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2026 World Cup Squad

patjennings said:
My 26 - the concern is GK depth. Big drop off after Ryan. If Volpato did swap I would bring him in for Silvera.

MaxBalard
AzizBehich
JordanBos
CameronBurgess
AlessandroCircati
CammyDevlin
MitchellDuke
JoeGauci
JasonGeria
ArchieGoodwin
LucasHerrington
NestoryIrankunda
JacksonIrvine
JacobItaliano
PaulIzzo
GarangKuol
RileyMcGree
ConnorMetcalfe
JoshuaNisbet
AlexRobertson
KyeRowles
MathewRyan
SamuelSilvera
HarrySouttar
MoToure
PatrickYazbek
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This was my squad a couple of weeks ago - changed slightly with the injuries to Yazbek, O'Neill and Irvine. Yazbek is right out. I don't believe we can take both Irvine and O'Neill with injuries so I have brought in Leckie as closer for Irankunda and cover for CM. I also have dropped Geria for Trewin. He covers CM and CB and was used in the last friendly as RWB.

Since Leckie is there then Silvera also misses out and I have brought in Eli Adams as one of my three chaos agents to fill positions 24-26.

So that leaves me with the following - Note that i expect Bos to play as LW with Behich or Rowles as a defensive LWB.

GK: Ryan, Izzo, Gauci (3)
DEF: Behich, Rowles, Souttar, Burgess, Circati, Herrington, Italiano, Trewin, Bos (9)
MID: Devlin, Balard, Irvine, Nisbet, McGree, Robertson, Metcalfe (7)
ATT: Toure, Duke, Irankunda, Leckie (4)

Chaos - Plan B (3)
Kuol, Adams, Archie Goodwin - though Silvera (though i dropped him as backup for Irankunda) may battle with Adams for the last of the chaos agents

EliAdams
MaxBalard
AzizBehich
JordanBos
CameronBurgess
AlessandroCircati
CammyDevlin
MitchellDuke
JoeGauci
ArchieGoodwin
LucasHerrington
NestoryIrankunda
JacksonIrvine
JacobItaliano
PaulIzzo
GarangKuol
MattLeckie
RileyMcGree
ConnorMetcalfe
JoshuaNisbet
AlexRobertson
KyeRowles
MathewRyan
HarrySouttar
MoToure
KaiTrewin
 
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Ok final squad from me now that we know who's been called up. I think only locks will be called from here.

Ryan, Izzo, Gauci

Italiano, Bennie, Souttar, Circati, Burgess, Trewin, Herrington, Bos, Behich

Irvine, Metcalfe, O'Neill, Robertson, Devlin, Hrustic

McGree, Irankunda, Velupillay, Mabil, Goodwin, Toure, Duke, Suto
 
JS96 said:
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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Watching Melb City in both AL and ACL, I think Atkinson and Behich at full backs have been similar quality.

The ACL was illuminating. City played a few teams full of UEFA and South American nationals, with few Asian domestic players.

I have the advantage of a lot of Socceroo data compiled for Behich, but not Atkinson.

Apart from Behich’s vast experience, I’m not sure why he is in the Socceroo squad when he has deemed Atkinson needs to improve? Atkinson has also been decent in midfield.
 
Decentric said:
Watching Melb City in both AL and ACL, I think Atkinson and Behich at full backs have been similar quality.

The ACL was illuminating. City played a few teams full of UEFA and South American nationals, with few Asian domestic players.

I have the advantage of a lot of Socceroo data compiled for Behich, but not Atkinson.

Apart from Behich’s vast experience, I’m not sure why he is in the Socceroo squad when he has deemed Atkinson needs to improve? Atkinson has also been decent in midfield.
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Do you have a bias for Atkinson because he's Tasmanian? He's a good AL level full back but at National Team level he's physically remedial and technically just okay. We have better options and it's probably the weakest area of the team. That illustrates where Atkinson is at imo.
 
Quicky said:
Do you have a bias for Atkinson because he's Tasmanian? He's a good AL level full back but at National Team level he's physically remedial and technically just okay. We have better options and it's probably the weakest area of the team. That illustrates where Atkinson is at imo.
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Possibly?

I have coached him briefly.

I also think all of Jones, Strain and Karacic have struggled at RB, when Geria should have played there in Arnie’s tenure.

Miller and Italiano are doing the job at RWB, and surprisingly, Trewin did better than expected. I have compiled comprehensive recent data on this trio in recent Socceroo games too. Some have appeared in the Socceroo Stats/Analysis thread with more to come.

From memory Atkinson played against Mbappe in the last WC, but struggled against one of the world’s great players. Most would.
 
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JS96 said:
Honestly drop O'Neill and Trewin and then add Stensness even someone like Silvera.
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As you start to look at O’Neill’s stats over time:

He makes more intercepts than any other central midfielders.

He causes more turnovers from this position.

He is the most proficient hard ball winner as a DM.

Three massive attributes.

Then one adds his composure on the ball under pressure, and O’N walks into the current team - plus experience.

Younger players Robertson, Okon Jr, Yazbek, Youlley, Valadon, Bozinovski, et al, are already as good or better technically, but lack the experience and reading of the game O’N has ATM. He makes killer passes going forwards too.
 
LFC said:
Atkinson is NOT NT standards.
Whoever mentioned Stensness also is NOT to the standard needed.
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Disagree with the former sentence - in relative terms.

The latter - the recent number of players that Popa has tried, with little previous Socceroo experience, and who have succeeded, or had qualified success, I would not discount Stensness.

Not sure who here has been watching the league Stensness plays in? Norway? Sweden?Like many he could have improved.
 
Decentric said:
Disagree with the former sentence - in relative terms.

The latter - the recent number of players that Popa has tried, with little previous Socceroo experience, and who have succeeded, or had qualified success, I would not discount Stensness.

Not sure who here has been watching the league Stensness plays in? Norway? Sweden?Like many he could have improved.
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Haven't watched but Stensness has been rating very well on fotmob etc, his team have been dominate so maybe some correlation in stats helping each other I do not know?
 
Stensness has been starting every game for a table-topping team in a decent euro league, and playing well by all reports. He might not be starting quality for the national team necessarily, but that kind of form deserves a look at the very least, particularly given he provides a bit of versatility.
 
Toebash said:
Stensness has been starting every game for a table-topping team in a decent euro league, and playing well by all reports. He might not be starting quality for the national team necessarily, but that kind of form deserves a look at the very least, particularly given he provides a bit of versatility.
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thanks - you covered my viewpoint.
 
Decentric said:
Possibly?

I have coached him briefly.

I also think all of Jones, Strain and Karacic have struggled at RB, when Geria should have played there in Arnie’s tenure.

Miller and Italiano are doing the job at RWB, and surprisingly, Trewin did better than expected. I have compiled comprehensive recent data on this trio in recent Socceroo games too. Some has appeared in the Socceroo Stats/Analysis thread with more to come.

From memory Atkinson played against Mbappe in the last WC, but struggled against one of the world’s great players. Most would.
Click to expand...
There are also promising young right wing backs that have progressed past Atkinson including Bennie and Overy.
 
DandyCasey said:
Haven't watched but Stensness has been rating very well on fotmob etc, his team have been dominate so maybe some correlation in stats helping each other I do not know?
Click to expand...
Sometimes it is hard to appraise players playing in different leagues - comparatively.

Recently, many players Popa has introduced have surprised me? G and G posters have called for various players to replace incumbents. They are nearly always UEFA based, not AL based.

From a lot of the match stats from replays, quite a number of Socceroo newbies have done a lot better than I would have expected.

Toure, Iran, Italiano, Herrington, Trewin, Robertson ( despite very brief appraisal), Okon Jr, Juric, have justified their selections in many facets of game based performance.

Izzo and Beach have displayed good shotstopping skills too.

Not sure where Balard stands? He has done well apart from against Colombia.

Those G and G members calling for their selections have been vindicated with all th edata I've assiduously compiled.

Mabil - his recall has surprised?

I'm assuming Devlin has struggled in training ground Socceroo games relative to his peers?
 
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