2026 qualifiers

[belchardo]

Not a great first 20. Starting to make some inroads in the last 10. Yengi should have done better.

[Jeterpool]

This has been horrible to watch. The midfield aren't functioning at all.

At at least 3 opposition players are off to hospital.

[Jeterpool]

Ha ha ha. Wow.

[belchardo]

Great finish from souttar.

Glad I can go back to blaming arnie for every problem in Australian football.

[belchardo]

Duke is so shit. Free header and he puts it 4m wide.

[Jeterpool]

This is what happens when you have too many gypos involved.

Why would we be surprised by this?

[Jardelsimage]

Duke is so shit. Free header and he puts it 4m wide.

said it before, if Duke is either our starting striker or Mr fixit off the bench we are F*^ked

[Buddha]

Post match analysis a joke. Where they should have been going all in on ArnieBall's tactics, they instead complained about Bahrain Gamesmanship. We have been playing in the AFC for 18 years now, and nobody has wised up to the gamesmanship from these countries. ArnieBall works when you're playing against much better teams and you can play pragmatically, backs to the wall, Aussie DNA bullshit.

But it's ok, we will have Ray Gatt & Robbie Slater come out and defend their mate despite his abysmal tactics. Those two plus our National Disrupter Ernie Merrick will say we don't have the cattle and give Arnold a free ride.

To think that Bielsa offered to do the job before they gave it to Arnold as well.

[My2BobsWorth]

Arnie is copping lots of flack, and rightly so, he picked the team, but the skills of our players is bloody embarrassing

[sapdad]

Arnie is copping lots of flack, and rightly so, he picked the team, but the skills of our players is bloody embarrassing

He keeps picking the same players and only a certain type of player.Plenty of Australian players out there with more skill than hes putting on show but no point them being in a squad when we are set up to play one way and not even try and improve.Ange Postecoglou will get the sack before Arnold does and that tells you all you need to know about our football leadership.Edit to this post I am agreeing with your statement I just blame the coach more than the players he puts out there.

[Jeterpool]

Arnie is copping lots of flack, and rightly so, he picked the team, but the skills of our players is bloody embarrassing

The players looked incredibly rusty. Second touch for many was a tackle.

OptaJason posted about Irvine, O'Neill and Metcalfe's passing accuracy on the night - which was generally high....problem was they were all sideways or backward. Those forward were more often than not unsuccessful.

[Jetmaster]

Several Arabic teams have conned us using the "dark arts" since we entered the confederation - it worked and worked well. A red card and a goal. Not pretty but a part of win at all costs WC football. I am certain Saudi and Indonesia will play on this, as will Bahrain on return.

Instead of going on about the "diving" (only in the last 20 mins or so) I would be more concerned that we did absolutely nothing with the ball, with no real clear cut chance.

The Ch10 post match was again pure fluff that would not push the issues like Fox used to do. Still remember Robbie Slater throwing his pen and saying "that was crap".

[My2BobsWorth]

They don't have the skills to deal with pressure in possession, usually a rushed pass to nowhere or to the opposition. It seems to work well for NPL teams against A league teams as well. I think most countries have worked us out by now

[plague]

I think most countries have worked us out by now

Spot on Mr Bob's.

Remember we went to the world cup with a midfield of Cullina, Grella and Bresciano?

We have exactly zero players of that quality 20 years on cause we don't reward their type anymore

Hiddink saw Cahill as a bench player who came on with some energy. Arnold treated him like he was Maradona. That's the exact point we started going backwards.


Not even joking the Spanish women's team midfield has more technical ability than our men's team.



Anyway, Cahills gone let's all fap over an NSL bench player who made an OS academy team. The future is bright indeed...........

[Jetmaster]

Anyway, Cahills gone let's all fap over an NSL bench player who made an OS academy team. The future is bright indeed...........

I do agree with the point of overhype, particularly Irankunda. He is Arzani 2 - media darling of the current broadcaster. Still much to prove.

[Skimmer]

Several Arabic teams have conned us using the "dark arts" since we entered the confederation - it worked and worked well. A red card and a goal. Not pretty but a part of win at all costs WC football. I am certain Saudi and Indonesia will play on this, as will Bahrain on return.

Instead of going on about the "diving" (only in the last 20 mins or so) I would be more concerned that we did absolutely nothing with the ball, with no real clear cut chance.

The Ch10 post match was again pure fluff that would not push the issues like Fox used to do. Still remember Robbie Slater throwing his pen and saying "that was crap".

Summed up beautifully. Get the AIS up & running again. We had a good crew come through that. Arnie is just there for the paycheck. Time for an actual coach.

[380]

We have created a generation of pretty triangle players and put in place a so called curriculum that has coached any nous any instinct out of naturally gifted players.

Plague, Could not agree more and until we change the fabric of the game in this country from the rubbish of the last 20 years we will never see another Cullina, Grella or Bresh. Those bloke played on instinct not some pre determined knock it around keep ems off just to make the possession stat look great.

The fact we have persevered with this bullshit style of football for so long is criminal but its all about money and the curriculum football directly feeds back into all these over hyped and overpriced glorified academies. Got to have something to teach and turn into a money spinner.

[Jetmaster]

I hear there were over 2000 school supensions in the last year. Kids are precious, entitled and soft and competitiveness has gone out of their sport. We are now paying the piper.

Mat Ryan's post match interview was a psychoanalysis session with no mention of football itself really.

Bring back corporal punishment.

[belchardo]

Campaign going well.

[Jardelsimage]

Campaign going well.

Exceptionally well....19 shots, 5 on target..
dukes, 1 attempt at goal in 66 minutes..

[Buddha]

Post match again a joke. Brosque said we played brilliantly....

[Jetmaster]

In the meantime Japan put 5 past Bahrain.

[Retro Jet]

Exceptionally well....19 shots, 5 on target..
dukes, 1 attempt at goal in 66 minutes..

15 corners too :whistling:

[Jardelsimage]

15 corners too :whistling:

silveras? final free kick of the game, last chance in the game to score and he sends it 2 meters over the bar...and that's the best we have.

[Jardelsimage]

Arnold has quit....

[Retro Jet]

Yeah. It's just a pity the sCCuM lovin' **** didn't give FA more time to look for a replacement.

[Jeterpool]

Yeah. It's just a pity the sCCuM lovin' **** didn't give FA more time to look for a replacement.

You'd hope they already were in a "jump-before-pushed" sense. Got a sense of letting him leave with dignity on what appears to be his own decision.

[Jeterpool]

How Mitch Duke remains the socceroos first choice striker is an embarrassment to our youth football development

[plague]

How Mitch Duke remains the socceroos first choice striker is an embarrassment to our youth football development

One day we will finally meet, and when we do I will high five you and always remember it.


**** Mitch Duke.

[Jeterpool]

One day we will finally meet, and when we do I will high five you and always remember it.


**** Mitch Duke.

That day will be glorious.

I might even record it for the podcast

[Jardelsimage]

That day will be glorious.

I might even record it for the podcast

to my fellow haters of the shittiest forward(player) to pull a Socceroo's jersey on, these are quotes from an article on the Roar.

"That just leaves Duke."

His record as a striker at club level is appalling, with just four goals from 31 matches at Machida Zelvia in the J1 league, and no assists. At national level he’s only scored twice from 10 matches since 2023 which is only once every five matches, again with no assists.
The praise for Duke these days seems to follow a similar line to Robbie Kruse towards the end of his career. He might not score as often as he used to, but hey, look at his work rate!
It’s well and truly time to move on from Duke

[plague]

I doubt it, Duke is a prototype player for the type of coach and mentality we have in this country at the moment.

Gypo Arnold wishes he had 11 Mitch Dukes on the field every game. It's not Dukes fault either, can't blame him for doing exactly what he's been asked to do.


Poppa hasn't shown much energy to change that, but to be fair he's not got much time to develop anything.

If only we'd listen to Big Ange all those years ago.

Anyway, at least it was easy for the Tim Cahill stans to find a new idol.

[Jardelsimage]

we are shit

[My2BobsWorth]

That's an understatement

[Jeterpool]

That was incredibly lucky

[Jetmaster]

Whichever of the group, aside from Japan, wins two games of the 4 left will go through.

We have won one so far out of six.

[Imyourhero]

We are shit but at least Duke was shown how a #9 can score goals and help the team

[Jardelsimage]

We are shit but at least Duke was shown how a #9 can score goals and help the team

Could have and should have scored at least 2 more, no need for the touch on the pen spot, just shoot.

[plague]

We are shit but at least Duke was shown how a #9 can score goals and help the team

Someone just posted he's got 2 from his last 10 and no assists.

He isnt showing anyone anything.

He ain't the problem, but he sure ain't the solution.

[Jardelsimage]

Someone just posted he's got 2 from his last 10 and no assists.

He isnt showing anyone anything.

He ain't the problem, but he sure ain't the solution.

duke didn't play, talking about Yengi

[plague]

duke didn't play, talking about Yengi


Holy shit, my infant brain read my man's initial post completely wrong.

That's my bad Mr imyourhero, please accept my apologies.


cheers,
plague.

[My2BobsWorth]

Thought Yengi was pretty poor also, stuffed up a ton of chances. First goal was easy as, didn't see the second. He's not the answer

[Jeterpool]

Thought Yengi was pretty poor also, stuffed up a ton of chances. First goal was easy as, didn't see the second. He's not the answer

Second one was a close-to-goal shot from a scramble in the box following a far post cross. Poacher goal.

[Jardelsimage]

That was one of the worst performances I have ever watched,

[Jetmaster]

It indeed was a bizarre watch. It wasn't a 5-1 performance for sure.

[belchardo]

Ooph, that's a howler by the Chinese keeper. Not sure how he did that.

[Jeterpool]

Haven't seen the game but the result is what was needed.
If we can jag a win over Japan that should make the Saudi game redundant. Or we hope for a Bahrain win over the Saudi

[Addios]

We can lose next 2 games easily. Japan home, Saudi away. However on form, we should get a least 1 draw maybe 2 worst case.

[Jardelsimage]

We can lose next 2 games easily. Japan home, Saudi away. However on form, we should get a least 1 draw maybe 2 worst case.

Form????

[Skimmer]

Form????

2 wins in a row numbnuts. Thats not bad for us.

[Jardelsimage]

2 wins in a row numbnuts. Thats not bad for us.


Well, we are actually unbeaten in our last 6 i think it is, not great results against some of the teams.

But now, now no need for name calling...numbnuts, wow haven't heard that one in a while.

my idea of form must be different, good form is beating lower ranked sides with ease, bad form is, we struggled in both these games, we should have been down against Indonesia and we are lucky Chinese goalie can't catch....

Japan and the Saudi's next, very possible to lose both of these games going on the current form....and by the way i commented on Addios comment, no need for you to get involved anyway.

[Jeterpool]

Terrific, unexpected result last night.

Our destiny is in our hands...but I don't underestimate Saudi Arabia at home. Yes they need a 5-0 win at a minimum to progress, but I don't put it past them.

[Buddha]

Terrific, unexpected result last night.

Our destiny is in our hands...but I don't underestimate Saudi Arabia at home. Yes they need a 5-0 win at a minimum to progress, but I don't put it past them.

I actually think it will play into our hands because the Saudi's will try and be extremely attacking from the start for obvious reasons and leave themselves so open.

[Jeterpool]

I actually think it will play into our hands because the Saudi's will try and be extremely attacking from the start for obvious reasons and leave themselves so open.

That's what I was thinking the approach would be.

[My2BobsWorth]

Looked like the 541 bus last night, needed a little bit of luck, but worked this time. One thing about Poppa, he seems to do his homework, maybe that's how to win against the Nippons

[Jeterpool]

1-1 at half time. First part of the job is done