Roar Guru
Joined June 2009
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There is only one important question to ask in the afterglow of Australia’s T20 World Cup triumph: was it good for you too? There…
It's been too long since Australia last had the opportunity to pick young cricketers that have demanded Test selection through sheer weight of performance.…
Regardless of the current turmoil that has engulfed the short-term future of Australian cricket, there remains the inevitable picture that will supposedly set the…
Match result: A boilover in Bangkok is sealed! No, it’s not a win for Thailand – it doesn’t need to be. We can wax…
There has been many battles this cricket season, even before the Test matches have begun. There has been the tragic battle of the Hughes…
The stakes are raised in this match between Asia's heavyweights, as the Socceroos and Japan meet again in World Cup qualification. Join The Roar…
Match result: It was terse, tense and occasionally intemperate – but nothing could separate these sides, after a seesawing coverage that saw Saudi Arabia…
Match result: The UAE players gave their all, and for the most part, matched the Socceroos, but it is Australia who take three of…
Match result: Australia have kicked off their next phase of qualification for the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win against Iraq in Perth.…
History is set to be made at the Maracana on Sunday morning, as hosts Brazil face Germany in the men’s football gold medal match…
Football powerhouse Germany battle against surprise packets Sweden in a clash for Olympic gold at Rio's famed Maracana Stadium. Join The Roar for live…
It is the domain in which the gold rush is nominally aplenty for Australia – but can the Dolphins redeem themselves following a dismal…
Match result: Portugal has spoiled the French party, and in doing so they win the European tournament for the first time. It was also…
It is set to be a sea of the tricolour in the Stade de France on Monday morning, after hosts France defeated world champions…
Match result: France have advanced to face Portugal in the final of Euro 2016 after defeating Germany 2-0. France deserve their win for staying…
The scoreline will read a Germany win – their first against Italy in major competition. The scoreline tells of a penalty shootout, which as…
Match result: Germany are through to the semi-finals at Euro 2016 to face either France or Iceland after scoring their first ever win over…
Fairytale, fantasy, fact - call it what you will, Wales are Euro 2016 semi-finallists after a thrilling come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille…
Match result: Wales have stunned Belgium and the rest of Europe, taking a 3-1 win over the continent's top-ranked team to book a semi-final…
Match result: France have produced a stirring victory after going down via second-minute penalty from Robbie Brady. They pushed, battered and smashed through the…
This has penalties written all over it. Syria down 10, disinclined to not commit too forward. Australia, man up, but know one goal against them, and it’s over.
If Syria go through, good on them. If Australia does, then Panama/Honduras will destroy us.
Socceroos vs Syria: World Cup Qualifier highlights, live scores, blog
Great thing for Syria is that whether they concede or not, all they need right now is one goal. Another goal from Syria I reckon will snuff out the Socceroos.
Socceroos vs Syria: World Cup Qualifier highlights, live scores, blog
Actually Anon, the Socceroos did secure a very impressive 1-0 win in Abu Dhabi in the early qualifiers last year. At the time, I wrote it as Ange’s finest game in management, given the oppressive conditions, the short build-up, and also the UAE at home would always be a challenge. At that time, I thought Australia would qualify easily if that was the template.
What has killed us were those three away draws – Saudis, Iraq and Thailand. If any one was of those were a win, then Australia would be booking tickets to Russia now.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
When I say second-string Matsu, I’m referring to Japan’s overall game intensity. Now that they’ve qualified, I’m expecting them to play it like a friendly, and ensure all their players come out unscathed without injuries or suspensions. That against a Saudi team who will be roared on by a willing crowd to make their first World Cup in 12 years.
Japan won’t be easybeats, but the Saudis have it all to play for.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
The key difference being – tech issues aside, you actually performed to expectation 🙂
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
So, it all comes down to Jeddah. With Japan likely to field a second string, I’m expecting the Saudis to win, and force us to the playoffs.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
Actually 3, the qualification rules state that if two teams finish on same points and same goal difference, then the team with the higher goal tally goes through.
On that basis, another goal would still have the Saudis ahead.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
Maybe we’re all being harsh to the Socceroos. If France can draw at home to 136th placed Luxembourg, then should we be so harsh to our boys for struggling against the 130th team?
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
Alan, they don’t need anymore. They have enough. They just now need to stack men behind the ball, play a deep defensive line, and if the Thais want to foray forward, then let them.
It may be against Ange’s philosophy, but I’ve never heard of a good football philosophy that is about stagnant principles.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
There you go – abandon your defensive principles in order to mitigate circumstances in another game you have no control over.
If Australia don’t make the World Cup, it’s just rewards. It may also be for our good.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
Surely the pragmatic approach is to concentrate defending the advantage while searching in measured fashion for a second? I’m afraid that in trying to make up the goal difference, Australia may give the game away – think of Crystanbul as Example A.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
Now that we’ve got the goal, not sure how worthy it is to expose our defence in the search for more goals. We still need three more if goal difference is going to matter at all.
Socceroos vs Thailand highlights: Australia escape with nervy 2-1 win in Melbourne
Aaaah, the life of a troll – wait with baited breath to find something to tear down, including people who take the time to write an article, that is clearly opinion (it may help to disclose this from the get-go in the headline), so therefore, it doesn’t need to be completely factual, and can even contain flaws.
Now that I’ve defended Christian, I can critique his analysis. Firstly, if the merit of what is a “small club” is what has happened in the last decade, then I wouldn’t want to be an AC Milan fan. Yes, in 2007, they won the Champions League, but it’s been slim pickings since then.
Everton have been a victim of an austere regime by Bill Kenwright, purposefully to try and keep with its old identity as a club for the locals of Merseyside. Even though success has eluded them, their membership and brand value is not small at all. Living in London, Everton is not a niche market. And before that is disputed, full disclosure that I’m a Liverpool fan. I may not like to admit it, but Everton is a big club. Moshiri’s arrival means some Evertonians will have to let go of their perceived value of their club for their people, and embrace a more global marketplace. But nothing buys loyalty like silverware 🙂
Now with regards to the analysis on Lukaku. £90m (if the reports are to be believed) is a figure beyond ridicule, for any striker at any time. I’m thinking national annual GDPs and what-not. When applied specifically to Lukaku, Everton have done a shrewd bit of business, even moreso with Rooney going back to Finch Farm.
Manchester United is awash in dollars, but not so much in sense. Lukaku could represent the latest bit of business in the post-Ferguson era where the problems at Old Trafford can be solved with money alone. Jury is out on Pogba (who I think will come good), but Martial, Depay, and Di Maria have all been hugely disappointing purchases that have gone nowhere. United would have been far better off bringing up young Rashford, who may be wondering about his level of involvement with Lukaku’s arrival.
At the same time, Christian’s analysis on why Lukaku will fail doesn’t hold weight. While his record against big clubs was meagre, it also exemplifies how poor Everton themselves were against the clubs above them. If the expectation that Lukaku scores from the few shots he has in these games as a lone forward (largely), then it’s a big ask. For that reason alone, £90m is ridiculous.
Yet with a team with a greater intent to attack, he will benefit naturally. Herrera and Mata will be critical in this for me, and if United get Matic, that only increases Mourinho’s inclination to attack.
Jury is out on Lukaku (as it is on all new signings), but the only thing I can say is that on a fee of £90m, he can only ever fulfil expectations, and never exceed them. On that basis alone, it’s going to be tough for him, but that’s not to say he won’t score lots of goals for United.
Why Romelu Lukaku will fail at Manchester United
No need to apologise – nowhere was I trying to examine the relationship between the board and its players, because that’s been done very well by others on this specific issue, and focusing on that digresses from what I intended the subject to be: the fans.
The references to 1997 and then WSC was done to provide a more modern context to the previous times this issue has arisen. Not to say it hasn’t before, as you’ve alluded to, but what Bradman endured in the 30s has little relevance to today’s climate. Even Bradman needed his cricket board more than Steve Smith does right now, thanks to Twenty20 leagues around the world. Whether or not that’s a good thing is subjective.
I can’t comment on the WSC days as it was before my time (beyond the small reference in the piece), so I’ll focus purely on 1997. Recalling newspaper coverage about it then, the offers on the table related to essentially doubling the salary of Australian contracted players, but which was rejected in favour of the revenue sharing model that was in effect until last week. But even in 1997, while the likes of the Waugh brothers, Taylor, Healy, Warne and McGrath could on their salary live off cricket fully, some Shield players aspiring for Australian selection couldn’t afford that life, as the salaries weren’t high enough to the point of making cricket a full-time profession. In 1997, from the fans perspective, there was a just cause on the players’ behalf to pursue that model on a needs basis.
While in 2017 you can say the players are asking to keep that model for the sake of equity, their digging in to the extent in which the short-term future of the game is threatened is not making their case more appealing to supporters. On the same token, Cricket Australia’s lack of wiggle movement does not endear themselves to Australian fans, who can make an active choice on whether to part with their hard-earnt money to an organisation that is increasingly appearing to govern for their own financial ends, not for the betterment of the sport, as per their brief.
While the players have choices, so do the fans – that was the point of this story. While plenty will be on deck to see the team on November 23 if and when this issue is resolved, it has provided ample reason for many people, myself included, to look elsewhere to spend our money.
Australian cricket's pact with its fans is beyond repair
robi, the world rankings throw up some anomalies such as once ranking the USA as high as number four in the world at the same time Italy was 11th.
That should speak volumes about how much to take the world rankings seriously.
Australia should be proud of the Socceroos
Afternoon / evening everyone back home! Looking forward to seeing our boys in this one.
Socceroos vs Germany highlights: Confederations Cup live scores, blog
so you’d be happy for the team to lose so postecoglou was fired?
and who’s your alternative? lets not burn effigies of the current boss without having other names in mind…
Socceroos vs Saudi Arabia highlights: World Cup qualifier live scores, blog
and possibly leave open gaps for the saudis to equalise again? a win keeps them in the hunt, a draw or loss may have just about knocked them out.
australia next off to japan in august – if they win that, i can’t see them missing out. but they’re likely not to, so a draw is minimum
Socceroos vs Saudi Arabia highlights: World Cup qualifier live scores, blog
geez wronya settle down. not easy keeping track of asian football from london.
Socceroos vs Saudi Arabia highlights: World Cup qualifier live scores, blog
Table after this game:
JPN (Played: 7, Points: 16, GD: +9)
KSA (Played: 8, Points: 16, GD: +7)
AUS (Played: 8, Points: 16, GD: +6)
UAE (Played: 7, Points: 9, GD: -3)
IRQ (Played: 7, Points: 4, GD: -3)
THA (Played: 7, Points: 1, GD: -16)
Goal difference is prioritised over head-to-head, so Socceroos still relying on other results to a degree. That point Thailand has is big – it was against Australia.
Socceroos vs Saudi Arabia highlights: World Cup qualifier live scores, blog
Lucky escape for Australia. But Saudis played well to come back from twice down. Is Australia getting weaker, or Asia getting stronger?
Socceroos vs Saudi Arabia highlights: World Cup qualifier live scores, blog
Sitting at work in London, wishing I was back home. Gorgeous to see Sydney bathed in red…
Sydney FC vs Liverpool FC highlights: Liverpool thump Sydney 3-nil
In fairness Marty, is there any manager currently that has what can amount to be an English leader? Dele Alli looks promising, and Jordan Henderson is a promising leader, albeit a slightly underwhelming player. Ross Barkley is feted at Everton, but his form is too inconsistent to take on that mantle.
The Premier League’s biggest victim is the English National Team, where the short-term ambitions of managers means that bringing up local players is not a priority compared to dipping into the transfer market.
Wenger's pursuit of English talent lost in translation
The point here is that regardless if all clubs spend either one pound or 100 million pounds on transfers, it doesn’t change the fact every club will still finish between 1st and 20th place.
Over the course of 38 games – the factors that wins a title are multiple – good luck with minimal injuries/supensions, cutting out individual errors, leadership on the pitch, and having a flexible system to be successful against different teams. And those factors don’t change regardless of how much you spend – the money only gets you so far.
Despite half a billion pounds, Manchester remains the same
God help Australian football when Tim Cahill is no longer available…
Socceroos vs Syria: World Cup Qualifier highlights, live scores, blog