Triantis looking dejected when Teague got his cap is telling. He had to grow up though. At the same time there was probably some vibe where he didn't feel valued. Popovic is pretty straight and has said a few players aren't what they're looking for. It's football but tough for a national team when it's evident you're better than others selected not to mention the U20 history.
He was still buzzing in interviews after that so I take that with a grain of salt and it seems to be what the Popovic's tame media pushed after the camp.
That's interesting as the exact timeline hadn't occurred to me. Maybe putting on a happy face? I think he returned from camp and then it was 3 months of communicating or radio silence and then the call to pick Triantis didn't happen and that set off a reaction.
I think most of us don't appreciate the sudden backflip - he was literally saying it was a dream come true to play for Australia & within a year, he's officially changed his international allegiance. I mainly blame Popovic for not giving him a debut, because at the time he was one of the best midfielders playing in Scotland and should've been slotted straight in instead of Teague. Just really disappointed that we won't be able to watch him play in green & gold
No he didn't, Australia was his first choice & then Tony fucked it
I personally think that he should’ve been capped but if you get called up but don’t get on the field and then throw the toys out of the pram, you’re a man baby who needs a tablespoon of cement. His time no doubt would have came, just needed to be patient.
Pretty much this. His time was within months.
Every other player people have been crying about have come out and said they were communicated with at the end of camp about where to improve/ progress. Seems unlikely he was the exception.
If that was true then he would have turned up in June when picked and would probably be playing for us now if good enough.
The coach picked him because the coach felt he could do the job at the time. Did Triantis change allegiance because of this? All the things you put up defence of him only help build the argument that Triantis was a self entitled player who felt jealous that others were picked ahead of him and spat the dummy as a result.
Mate I am as disappointed as anyone, especially watching the highlights from his barrage of bangers in the MLS lately... I just dislike the pile on to a kid who, like plenty before him, just wants to advance his career.. The fact he had another option to take does NOT mean he is somehow less Australian than all the clowns on SM piling on...
"His time no doubt would have came, just needed to be patient." you base this on what exactly?
Speculation at best and misguided anger at worst. Rather than choosing to believe the player's POV you choose Popavic's and that's perfectly OK, but the fact remains that none of us know what the actual conversations were....
Balard, Toure went through the exact thing. Segacic and Botic are now. It seems to be the path he was on. If he was frozen out I get it. But don't say it is your dream and then pull out of the next squad you are picked for.
Hahahah I don't wanna be the kids defence attorney... As you say, its all vague rumours and of course I cant show any evidence apart from murmurings from other players...
I can't even find the murmurings from players, just a perception about Popa. For eg there was a lot of speculation about Rudan and the dressing room. But here there were actual reports of incidents with Lawrence Thomas after his national team call up or the public criticism of Marcus Younis. After 15 years, I would expect things to come out, aside from Keogh, it doesn't appear to be the case.
That he just broke into the squad and has his best football ahead of him
If a player was really pretty clear in his desire to play for Australia getting picked for two squads would be a dream come true. Instead he bailed out pretty quickly. You can believe what you want to believe but it was Triantis who withdrew and then changed allegiance. Popovic made his intentions clear on wanting him by picking him twice. Triantis made his clear by withdrawing and switching.
OK mate, I get it Triantis should have his citizenship revoked and flogged in the town square but Popa is a true blue, dinky die Aussie..... There are no two sides to the story... flame away.
That was another poster who said that. He is entitled to his citizenship and I also wish him well in his career. My point is that he has shown by his own actions that he didn't really want to be an Australian International. Not sure how you can argue otherwise. It's not like Popovic ignored him when it came to squad selection. Rather the other way around.
