Only time will tell DaSilva…I say semi-final spot…Carton of beer + turkey

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/hulls-bells–theyre-giving-em-all-a-fright/2008/10/25/1224351605613.html

A string of shock wins against Arsenal, Newcastle United, West Ham, and Tottenham has rocketed Hull to third place on the ladder. Reflecting the team’s nickname, Australian midfielder Richard Garcia claimed the Tigers’ success was a combination of hunger and fearlessness.

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However Australia is one of the stronger nation in Asia and I always believe that we missed a lot of world cups that we would have qualified in if we were part of AFC all along. We have to set ourselves expectation that qualfication is the bare minimum especially considering that Asia has 4.5 spots. Not qualifying is a disaster and should be seen as such.

However once we reach the world cup we have to then temper our expectations of how we define success. We can’t expect to get out of the group stages and join the round of 16 everytime. I expect there will be a World CUp where Australia will bomb out in the group stages (although I do have high hopes for this team who I believe is quite a strong Australian side and no weaker then 2006 side). What the expectation should be really is determine by what draw we get. If we were in a really tough group lets say Argentina and Holland were in our group then simply being competitive, giving the superpower a tough time is enough to have a decent world cup. However a more manageable group we should expect our side to get into the round of 16

If we don’t then that doesn’t necessary mean a sackable offence either. I guess what I’m expecting is that Australia comes in the World Cup. Play good possession football, try to control the opposition and play generally attractive style of play eg Hiddink. If we don’t do that and get knocked out in the group stages. I would say we failed in the World Cup because Australia is capable of achieving all of that. If we do achieve that but get knock out early due to bad luck, poor finishing, injuries, difficult group, umpiring etc. I’ll say we had an acceptable world cup. WE can’t expect Australia to get in the knock out stages every time. In fact every time an Asian side made the knock out stages they will bomb out in the group stage the world cup after. If has happen with Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea and it may happen to Australia.

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Has Pim achieved is goal? Not yet. However once we get to the WC, then the action really heats up. We proved to ourselves and probably quite a bit of Europe that we can beat most teams on our day with the win over the Dutch, and we have also shown Asia that we will put lesser teams to the sword.

I like where this is heading…..

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You get my point - we can’t afford to see qualification os ‘business as usual’ for another few World Cups yet. Give me 3 or 4 straight appearances in the finals (so out to 2018 at the earliest) and I’ll start being a touch more confortable.

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KB

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If Australia win all the WCQ matches playing good football perhaps I’ll consider offer him a new contract. However the fact is that his worth is still how we perform at the World Cup. Qualifying to the World Cup is pretty much the bare minimum of what is expected from Pim and we shouldn’t really reward him with a contract for doing what is the bare minimum.

Ideally we would wait until after the World Cup is finish and then assess Pim’s performance and then offer a new contract if australia perform well as really Pim legacy in Australia will be judge on that. However that will risk Pim getting poach if that happen. So I’ll settle for offering a contract for Pim if we qualify easily with many games to spare and in style.

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I agree on lolman sorry Holman ……… I was just comparing the contrasting styles, Lolman a run hard all day, and Nicky style and passing ……. no arguement from me who is the best of the two ……… but its not only Lolman Nicky is up against for the No. 10 shirt.

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In any case Holman does make some good passes. I saw few decent one on Wednesday. He also had two assist against Qatar away in the first round of qualifiers. However I admit he doesn’t do it enough for him to be really effective. If he doesn’t score goals for Australia then he’s not worth a spot in the side as that is his main role

TIme to give another player a go.

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KB

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Carney, Wilkshire play full back positions or wide mids, Nicky is after the number 10 shirt the attacking mid sitting in the hole behind the strikers.

Top Cat, Bresh, Nathurn Burns, all great players playing in top leagues and Champions league, ……… simple question KB rate in order for the roll your order, for me its Top Cat, Bresh, ……then Nicky then Burns and lets not forget about Stuart Musialik, Richard Garica (Hull City) not far behind.

Then there is the Holman debate ………… is Nicky a better player than Holman ………..what does Holman bring ……….Holman works his arse off every game. He misses scoring opportunities I groan when i see Holman playing sometime but i can see the positives he brings. Speed, endurance and plays the ball well at his feet. Even Fossie said so.

What does Nicky bring ……… skill a great pass, fast feet.

Holman is a Top Cat type player but not in the same class as TC, ………. Do I think Nicky is a better player than Bresh …NO I don’t.

Its a hard call but Nicky has to earn his place and play some outstanding games to break into this squad.

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KB

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Perhaps Pim doesn’t want to select someone who’s mind are on other things and is not focus on the job. Perhaps he wants him to settle in ENgland and sorts things out with his family.

Carle’s misselection doesn’t have to be so sinister

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I agree that you should be able to make a name for yourself by 27 - although if he were to start getting big wraps in the Championship, that should not be ignored.

Millster
I did see him in the Nigerian game that KB speaks of, and I did think he played quite well - but I can’t remember the formation - did we play with 3 at the back? I think we did because Carney would have been playing as a LWB, and he’s drifted in and then latched onto the loose ball from about 30 metres and buried it. Anyway, the point is that in some sort of 3-5-2 formation, you probably can find a role for Carle, similar to what Carlos does for MV - but it gets a bit trickier in some of the other formations.

sj
Youlve watched him play so often, I’d almost think you were a fan of his!!

By the way, the bird is meant to be an eagle - there are a few other variations of the same theme. The eagle is associated with Palermo because when the Holy Roman Emperor, Federick II became King of Sicily, he introduced something along the lines of the Roman standard that featured an eagle - very similar to what ultimately ended up being used by Nazi Germany! Frederick II was German on his father’s side and Siculo-Norman on his mother’s side, and he was based in Palermofor about the first half of his life.

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KB

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I have always liked Nicky ……… I love play makers …… in the NSL & A-League have watched Nicky play and in Olyroo matches as well and all these games live.

I honestly struggle to see the same play maker he is made out to be at times on this site and on SBS.

TBH I think his time has come with Kool not being there as he was and so on. But and this is the Big But at 26 going on 27 if he was anything like the player he is made out to be he would be with a much better club in a higher league …….. having said that I am willing to give him a go and Loman sorry Holman and Burns selections do amaze me …….. but attacking mids Top Cat, Kool, Bres, Emo, Sterjovski, Lolman………… OK at number 10 only then……… Top Cat, Bres, Kool , Lolman, Nicky who would I pick ….TC move Kool to LM, on the bench as the number 10 replacement is it Bres or Nick or Lolman ruling out Burns / Bridge / Holland among a number of other players pushing for the number 10 shirt.

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I’ve been following the Carle debate for a while and with some sympathy. I like playmakers and people with creativity so on principle I am in favour of him - and his type of player - having a role in the national line-up.

But (and some of you will laugh at this) I was thinking last night that I’ve actually only barely seen him play a half on TV when he was in the A-League, and not since then. So while I have feelings about this issue I have to admit they are almost 100% based on the principle and not really on my own assessment of the player.

Am I right in having a feeling that if we put our hands on our hearts this is true of a number of us? Or is it just me that, when I really think about it, hasn’t got much basis in ffirst hand observation from which to really form an opinion on this guy?

Just putting it out there…

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I think it’s true that even last 2006 WC we had an embarrassment of riches in our AM department, i.e. in a 4-2-3-1 that we often played with throughout the WC, there were probably 5 or 6 quality players we could mix and match across the attacking three.

But with Kool aging (and constantly injured), we do end up with a dearth of what one might call a quality playmaker.

Culina comes close but generally plays deeper; Bresh and Cahill are at their very best at the pointy end, either finishing or giving off the final ball; and then it drops away thereafter.

I’m not saying that Carle is the answer, personally, I still think he has to prove himself at this level - but one could mount the argument that even amongst these midfielders, there remains a gap for someone like Carle (if he is good enough).

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Kool, Emo, Culina, Top Cat (Timmy Cahill) , Carney, Bresh, Grella ,Valeri, Sterjovski, Holland, Burns, Bridge, Jedi, Carica, Stuart Musialik, Troisi, McCelland, Nicky………..then the maybes Travis Dodd, Shannon Cole, Holman, Jacob Burns,

Thus we have 15 mids capable of playing with another 4 close …….. OK lets say Kool, Emo, Culina, Top Cat (Timmy Cahill) , Carney, Bresh, Grella ,Valeri, Sterjovski, 9 mids for sure then the next group pushing for selection Holland, Burns, Bridge, Troisi, McCelland, Jedi, Carica, Stuart Musialik, another 8, then the ohers Travis Dodd, Shannon Cole, Holman, Jacob Burns say 4.

So thats 9 starting mids now + 8 pushing them hard, and 4 lets see if they can improve, 21 mids with Nicky making up the 22 spot.

Not saying where Nicky is in the above 22 ……… but he has a real battle on his hands to get in …….. so Jes & KB IMO Nicky is not such a stand out as to jump to the top of the line, and I think Bres will struggle to get back in the starting side TBH and I rate Bres as a ball player better than Nicky.

Waiting for the next Nicki article Jes ……… not really

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As I have always said Nicky is a great player ….but who do you drop.

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KB

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