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U20 WC 2025 Australia match thread

Decentric said:
The comparative ‘ceiling’ can be hard to predict ‘relatively’.
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True but i think data can mitigate that

1) early regular football is a good predictor. The higher the level the better. If an aussie had a 25+game season in a top 30 league in europe before they are 24 they have a 1 in 4 chance of getting 3+ seasons of regular game time at either a cl club or a big 5 club when they peak. If their first team of regular football in a top 20 league is when they are over 24, then their odds plummet to less than 1 in 10
2) early regular football at a higher level is better. 25 games in scotland, denmark, austria or norway is not as promising as the efl, eredivisie, jupiler league etc
3) younger is better, though not as much as you would think. However it generally is better to get regular football at 19 than 22
4) having a rare profile. Tall players that have high agility in particular are in demand in europe because usually there is a tradeoff between height and agility. I know that there wad a correction in australia to emphasizing height too much. But these players are in demand even in the most technical leagues in the world. Being a left footed defender is also good, with the caveat thay you want all players to be as 2 footed as possible
5) having rare profiles for us. Good right back, good striker (tho this is improving) good goal keeper, player that can assist shots from z14 against a crowded defense. I make note of this as something that would be useful for us
 
Decentric said:
I think we have unprecedented depth in Aus football ATM.

Any coach has a tough job with so many players in a diaspora all over the globe.

I know some will say RB or WB is an issue, but all of Miller, Bos, Bennie, Adamson, Karacic, Inserra, Italiano, Metcalfe at RWB, could kick on quickly. Geria is good for the role.

I’ve currently discounted Gethyn Jones and Strain, but they might have a purple patch.
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You forgot about 17yr old James Overy who is in the u20 WC squad & playing for Manchester United at club level
 
Wish Leonard were in the side as Kikianis can also play left back? Imagine a back 3 then and have Bennie at RWB and Irankunda on the left in a sort of wing back role and Okon covering.
 
Half time.

Bennie should have worked keeper with his big chance.

Live noticed Okon’s 2 big mistakes - not everything else he did so well - making tackles, blocks, intercepts in BPO - and- all the little things he did well on the ball.

Team unit is pretty good.

Italy probably had more chances - and - better chances though.
 
JS96 said:
Wish Leonard were in the side as Kikianis can also play left back? Imagine a back 3 then and have Bennie at RWB and Irankunda on the left in a sort of wing back role and Okon covering.
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Talladira has been good in first half at LB. Haven’t seen the second half - yet.

The fact Leonard and Iran are also still young enough, is good!
 
Jovanovic was right to stay back during the Bennie chance and remain a square option but I can't but help think he'd have gotten to it had he sprinted through. He may have ended up ahead of the ball.
 
grazorblade said:
True but i think data can mitigate that

1) early regular football is a good predictor. The higher the level the better. If an aussie had a 25+game season in a top 30 league in europe before they are 24 they have a 1 in 4 chance of getting 3+ seasons of regular game time at either a cl club or a big 5 club when they peak. If their first team of regular football in a top 20 league is when they are over 24, then their odds plummet to less than 1 in 10
2) early regular football at a higher level is better. 25 games in scotland, denmark, austria or norway is not as promising as the efl, eredivisie, jupiler league etc
3) younger is better, though not as much as you would think. However it generally is better to get regular football at 19 than 22
4) having a rare profile. Tall players that have high agility in particular are in demand in europe because usually there is a tradeoff between height and agility. I know that there wad a correction in australia to emphasizing height too much. But these players are in demand even in the most technical leagues in the world. Being a left footed defender is also good, with the caveat thay you want all players to be as 2 footed as possible
5) having rare profiles for us. Good right back, good striker (tho this is improving) good goal keeper, player that can assist shots from z14 against a crowded defense. I make note of this as something that would be useful for us
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1 and 2 are interesting, Grazor.

We had a workshop with Melb Vic in Hobart 10 years ago.

I asked Kevin Muscat why Leigh Broxham developed quickly at age 17, then didn’t improve much after? Also, posed the second part of the question as to why Mark Milligan developed later in comparison?

KM said it is a very complex process how players develop at different stages. And nobody knows why?
 
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Decentric said:
1 and 2 are interesting, Grazor.

We had a workshop with Melb Vic in Hobart 10 years ago.

I asked Kevin Muscat why Leigh Broxham developed quickly at age 17, then didn’t improve much after? Also, posed question why Mark Milligan developed later in comparison?

KM said it is a very complex process how players develop at different stages. And nobody knows why?
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I mean, some people smoke every day and live to 100, others live clean and die young. That's just statistics, but outliers don't undermine general trends

Broxham's first season of regular football was 07/08 when he was a u20 mind you. So to go on and play 461 games for a league clubs isn't really a failure compared to that start. If he was playing regular football in europe at a decent level as a u20 and never went on that would be more unusual
 
I get the feeling Bennie is rusty with no mins for QPR. He needs a continental move and work it through like Bos has.
 
Quicky said:
I get the feeling Bennie is rusty with no mins for QPR. He needs a continental move and work it through like Bos has.
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in some ways he looks like he is still improving though. The rare minutes he is getting plus training seems to be ok for now

do we know if he is getting development squad minutes?
 
grazorblade said:
in some ways he looks like he is still improving though. The rare minutes he is getting plus training seems to be ok for now

do we know if he is getting development squad minutes?
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Bennie has gone from being a weekly sub last season to missing the bench entirely this season. That's a backwards trend. I wouldn't wait too long if I were him.
 
Decentric said:
Probably all the first paragraph is true, Quicky.

Unlike most current UEFA leagues I have seen more Scottish club football. And Italian football.

Also, Triantis and Robbo’s club careers may be currently better, but they don’t want to be Socceroos.

I’m seeing superior skill sets in many younger players than their predecessors. Superior body shape, first touch and handling speed - plus superior off the ball movement in possession.

One has to credit you for comprehension, Q!

I’ll also quote you as stating that I could be at fault for extolling the virtues of young tyros by potential, over performances at senior level. I constantly consider this excellent point you’ve made.

Scotland

Their off the ball movement to support the ball carrier is worse than the AL and Serie A.

Their 1v1 ball winning capacity in heading, tackling, body on body, may be second to none.

IMO Scottish skill set doesn’t extrapolate well to international football. Too much transitional football and second ball duels.

Apart from Celtic, I’ve seen no Scottish club teams move the ball as quickly as Aus u20s.
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I think we all have different perspectives and it makes it interesting.

I get the dislike for Scotland by many even if I think it gets overemphasised. Theres logic in it.

I do think it's missing a trick not weighting senior club appearances, at decent club levels, more highly.

In the context of discussing ability whether a player has chosen Australia shouldn't matter at all. It holds no relevance to how good they are.
 
Quicky said:
Bennie has gone from being a weekly sub last season to missing the bench entirely this season. That's a backwards trend. I wouldn't wait too long if I were him.
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maybe. 217 minutes in all competitions last year and 90 so far this year....less appearances of course
 
Mexico lead Spain. Interesting to note Spain nor Morocco have qualified for years but their inclusion in the Brazil Mexico group certainly forms a group of death.
 
I’ve watched 66 percent of game on replay. I think Italy are the better team, by a slim margin, as they hold defensive shape a bit better and probably had better chances, but we are talking about a world powerhouse here.

We should be proud of the Aus u 20s.
 
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