Australian National Team Thread - #ArnieOut!

There doen’t need to be any law changes to deal with this situation, the LOTG already cover it.
IFAB issued an instruction back in 2023 that states:

A player who is guilty of simulation is shown a yellow card. Simulation is when a player tries to deceive the referee by faking or exaggerating an action to get:

  • a free kick or penalty kick
  • a red or yellow card for an opponent

Examples: feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled, kicked, punched etc.

A player who is fouled may receive a yellow card for simulation if the player:

  • exaggerates the seriousness of a foul or the strength/effect of a kick, push etc.
  • holds the wrong part of the body after an incident (such as a foul, push, etc.)

Examples: holding the knee when the foul was on the ankle or holding the head/face after being pushed in the chest

Referees just need to start issuing yellow cards to players simulating injuries.

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Yup. It’s a big annoyance for me that you basically never see someone awarded a free kick and get carded for trying to con the ref. It happens pretty much every game.

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yeah but VAR isn’t allowed to judge it are they? In the heat of the moment, it’s not easy to tell whether someone got the ankle or the knee, the only way you can be sure is to review the footage to confirm.

Why would you need the VAR to intervene?

If you get scythed down from behind chances are you’re going to be a bit injured. Lying on the ground and waiting for the physio is a reasonable action.

If you get clipped on the ankle and then writhe around on the ground as if you’ve taken a .50 cal round then it’s pretty obvious that you’re simulating.

For the same reason why VAR exists in the first place, to ensure the right decision is made and catch stuff the ref doesn’t see.

In my case, I was referencing the examples in the IFAB rules. It’s about someone holding the wrong body part etc. It’s not always that easy for a ref to see, that or he may see the general incident but not see the specifics. The worst ones are the players that do get fouled for a free kick, but then over-act to try and get the extra card. That’s the ones I’d love to actually see penalized.

Why do certain nationalities deem it appropriate to waste time and behave in that manner?

If your team/country is not as skilful or physical enough to win then you might look for a tactical advantage. They would have done their homework and realised that we rely on grift more than talent and play a very physical game. If we accumulate fouls, its likely that we accumulate bookings also. A player on a yellow card will (mostly) be more cautious and less effective.

Also, 1997 Australia v Iran is a perfect example of how breaking up the momentum of a game can swing a result.

The same thing a lot of things are different when it comes to region or nationality. Differences in culture and society in different parts of the world.

I expected this thread to be post after post of #ArnoldOut. I feel dead inside.

Not round ere

If we get nothing out of the Indonesia game and turn in a similar performance to the other night then I think it is time to explore other options.
The football is dire, the results aren’t there (outside of the WC run) and he’s not getting anywhere near enough out of the players at his disposal.
There’s a few similarities to Tony Gustavsson there but due to his success here he gets a free pass on a lot of it. The Aussie spirit little battlers schtick can only last so long.

I’ve no issue with moving on from Arnold …

It’s hard to have a discussion about it thou because so many people are so vocally anti-Arnold just because of his record in 2007 and because he coached us.

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I’d be more likely to entertain thoughts of moving Arnold on if I didn’t think it would mean appointing Muscat or Popavic.

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I would quite happily support #Arnieout, I think the game has changed in the last few of years and he is of the past.
I have watched what first Monty and then Jacko did with CCM. Not necessarily the same but both playing modern attacking football and creating chances.

No way I can support Arnie out. He would have the job for life if I was in charge, especially after the last WC

He’s earned some slack from WC, but he burned since of it at Asian Cup. If performances aren’t better and we’re not comfortably 3rd place in this group then it’s worth exploring other options for the next round.

Easy to get your players fired up to play Argentina, but harder against Bahrain. That’s when you need an actual gameplan.

Other problem is our team is shit, and anyone creative can’t get a game for their club.

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Iredale has been called up to the squad to replace Yengi for the Indonesia match.

There’s 3 points available. They should fire up up easy, regardless of the opponent.

If that’s the issue, it’s probably because of Arnold’s sports psy treat every game the same thing that cost us one championship the time that we treated a GF qualifier as just another game and Melbourne treated it as a GF qualifier.

I don’t think the squad is anywhere near as bad as people make out.

We’re short a RB, that’s about it. A good coach would overcome this by adjusting their tactics. They don’t shoehorn a CB who is starting in Serie A into that position because they are too tactically rigid to move to a back 3.
I’m also not sure what Martin Boyle has done to guarantee his continued selection but he’s been bang average ever since he made that move to the Middle East. How anyone can start him ahead of Irankunda beggars belief.

You also have to wonder why Irvine and Metcalfe can work so well together at St Pauli but look like they’ve never met each other before when they run out for the national team.