Poppa Out

[patjennings]

His smug shade-throwing at Mitch Langerak notwithstanding..

Sorry- didn't hear that. What did he say?

TBH I was disappointed with Langerak's career. Happy to sit on the bench in Europe and then drop back to the J League. He promised a lot more.

 

[BA81]

Sorry- didn't hear that. What did he say?

TBH I was disappointed with Langerak's career. Happy to sit on the bench in Europe and then drop back to the J League. He promised a lot more.

Don’t wanna dignify it by repeating it - suffice to say it was pretty classless on Vuka’s part.

 

[patjennings]

Don’t wanna dignify it by repeating it - suffice to say it was pretty classless on Vuka’s part.

I've read it now. At least I think this what you were referring to.

In context it is fine. Langerak was arguably 2nd choice. A lot of people that have no idea of keeping were wanting him dropped in favour of Langerak.

I would have taken him instead of Redmayne who was clearly the weakest of the four. Danny was copping it from idiots and it got his back up. The same idiots rated Redmayne better than Vukovic. Even Redmayne would say that was stupid.

Even as a penalty saver Redmayne has a far worse record than Ryan or Vukovic. (and i suspect Langerak). He only made his 3rd penalty save in the ALM this year.

 

[grazorblade]

Sorry- didn't hear that. What did he say?

TBH I was disappointed with Langerak's career. Happy to sit on the bench in Europe and then drop back to the J League. He promised a lot more.

I think only a fraction of promising players reach their potential. You need at least 4 prodigies in each position to get a national team full of gun players since 3 our of 4 will probably disappoint

 

[Decentric]

Sorry- didn't hear that. What did he say?

TBH I was disappointed with Langerak's career. Happy to sit on the bench in Europe and then drop back to the J League. He promised a lot more.

There was another keeper like that - Brad Jones. He played 1-2 games for the Socceroos and made 1 awful handling mistake. I think he spent a fair bit of time at MIddlesbrough as Schwarzer's understudy. My memory is of him playing in Europe and being on the bench a lot at decent clubs.

Langerak for all his talent isn't that well known to the Aus football public. I think he was a bit weaker as a sweeper when the sweeping role of the keeper became more important. Quite a few people with keeping expertise nominated him as close to our best shot stopper for a period of time.

 

[Decentric]

I think only a fraction of promising players reach their potential. You need at least 4 prodigies in each position to get a national team full of gun players since 3 our of 4 will probably disappoint

Sometimes players unexpectedly improve late in in careers. Players like Bailey Wright the Socceroo CB who played quite a few games partnering Kye Rowles before the 2022 World Cup. No AL club was interested in him. He had to go overseas to get a pro career.

Another may be Cam Burgess. There is also that Scottish striker who was unwanted by AL clubs too and went overseas seeking pro football.

I think it is true what you say, Grazor.

Players often don't reach their potential.

Looking back at the Socceroo u23s a year or two ago from the team selected by Tony Vidmar and those on the bench, the career trajectory has been quite different from what one expected.

Kai Trewin was barely starting and many CBs were preferred over him. Italiano I thought had little improvement left. Both are now senior Socceroos.

Villupillay struggled to score at times. He is now a Roo too.

Conversely, Courtney-Perkins was the best player in the Olympic qualifying tournament playing left CB. He is now benched at SFC.

Natta is only just in the Jets line up, after showing a lot of early promise.

I don't think Jelacic has kicked on as expected either.

Jake Hollman has kicked on, but has made a terrible club move which will probably set his career back years.

 

[patjennings]

There was another keeper like that - Brad Jones. He played 1-2 games for the Socceroos and made 1 awful handling mistake. I think he spent a fair bit of time at MIddlesbrough as Schwarzer's understudy. My memory is of him playing in Europe and being on the bench a lot at decent clubs.

Langerak for all his talent isn't that well known to the Aus football public. I think he was a bit weaker as a sweeper when the sweeping role of the keeper became more important. Quite a few people with keeping expertise nominated him as close to our best shot stopper for a period of time.

Flappy made more than that mistake. I used to follow him at Liverpool - he was pretty awful. Jess Van Stratten also had a great career sitting on the pine.

 

[Decentric]

Flappy made more than that mistake. I used to follow him at Liverpool - he was pretty awful. Jess Van Stratten also had a great career sitting on the pine.

Another was Frank Juric in Europe sitting on the bench a lot at big clubs - Bayer Leverkusen?

He played a few AL games late in his career.

I wonder at the end of their careers if they regret not playing regularly at a lower level?

 

[Quicky]

Sometimes players unexpectedly improve late in in careers. Players like Bailey Wright the Socceroo CB who played quite a few games partnering Kye Rowles before the 2022 World Cup. No AL club was interested in him. He had to go overseas to get a pro career.

Another may be Cam Burgess. There is also that Scottish striker who was unwanted by AL clubs too and went overseas seeking pro football.

I think it is true what you say, Grazor.

Players often don't reach their potential.

Looking back at the Socceroo u23s a year or two ago from the team selected by Tony Vidmar and those on the bench, the career trajectory has been quite different from what one expected.

Kai Trewin was barely starting and many CBs were preferred over him. Italiano I thought had little improvement left. Both are now senior Socceroos.

Villupillay struggled to score at times. He is now a Roo too.

Conversely, Courtney-Perkins was the best player in the Olympic qualifying tournament playing left CB. He is now benched at SFC.

Natta is only just in the Jets line up, after showing a lot of early promise.

I don't think Jelacic has kicked on as expected either.

Jake Hollman has kicked on, but has made a terrible club move which will probably set his career back years.

Jelacic is doing well at Victory fwiw.

 

[WhatAmIWatching]

Jelacic is doing well at Victory fwiw.

Its Victory.

 

[JS96]

Another was Frank Juric in Europe sitting on the bench a lot at big clubs - Bayer Leverkusen?

He played a few AL games late in his career.

I wonder at the end of their careers if they regret not playing regularly at a lower level?

Last Aussie at Hannover 96. Think Eli Adams had a trial.

 

[JS96]

Frank Juric actually made the Confed Cup squad in 2005 as third keeper. Remember the days of John Filan etc though?

 

[Decentric]

Jelacic is doing well at Victory fwiw.

In the games I've seen, he hasn't hit the levels I expected him to reach from viewing him a few years ago. He is playing better at Vic than Roar though. He was using a wonderful stepover move, I've never done well enough to coach others, that I haven't seen him use much this season. Jelacic did it really well, regularly, a while back, in order to wrong foot players successfully.

Do you think he will have a starting berth when Villupillay returns from injury? I suppose if he keeps scoring he will be.

 

[Keeper66]

Frank Juric actually made the Confed Cup squad in 2005 as third keeper. Remember the days of John Filan etc though?

John Filan was a regular in the EPL for a few seasons, but only ever played 3 times gif Australia. We certainly had some goalkeeping depth back then (early 90’s to mid 2000’s)

 

[Decentric]

John Filan was a regular in the EPL for a few seasons, but only ever played 3 times gif Australia. We certainly had some goalkeeping depth back then (early 90’s to mid 2000’s)

I remember him well - now you've mentioned him. Did he only play 3 Socceroo games?

Wow!

 

[Keeper66]

I remember him well - now you've mentioned him. Did he only play 3 Socceroo games?

Wow!

Actually he only played twice according to Wikipedia.

 

[Quicky]

In the games I've seen, he hasn't hit the levels I expected him to reach from viewing him a few years ago. He is playing better at Vic than Roar though. He was using a wonderful stepover move, I've never done well enough to coach others, that I haven't seen him use much this season. Jelacic did it really well, regularly, a while back, in order to wrong foot players successfully.

Do you think he will have a starting berth when Villupillay returns from injury? I suppose if he keeps scoring he will be.

I expect we shuffle around and have both Jelacic and Vellupillay. Grimaldi likely gets benched.

 

[patjennings]

Okay - Tony Popovic signed a contract to the end of the 2026 World Cup. What is his pass mark for an extension.

For me

Miss top 32 - gone
Lose first knockout and embarrassed - gone
Lose first knockout but not embarrassed - line ball but probably extended
Win first Knockout - make last 16 - should be the minimum we should be looking for. Matches Guus and Arnold. Probable extension.
Win second knockout - make QF - assured extension

 

[Decentric]

Okay - Tony Popovic signed a contract to the end of the 2026 World Cup. What is his pass mark for an extension.

For me

Miss top 32 - gone
Lose first knockout and embarrassed - gone
Lose first knockout but not embarrassed - line ball but probably extended
Win first Knockout - make last 16 - should be the minimum we should be looking for. Matches Guus and Arnold. Probable extension.
Win second knockout - make QF - assured extension

I don't like setting minimum goals for coaches. There is an element of chance in games.

A few players' mistakes, or refereeing howlers, can always be at play. The coach is often powerless to do anything about them.

 

[Alex M]

Okay - Tony Popovic signed a contract to the end of the 2026 World Cup. What is his pass mark for an extension.

For me

Miss top 32 - gone
Lose first knockout and embarrassed - gone
Lose first knockout but not embarrassed - line ball but probably extended
Win first Knockout - make last 16 - should be the minimum we should be looking for. Matches Guus and Arnold. Probable extension.
Win second knockout - make QF - assured extension

Qualifying for the World Cup should earn him an extension for the Asian Cup. I think we should hire coaches until the Asian Cup anyway. It's usually close enough after a World Cup and it's a trophy we should always be trying to win so it seems pointless to me to suddenly change direction unless we have to sack the coach earlier. I would include a cause in any coach's contract that it ceases if we fail to qualify for the World Cup.