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2026 World Cup Squad

Mr Cleansheets said:
I'm mystified by how many people want Bennie in the squad when he's still hardly played at all against men - certainly since he went to England.

Italiano and Strain (if fit) would be my RB/RWB choices, although if it were a straight choice between Bennie and Boyle for a RW spot, I'd take Bennie for the future.
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Agree that Bennie hasn't played enough against men.
 
JM47 said:
There'll be some decent players, who whether based on current form or form over the last 4 years, will be left out and on any given World Cup squad since 2014 would probably make it otherwise.
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Not sure I've seen you post before?

Welcome to the forum, JM47.

I think it is going to be the toughest selection for the coach, Popa, for the WC squad - ever.

There are so many young players making rapid improvement early in their careers. Yet experience is needed on the biggest stage of all.

We have a lot of inexperienced players who appear to have a far higher ceiling than current experienced incumbents, who are the right age, and with sufficient experience, but the talented tyros lack experience on the biggest stage.
 
Decentric said:
If we play Popa's 3-4-3, 5-2-3, 5-4-1 system, the best three we have are Miller, Italiano and Trewin ( a surprise) at RWB. That is with gift of looking at a lot of slow replay action, compiling stats. From live viewing I wouldn't be so sure.

Not necessarily in that order either.

Italiano has the most attacking impetus.

I wouldn't count Atkinson out either.

Strain and Karacic have struggled in Socceroo games, despite what they've done at club level.
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I only remember seeing Strain in one Socceroos match (v England) and he was very comfortable against a top team.
 
Mr Cleansheets said:
I only remember seeing Strain in one Socceroos match (v England) and he was very comfortable against a top team.
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Had a good look at him inadvertently, as JS96 listed lots of mistakes at the exact moment that Behich made.

Went back to evaluate Behich’s supposed mistakes. I think JS96 was correct in approx 1 out of 8 actions, being overly harsh on Aziz. JS nailed it though on 1 out of 8 - but not the other 7!

It was a game against a team who I don’t think was England. Strain played RB and made plenty of awful mistakes, being culpable for some of the mistakes JS blamed Behich for.

Strain was then injured. He struggled in that game though.

Saw the England game but can’t remember Strain. I remember England dominated possession and territory, so Strain would have had a lot of tough work off the ball. It appears that playing successfully in the Scottish league often doesn’t extrapolate to international football.

Have reviewed your Mr Cleansheets book in the Bookreading thread. Now I’ve completed it. Good work! Loved it!
 
I have updated my final 26
GKs: Ryan,Izzo,Beach
RB:Italiano,Trewin
LB: Bos,Behich
CBs: Circati,Burgess,Herrington,Souttar,Rowles,Stensness
DMs( 6s and 8s): O'Neill.Irvine,Yazbek,Robertson,Balard,Metcalfe
AMs:Boyle,McGree,Silvera,Hrustic
Striker: Irankunda,Toure,Younis

I have now included Souttar as he played 98 minutes in the penultimate game on the weekend and scored.Also Stensness who is under rated and very tough has made the squad from left field.I still feel Balard offers more than Okon-Engstler at this stage.I have put Boyle in as he can score goals and has real football nous.Silvera is back and playing some minutes and his versatility makes him a valuable squad member.Younis has been impressive since playing for MC and can play anywhere along the frontline..Trewin while not a recognised RB can do the job and reads the play very well.If Italiano is injured or needs some down time he and Silvera can cover that position.

I am sure I will need to do updates in the next 6 weeks .
 
booney52 said:
I have updated my final 26
GKs: Ryan,Izzo,Beach
RB:Italiano,Trewin
LB: Bos,Behich
CBs: Circati,Burgess,Herrington,Souttar,Rowles,Stensness
DMs( 6s and 8s): O'Neill.Irvine,Yazbek,Robertson,Balard,Metcalfe
AMs:Boyle,McGree,Silvera,Hrustic
Striker: Irankunda,Toure,Younis

I have now included Souttar as he played 98 minutes in the penultimate game on the weekend and scored.Also Stensness who is under rated and very tough has made the squad from left field.I still feel Balard offers more than Okon-Engstler at this stage.I have put Boyle in as he can score goals and has real football nous.Silvera is back and playing some minutes and his versatility makes him a valuable squad member.Younis has been impressive since playing for MC and can play anywhere along the frontline..Trewin while not a recognised RB can do the job and reads the play very well.If Italiano is injured or needs some down time he and Silvera can cover that position.

I am sure I will need to do updates in the next 6 weeks .
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Last window I remember almost broke the phone and remote with Trewin. Maybe if he plays at CB like in MSL might be okay but as RB the guy got zero skills in tight space (similar to Kyle Rowles) and no skills in ball crossing.

Craig Goodwin is back now btw and he is looking pretty good. We need someone for the set piece and cornor.
 
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mkxx said:
Last window I remember almost broke the phone and remote with Trewin. Maybe if he plays at CB like in MSL might be okay but as RB the guy got zero skills in tight space (similar to Kyle Rowles) and no skills in ball crossing.

Craig Goodwin is back now btw and he is looking pretty good. We need someone for the set piece and cornor.
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Trewin can play RB when we need a good defender in that position eg to help close out a close game if we are ahead or hanging on for a draw
 
For the train on squad
GKs: Gauci,Devenish-Meares,Maynard-Brewer
RB: Karacic,Strain,Atkinson,Bennie
LB: Elder,Iredale
CBs: Kikianis,Leonard,Popovic,Esposito,Natta,Tapp,Geria
6s and 8s:Okon-Engstler,Devlin,Genreau,White,Max Burgess,Scicluna
AMs: Goodwin,Velupillay,Arzani,Dobson,Taylor,Borges-Rodrigues,Alagich,Adams,Pickering
Strikers: K and T Yengi,Juric,Caputo,Goodwin(Archie),Jovanic

I know this is too long a list but many of these players should be looked at.
 
on the topic of dual nationals,

would we have beaten italy in 06 if we had all possible dual nationals?

I guess that would be vieri, simunic and ergic would all be good enough. Seric good competition for chipperfield
 
With the next generation coming through I feel we are a real chance for the Asian cup.

Newbie players that come to mind that should be looked at for World cup or Asian cup, at a training camp, if given a chance.

Pantazopoulos LWB/RWB/CB
Leonard CB/DM
Girdwood-Reich CB/DM
Scicluna DM/RWB/LWB
Bennie RWB/FW
Younis FW
Adams FW
Taylor FW
T Yengi
 
Decentric said:
If we play Popa's 3-4-3, 5-2-3, 5-4-1 system, the best three we have are Miller, Italiano and Trewin ( a surprise) at RWB. That is with gift of looking at a lot of slow replay action, compiling stats. From live viewing I wouldn't be so sure.

Not necessarily in that order either.

Italiano has the most attacking impetus.

I wouldn't count Atkinson out either.

Strain and Karacic have struggled in Socceroo games, despite what they've done at club level.
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I agree on Karacic and Strain, they are not at international level as far as I have seen. And both highly injury prone over the recent past.

With Atkinson, Popovic was asked in a recent press conference (prior to the Cameroon and Curacao games I think) whether he was considering Atkinson as a potential right back, and he very bluntly said no.
 
grazorblade said:
on the topic of dual nationals,

would we have beaten italy in 06 if we had all possible dual nationals?

I guess that would be vieri, simunic and ergic would all be good enough. Seric good competition for chipperfield
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Always an interesting question. Under Hiddink I think he'd have been able to put Vieri to good use. Simunic would be in the squad given his CV and not the third game debacle.

I always lament we didn't get to use Skoko or Lazaridis late against Italy. The last Asian Cup saw Arnold spend our energy with lack of rotation and I hope here Popovic can keep us in top health with smart rotations.
 
Keeper66 said:
I agree on Karacic and Strain, they are not at international level as far as I have seen. And both highly injury prone over the recent past.

With Atkinson, Popovic was asked in a recent press conference (prior to the Cameroon and Curacao games I think) whether he was considering Atkinson as a potential right back, and he very bluntly said no.
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That's right. Popovic said Atkinson was nowhere near it. Interestingly Atkinson' midfield role adds to his versatility. WC experience and a decent last Asian Cup but we have others. Strain is a tidy player so here's hoping.
 
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