Poppa Out

[Alex M]

We should be asking that question now. We should have asked it before the World Cup. How do we reach our potential with this group.

You don't rest on that. We need to find our attacking identity. I'll go as far as saying it's un-Australian not to be aggressive in attack. It's contrary to our sporting identity.

I don't mind being defensive but you need to balance that when you attack. In this system we needed to counter more aggressively.

I disagree with you on a couple of points.

All we have are a group of youngsters with potential. Only Bos and Circati are playing at a reasonably high level week in week out. They need to develop at club level. It's not the job of a National Team coach to develop them. Apart from tournaments he gets to work with them for a couple days 5 times a year.

As for an attacking identity we have never had one. There is a reason that we are seen world wide as a tough defensive national team. It's because that is our natural style. With our last attack minded coach we struggled to score in open play and relied in Timmy to do it for us. Most of our goals in Ange's reign came from set pieces, free kicks and penalties. This natural Australian attacking nature is a myth. I've watched us play for 60 years (although the first 10 years were as a kid and that doesn't really count for solid analysis) and we have always been a defence first nation.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

No, but it's pretty equal to Egypt.

I agree. The original post claimed that Popa had achieved less than the sum of the parts. I disagreed.

 

[BA81]

We could afford Milligan.

As I’ve said on here I’m not at all opposed to him taking the reins someday further down the line, but it’s just too fucken soon for him now.

But as you imply, it’s a question of in the end. However, I die on the hill that if Soccer Australia(which was basically always an accounting-error or two away from bankruptcy) could afford Venables as NT coach 30 years ago…well you get the drift, I think.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

As I’ve said on here I’m not at all opposed to him taking the reins someday further down the line, but it’s just too fucken soon for him now.

But as you imply, it’s a question of in the end. However, I die on the hill that if Soccer Australia(which was basically always an accounting-error or two away from bankruptcy) could afford Venables as NT coach 30 years ago…well you get the drift, I think.

Was that the Venables that gave up a two goal lead to Iran?
I’m sure everyone would have loved us to have Bielsa or Nagelsmith or Koeman instead of Popa.
Just saying that money you pay a coach doesn’t necessarily get you the results you expect.

 

[Encomium]

I agree. The original post claimed that Popa had achieved less than the sum of the parts. I disagreed.

I'm just iterating that the values of players don't hold much weight, considering two of our outstanding players Beach and Okon are playing in the A League.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

I'm just iterating that the values of players don't hold much weight, considering two of our outstanding players Beach and Okon are playing in the A League.

Agree, but it’s a better indication than just randomly claiming our players are better than they are.

 

[Encomium]

Was that the Venables that gave up a two goal lead to Iran?
I’m sure everyone would have loved us to have Bielsa or Nagelsmith or Koeman instead of Popa.
Just saying that money you pay a coach doesn’t necessarily get you the results you expect.

I personally think we have always performed better with local coaches than foreign on average, so I personally would advocate for a local coach more than not.

 

[SocceroosFan84]

We could afford Milligan.

Milligan is still very inexperienced as a coach.

Yes he did unbelievable stuff in winning the Jets their first title in almost two decades but this was his first year as a senior coach, thrusting him into the national team set-up now would be a nonsense.

 

[Encomium]

Agree, but it’s a better indication than just randomly claiming our players are better than they are.

We have stats for the games, no ones randomly claiming anything imho, but even still football is a game of opinions and hold similar subjective value.

 

[BA81]

Was that the Venables that gave up a two goal lead to Iran?
I’m sure everyone would have loved us to have Bielsa or Nagelsmith or Koeman instead of Popa.

The sophistry of blame re. the Iran game is beside the point I’m making.

What I’m saying is that if our national-FA back then, notorious for its unprofessional/hand-to-mouth MO, could afford a gaffer of his pedigree then surely we w/6 consecutive WC appearances these past 20 years can entice someone worth a damn - not w/their customary paygrade but our lifestyle as a country and the challenge of bringing the best out of our young talent.

That being said, this is all moot if the FFA genuinely are 10 toes deep in persisting w/locals at the NT helm, whether for ideological or financial reasons.

 

[BA81]

I personally think we have always performed better with local coaches than foreign on average, so I personally would advocate for a local coach more than not.

How many by strict-definition 'foreign' coaches has the NT ever had though?

 

[SocceroosFan84]

Was that the Venables that gave up a two goal lead to Iran?
I’m sure everyone would have loved us to have Bielsa or Nagelsmith or Koeman instead of Popa.
Just saying that money you pay a coach doesn’t necessarily get you the results you expect.

We could've had Bielsa after Holger got the arse but we went for Ange instead.

 

[zimbos05]

I didn’t say anything about perennial winner. You’re confusing me with someone else.

I shouldn't have read the thread straight after waking up. Saw a C in the name.

Tony Popovic has won A-League Men Premier's Plates and the Hahn Australia Cup previously so can still be considered a perennial winner at domestic level.

Perennial winners are people/teams who win consistently year after year. 2 trophies does not equate to perennial winner.

I think we just need to look at what the US have done. Brought in a top quality manager and allowed him to change the philosophy, the mentality, the structure. They bought into a whole system of improvement and development. We are kind of doing the opposite.

 

[Alex M]

The sophistry of blame re. the Iran game is beside the point I’m making.

What I’m saying is that if our national-FA back then, notorious for its unprofessional/hand-to-mouth MO, could afford a gaffer of his pedigree then surely we w/6 consecutive WC appearances these past 20 years can entice someone worth a damn - not w/their customary paygrade but our lifestyle as a country and the challenge of bringing the best out of our young talent.

That being said, this is all moot if the FFA genuinely are 10 toes deep in persisting w/locals at the NT helm, whether for ideological or financial reasons.

It nearly sent us broke when we didn't qualify. Our national team had nearly 18 months off and we required players returning from Europe to play for us to pay their own fare to Australia.

 

[SocceroosFan84]

As a Leeds fan of 30 years, Bielsa is a footballing saint in my eyes and we'd have been privileged to have him here in Oz.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

We could've had Bielsa after Holger got the arse but we went for Ange instead.

Uruguay possibly wishing they had Popa instead of Bielsa … someone who could get them out of their group at least.

 

[BA81]

It nearly sent us broke when we didn't qualify. Our national team had nearly 18 months off and we required players returning from Europe to play for us to pay their own fare to Australia.

Again beside the point which was that despite everything, we were able to afford him at all

 

[derider]

We could've had Bielsa after Holger got the arse but we went for Ange instead.

It had to be Ange. No regrets at all about that one.

 

[Alex M]

Again beside the point which was that despite everything, we were able to afford him at all

My point was that we weren't able to afford him. It nearly sent us broke.

 

[BA81]

It had to be Ange. No regrets at all about that one.

I think you and SocceroosFan84 are confused; Bielsa would’ve succeeded Ange. Instead we got Van Maarjwik and Arnie.