:
It's also a formation issue. It's a tough gig for our midfielders who are often in 2 on 3's (or more) like the US game. I think our defense is solid could go to a back 4, go 3 in midfield, and even that outnumber up when it occurs.
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I expect the goal keeper and the 3 CBs to remain in position.

IMO formation shouldn't stop the other 7 plsyers on the team making runs into space.
 
patjennings said:
Really doesn't matter - he did it against Switzerland where he and Behich didn't keep the offside trap. The step back is always going to be a problem and I think if Italiano did he was very close.

But the problem remains - we set up defensively and you need to be absolutely perfect every time as you won't be scoring many. In 2 out of 3 games we made simple coachable errors against Switzerland and the US.

We use an defensive box midfield in front of a back 3. Look at Manchester City. They use the same box midfield offensively with a back 4. One full back will bomb forward to make a sliding back three - but never both.

It asks a lot of your full backs but Bos, Miller, Italiano, Bennie, Farrell and even Metcalfe all have big engines. There box midfield supports Haaland, ours isolated Irankunda and Toure.
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Expanding on the city comment above. This formation is intended to help you support the strikers rather than isolate them. does have some defensive problems when losing possession. Note that Rowles is starting - I'd prefer Herrington but don't know about his ability to play a LB role.

Out of possession


-------------Irankunda------Touré

---------McGree---------------- Volpato

------------- O'Neill------Robertson

--Rowles-----Circati------Souttar-----Bos

-------------------Beach------------------


In Possession

------------------------------------ Touré (ST)

McGree (LW) Irankunda (LAM) Volpato (RAM) Bos (RW)
\__________________________________________________________/
The Front 4

O'Neill Robertson
\_______________________/
The Double Pivot (2)

Rowles Souttar Circati
\____________________________________/
The Pure Back 3 (3)

------------------------------Beach------------------
 
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patjennings said:
Really doesn't matter - he did it against Switzerland where he and Behich didn't keep the offside trap...
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It is a real challenge for Herrington because he reads the play and identifies emerging threats - so he reacts to shut it down.

In lower level football that is a huge asset for the team because the danger is often limited to the one significant threat and if he shuts that off problem solved. Without VAR, shutting down clear and present danger is greater than relying on a close offside call.

At higher levels it becomes a problem because of multifaceted attacks with more focus points than one player can cover and the skill of opposition players and coaches to actively exploit a weakness in the offside trap.
 
RIMB said:
It is a real challenge for Herrington because he reads the play and identifies emerging threats - so he reacts to shut it down.

In lower level football that is a huge asset for the team because the danger is often limited to the one significant threat and if he shuts that off problem solved. Without VAR, shutting down clear and present danger is greater than relying on a close offside call.

At higher levels it becomes a problem because of multifaceted attacks with more focus points than one player can cover and the skill of opposition players and coaches to actively exploit a weakness in the offside trap.
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Yes - I really like him - but really it should be very coachable to stop him doing it. I also wonder if Beach being a newbie was not as vocal in keeping his defence set.
 
patjennings said:
Expanding on the city comment above. This formation is intended to help you support the strikers rather than isolate them. does have some defensive problems when losing possession. Note that Rowles is starting - I'd prefer Herrington but don't know about his ability to play a LB role.

Out of possession


-------------Irankunda------Touré

---------McGree---------------- Volpato

------------- O'Neill------Robertson

--Rowles-----Circati------Souttar-----Bos

-------------------Beach------------------


In Possession

------------------------------------ Touré (ST)

McGree (LW) Irankunda (LAM) Volpato (RAM) Bos (RW)
\__________________________________________________________/
The Front 4

O'Neill Robertson
\_______________________/
The Double Pivot (2)

Rowles Souttar Circati
\____________________________________/
The Pure Back 3 (3)

------------------------------Beach------------------
Click to expand...
Didn't Monty do something similar with CCM when they did the treble?
 
patjennings said:
Expanding on the city comment above. This formation is intended to help you support the strikers rather than isolate them. does have some defensive problems when losing possession. Note that Rowles is starting - I'd prefer Herrington but don't know about his ability to play a LB role.

Out of possession


-------------Irankunda------Touré

---------McGree---------------- Volpato

------------- O'Neill------Robertson

--Rowles-----Circati------Souttar-----Bos

-------------------Beach------------------


In Possession

------------------------------------ Touré (ST)

McGree (LW) Irankunda (LAM) Volpato (RAM) Bos (RW)
\__________________________________________________________/
The Front 4

O'Neill Robertson
\_______________________/
The Double Pivot (2)

Rowles Souttar Circati
\____________________________________/
The Pure Back 3 (3)

------------------------------Beach------------------
Click to expand...
I dont want to see Bos as our right wing back if we are too lop sided with an inverted attacker next to him.

Have Bos on the left as a full back or as a wing back will not only make Bos more effective but free up the attacker in from of him as well.

Otherwise I like the set up.
 
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