Most bullshittest game

rebelliousfeminist974 said:

Matildas allowed 29 shots at goal all game and were lucky to concede just the three goals today, but doesn't bode well for us with just the November/December window left before the Women's Asian Cup rolls around.

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This game is telling in who does and doesn’t deserve to be in the Asian Cup starting 11 or even the squad at all.

I could not watch it live but gotto the replay as soon as it came up.

I found the game unwatchable. I honestly just kept hitting the "Skip 10 seconds" button the whole game after about 25 minutes.

Years ago Kennedy was renowned for absolutely stupid red card/penalty brain explosions that cost us games. Today was an unwelcome trip to the past.

The loss does not sit anywhere near Kennedy though. I could not see a single player who did better than her direct opposition. We were outplayed, outclassed and soundly flogged everywhere on the pitch.

Sluggish, and entirely lacking in focus, drive and intensity - we have so much to do before we are ready for competitive football. It looked to be an exhibition match of our tired, old players (and they aren't old and shouldn't be tired at the start of a match) against a world class team.

Our 'fast' players were unbelievably slow, our strong players were weak and easily out-bodied, our smart players made stupid choices, and our experienced players were ineffective and lacked composure.

Kerr does not deserve to be on the park. I don't care how dangerous Andy Harper says she is in the final third of the pitch - she isn't and her fitness and drive is non-existent at this stage. Did she even break a sweat jogging around pointing? Compare her effort and effectiveness with any opposition striker we face and it is chalk and cheese. Fine to test her in a friendly - I really hope Joe can see that she needs a lot of time playing football away from the Matildas to regain anything of her former usefulness. It was her speed and athleticism that allowed her to be where she was needed in the past to score goals - she has neither at the moment.

Our defensive group was weak and disorganised as England made fantastic runs and passes to slice through us time and again.

Once again, the inability to complete a basic pass is staggering. You can't sugar coat it - under no pressure we give the ball away and often in critically dangerous areas.

England showed how quality football is played and why they deserve their title as a top world side.

We showed how far we are from being a tight, cohesive playing group with no idea about our on-field purpose and identity.

I would love to see the Matildas playing like England - they were fantastic to watch - f*ck them.

Just watched the first half. Absolutely horrible from Australia. The thing that really stands out for me was that out of possession there was absolutely no urgency, energy or intensity. Just let England pretty much do whatever they like with the ball. It was exemplified by three short corners that England took, where they had two players v one Australian, and after England easily created the free player in space after the 2 v 1 there was no other Australian looking to get out to the England player on the ball. Consequently England were allowed to approach the edge of the penalty area and get a cross in under no pressure.

This lack of intensity was happening before the send-off as well as after.

Of course the other obvious issue, as it has been for a long time, was that the basic technical skills, such as first touch and passing quality, of the Australians are, on average, severely lacking compared to the better sides. And that gap is getting bigger. The Australians used to be able to reduce or negate that gap with superior energy and intensity, but now that that has disappeared the Australians are nowhere close to matching the better sides.

Am I the only one thinking that Joe did not play Van Egmond and the team played like they had no desire to perform?

Conspiracy theory - yes.
Wrong - hmmm?

No Van Egmond please

When you consider where we were against an England side in the World Cup to now, it's clear we have been stagnant or regressed since 2023. Montemurro has so much of his work cut out for him. There was a brilliant article about this on The Womens Game

I'm not sure why, but the Matildas have dropped back quickly.

I think it is probably that France, Spain, England, all world powerhouses in men's football, have started to take women's football seriously, and have developed good domestic leagues - quickly.

I watched until Kennedy was sent off at 18 mins. Don't like watching 10 v 11 much. England dominated. Their off the ball Squeezing was much more intensive than Aus's.

zimbos05 said:

When you consider where we were against an England side in the World Cup to now, it's clear we have been stagnant or regressed since 2023. Montemurro has so much of his work cut out for him. There was a brilliant article about this on The Womens Game

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Where was that article, Zimbos?

I'd like to read it.

Keeper66 said:

Just watched the first half. Absolutely horrible from Australia. The thing that really stands out for me was that out of possession there was absolutely no urgency, energy or intensity. Just let England pretty much do whatever they like with the ball. It was exemplified by three short corners that England took, where they had two players v one Australian, and after England easily created the free player in space after the 2 v 1 there was no other Australian looking to get out to the England player on the ball. Consequently England were allowed to approach the edge of the penalty area and get a cross in under no pressure.

This lack of intensity was happening before the send-off as well as after.

Of course the other obvious issue, as it has been for a long time, was that the basic technical skills, such as first touch and passing quality, of the Australians are, on average, severely lacking compared to the better sides. And that gap is getting bigger. The Australians used to be able to reduce or negate that gap with superior energy and intensity, but now that that has disappeared the Australians are nowhere close to matching the better sides.

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With the numerical disadvantage after a Kennedy send off it makes it a lot harder to possess the ball. However, agree that even before the send off, Aus struggled.

struggling is being polite ? they were out classed all game period, gone backwards big time.

as mentioned rf974, out played - when you dally and give away cheap ball your toasted/cooked even before the Red.