Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

Poppa Out

Alex M said:
Qualifying for the World Cup should earn him an extension for the Asian Cup. I think we should hire coaches until the Asian Cup anyway. It's usually close enough after a World Cup and it's a trophy we should always be trying to win so it seems pointless to me to suddenly change direction unless we have to sack the coach earlier. I would include a cause in any coach's contract that it ceases if we fail to qualify for the World Cup.
Click to expand...
He qualified for a top 48 - not 32. Hasn't equalled Guus, Pim, Ange or Arnie yet. R32 minimum. We should be looking forward not regressing.
 
Decentric said:
I don't like setting minimum goals for coaches. There is an element of chance in games.

A few players' mistakes, or refereeing howlers, can always be at play. The coach is often powerless to do anything about them.
Click to expand...
Player's mistakes you are partly to blame. You picked them, you trained them. Howlers from refs are another thing.
 
Pasquali said:
Last world cup we had Mooy
Click to expand...
This World Cup we pick anybody's random mate. I seem to remember him having a decent game against France but this is WhoScored ratings for the whole tournament. Maybe not as dominant as you think. Still a lot of that 21 are still a chance for 2026.



RankPlayerPositionCaps (WC)Avg. RatingSource Notes
1Mathew RyanGK47.28WhoScored
2Aziz BehichLB47.15WhoScored
3Harry SouttarCB47.13WhoScored
4Mathew LeckieRW47.05WhoScored
5Jackson IrvineCM46.98WhoScored
6Riley McGreeAM/LW46.88WhoScored
7Keanu BaccusDM36.83WhoScored
8Ajdin HrusticAM36.80WhoScored
9Kye RowlesCB46.78WhoScored
10Aaron MooyCM46.75WhoScored
11Craig GoodwinLW46.73WhoScored
12Mitchell DukeST46.68WhoScored
13Jamie MaclarenST36.60WhoScored
14Nathaniel AtkinsonRB26.55WhoScored
15Milos DegenekCB/RB26.50WhoScored
16Fran KaračićRB26.45WhoScored
17Bailey WrightCB16.40WhoScored
18Awer MabilRW36.35WhoScored
19Jason CummingsST26.30WhoScored
20Cameron DevlinDM26.25WhoScored
21Garang KuolST/RW36.20WhoScored
 
I count 10-14 that could make it or are at least in with a chance. Comparing that squad to who we have now/may have available next year, surely we’re stronger than we were in 2022?
 
Kitwally said:
I count 10-14 that could make it or are at least in with a chance. Comparing that squad to who we have now/may have available next year, surely we’re stronger than we were in 2022?
Click to expand...
Overall stronger squad and probably first team, everyone being fit.
But as others have mentioned, Mooy's quality has not been replaced.
 
Cunningstunt said:
Overall stronger squad and probably first team, everyone being fit.
But as others have mentioned, Mooy's quality has not been replaced.
Click to expand...
With Paul Okon_Englster, Caceres, Brattan and others - have we really tried or just avoided the obvious? We rarely work as a team adn the midfield gets avoided unless the much maligned Irvine and Balard are together. This has rarely happened and then there is the obvious ommission.
 
I think making knockouts is still a big achievement with our squad and above par, even with the expanded format
 
grazorblade said:
I think making knockouts is still a big achievement with our squad and above par, even with the expanded format
Click to expand...
I take it as a minimum. We have not failed to reach the last 32 since before 2006. If we have a 2-0 loss to Germany or Belgium in R32 - fair enough. If we have a 4-0 loss to South Africa - time to go. Especially if South Africa gets rolled heavily at the next hurdle (very likely).
 
patjennings said:
I take it as a minimum. We have not failed to reach the last 32 since before 2006. If we have a 2-0 loss to Germany or Belgium in R32 - fair enough. If we have a 4-0 loss to South Africa - time to go. Especially if South Africa gets rolled heavily at the next hurdle (very likely).
Click to expand...
yeah if we get a group of death then even 3 narrow losses/draws and 4th place could be provisionally ok to keep going to the asian cup

if we get haiti in the group and lose then we have problems lol
 
patjennings said:
Hopefully there will be no group of death tomorrow.
Click to expand...
had a nightmare that we were 0-0 against france and scored in the 89th minute only for VAR to glitch and rule it out for no reason haha

Bit embarassing I had a football nightmare :D
 
patjennings said:
He qualified for a top 48 - not 32. Hasn't equalled Guus, Pim, Ange or Arnie yet. R32 minimum. We should be looking forward not regressing.
Click to expand...
Whilst I think mine is a valid view and what I would do I also think yours has some merit. I just don't see much point in changing coaches between the two tournaments.
 
Alex M said:
Whilst I think mine is a valid view and what I would do I also think yours has some merit. I just don't see much point in changing coaches between the two tournaments.
Click to expand...
I understand that viewpoint as well - but then how long do you give him if he has failed?

Australia's will put up with some pragmatic football with results - see 2022. They will also put up with exciting football with bad results at the World Cup - see Ange. But you are potentially giving a free pass to haram ball with no results. I can't seeing that being accepted. If Poppa plays that way he has to deliver results (except in the way @grazorblade said) - respectable losses in a group of death.
 
Last edited:
patjennings said:
I understand that viewpoint as well - but then how long do you give him if he has failed?

Australia's will put up with some pragmatic football with results - see 2022. They will also put up with exciting football with bad results at the World Cup - see Ange. But you are potentially giving a free pass to haram ball with no results. I can't seeing that being accepted. If Poppa plays that way he has to deliver results (except in the way @grazorblade said) - respectable losses in a group of death.
Click to expand...
That's why I understand your viewpoint as well. We can get a draw like Argentina, Norway & Italy and would you consider 3 narrow losses against that opposition a failure? I still think its best for our Asian Cup to stick with him until then but if we went really bad at the World Cup I wouldn't lose any sleep if they decided to replace him.
 
Alex M said:
That's why I understand your viewpoint as well. We can get a draw like Argentina, Norway & Italy and would you consider 3 narrow losses against that opposition a failure? I still think its best for our Asian Cup to stick with him until then but if we went really bad at the World Cup I wouldn't lose any sleep if they decided to replace him.
Click to expand...
No - in all the sims (and there are many) I have run I haven't got one where we shouldn't - assuming the squad picked is ok and injured players come back ok then I expect at worst a best 3rd. My concern is the picking of the squad and the current injuries.

The problem then comes is how do you ensure a best 3rd. I just ran a sim and got Germany, Scotland and Ghana. Not a group of death - but no easy games. Our big problem will be that we have players and speed up front to be a great counter-attacking team and finish second in that group. But if we persist with a poorly functioning midfield we will not be able to make this counter attacking team rack up scores against the pot 3 and pot 4 teams.

In the case there is a group of death then narrow losses would have to be acceptable.
 
I guess when it comes to best pot 1 team, for me its not about winning unless its a host nation, its more about who is least likely to beat us by 3 or 4 goals and kill our whole campaign like 2010

I'd go argentina as not too bad
 
grazorblade said:
I guess when it comes to best pot 1 team, for me its not about winning unless its a host nation, its more about who is least likely to beat us by 3 or 4 goals and kill our whole campaign like 2010

I'd go argentina as not too bad
Click to expand...
They put 3 against Venezuela who made us look ordinary. But I'd prefer them to France and Spain. I actually have a strong feeling we will get Mexico. A team that should not hurt us too bad and we potentially could keep scoreless or even sneak a win. Their keepers don't exactly inspire confidence.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top