The Australian National Football Team General Discussion*OFFICIAL*

[Decentric]

Not interested in Volpato, Triantis, Robertson. They can fuck off to those other countries whose squads they will probably never make anyway. Good riddance!

I can see some sense in your view, K.

It is almost as if they don't want to play for Aus, some fans think they have to be better than what we have available elsewhere. It appears to me that Volpato, Robertson and Triantis seem to be overly discussed and considered on Green and G. Don't know if it is the same on Reddit or Roar?

Volpato and Robertson may never play any more international football for their rest of their careers - and end up like Craig Johnston - who presents as a weird individual later in life.

Seeing Circati play, and interviewed, not only has he a good skill set, but he desperately wants to play for the Aus shirt.

Some players just don't play well in international football as expected given their club form.

Rhys Williams was one. He was always a ' fan favourite' because he was playing Champ football, but did not quite find his feet for the Socceroos.

Ditto Scott McDonald. He had 25 games scoreless for the Socceroos, whilst scoring a lot of goals in Scottish club football.

Some players don't fit into squads as well as others either.

I reiterate, Popa should be credited more with improving a flagging Socceroos in his short tenure. The Socceroos remain undefeated after his 8 game tenure - under enormous WCQing pressure. His selections and game plans have worked.

 

[JS96]

I can see some sense in your view, K.

It is almost as if they don't want to play for Aus, some fans think they have to be better than what we have available elsewhere. It appears to me that Volpato, Robertson and Triantis seem to be overly discussed and considered on Green and G. Don't know if it is the same on Reddit or Roar?

Volpato and Robertson may never play any more international football for their rest of their careers - and end up like Craig Johnston - who presents as a weird individual later in life.

Seeing Circati play, and interviewed, not only has he a good skill set, but he desperately wants to play for the Aus shirt.

Some players just don't play well in international football as expected given their club form.

Rhys Williams was one. He was always a ' fan favourite' because he was playing Champ football, but did not quite find his feet for the Socceroos.

Ditto Scott McDonald. He had 25 games scoreless for the Socceroos, whilst scoring a lot of goals in Scottish club football.

Some players don't fit into squads as well as others either.

I reiterate, Popa should be credited more with improving a flagging Socceroos in his short tenure. The Socceroos remain undefeated after his 8 game tenure - under enormous WCQing pressure. His selections and game plans have worked.

Rhys Williams was a tidy player but for those horrible injuries. I think his only dampener was an early red card in the ME?

The 2025 games were excellent so compliments to Popovic for that. The early ones were rusty and I find it a little odd how a 4 month break saw better implementation. There must have been communications with the players in the system and some very strict sessions in March.

 

[Barca4life]

I can see some sense in your view, K.

It is almost as if they don't want to play for Aus, some fans think they have to be better than what we have available elsewhere. It appears to me that Volpato, Robertson and Triantis seem to be overly discussed and considered on Green and G. Don't know if it is the same on Reddit or Roar?

Volpato and Robertson may never play any more international football for their rest of their careers - and end up like Craig Johnston - who presents as a weird individual later in life.

Seeing Circati play, and interviewed, not only has he a good skill set, but he desperately wants to play for the Aus shirt.

Some players just don't play well in international football as expected given their club form.

Rhys Williams was one. He was always a ' fan favourite' because he was playing Champ football, but did not quite find his feet for the Socceroos.

Ditto Scott McDonald. He had 25 games scoreless for the Socceroos, whilst scoring a lot of goals in Scottish club football.

Some players don't fit into squads as well as others either.

I reiterate, Popa should be credited more with improving a flagging Socceroos in his short tenure. The Socceroos remain undefeated after his 8 game tenure - under enormous WCQing pressure. His selections and game plans have worked.

Robertson and Volpato would have made a difference to the teams quality of play from what I’ve seen, both are creative technically gifted players which we don’t have enough of.
Only question for them is game time.

Same can be said with Triantis who is a pure No.6 who is also tall enough to play centre back I can’t think of another No.6 who has a similar profile to him maybe Okon Jr but he’s young and inexperienced at club level.

 

[JS96]

Robertson and Volpato would have made a difference to the teams quality of play from what I’ve seen, both are creative technically gifted players which we don’t have enough of.
Only question for them is game time.

Same can be said with Triantis who is a pure No.6 who is also tall enough to play centre back I can’t think of another No.6 who has a similar profile to him maybe Okon Jr but he’s young and inexperienced at club level.

Exactly. We're basically picking crap rusty parts instead of well oiled modern tech. All I want to see is the better players out there and should they fail we can revert back to the others. I think we'd be so sleek with such players under the right coach.

 

[Barca4life]

Exactly. We're basically picking crap rusty parts instead of well oiled modern tech. All I want to see is the better players out there and should they fail we can revert back to the others. I think we'd be so sleek with such players under the right coach.

Popa’s stubbornness is getting in the way for the national teams future prospects, I hope we don’t lose any more talent because this could be potentially a special generation for the national team if developed properly.

 

[patjennings]

I can see some sense in your view, K.

It is almost as if they don't want to play for Aus, some fans think they have to be better than what we have available elsewhere. It appears to me that Volpato, Robertson and Triantis seem to be overly discussed and considered on Green and G. Don't know if it is the same on Reddit or Roar?

Volpato and Robertson may never play any more international football for their rest of their careers - and end up like Craig Johnston - who presents as a weird individual later in life.

Seeing Circati play, and interviewed, not only has he a good skill set, but he desperately wants to play for the Aus shirt.

Some players just don't play well in international football as expected given their club form.

Rhys Williams was one. He was always a ' fan favourite' because he was playing Champ football, but did not quite find his feet for the Socceroos.

Ditto Scott McDonald. He had 25 games scoreless for the Socceroos, whilst scoring a lot of goals in Scottish club football.

Some players don't fit into squads as well as others either.

I reiterate, Popa should be credited more with improving a flagging Socceroos in his short tenure. The Socceroos remain undefeated after his 8 game tenure - under enormous WCQing pressure. His selections and game plans have worked.

1) Popa was under exactly zero pressure to qualify. If we had come third or fourth he had at least another round. He also could have
blamed Arnold.

2) I could be wrong but I don't think Scott McDonald ever played as a lone striker except for the Socceroos.

3) There was a reason that Bratten had never been picked under multiple managers. If not Triantis - what about Luongo?

Popa's results so far have been hard to argue with, albeit with a bit of luck (but everyone needs that occasionally). But what has he actually achieved. Let's revisit after he has played more than 8 games. (Some caretakers have been taken out)

 

[grazorblade]

mcdonalds issue was the same as vidukas in the few replays we have of macdonald - he needs deck balls in the pen area but we couldn't do anything but aerial deliveries back then

viduka could at least head the ball ok, but scotty mac had little aerial game

rhys played in the championship back when it was a second ball league which made it hard to step up to the roos given the difference in style

he was ok, probably plays in the epl if injuries were kinder to him?

 

[JS96]

mcdonalds issue was the same as vidukas in the few replays we have of macdonald - he needs deck balls in the pen area but we couldn't do anything but aerial deliveries back then

viduka could at least head the ball ok, but scotty mac had little aerial game

rhys played in the championship back when it was a second ball league which made it hard to step up to the roos given the difference in style

he was ok, probably plays in the epl if injuries were kinder to him?

Swansea enquired about Williams back in the day. The dream was to have a back 4 of Williams Sainsbury Sprianovic Smith.

 

[grazorblade]

Swansea enquired about Williams back in the day. The dream was to have a back 4 of Williams Sainsbury Sprianovic Smith.

Gee thats a weak back four

Glad we are improving

Mind u williams looked good, regular in the championship as a 21 year old

 

[JS96]

Gee thats a weak back four

Glad we are improving

Mind u williams looked good, regular in the championship as a 21 year old

I'm certainly referring to how we'd hoped they'd all develop. Smith was embellished by his Liverpool tag but is more an athlete than a footballer. Sainsbury and Spiranovic made silly career moves and Williams was basically an invalid.

 

[grazorblade]

I'm certainly referring to how we'd hoped they'd all develop. Smith was embellished by his Liverpool tag but is more an athlete than a footballer. Sainsbury and Spiranovic made silly career moves and Williams was basically an invalid.

Smith looked super promising as the standout player in the english olympics team didnt he?

 

[erogenouszone]

Not interested in Volpato, Triantis, Robertson. They can fuck off to those other countries whose squads they will probably never make anyway. Good riddance!

I can't disagree with this. Australia has now made five World Cups in a row and have been reasonably competitive at each of then. Sometimes the grass isn't greener on the other side.

 

[Decentric]

Robertson and Volpato would have made a difference to the teams quality of play from what I’ve seen, both are creative technically gifted players which we don’t have enough of.
Only question for them is game time.

Same can be said with Triantis who is a pure No.6 who is also tall enough to play centre back I can’t think of another No.6 who has a similar profile to him maybe Okon Jr but he’s young and inexperienced at club level.

I’ve seen so much talent coming through, I don’t care about them at all.

Although the player agents and overseas coaching staff can stifle development.

I think Jake Hollman is one of the better players in his cohort - but I’m appalled he is going to English League 2. This should kill his Socceroo prospects in the imminent future!

Nieuw looked good a while back. His Scottish sojourn hasn’t helped.

Valadon has technical qualities in spades. Ditto Okon Jr. Youlley should kick on. Bozinovski looks the part - at Western and with Aus u23s in recent games.

 

[Barca4life]

I’ve seen so much talent coming through, I don’t care about them at all.

Although the player agents and overseas coaching staff can stifle development.

I think Jake Hollman is one of the better players in his cohort - but I’m appalled he is going to English League 2. This should kill his Socceroo prospects in the imminent future!

Nieuw looked good a while back. His Scottish sojourn hasn’t helped.

Valadon has technical qualities in spades. Ditto Okon Jr. Youlley should kick on. Bozinovski looks the part - at Western and with Aus u23s in recent games.

I just think we should thinking about all the options available, the more talent the merrier

Especially we need the depth we can find, the stronger the depth the stronger the NT will be.
Ultimately some will be good enough some won’t but you don’t know if you don’t give them all the opportunity then we will not know.

The likes of Volpato who is going to be playing Serie A this season for Sassuolo should be given a chance, Robertson probably needs to move to a better league than league 1 but has the skill factor to make a difference in the midfield.
I can’t think of another No.6 that has Triantis’s skill set especially with he’s height and ball playing ability.

Especially some of these guys have come through the system, all spent most of development here too before going to greater pastures so the we should going for guys anyway.

Which is ironic because no one is comparing about Boyle and Souttar who weren’t deemed good enough for Scotland.

 

[JS96]

He's just gotten over the jet lag but it's odd how little Hollman has played so far. Pass stats are way down in League 2 but Walsall are one team that can do a bit more with it.

 

[JS96]

If we had WC playoffs coming up we could certainly deal with all this very quickly.... I'd nearly prefer the stress of that. I thought this was supposed to be months of near boredom and going through the motions by qualifying automatically.

 

[grazorblade]

Will ours be named soon?

 

[JS96]

Will ours be named soon?

I'd say have this weekend of games then some time before the following weekend.

 

[Cunningstunt]

Squad will be interesting. I'm hoping to see six or seven relatively new faces. With some many transfers to higher level leagues this off season, it does mean there will be a bit of a gamble about who is actually going to take the next step. He can't select everybody, but now is the time to start integrating these guys into the setup.

I would say I have probably been less critical of Popa since he has taken over. If he doesn't start to give opportunities now it will be a clear mistake. Would also like to see some progress towards a less reactive, more dictating style of play.

 

[onedaywinners...]

I'll be forlorn if much of the same squad is rolled out. No one needs to be convinced of how crucial these camps are with qualification already secured.

Is there a world where we could see some form of change in system? We have only ever seen a Popovic Roos when points are everything...I don't think likely but worth a ponder.