Socceroos Thread

[Grantysghost]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Has Graham Arnold done particularly well to get this team though?
I'm not sure the public and the media had embraced him and I imagine the calls to dump him would be coming quickly if we didn't win.

Overall no. But the last few games yes.

[GVGjr]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Overall no. But the last few games yes.

It's a pretty average team isn't it? Just a handful of players are in first division of stronger leagues.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Socceroos Thread

It's a pretty average team isn't it? Just a handful of players are in first division of stronger leagues.

Lots of guys from A League.

Ryan and Mooy clearly the two best. Boyle plays in the SPFL, Behich in Turkey, Irvine Germany, Atkinson is SPFL, Wright plays for 5under1and (boooo), Hrustic is Germany, Rowles is Scotland as well (SPFL).
So lots of internationals. But not at top level as you say.

[Axe Man]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Lots of guys from A League.

Ryan and Mooy clearly the two best. Boyle plays in the SPFL, Behich in Turkey, Irvine Germany, Atkinson is SPFL, Wright plays for 5under1and (boooo), Hrustic is Germany, Rowles is Scotland as well (SPFL).
So lots of internationals. But not at top level as you say.

Boyle is in the Saudi league these days.

Rogic another former SPFL player that doesn't have a club at the moment. I think he is close to our best player when fit but unfortunately pulled out of these last 2 qualifiers due to personal issues. Hopefully he and Harry Souttar (Stoke) will be available for the World Cup.

Denis Genreau's Toulouse has just been promoted to the French top flight.

I wonder if they can convince Volpato to declare his allegiance with the lure of a world cup? Italian's can't qualify to save themselves.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Boyle is in the Saudi league these days.

Rogic another former SPFL player that doesn't have a club at the moment. I think he is close to our best player when fit but unfortunately pulled out of these last 2 qualifiers due to personal issues. Hopefully he and Harry Souttar (Stoke) will be available for the World Cup.

I wonder if they can convince Volpato to declare his allegiance with the lure of a world cup? Italian's can't qualify to save themselves.

Is he fmd. Thanks az.

[Sedat]

Re: Socceroos Thread

It's a pretty average team isn't it? Just a handful of players are in first division of stronger leagues.

All the more laudible to get through, especially having to do so through COMNEBOL this time around instead of through CONCACAF 4 years earlier.

Whether or not it's Ange, Arnold or other coaches in the past, the progressive erosion of talent in the national squad since the peak of 2006 has put a real handbrake on the national coach and is an indictment on the governing bodies of the game in Australia. And to be honest the 2006 squad was nurtured and developed primarily through the NSL clubs and pathways

[comrade]

Re: Socceroos Thread

It’s weird that our national team is getting LESS talented, despite the game growing here.

[GVGjr]

Re: Socceroos Thread

It’s weird that our national team is getting LESS talented, despite the game growing here.

For years we've hard marquee type players the team was built around. Not so much now and as you have pointed out the game is quite strong in Australia.

[whythelongface]

Re: Socceroos Thread

All the more laudible to get through, especially having to do so through COMNEBOL this time around instead of through CONCACAF 4 years earlier.

Whether or not it's Ange, Arnold or other coaches in the past, the progressive erosion of talent in the national squad since the peak of 2006 has put a real handbrake on the national coach and is an indictment on the governing bodies of the game in Australia. And to be honest the 2006 squad was nurtured and developed primarily through the NSL clubs and pathways

Yep. The introduction of the A League was meant to improve the development of future generations and be used as a stepping stone before heading off OS. This does happen to some degree but nowhere near enough. The league seems to be more of a retirement fund for average OS club players prior to hanging up the boots. In fairness this does work for the clubs in the short term but does not provide the pathway for our younger generations. These less opportunities mean that players are lost to the game. At least with the old NSL it wasn’t reliant on media dollars and crowds thus clubs could play younger talent and actually develop them.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Socceroos Thread

For years we've hard marquee type players the team was built around. Not so much now and as you have pointed out the game is quite strong in Australia.

Hmm. Not sure that's true. The A League is a bit dire atm.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Yep. The introduction of the A League was meant to improve the development of future generations and be used as a stepping stone before heading off OS. This does happen to some degree but nowhere near enough. The league seems to be more of a retirement fund for average OS club players prior to hanging up the boots. In fairness this does work for the clubs in the short term but does not provide the pathway for our younger generations. These less opportunities mean that players are lost to the game. At least with the old NSL it wasn’t reliant on media dollars and crowds thus clubs could play younger talent and actually develop them.

There's been very few older players lately.

[whythelongface]

Re: Socceroos Thread

There's been very few older players lately.

Good to hear. TBH haven’t followed too closely this year due to the viewing rights but did notice still quite a few on the books of some of the teams -most have around 5 or 6 foreign players in their squads whom would receive more game time than the younger locals. Totally understand this as it does help with being more competitive but on the flip side it does stagnate the development of younger generations.

[soupman]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Lots of guys from A League.

Ryan and Mooy clearly the two best. Boyle plays in the SPFL, Behich in Turkey, Irvine Germany, Atkinson is SPFL, Wright plays for 5under1and (boooo), Hrustic is Germany, Rowles is Scotland as well (SPFL).
So lots of internationals. But not at top level as you say.

Hrustic plays semi regularly in the Bundesliga atm which puts him as the highest performing Australian by a fair way imo.

Yep. The introduction of the A League was meant to improve the development of future generations and be used as a stepping stone before heading off OS. This does happen to some degree but nowhere near enough. The league seems to be more of a retirement fund for average OS club players prior to hanging up the boots. In fairness this does work for the clubs in the short term but does not provide the pathway for our younger generations. These less opportunities mean that players are lost to the game. At least with the old NSL it wasn’t reliant on media dollars and crowds thus clubs could play younger talent and actually develop them.

Nah it's not that anymore. Very few clubs are built around old players on the way out.

It's mostly a contingent of long term A-League players that either never got an opportunity or overseas or didn't take it and returned in their early to mid 20s. Fair contingent of VISA players with a range of abilities, and especially through the covid years a very much needed boost in young prospects.

It seems the trend of promisin young players looking good in half a season and going overseas to get lost in the youth system of some big European club is not happening as much anymore. Seeing a lot more players spend multiple seasons going from promising prospect to regular starter and quality player (over the course of maybe 3 or 4 seasons) before going to leagues where they will get gametime overseas. The large contingent that have moved to Scotland of late (Atkinson, Rowles, Devlin), Metcalfe going to Bundesliga 2, Genreau and now Toure and Dukuly to Ligue 2.

The national team is a bit effort based atm but i think there's a pretty good crop coming through in a way we haven't seen in the A-League before.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Pre-A League the pathway was junior talent at an NSL club and then look to go overseas either as a signed player or on trial with a variety of clubs. Usually the younger kids did this. But now as contracted player the ability to go abroad and get into a junior program or trial is limited because of the $$$$ in the Australian game and the longer contracts these younger players are signed to. A Legaue has provided a levelling up, but not the creation of a super talented pool. COuld be coincidence or just a phase of good average players rather than the Golden Generation we had.

[jeemak]

Re: Socceroos Thread

Love it! The English press and football loving public work themselves into a lather whenever they beat San Marino or Andorra then turn on themselves whenever they get thrashed at home by a super power like Hungary, lol! It's great entertainment.

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/soccer/news/england-hungary-updates-highlights-nations-league/kotg9cob2fpeai3mce0r6vcx

Meanwhile some of the big boys are beginning to flex some muscle. The Dutch giving the fancied Belgium a recent thumping. A regenerated Croatia with only 2 regular players from their 2018 World Cup team in it beating France. Finally Germany smashing Italy.

Can't wait for the World Cup.

I will never get tired of English over-indulgence in good performances and their dire and fatalistic responses to poor performances.

They are the best.