Balard was surely left out this squad to focus on his relegation battle AND that he is already in the camp list. He's done everything Popa has asked of him to this point and for me he should be on the plane. I'd love for Boyle to not play under Popa again. He simply is redundant in this system...

What do you call an Italian World Cup player? Retired!!

Changing formation from this point would surely be a massive surprise...although there was that Brattan debut so..

The star across all the tops is so fecking lame

How exactly does one 'normalise losing' while winning a first trophy in 17 years? After the full time whistle on that night in Bilbao did all the Tottenham players and staff feel like they had won or lost? Holding that Europa league trophy aloft must surely have been the final nail in the...

Does that mean they ‘blame’ someone else for winning them a trophy??? Idiots.

Oh please please relegate the stupid sods

They've become absolutely goal shy after banging them in for fun for the most part under Hellberg. I still think if they stay the course their luck may just swing for them and they can finish with the wind in their sails.

To be fair Dec I care way more about Australian football and it's trajectory then I do about some bloke coming in to put most of the team behind the ball to keep himself in a job. Not saying Popa isn't 100% fully committed and truthful in his belief that this is the best way forward, but let's...

I'm not putting a ceiling on the kid but I certainly wouldn't want him signing for a Barca or PSG now...maybe not ever! He needs first team minutes at the highest level possible to continue improving and fulfilling his potential. There is no doubt he would do a lot of sitting on the pine if he...

I mean at the very least Eddie Jones and Popovic could have shared their bridesmaid stories...they both are highly successful at losing finals.

From what I read and understood the chat with Eddie Jones was simply more about how to manage a large tournament squad with staff and players families etc over a period of weeks. The fact that he was a rugby coach had little to do with it over him simply coaching at multiple world cups.

Possibly career best form for Maty at the moment

haha savage

This question where he was asked whether the players will know the system in time was literally the one and only time I can remember in his tenure where he has got prickly due to the question implying something with a negative perception towards his football. The fact that he can just brush it...

haha I still remember all the Greek kids (some may even have been Cypriot lol) arriving that morning to my high school draped in the Greek flag! I don't think I ever saw them ever wear any football related gear before or after that!

THIS. My read on both Sega and Triantis is that Popa and co have failed to attentively show care to the most important aspect of most tight knit European football loving cultures....their families. Imagine the embarrassment and offense taken by Triantis's family with proud Greek and Australian...

3 of some of the most prestigious and important matches of your life!! The World Cup is like the Olympics but WAY better!! The winner of the gold in the 100 metres only runs 3 times lol

I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this in just a matter of days. Like a shot to the heart for all of us who follow these blokes so closely. We are so invested in their future football and all in the hope that they one day pull on the green and gold and further Australian football. I...

THIS! I feel that the dual nationality fuck ups will be Popovic's legacy. I also hope we have a poor World Cup and he gets sacked...even though I will be barracking for us every minute of this World Cup as always.