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Socceroos vs Venezuela/ Colombia Nov 25

How should Australia do November?

  • European based camp

    Votes: 23 71.9%

  • Australian based camp

    Votes: 6 18.8%

  • Middle East based camp

    Votes: 2 6.3%

  • Nothing

    Votes: 1 3.1%
  • Total voters
    32
BA81 said:
Not least of all the fact Milos is of 🇷🇸 heritage whereas Popa is 🇭🇷; pretty sure they wouldn’t be bending over to have each other’s back at most things in life..💡
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But aren't serbs and croats good buddies? Haha
 
RIMB said:
It is the reasons why he does not rate Nisbet that can be passionately questioned - without necessarily making his reasons wrong.

From what I have heard Nisbet had a lot of coaches 'not rate him' simply because of his physique. When someone gave him his chance he proved the rest wrong.

Popa obviously does not rate Nisbet and I think that is a blinkered and closed mind sort of rating - but it may simply come from Nisbet not being the type of player he wants. He is, after all, building a defensive, highly regimented system rather than a free flowing creative team. The strengths Nisbet brings to to the attack do not really suit playing in behind an isolated single forward like Popa tends to setup. Nisbet makes the various parts of a team work better in attack - that is not what Popa wants based on everything we have seen.

To use any attacking player like Nisbet effectively, Popa would either have to rejig his whole forward playing game into a cohesive attacking unit, or else jam Nisbet in a non-functioning role/position like he did when he had Irankunda out of position and have him come up useless.

I can understand why Popa does not play Nisbet and I deplore his reasoning.

As a side note - I acknowledge that Nisbet is also very good defensively even though I have concentrated on his attacking role here.
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Basically you are right.Nisbet has very good defensive strengths but if he played as a DM he would not win aerial duels which DMs need to do at times.His attacking skills do not fit into Popa's plans and unless Popa has a road to Damascus conversion following these last two games he will continue to set up his teams the same way..Popa will be happy that for 75 minutes the defence stood up to a very good Colombian forward line and then gave way with a soft penalty,a route 1 ball misjudged by Izzo and Degenek and a goalmouth scramble so will feel justified in his tactics
 
dr. bellows said:
Indeed, Nisbet is excellent defensively which is why I think he could slot into Popa's system as one of the cm options. However, I don't see it happening. Nisbet's career - and his prospects of selection for the WC squad - took a turn for the worse when he made the ill-advised transfer to Ross County. He's never recovered.
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I think that has been Nisbet's carer killer - going to Ross County. Even playing in Scotland, Boyle has scored heaps of recent goals, but I have recorded comprehensive data that shows he struggles to be good enough to be a winning player for the Socceroos.

Now Nisbet is in Eerste 2, he is playing in a league not deemed good enough to transfer to international football. There is a huge drop in standard from the upper and mid - echelons of the Eredivisie down to the Eerste. I've read it is only a semi-pro league.

Given Popa's more favourable rating for the AL than Arnie's, Nisbet may well still be in the Socceroo frame if he hadn't left Aus.

Nisbet won't be the first and won't be the last Euroroo to make a bad club move. I think Jake Hollman is nuts going to English League 2. Based on what he did in the AL IMO he should be in Socceroo discussions too.
 
booney52 said:
Basically you are right.Nisbet has very good defensive strengths but if he played as a DM he would not win aerial duels which DMs need to do at times.His attacking skills do not fit into Popa's plans and unless Popa has a road to Damascus conversion following these last two games he will continue to set up his teams the same way..Popa will be happy that for 75 minutes the defence stood up to a very good Colombian forward line and then gave way with a soft penalty,a route 1 ball misjudged by Izzo and Degenek and a goalmouth scramble so will feel justified in his tactics
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Some good points made, Booney, but I think it is his club moves that have stifled his national team prospects.
 
erogenouszone said:
Attitude comes a long way which is why people chasing after people who are umming and ahhing as to what nationality they feel like being on any given week is a recipe for bad team morale in general. Who wants to play with a prima donna ? Team dynamics are very important.
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That is what Deg says.

Nearly every Socceroo we currently have, when interviewed is passionate about the team and the team unit.

In Popa's recent interviews, he states that every Socceroo has to be performing at as high a level, or the best they've ever played at, when playing for the Roos.

The good news is we have more depth than ever.

And for all Popa's detractors, far too many on G and G, he says there will be new players stepping forwards on the horizon who he hasn't considered at this point in time.
 
huddo said:
I don't really care what Degenek says in relation to Popovic, his ethic affiliation means any defence is questionable. He's played one game in the last 2 months.

It doesn't matter how many players achievements you have tried to downplay here. Nothing changes the fact, he is experimenting with his mates son, in a position that we have Johny Warren Medalist and people in better leagues trying to fight for.

No one is asking him to pick "every player", just want to see him pick players off form ( also having more than 5 games in the a-league would help).
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Based on skill set, Okon Jr deserved his chance.

No nepotism.

I think Popa has sons who are pros too. He hasn't selected them, because they aren't good enough.
 
RIMB said:
It is the reasons why he does not rate Nisbet that can be passionately questioned - without necessarily making his reasons wrong.

From what I have heard Nisbet had a lot of coaches 'not rate him' simply because of his physique. When someone gave him his chance he proved the rest wrong.

Popa obviously does not rate Nisbet and I think that is a blinkered and closed mind sort of rating - but it may simply come from Nisbet not being the type of player he wants. He is, after all, building a defensive, highly regimented system rather than a free flowing creative team. The strengths Nisbet brings to to the attack do not really suit playing in behind an isolated single forward like Popa tends to setup. Nisbet makes the various parts of a team work better in attack - that is not what Popa wants based on everything we have seen.

To use any attacking player like Nisbet effectively, Popa would either have to rejig his whole forward playing game into a cohesive attacking unit, or else jam Nisbet in a non-functioning role/position like he did when he had Irankunda out of position and have him come up useless.

I can understand why Popa does not play Nisbet and I deplore his reasoning.

As a side note - I acknowledge that Nisbet is also very good defensively even though I have concentrated on his attacking role here.
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One thing I do is lift weights - and have done for 50 years.

I've seen Nisbet on videos and photos lift some big weights in the gym. So he is immensely strong, despite being short.

Some good points made RIMB. I like your longer, analytical posts!
 
Decentric said:
I think that has been Nisbet's carer killer - going to Ross County. Even playing in Scotland, Boyle has scored heaps of recent goals, but I have recorded comprehensive data that shows he struggles to be good enough to be a winning player for the Socceroos.

Now Nisbet is in Eerste 2, he is playing in a league not deemed good enough to transfer to international football. There is a huge drop in standard from the upper and mid - echelons of the Eredivisie down to the Eerste. I've read it is only a semi-pro league.

Given Popa's more favourable rating for the AL than Arnie's, Nisbet may well still be in the Socceroo frame if he hadn't left Aus.

Nisbet won't be the first and won't be the last Euroroo to make a bad club move. I think Jake Hollman is nuts going to English League 2. Based on what he did in the AL IMO he should be in Socceroo discussions too.
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It's interesting. Nizz I'm sure could have moved back to the AL after his stint at Ross County but elected to go to Eerste Div. He surely must have realised that would hurt his NT selection prospects but went there anyway. Perhaps his priority is success in Europe rather than WC. And he could get to the Eredivisie next season as Roda are in the hunt for promotion. Or maybe he was just embarrassed at the thought of returning to the AL after the Ross County relegation, sort of with his tail between his legs and preferred to stick it out in Europe.
 
funny enough I think if Nizz stayed at CCM and played ACL elite he probably gets quite a few games for arnie and poppa. Wish him luck and hope he ends up in the eredivisie and gets a bit of time

mind you, by then a few of our cms might overtake him so he could have had a narrow window
 
I'd also say that his chances of making the WC squad are not totally extinguished, imo. Firstly, an Eredivisie might come for him in January. This is unlikely as Roda one would imagine would want a substantial fee to even consider selling him and Eredivisie clubs typically don't pay much, if anything. Secondly, Popa might consider him if we had injuries to key midfield players ruling them out of the WC.
 
The thing I don't get with Okon Jr is why Popa hasn't looked at other options if he is searching for a playmaking DM?

Hrustic
Nisbet
Robertson

As for players that don't fit his system I am of the thinking of maybe Boyle, maybe Irankunda.
 
Decentric said:
Based on skill set, Okon Jr deserved his chance.

No nepotism.

I think Popa has sons who are pros too. He hasn't selected them, because they aren't good enough.
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Skills recognized by the Benfica B squad.... with a release from contract.

He was literally a clubless without a senior squad game. Released from a b squad in the reserve tier of the ninth best league in europe, and he was chosen above professionals like Balard and Nisbet, because of what? 3 under 21 games.

This whole reasoning would be laughable, if it wasn't my nation.
 
grazorblade said:
funny enough I think if Nizz stayed at CCM and played ACL elite he probably gets quite a few games for arnie and poppa. Wish him luck and hope he ends up in the eredivisie and gets a bit of time

mind you, by then a few of our cms might overtake him so he could have had a narrow window
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Here a question, he comes back to Oz and continues to kill it. Is it right to say that the last 3 years we haven't trialled him are a a waste for him and Australia?
 
dr. bellows said:
It's interesting. Nizz I'm sure could have moved back to the AL after his stint at Ross County but elected to go to Eerste Div. He surely must have realised that would hurt his NT selection prospects but went there anyway. Perhaps his priority is success in Europe rather than WC. And he could get to the Eredivisie next season as Roda are in the hunt for promotion. Or maybe he was just embarrassed at the thought of returning to the AL after the Ross County relegation, sort of with his tail between his legs and preferred to stick it out in Europe.
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No failure on his part, Cowie didn't know how to coach. Reminded me of Carl Robinson
 
BA81 said:
Not least of all the fact Milos is of 🇷🇸 heritage whereas Popa is 🇭🇷; pretty sure they wouldn’t be bending over to have each other’s back at most things in life..💡
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Milos was born in Croatia.
 
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