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World Cup 2026 Australia thread

I watched Okon in A League final and semi and he wasn’t dominating enough to get the spot in the world cup. At time seemed a bit lazy off the ball. And if you expect him to score then that’s likely not gonna happen

WTF going on to NOT include Alex Robertson in there? The squad is already thin and Popa even made it thinner
 
JS96 said:
If we're being totally honest though, Velupillay has done more in an Australian shirt than McGree.

McGree has one goal against Vietnam. Assisted Leckie and Behich against Denmark and Japan respectively but the scorer did way more than the pass. Great turn against Japan.

There was that one spin against Uzbekistan at the Asian Cup.

You look at his run of games against minnows and then injury and away for some bigger ones. I'll have to look what he did in his 90min Japan away.

My favourite player but I almost feel like screaming 'thanks for nothing'. Remember the constant disappointment we had with Kewell as kids? Then he walked with a halon over his head against Uruguay in 01 and then in 05 he wlfreated heaven and the earth. Everything in between then was so frustrating that he was never available.
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Most tecent game v Curacao . As soon as McGree came on all of the sudden it changed the game. We were outplayed with Hrustic/Metcalfe/Trewin/O’Neil there
 
Gotta feel for McGree. A couple of days ago his club team were strong favourites to win promotion playoff against a pretty mediocre team that had finished 6th, and he was all set to be on a plane to the US for the World Cup probably 24-48 hours later. Now he is injured, playing Championship football again this season, and will be watching the World Cup either on TV or from the sidelines. McGree and Yazbek both would have been squad players I think, and McGree a starter. Matthews and D'Agostino probably wouldn't have made the squad anyway I suspect.

This squad is about as "Popovic" as one can get. Dull, predictable and lacking in X factor. Rewarding his usual favourites. Okon being selected ahead of Robertson stinks of blatant nepotism. If Devlin is in the final 3 to be cut, I think I'll lose interest entirely.
 
verrelli said:
Gotta feel for McGree. A couple of days ago his club team were strong favourites to win promotion playoff against a pretty mediocre team that had finished 6th, and he was all set to be on a plane to the US for the World Cup probably 24-48 hours later. Now he is injured, playing Championship football again this season, and will be watching the World Cup either on TV or from the sidelines. McGree and Yazbek both would have been squad players I think, and McGree a starter. Matthews and D'Agostino probably wouldn't have made the squad anyway I suspect.

This squad is about as "Popovic" as one can get. Dull, predictable and lacking in X factor. Rewarding his usual favourites. Okon being selected ahead of Robertson stinks of blatant nepotism. If Devlin is in the final 3 to be cut, I think I'll lose interest entirely.
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Yeah if the final three cut are a goalkeeper, Devlin and Yengi, I'll lose it.

Yengi and Devlin are the silver-lining additions in this squad.
 
tsf said:
McGree out is massive. Where is that moment of mental strength and creativity?

Straight off the top of my head, he was a pivotal part of two big goals for us - Japan and Denmark
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That is a massive lost for us, so many good things for Socceroos come from McGree. Nestor & Mo has to really stand up now.
 
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Bbouy said:
It'll be either Beach/Gauci cut

Geria/Rowles cut

and Borello cut

I think Gauci, Rowles and Borello.



I don't even see how Borello makes this training camp over someone like Younis and many other players. Has poor club-form unlike Younis, is old and is past his prime and doesn't even fit into Popa's motto of "he can do a job", Borello has mostly been poor with a green and gold shirt on. Poor form and can't do a job but somehow has made the final 29.
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I think you're close - but I think Geria is cut. Trewin can play CB, CM and was trialled at RWB so I suspect Geria is the one to miss.

TBH I suspect in some matches Bos will play left wing so it then the choice is Behich or Rowles at LWB. Behich to overlap or Rowles to be the more defensive option.
 
Cunningstunt said:
This setup does seem to promote the WBs (Bos in particular) and our CBs. But it feels like we are stuck with strong defensive CMs and wingers who can play inverted. A defensively weaker CM like Robertson who can offer more going forward doesn't seem to have a place.
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Agree with this summary. After a number of games in charge, it’s pretty clear what Poppa wants and he’s not going to change. He aims to ‘not lose’ first, second and third, so the midfielders are just there to screen the centerbacks.

As for midfield creativity, he simply Does Not Care. Poppa wants to progress the ball down the sides via the wingbacks and then attack with the front three only. He only wants midfield destroyers to stop the centerbacks even touching the ball. This ain’t changing.

If Poppa was in charge around 2006-10, he’d start Grella and Mile, back them up with Valeri and leave Culina, Bresciano and Cahill at home.

This WC is gonna be an all-time hate watch.
 
tsf said:
I havent watched city enough, but leckie, old strong head, last five minutes when youre hanging on telling the yanks to go fuck themselves.

I am not against it.
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I had thought he was considering moving Metcalfe into CM with McGree and Irankunda as forwards to fit all three in. But with McGree out, I could easily see Metcalfe with Irankunda and Leckie starting next to Irvine. Particularly if O'Neill is out. But there is a lot of flexibility with this and McGree's injuries has opened up some space.

patjennings said:
I think you're close - but I think Geria is cut. Trewin can play CB, CM and was trialled at RWB so I suspect Geria is the one to miss.

TBH I suspect in some matches Bos will play left wing so it then the choice is Behich or Rowles at LWB. Behich to overlap or Rowles to be the more defensive option.
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Can Bos play inverted though? I thought this was why Arnold moved him forward because he inverted his fullbacks. I could see this in the future with a different setup and Farrell in behind.
 
Cunningstunt said:
I had thought he was considering moving Metcalfe into CM with McGree and Irankunda as forwards to fit all three in. But with McGree out, I could easily see Metcalfe with Irankunda and Leckie starting next to Irvine. Particularly if O'Neill is out. But there is a lot of flexibility with this and McGree's injuries has opened up some space.


Can Bos play inverted though? I thought this was why Arnold moved him forward because he inverted his fullbacks. I could see this in the future with a different setup and Farrell in behind.
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In reality for all the good he did going forward I'd leave Culia at home as well.
 
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