The Australian National Football Team General Discussion*OFFICIAL*

[grazorblade]

I don't think being tall is a prerequisite.

There are heaps of younger DMs who can keep the ball under pressure - Valadon, Thurgate, Teague, Niew ( could in the AL and the Young Socceroos), Youlley ( watching underage), Okon Jr, Bozinovski, possibly Yazbek? Are Silvera, Segecic, Metcalfe ( tall) and Nisbet considered AMs or wingers exclusively?

I watched CCM a lot when Balard played, but didn't notice him. I was drawn to Nisbet.

Good ball winners - Teague, Devlin, Nieuw, Thurgate, Metcalfe, Yazbek. Balard?


I'm not sure we have that level of depth anywhere else on the pitch? Happy to be proved wrong though.

tall is important if you are playing two 10s which is needed if a team is sitting back, because the 10s usually are short and you need at least 1 tall player per line. So having a tall DM gives you more options when you are either chasing the game or playing against a deep block

Spain is one of the most short friendly countries in the world and when they had a single pivot had sergio busquests (189cm). Ange, one of our most technical coaches in the world played a tall paartalu at 6 (he is 193cm)

These days spain play with a double pivot, I suspect a reason why is because they don't have a tall 6 at a high enough level to allow 2 10s

Of those players you mentioned only 2 are dms in Devlin and Okon Jr and only one is tall and technically neat (I wouldn't rate Devlin as technically strong enough to be a single pivot or tall enough)

So having a tall 6 gives us more tactical flexibility and there is only one other player with that profile - okon jr

 

[patjennings]

I don't think being tall is a prerequisite.

There are heaps of younger DMs who can keep the ball under pressure - Valadon, Thurgate, Teague, Niew ( could in the AL and the Young Socceroos), Youlley ( watching underage), Okon Jr, Bozinovski, possibly Yazbek? Are Silvera, Segecic, Metcalfe ( tall) and Nisbet considered AMs or wingers exclusively?

I watched CCM a lot when Balard played, but didn't notice him. I was drawn to Nisbet.

Good ball winners - Teague, Devlin, Nieuw, Thurgate, Metcalfe, Yazbek. Balard?


I'm not sure we have that level of depth anywhere else on the pitch? Happy to be proved wrong though.

Balard and Nisbet were very complementary players at CCM. Balard and Nisbet are both good ball winners and great organisers. Often Max would contest the ball and Niz would pick up the scraps at get CCM moving forward. I don't see either of them playing alone as a 6 for the NT. TBH I think you have to go back a fair while to find a solo effective 6 in the NT and I don't think any of the current crop can do it. Maybe Okon Jr in the future.

Circati has the right attributes but I'd prefer to build the defence around him.

 

[grazorblade]

Balard and Nisbet were very complementary players at CCM. Balard and Nisbet are both good ball winners and great organisers. Often Max would contest the ball and Niz would pick up the scraps at get CCM moving forward. I don't see either of them playing alone as a 6 for the NT. TBH I think you have to go back a fair while to find a solo effective 6 in the NT and I don't think any of the current crop can do it. Maybe Okon Jr in the future.

Circati has the right attributes but I'd prefer to build the defence around him.

trying to remember when we've ever had a sole 6 actually? Grella perhaps the closest?

 

[grazorblade]

The other thing about producing a sole 6 is you probably only play a sole 6 if you are in the top two on the table. If you are midtable you are probably play a different formation

So if you are a gifted pure 6, if you aren't good enough to go to a club brugge or a feyenoord as your first step it can be trickier at a lower level to get a gig. In friendlies Sunderland wanted Triantis to play at cb, it was pretty lucky he get a gig for hibs there

Paartalu was struggling for a gig in scotlands lower divisions

 

[patjennings]

The other thing about producing a sole 6 is you probably only play a sole 6 if you are in the top two on the table. If you are midtable you are probably play a different formation

So if you are a gifted pure 6, if you aren't good enough to go to a club brugge or a feyenoord as your first step it can be trickier at a lower level to get a gig. In friendlies Sunderland wanted Triantis to play at cb, it was pretty lucky he get a gig for hibs there

Paartalu was struggling for a gig in scotlands lower divisions

Mile Jedinak did it at Crystal Palace and for the Socceroos - probably not the most technical player we ever had but very effective. Before that occasionally Grella did but was more often part of a CM pair both for club and country.

 

[grazorblade]

Mile Jedinak did it at Crystal Palace and for the Socceroos - probably not the most technical player we ever had but very effective.

thought he was a double pivot (due to his technical limitations)

for Australia certainly was with Milligan, can't remember for Palace to be fair

 

[patjennings]

thought he was a double pivot (due to his technical limitations)

for Australia certainly was with Milligan, can't remember for Palace to be fair

At times but later Milligan was more advanced. At other times Milligan played at CB and acted as a twin pivot.

 

[grazorblade]

At times but later Milligan was more advanced.

yeah probably his heat map wouldn't look a 10 I'm guessing, will have to rewatch though to look

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

Balard plays mainly as a 6 these days (I think) and is near six foot. Playing well at a better level than anyone else in the conversation

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

Okon E looked amazing at the U20 Asian cup but is yet to play serious matches against men. Definitely looks the goods but doesn’t deserve to be seriously considered just yet

 

[grazorblade]

Balard plays mainly as a 6 these days (I think) and is near six foot. Playing well at a better level than anyone else in the conversation

Height listed as 178cm (5'10), not sure if accurate, always in a double pivot

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

Close enough. Wins a lot of ball which is the main thing

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

And Popa will surely play a double pivot

 

[grazorblade]

And Popa will surely play a double pivot

I mean for the future if we have a coach that wants to break a deep block and has a single pivot to commit more numbers forward

Agree that balard is good in a twin cm for poppa or a double pivot formation

 

[melbcityguy]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/sad-reason-aussies-have-disappeared-from-epl-as-australias-lost-generation-laid-bare/news-story/7bd11b44e7f537a4087c60c590604619

 

[Decentric]

Circati certainly looks like the best defender we have. I would think that he would be one of the first names picked. Very classy player.

Also, Circati is passionate about the shirt.

He is shaping as a long term captain!

 

[Cunningstunt]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/sad-reason-aussies-have-disappeared-from-epl-as-australias-lost-generation-laid-bare/news-story/7bd11b44e7f537a4087c60c590604619

Pretty good article. Amazing given the source. Unusual they are speaking to Foster given he is a 9 employee but still.

One of the big issues with the New Football revolution.


The changing demographics of the EPL

All things we have discussed here, as good football losers who spend too much time thinking about it.


It's like he takes his talking points straight from our posts haha

 

[Decentric]

tall is important if you are playing two 10s which is needed if a team is sitting back, because the 10s usually are short and you need at least 1 tall player per line. So having a tall DM gives you more options when you are either chasing the game or playing against a deep block

Spain is one of the most short friendly countries in the world and when they had a single pivot had sergio busquests (189cm). Ange, one of our most technical coaches in the world played a tall paartalu at 6 (he is 193cm)

These days spain play with a double pivot, I suspect a reason why is because they don't have a tall 6 at a high enough level to allow 2 10s

Of those players you mentioned only 2 are dms in Devlin and Okon Jr and only one is tall and technically neat (I wouldn't rate Devlin as technically strong enough to be a single pivot or tall enough)

So having a tall 6 gives us more tactical flexibility and there is only one other player with that profile - okon jr

It can also depend on the tactics of the opposition. It is handy having a tall screener in 2 midfield DMs, but the taller the less nimble.

If the opposition plays a lot of high balls into the attacking third, a good header as a DM is important. Jedi did this for Aus with aplomb, as does Irvine currently.

The Italian great DM Gattuso wasn’t tall, who played next to Pirlo.

Vince Grella was 1.83 m tall, but wasn’t that good in the air.

 

[Decentric]

Pretty good article. Amazing given the source. Unusual they are speaking to Foster given he is a 9 employee but still.

One of the big issues with the New Football revolution.
View attachment 3167

The changing demographics of the EPL
View attachment 3168
All things we have discussed here, as good football losers who spend too much time thinking about it.

View attachment 3169
It's like he takes his talking points straight from our posts haha

Interesting comments.

Craig Foster?

 

[Decentric]

Balard plays mainly as a 6 these days (I think) and is near six foot. Playing well at a better level than anyone else in the conversation

Despite playing in the Eredivisie , the 6th top UEFA league, it doesn’t mean he is a better player than others.

He might have performed better in a scout’s opinion, and landed in a better club scenario.

However, Balard may yet impress when he gets on the Socceroo pitch. Popa will also have appraised him on the training ground relative to others.