Socceroos and Australian Football

[Johnners]

FFS, apparently Iraq 1-0 after 30 minutes, anyone watching the game?

If so, can you tell me if Kewell is playing as a Left Winger, and if they're trying to play possession football instead of punting it long every oppurtunity? Graham Arnold should never have been appointed head coach.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Mum won't let me turn it to it, probably for the best.

 

[Son Of Coco]

FFS, apparently Iraq 1-0 after 30 minutes, anyone watching the game?

If so, can you tell me if Kewell is playing as a Left Winger, and if they're trying to play possession football instead of punting it long every oppurtunity? Graham Arnold should never have been appointed head coach.

It does seem that we're not playing as well as in the World Cup last year.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Because Arnold's basically Frank Farina.

 

[chaminda_00]

Wake up call Australia needed really, just look at how many sides in this comp actually have home based coaches. Most of them have either a mediocre South American or European coach. Still reckon they can get back into this game, its only 1-0 and Australia actually dominating possession, just doing nothing with it. Three yellow cards is probably going to kill the game off if Arnold doesn't sub a couple players with yellows.

 

[chaminda_00]

Viduka scored 1-1...

 

[Johnners]

Where's Kewell playing Tharmi?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

That was shocking, absolutely ****ing terrible. Kisnorbo's a ******, shows just how much we miss Craig Moore.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

wtf is the defence doing for ****s sake. Having a snooze while the strikers and midfield just stroll through.

 

[James]

Well done Iraq, boy do they have some skilled footballers or what. They look to have a superb team in the making.

Australia were down right shocking. Graham Arnold had an absolute serve at the players in the post match interview.

 

[cameeel]

We're ****

 

[alternative]

So freaking dire.

 

[Johnners]

Nah, we aren't ****, we're just being coached poorly. Fair enough the players make stupid skill errors, but imo that's a by-product from a poor game-plan, bring back Guus

 

[ash chaulk]

nup was so ****

 

[Neil Pickup]

Surely Australia, who by rights are World Champions having only been robbed through biased and incompetent hate-filled pro-European refereeing, cannot possibly have lost to Iraq?

 

[Son Of Coco]

Surely Australia, who by rights are World Champions having only been robbed through biased and incompetent hate-filled pro-European refereeing, cannot possibly have lost to Iraq?

Now, now...just because we didn't hopelessly underachieve (again) at the last World Cup, there's no need to get nasty!

 

[chaminda_00]

The thing is its easy to blame to coach and yeah he has to take some blame. But really he did what everyone wanted him to do from the first game, expect play Cahill. Who probably wasn't fit enough to play 90 minutes anyway.

Kewell was playing on the left as winger and did nothing all game. Yeah thats his best position but he hardly got involved in the game at all. Viduka had more support with Holman who played a lot further up the park then Sterjokski(sp) did.

The big issue was first Vince Grella, in both game the guy he was meant to mark run all over us. The number 12 from Oman and number 11 from Iraq. Yeah both players are by far the best players from both sides, but a player of his quality should mark them a lot better. Carl Verali(sp) should come in for the next game, cus guess where Thailand captain and their best player plays, at AM behind the strikers.

The second issue was playing two midfielders in defence. We got away with in the World Cup, as Guus simplified the game plan and Chipperfield defended out of his skin. Emerton and Wilkshere got found out by some fast and skillful wingers in both games. I'm not sure if Milligan or Thwaite would have done any better, but atleast one of them should have played, to help out the centre backs a lot more.

The third issues was the Lucas Niell, its easy to blame an inexperience defender in Kisnobro, but really he was no worse then Niell in the first two matches. It could actually be a blessing in disguise that his out for the next game. Really did lack a calm and collected Moore though in defence. Niell a brillant defender at his best, but still makes some stupid mistakes, his clearence was pathetic.

The last and probably the most important, was the central midfielder and there deliver and support play. Grella, Bres and Culina hardly produced any good quality build up play that we have built our game around for the last couple years. The amount of times they went for long balls, over short passes or ones and two was just pathetic. Apart from Cahill, no one got into the box from midfield to provide an extra target for any attacks.

There are some bigger issues in the way the team plays then just some poor coaching options. The defence is the first area that needs fixing though, as some of those goals where just school boy errors.

Credit to Iraq they provided why they are the 6th best side in Asia tonight.

 

[TT Boy]

Surely Australia, who by rights are World Champions having only been robbed through biased and incompetent hate-filled pro-European refereeing, cannot possibly have lost to Iraq?

LOL.

Surely this must go down as one of the worst results in the 'Socceroos' history? Considering the players they have and the opposition is composed of merely Middle-Eastern footballers with the exception of a few ‘star’ players, who feature in the footballing ‘hotbed’ which is Limassol, Southern Cyprus.

And Australia must really be in the mire if they are missing Craig Moore - There are men in Northern Ireland who have been knee-capped whose knees are in a better state than Moore’s.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

LOL.

Surely this must go down as one of the worst results in the 'Socceroos' history?

...i.e. 18 months?

 

[Johnners]

Surely Australia, who by rights are World Champions having only been robbed through biased and incompetent hate-filled pro-European refereeing, cannot possibly have lost to Iraq?