I think international football depends on coaching and tactics. And finding a Smeltzy. By which I mean a guy your opposition has never heard of who plays like he’d be fine in a Champion’s league final. At the WC Smeltz crosses for Reid’s goal and tucks away our one against Italy.
Reckon Duke can be that for Aussie sometimes.
Think Garbett could be that for us and nearly was until the VAR intervention. But he perhaps lacks a bit of Smeltzy’s charisma.
It’s weird that Ange and Jared Gillet are only Aussies consistently involved in top league play.
Sure they’ve got plenty of depth, and not calling up Cammy Devlin is cocky.
But on the other hand I think a lack of strategy or style to get the best out of our players is part of the problem.
2010 - we had no midfield (okay apart from Wee Mac) and Simon Elliot bombed long to our strikers. It suited our best players.
I think we definitely can get more out of our team and be more threatening. We need a bit more form and perhaps decide that some of our top players won’t be starting. Create the strongest possible base and go from there?
On paper we definitely should be giving Aussie a run for their money. I think we have potentially better players, but Aussie have a lot more players starting, even if like Behich they have to come back to the A league. Their last squad had 7 A league players. They’ve got bench goal keepers at Roma and Villa and Burgess at Ipswich.
Outside that no one in the top 5 and Balard at Breda. Couple of reasonable Championship players.
It feels like an Aussie squad that’s not significantly better, but simply plays together more and is more cohesive.
The other thing is that Aussie can be call on a bunch of Aussie coaches with international experience, several at the top levels. Ange, Arnold and Popovic are very good managers. I think the difference is there more than anything.
Reckon Duke can be that for Aussie sometimes.
Think Garbett could be that for us and nearly was until the VAR intervention. But he perhaps lacks a bit of Smeltzy’s charisma.
It’s weird that Ange and Jared Gillet are only Aussies consistently involved in top league play.
Sure they’ve got plenty of depth, and not calling up Cammy Devlin is cocky.
But on the other hand I think a lack of strategy or style to get the best out of our players is part of the problem.
2010 - we had no midfield (okay apart from Wee Mac) and Simon Elliot bombed long to our strikers. It suited our best players.
I think we definitely can get more out of our team and be more threatening. We need a bit more form and perhaps decide that some of our top players won’t be starting. Create the strongest possible base and go from there?
On paper we definitely should be giving Aussie a run for their money. I think we have potentially better players, but Aussie have a lot more players starting, even if like Behich they have to come back to the A league. Their last squad had 7 A league players. They’ve got bench goal keepers at Roma and Villa and Burgess at Ipswich.
Outside that no one in the top 5 and Balard at Breda. Couple of reasonable Championship players.
It feels like an Aussie squad that’s not significantly better, but simply plays together more and is more cohesive.
The other thing is that Aussie can be call on a bunch of Aussie coaches with international experience, several at the top levels. Ange, Arnold and Popovic are very good managers. I think the difference is there more than anything.