2022 FIFA World Cup

[The Doctor]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

How's the pass from Souttar??!

Atkinson v Mbappe concerning me on the left.

Where did we get Atkinson from? Monbulk 3rd's? Very poor technical skills from him cost us the 2nd goal.

We need to take them on more instead of sitting back and letting them run at us. They are killing us on the wings just running around our full backs and getting dangerous balls into the box. When we have taken them on we have actually looked all right.

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Where did we get Atkinson from? Monbulk 3rd's? Very poor technical skills from him cost us the 2nd goal.

We need to take them on more instead of sitting back and letting them run at us. They are killing us on the wings just running around our full backs and getting dangerous balls into the box. When we have taken them on we have actually looked all right.

Yeah more balls in behind and we need to pressure Griezmann he's creating everything dropping in.

I'd bring on Deng for Atkinson and get Guol in soon too.

[The Underdog]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Mmmm, now it’s getting messy.

[The Doctor]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Why hasn't Arnold brought on some replacement,ents to try and liven things up or deal with their wingers better? It's falling to pieces and nothing is being done

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Why hasn't Arnold brought on some replacement,ents to try and liven things up or deal with their wingers better? It's falling to pieces and nothing is being done

Atkinson so late, Cummings on instead of McLaren....
Just let Griezmann do as he pleased. Urgh.

We have no one in the top leagues and it shows we've a ways to go.

About the youth now.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

A clear difference in class and quality and a disappointing result. We gave them way too much space.

Surely some changes before the next game.

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

A clear difference in class and quality and a disappointing result. We gave them way too much space.

Surely some changes before the next game.

Not much to change unfortunately.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Our defence was pretty loose and we made too many mistakes. France's ball movement was brilliant and we were way out of our league. I can't see a win at all against Tunisia or Denmark

[Sedat]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Where did we get Atkinson from? Monbulk 3rd's? Very poor technical skills from him cost us the 2nd goal.

We need to take them on more instead of sitting back and letting them run at us. They are killing us on the wings just running around our full backs and getting dangerous balls into the box. When we have taken them on we have actually looked all right.

France are a great team obviously, but we raised the white flag. You actually have to hold onto possession and move forward to at least keep the opposition honest, which we did effectively for about 10 minutes after we scored. After the Mitch Duke narrow miss (chance was created from our positive intent and pressing France into a mistake), we started to sag back and let them boss the game in our half - can't do that against world class quality.

I gave Arnie a massive tick for getting us through the sudden death qualifiers, but he reverted to his default position of ultra-defensive mode today. Also our defending at set pieces and in the air was awful - that is an area we should never be poor at but we were dreadful.

We have to be far more proactive and assertive next match. I know we lack talent but today we also lacked belief and positive intent. The midfield was also far too deep, which made it almost impossible for Leckie and Goodwin to get any good looks out wide after the first 15 minutes.

[soupman]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

We were good early obviously, but in classic Arnold style we fell back so quickly and easily and struggled to take the game to France in any meaningful manner. France were great, and we were horribly outclassed, but we were asking for it with our unwillingness to even try and hit back.

Atkinson struggled, but he was against Mbappe, so no surprises there, and his defensive side has never been his strength anyway. Unsure what Dengs pace is like but he may have been better suited and save Atkinson for slightly weaker opponents where he can carry the ball more.

I thought Duke was good early but by the 40th minute I was sick of his half hearted press attempts with exasperated arms out. Thought Behich was clearly our best, CB pairing was mostly good, Irvine was decent and Mooy was fine early but struggled in the second half. Our inability to retain the ball or move constructively meant our attackers were basically redundant from the 20th minute onwards, and while the likes of Cummings, Kuol and Mabil didn't seem to offer much I'm unsure if they stood a chance anyway.

Goal was sweet though, all three players involved nailed their moments.

[lemmon]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

I was surprised that we didn't start with Devlin in the 6 and Mooy and Irvine ahead of him in more box to box roles.

Think we really lacked a proper ball-winning midfielder and we got nothing from McGree as the 10. Irvine tried to put himself around but I thought we could have used Mooy's passing range in a more advanced role with a proper defensive midfielder in behind him.

Think it was a mistake pairing Rowles and Souttar for this one. Two young, inexperienced guys and both fresh off injury. Think it would've been better partnering one with Degenek or going to a 3 at the back to try and cover Mbappe.

That first 15 minutes though was really encouraging and probably the most fluent we've seen the Socceroos since the early stages of qualifying. I think there's a bit to build on.

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

I was surprised that we didn't start with Devlin in the 6 and Mooy and Irvine ahead of him in more box to box roles.

Think we really lacked a proper ball-winning midfielder and we got nothing from McGree as the 10. Irvine tried to put himself around but I thought we could have used Mooy's passing range in a more advanced role with a proper defensive midfielder in behind him.

Think it was a mistake pairing Rowles and Souttar for this one. Two young, inexperienced guys and both fresh off injury. Think it would've been better partnering one with Degenek or going to a 3 at the back to try and cover Mbappe.

That first 15 minutes though was really encouraging and probably the most fluent we've seen the Socceroos since the early stages of qualifying. I think there's a bit to build on.

What's with the mining of Scotland for players? I was joking to mates that's why we have the white socks as a tribute to them.

Boyle, Cummings, Souttar all Scottish a few others playing in SPL (Mooy, Baccus, Atkinson)

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Ah, such good times

[lemmon]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

What's with the mining of Scotland for players? I was joking to mates that's why we have the white socks as a tribute to them.

Boyle, Cummings, Souttar all Scottish a few others playing in SPL (Mooy, Baccus, Atkinson)

And we had Lyndon Dykes go the other way - he'd be leading the line for us at the moment.

[soupman]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

I was surprised that we didn't start with Devlin in the 6 and Mooy and Irvine ahead of him in more box to box roles.

Devlin often seems to be the forgotten man under Arnold. I mean he obviously isn't as he keeps getting picked but in the Olympics U23 tournament he was picked but only got maybe 2 minutes off the bench in the very last game. Wouldn't surprise me if that happens again here, which is baffling because he is maybe the most in form of those defensive mids 2e have.

Think we really lacked a proper ball-winning midfielder and we got nothing from McGree as the 10. Irvine tried to put himself around but I thought we could have used Mooy's passing range in a more advanced role with a proper defensive midfielder in behind him.

I suspect the thinking was that Mooy isn't mobile enough anymore to play the high role and get into more advanced positions, so a deeper playmaking position suits him more. McGree has been in good form as a more advanced mid who can score so I imagine they were trying to get the balance of McGree pushing high, Mooy playing out from the base and Irvine doing what he does best and being everywhere. Maybe they thought putting a proper DM type like Devlin or Baccus in from the start would be too negative minded.

I also think that in their minds Mooy and Irvine are locked in starting XI players, so they kind of had to make the rest of the midfield work around them.

Think it was a mistake pairing Rowles and Souttar for this one. Two young, inexperienced guys and both fresh off injury. Think it would've been better partnering one with Degenek or going to a 3 at the back to try and cover Mbappe.

Souttar was always going to start, he is by far our best defender/player. Degenek has only played 25 minutes in the last month, Rowles has played virtually 2 full games in the last 2 weeks, and I suspect he is their first choice after Souttar anyway.

I think they were hoping Atkinson could carry the ball and maybe keep Mbappe a little bit accountable going the other way, otherwise I'm not really sure why he was picked there as while I think he is our best RB he is our worst defensive player in the entire backline.

What's with the mining of Scotland for players? I was joking to mates that's why we have the white socks as a tribute to them.

Boyle, Cummings, Souttar all Scottish a few others playing in SPL (Mooy, Baccus, Atkinson)

Think it's just the prevalance of Australian heritage there. It isn't as if we've been shy with other countries, Hrustic and Karacic were both converts as well (pretty sure Karacic had never even been to Australia until after he'd played for us). As for gametime it helps that it's basically the A-League standard but on Europes doorstep and with no language barrier, hence why alot of our players head over.