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Poppa Out

If I’m being fair, we fielded one if not the youngest teams in the tournament and got to the knockouts again. Thats a feather in the cap, no doubt about it and the result against Turkey you’d take all day before we kicked off.

But that’s where the positives stop for me. It’s been a downward spiral since then and we’ve been hanging on for dear life playing park the bus football.

It doesn’t fit our philosophy. We can’t go toe to toe with the superpowers and get results, but we can’t at least try put our foot on the ball and play.

I don’t see how we can possess the ball under the tutelage of Poppa.
 
Cunningstunt said:
This was objectively a successful tournament in terms of results. Every team we played was a clear favourite to win. Was it a missed opportunity in terms of implementing a more proactive style to take the group forward?

It's a shame because we were close to a result this morning and the potential seems to be there. But setting aside what they might become, this is where this group is at the moment.
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Objectively? This is a difficult question because it depends on your perspective. From my perspective I disagree. We should have made the last 16 and been more dangerous than we were.
 
Quicky said:
Objectively? This is a difficult question because it depends on your perspective. From my perspective I disagree. We should have made the last 16 and been more dangerous than we were.
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I'm using a bit of licence with the word. But all the money was on us losing. Every neutral picked us to lose. We have all seen the stuff about the value of the sides. The experience of our side is 3-4 years younger than the other sides. This was true for every match.

Getting out of the group and taking the knock out round to pens is better than any neutral expected of us.
 
So he got us out of the group scoring 2 goals, with limited possession but also hard to break down.

For me a semi final at the Asian cup is a must if Popa wants an argument to stay on for 2030, also if the FA don’t have a TD/DOF directing him on the style of play that needs evolving then we not learning from this World Cup experience in any case.
 
Barca4life said:
So he got us out of the group scoring 2 goals, with limited possession but also hard to break down.

For me a semi final at the Asian cup is a must if Popa wants an argument to stay on for 2030, also if the FA don’t have a TD/DOF directing him on the style of play that needs evolving then we not learning from this World Cup experience in any case.
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The Asian Cup and the World Cup are two completely different tournaments. Performing well at the Asian Cup is an important rehearsal for the World Cup. Ultimately, we can perform like we did this World Cup and play in the exact system with the same selections and probably make the Asian Cup semi-finals pretty easily but similarly we will fall apart next World Cup as well because it isn't the elevation we require with these players. The only argument to keep Popa is if he adapts his system to be more progressive in next 6 months and to be more forward thinking. If he can be less stubborn and defensive (literally and mentally), then it's an option for the sake of continuity but I, like others know that Popa doesn't retain that track record so why should I think he will adapt now?

You really get an extreme sense of how stubborn he is in press conferences, the insecurity through defensiveness. With quotes like "I don't regret decisions I make", complete old-school ways of thinking, complete bullshit and not helpful in anyway. He will die on the hill that we need to play the way he's use to. New Zealand, who have less talent than us, play more attractive attacking football than us. Even in four years when our players and team is projected to be a lot stronger, with the wrong system - we will still underperform.
 
Bbouy said:
The Asian Cup and the World Cup are two completely different tournaments. Performing well at the Asian Cup is an important rehearsal for the World Cup. Ultimately, we can perform like we did this World Cup and play in the exact system with the same selections and probably make the Asian Cup semi-finals pretty easily but similarly we will fall apart next World Cup as well because it isn't the elevation we require with these players. The only argument to keep Popa is if he adapts his system to be more progressive in next 6 months and to be more forward thinking. If he can be less stubborn and defensive (literally and mentally), then it's an option for the sake of continuity but I, like others know that Popa doesn't retain that track record so why should I think he will adapt now?

You really get an extreme sense of how stubborn he is in press conferences, the insecurity through defensiveness. With quotes like "I don't regret decisions I make", complete old-school ways of thinking, complete bullshit and not helpful in anyway. He will die on the hill that we need to play the way he's use to. New Zealand, who have less talent than us, play more attractive attacking football than us. Even in four years when our players and team is projected to be a lot stronger, with the wrong system - we will still underperform.
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I think you have it the wrong way around. While the calendar has the Asian Cup six months after the World Cup it's the World Cup, despite being the more important tournament, that is the rehearsal for the Asian Cup. The Asian Cup is the end of the 4 year cycle, not the beginning of a new one. I was always happy to keep Popovic for the completion of the cycle, and think he should have been confirmed as Asian Cup coach earlier than he was, but even if we win the Asian Cup it should be a time to review what the National Team needs in terms of coaching staff after that. Popovic did the job asked and expected for this cycle. A different approach may be needed next cycle.
 
Bbouy said:
The Asian Cup and the World Cup are two completely different tournaments. Performing well at the Asian Cup is an important rehearsal for the World Cup. Ultimately, we can perform like we did this World Cup and play in the exact system with the same selections and probably make the Asian Cup semi-finals pretty easily but similarly we will fall apart next World Cup as well because it isn't the elevation we require with these players. The only argument to keep Popa is if he adapts his system to be more progressive in next 6 months and to be more forward thinking. If he can be less stubborn and defensive (literally and mentally), then it's an option for the sake of continuity but I, like others know that Popa doesn't retain that track record so why should I think he will adapt now?

You really get an extreme sense of how stubborn he is in press conferences, the insecurity through defensiveness. With quotes like "I don't regret decisions I make", complete old-school ways of thinking, complete bullshit and not helpful in anyway. He will die on the hill that we need to play the way he's use to. New Zealand, who have less talent than us, play more attractive attacking football than us. Even in four years when our players and team is projected to be a lot stronger, with the wrong system - we will still underperform.
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I feel 6 months is not enough to see a change of style anyway, I feel it will need to come after the asian cup but with a new coach of new directive from FA to Popa.

I just think its baffling the FA have decided to keep Popa till the Asian Cup its our best chance to win a trophy which I agree but will he's way be enough to get us into the semi final and eventually win it is another thing.

After this World Cup especially how we performed with the ball I have my doubts.
 
We make the final with these players and a different coach. With Poppa we will scrap through to the semi's at best. You cant win a tournament making teams like Oman and Bahrain appear like prime Barcelona. There must be someone within the FA that can see this?

That Turkiye game really masked the the short comings of Poppa and his tactics.
 
Barca4life said:
So he got us out of the group scoring 2 goals, with limited possession but also hard to break down.

For me a semi final at the Asian cup is a must if Popa wants an argument to stay on for 2030, also if the FA don’t have a TD/DOF directing him on the style of play that needs evolving then we not learning from this World Cup experience in any case.
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The individual results should not be what we use to judge. It should be progressing the style of the side. Even if he wins the AC. If he isn't planning to evolve the style of play over the subsequent cycle then I would prefer someone else.
 
Popa did a great job by turning around our world cup qualifying where it looked like we may not qualify at one point. Popa has been unlucky that the older players are somewhat past it, but the younger players aren't quite there yet (although some would argue they are). Our wing back depth is absolutely shocking, and have been unlucky there with injuries. Although having said that I find his football boring AF, and would prefer more entertaining football.
 
Cunningstunt said:
The individual results should not be what we use to judge. It should be progressing the style of the side. Even if he wins the AC. If he isn't planning to evolve the style of play over the subsequent cycle then I would prefer someone else.
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The style of football since Arnie has been quite similar, we went from a progressive way of playing Ange to defensive football quite quickly when Bert took over and it’s been defensive ever since.

The next choice of Aussie coaches do give me optimism that we will see a change in the way of playing, the only question is when will we see this.
 
The fact that the keeper swap was done with little planning is enough to sack Popovic. He's made so many rash decisions to unsettle the squad.

Many players don't look comfortable in the system. They play with other decent coaches and probably shake their head at the bewildering decisions Popovic makes.
 
Pasquali said:
Popa did a great job by turning around our world cup qualifying where it looked like we may not qualify at one point. Popa has been unlucky that the older players are somewhat past it, but the younger players aren't quite there yet (although some would argue they are). Our wing back depth is absolutely shocking, and have been unlucky there with injuries. Although having said that I find his football boring AF, and would prefer more entertaining football.
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We have plenty of wing backs, they just weren't picked. Strain, Bennie, BRB, Overy.

Our qualification was rightly turned around. Nervy at times but we got there. I think it sometimes masked issues. The trouble is Popovic still kept making too many changes
 
JS96 said:
We have plenty of wing backs, they just weren't picked. Strain, Bennie, BRB, Overy.

Our qualification was rightly turned around. Nervy at times but we got there. I think it sometimes masked issues. The trouble is Popovic still kept making too many changes
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Heaps of changes, perhaps too many but I would say he didn't experiment enough in weak positions (like right wing back) including when Miller was fit.
 
I'll watch parts of the game later but the final 35mins or so Popovic has just embarrassed us on the world stage. I'm sickened by the knee jerk decisions.

Why on earth were mostly defenders taking pens after 120min?
 
All of the highest rated NRL coaches have 1 attribute, a conversation with a player never starts with football.

Players relate to them as a human, and know that the coach cares about them and their family.

Aside from building a relationship with player, showing that they have faith in the player is very important.

If the player trusts the coach and knows the coach has faith in them, they always play for the coach, and are confident.

I didn't notice any lack of effort in the WC, but there was a lack of confidence, confidence can't be faked and has to be built.

It has to start with the coach being confident and trusting their process,

Coaches who simplify the game and give a player a simple role are generally popular.

Coaches who over complicate the game lose the players at warp speed.

Who fits these coaching critera?... confident, disciplined, good at building human relationships, able to develop a system that makes the game easier for players.
 
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