We will be lucky to steal a point in WC

[crowsarethebest]

-------------Schwartzer-----------
Emerton---Neill----Williams----Chipperfield
----------Jedinak---Wilkshire-------
Culina-----------Cahill--------------Bresciano
-----------------Kewell---------------------

That would be my team. Sure Kennedy is scoring goals in Japan against short people but against the quality big CB's from the nations in our group he will be ineffective. Kewell is our key. Only guy with some creativity in our side, only guy which provides us with some spark to unlock defenses. He's played up front before to great effect and I'm pretty certain Verbeek has given us a few hints he's looking to play Harry up front by himself.

I've gone for Culina out wide who I thought looked much better against NZ. Maybe even put Culina back to RB and put Emerton on the wing. Our side certainly has alot of versatility which is probably the only thing which we have over the other sides in our group. I've gone for Jedinak and Wilkshire in the holding midfielders roles. I really rate Jedi, he's been a regular for his Turkish club and he's got some size and presence about him. Reminds me of Fellaini- he even looks a bit like him with his afro-ish hair. Grella is well past it IMO.. has been shizen for his club and country for the past year or 2 (injuries haven't helped). Wilkshire would just about be one of our best players now. I remember when Guus picked him and everyone was saying how much of a hack he was. Has developed nicely over the past 4 years and probably would be the only guy who has really kicked on and improved since the last WC. Plays as a holding midfielder for his club in the RPL.

I've gone for Williams at CB. He can play RB, in the centre or as a holding midfielder. I'd have Milligan in there as a chance maybe (although he was shite against NZ out on the right). Beauchamp while played well against NZ, I don't really rate him, he'll get mauled by Klose (even if he's in shit form), Gomez, Zigic, Asamoah etc. Moore is just terrible- way way past it. Was getting raped by bloody NZ. I'm pretty certain we won't line up this way but this is how I want us to line up. Have a bad feeling Moore will partner Neill- it's pretty much all over if he does.

 

[mikeythemoocow]

I don't hold great hopes for this WC. I see us down back missing a commanding center back, Moore is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I would have liked to see Špiranović given more of a go in the qualifying games. Its good to see Dario getting game time though.

I really cannot see the point in taking Eugene Galeković over Scotty Mac. Surely if we are chasing goals in one game it couldn't hurt to have a striker that could be subbed on.

Having said all that there is a heaps of young players Im looking forward to watching play for Australia after this WC and am already saving for Brazil.

 

[bigburger]

I have a few points I'd like to make.

1.) Neill should not start a single game. He is shit and past it.
2.) We won't win or draw a single game this world cup. Verbeek is a shit coach who makes us play unattractive football and has hurt the national competition with his selection policy. He will leave a sour mark on Australian football.
3.) Holman should start.
4.) Would love to see Rhys Williams start a game.
5.) I hope we take Tommy Oar if just for the experience ala Rooney and Walcott.
6.) Culling McDonald was a massive mistake. We are shaky up front as it is and I know McDonalds form for Australia has been shithouse but hes still class and still worth the punt.

 

[chop_me]

I have a few points I'd like to make.

1.) Neill should not start a single game. He is shit and past it.
2.) We won't win or draw a single game this world cup. Verbeek is a shit coach who makes us play unattractive football and has hurt the national competition with his selection policy. He will leave a sour mark on Australian football.
3.) Holman should start.
4.) Would love to see Rhys Williams start a game.
5.) I hope we take Tommy Oar if just for the experience ala Rooney and Walcott.
6.) Culling McDonald was a massive mistake. We are shaky up front as it is and I know McDonalds form for Australia has been shithouse but hes still class and still worth the punt.

mate, in light of your point (2), i disagree with point (6)

given we play the style we do, there really is no point in bringing McDonald. We know Pim will stick to his system regardless of the situation

 

[thebigboy]

2.) We won't win or draw a single game this world cup. Verbeek is a shit coach who makes us play unattractive football and has hurt the national competition with his selection policy. He will leave a sour mark on Australian football.

Playing attracting football is fine, but if your not winning then it's a waste of time.

I'd like us to play a direct, attacking style which IMO is out best style. I don't care if we can pass the ball around like Brazil or Spain, I just want us to win games.

Agree with rest of your points though.

 

[RoJo Junior]

4 goalkeepers, 9 defenders, 12 midfielders, and 3 strikers - 1 who is actually a winger with an injury concern, 1 with a back complaint and 1 with pace and potential but IMO is far from World Cup standard just yet - God help us. And we still have to trim five players - based on this decision, surely its Kennedy who will be next to go

Sorry, I had to vent

Agree with this. Only 3 strikers in the preliminary squad, with 5 more to be cut. Geez we better hope Kennedy doesn't get injured. Harry is struggling to be fit as it is and as much as I love Ruka, I'm not too sure how well he'll go. Pim is an idiot. Hopefully Ruka can use his bucketloads of pace, because at the moment he looks our most likely outside of an O.G. or penalty...

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Happy to say I was wrong about the Aussie boys. Great effort last two games and never expected them to perform as well as they did.
gutted about not getting 2nd in our group, would have had a very winnable path to the semis.

 

[weagles_fan]

Today is what happens when you just let them play. Verbeek shows how bad of a coach he is any average coach and Australia is going to the next round. Why was Grella selected at the start of the tournament when he was horrible in the friendlies prior to the first game? Why was Moore ever picked? Beauchamp played in one or two of the friendlies and everyone could see he performed a lot better than Moore yet Moore was still selected in the first game. Everyone knew our defense is old so therefore slow and yet they still tried playing offside trap where if the opposition got the ball through it's all over. I blame Verbeek 100% for Australia going out we should've gone through

 

[AJ_2000]

Today is what happens when you just let them play. Verbeek shows how bad of a coach he is any average coach and Australia is going to the next round. Why was Grella selected at the start of the tournament when he was horrible in the friendlies prior to the first game? Why was Moore ever picked? Beauchamp played in one or two of the friendlies and everyone could see he performed a lot better than Moore yet Moore was still selected in the first game. Everyone knew our defense is old so therefore slow and yet they still tried playing offside trap where if the opposition got the ball through it's all over. I blame Verbeek 100% for Australia going out we should've gone through

Two points from this.

Verbeek underestimated our willingness for a contest. He obviously hadn't heard about the saying "its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog". By not allowing us to compete/scrap with Germany, the Australian way, has back fired big time.

The game is such a game of inches. After the Germans repeated breached our off side trap and carved us up, almost to the centimetre they were onside. Serbia were pinged time and time again, again the decisions were a matter of nothing but each time they broke through the flag kept going up. To the linesmans credit in both games the decisions were correct, and there were many close calls.

Disapointed to go out, but happy to restore our international credit.

 

[AJ_2000]

Happy to say I was wrong about the Aussie boys. Great effort last two games and never expected them to perform as well as they did.
gutted about not getting 2nd in our group, would have had a very winnable path to the semis.

- it looked after the German game your inital post was very, very accurate!