We Are The Reds

The World Cup is over.

Bert van Marwijk has finished as coach, a pity he was only a short term appointment.

Graham Arnold is now coach and his first task is to defend the Asian Cup in January.

He has a huge task with the team lacking goal scorers.

Hopefully there will be a number of friendlies between now and then and plenty of different players will be tried.

Milligan seems to be retiring but not official, and, Cahill, Jones and perhaps other are possibly coming to the end of their international careers.

Spiranovic now being back in the A-league, providing he plays well, must be the main option to replace Milligan. Williams could also be involved.

I would like to see Jeggo, Dougall, Mebrahtu, Borello, Atkinson and Karacic tried in friendlies. Arzani must be given more time, start him in some friendlies as well. Gersbach possibly to return as back up left back.

I hope Troisi can find his best form again at Victory because I feel he can still offer plenty to the national team.

The side needs to be built around the core group of Ryan, Sainsbury, Mooy, Rogic, Leckie and Behich going through the Asian Cup and qualification for the next World Cup.

Arnold has less than a month more than Van Marwijk did to prepare. It's delusional to think an elaborate period of experimentation will take place.

It will be a very similar preparation and squad to the world cup. Except with some players retired/still burnt out from this world cup. Plus the very real risk that the most promising talent, Arzani, gets signed by a big club and doesn't play a minute between now and then.

Asian cup will be more about FFA and Arnold justifying his appointment rather than starting a new era.

Just imagine if we perform poorly after the world cup result and graham arnolds previous history at the asian cup.

There is potential for things to get very messy if we do not perform.

This is what happens when there is no long term goal and progression.

I actually feel for arnold.

He is in a tight spot, the country desperately needs a result but he will be heavily scrutinised on how we play. As interloper mentioned he doesnt have much time to do anything at all with a likely weaker squad than the world cup.

I actually feel for arnold.

I don't. He happily took the job via the 'Old Boys Network' knowing what it entailed. If he'd gone through a proper recruitment against credentialed alternatives I'd feel for him. He didn't.

The only sympathy I have for Arnold is that I feel he was hung out to dry in his previous stint. It's not that he was any good back then, it's that it took months between the FFA making it obvious he would be replaced and actually pulling the trigger.

I don't rate him at this level, but I will wait and see.

The one positive is that I think Arnold's management at the Mariners is a large part of what made Rogic into a great player.

I actually feel arnold may be well suited to asian international football.

He plays with a well organised defence, heavily relying in a quality 10 with either 2 wide pacey strikers or a big tall target man upfront.

Its unlikely teams will be succesfull sitting back and absorbing pressure against arnold compared to ange.

The issue for me is Ange while ange often got sucker punched, he was setting us up to take on world class teams who do not park the bus at the world cup. While arnold has never really shown he can take on a more fancied opponent and beat them head on.

Asian success vs world cup success?

Arnold has less than a month more than Van Marwijk did to prepare. It's delusional to think an elaborate period of experimentation will take place.

It will be a very similar preparation and squad to the world cup. Except with some players retired/still burnt out from this world cup. Plus the very real risk that the most promising talent, Arzani, gets signed by a big club and doesn't play a minute between now and then.

The time is quite similar but I think there is a bit of a difference. BVM only had 1 Fifa date for friendlies, I think Arnold will have three, which gives him the option of 6 games rather than 2 games. So I think there is time to try some new players in the first FIFA date.

Is the A-league have FIFA dates off this season?

I think Arnold and BVM play pretty similar styles. Compact midfield and defence so no real changes between now and the Asian Cup.

I share the opinion that Arnie can't cut it at international level but for the reported $1.5m the FFA have to spend on a coach, I am not surprised he was the best we could afford. Although I would have much preferred Gomby or Ernie Merrick for that price.

The question here is whether GA uses the Asian Cup to rejuvinate the squad. None of Jedinak, Milligan or Cahill will make it to 2022 and even Kruse is unlikely.

Whilst most of our squad is relatively young, the risk of having an older squad in 2022 (should we make it) means that younger players like Arzani, McGree, Gersbach, Sunsjar & Hrustic need to be given some time on the pitch (club form permitting).

I think put the players out there that give us the best chance of winning the thing.

The tournament is only 6mo away so wouldn't mind seeing Jedinak and Milligan in the squad if there is no one better. Cahill can probably be given the flick as can't get a game at club level.

I think Arnie deserves the position. Is there a more successful Australian coach in the last decade? (Besides Ange...)
My only beef with him would be if he does a similar thing at Sydney and focuses on short term results and puts little or no effort into blooding youth meaning once all our elders do eventually retire. We've got no experience to fall back on.
Hopefully I'm wrong and Arnie acknowledges that placing hope in a squad who just barely made a WC then couldn't create a single goal from open play while there isn't going to get him anywhere. Unlike the WC blooding youth in an Asian Cup wouldn't be as risky an operation as the drop in standard would be significant, plus the level of media attention on the side would be massively lower than the WC too so if we bomb out in the group stage only diehard fans would be fully aware.

Unlike the WC blooding youth in an Asian Cup wouldn't be as risky an operation as the drop in standard would be significant, plus the level of media attention on the side would be massively lower than the WC too so if we bomb out in the group stage only diehard fans would be fully aware.

It is probably less about the starting XI and more about the squad. Players like James Meredith, Timmy Cahill, Brad Jones, James Troisi, Mathew Spiranovic and Nikita Rukavysta are all handy players who could make the squad, however as players that are not going to either be starting XI or realistic choices for 2022 they should be overlooked in favour of younger players for whom just being at the tournament will be of benefit.

Unlike the WC blooding youth in an Asian Cup wouldn't be as risky an operation as the drop in standard would be significant, plus the level of media attention on the side would be massively lower than the WC too so if we bomb out in the group stage only diehard fans would be fully aware.

It is probably less about the starting XI and more about the squad. Players like James Meredith, Timmy Cahill, Brad Jones, James Troisi, Mathew Spiranovic and Nikita Rukavysta are all handy players who could make the squad, however as players that are not going to either be starting XI or realistic choices for 2022 they should be overlooked in favour of younger players for whom just being at the tournament will be of benefit.

I see no reason why Spiranovic could not be starting for the Socceroos in 2022 if he gets his club situation sorted out, which he has done to a certain extent by joining Perth. I agree with the rest.

I guess we can count Mooy out of the squad now