Wales v Australia - Friendly - Aug 10 [R]

Is there a particular reason why Sasa Ogenovski was excluded?

I hope Luke DeVere gets playing time though.

It's a young squad. It is important we get that generational change through. Spira and Devere are two players we obviously want to get some experience into looking forward.

How many last chances to score has this been for MacDonald now? 26 (0) is pretty dire reading.

Definitely want to see what DeVere can do, and wether Zullo's learnt anything from the Serbia game.

It's a lot of games, but I can remember Frank Farina taking over 30 games to score his first. Hopefully McDonald can start scoring for the national team soon.

McDonald will be fine. He just needs to get that initial goal. He's a confidence issue.

Kruse also has infinity more goals than McDonald.

Would I be silly if I suggested getting Bulut into the Australian team now? He has tremendous ability to score when the delivery is half decent and he's physically strong enough to play at the level. I'd be getting him in now.

Provided he keeps on the straight and narrow you'd have to think his first cap can't be too far away.

He is one of the very few Australian players (of any age) who's mastered the subtle and elusive art of putting it in the ********ing net.

Well Bulut was initially in Osieck's 50 man prelim squad for the Asian Cup...so he's been close to the senior team for a long time. The criminal stuff only just delayed the process. Had none of that happened, he would of been capped already by now easily - Should he be capped sometime soon? Absolutely

Could've been four or five.

I like the way we pressed their midfield and really stopped them being productive something that our youth teams over the last couple of months just haven't been able to do effectively.

lovely passing movement for that second goal... If Mcdonald can add that to our team consistently he should start ahead of Kennedy..

Tend to agree.

In a shameless reversal of upthread's McDonald-bashing I'd like to ask the question: does McDonald's performance relegate Kennedy to battering low-altitude back fours?

he is a worthwhile addition off the bench when chasing a goal, but his presence tends to limit our possibilities in attack...

We always play better when McDonald is in the team. He'll probably never score a goal but if he keeps playing like how he did against Wales, I don't think any of us will care? His touch was great, linked up well, chased everything down and was always a threat. Even when they double marked him he was finding space for himself or another teammate

I had exactly the same thought. I really liked watching the movement and passing game from our guys in this game. It was made alot easier without Jedinak (I don't think he's bad just technically limited) and Kennedy. McDonald was involved in both goals and definitely had a good game. A big factor in that movement.

I really like the way that Osieck has evolved and developed this side. We could in all liklihood end up with a back four of:

Williams--Spira--DeVere--Zullo

In a few years. Who would have picked that even a year ago?

McKay has been amazing and I really hope he finds his way at a higher level whether thats Rangers or wherever.

I wonder how our team will look with Holman and Kewell coming back in? I think with Kewell perhaps we use him as a dangerous sub option now. Just given his age and injury issues and for the progression of the side. I'd hate to lose him entirely while he's still kicking on.

I'm starting to wonder about Kewell.

He's too slow now for LAM work and it's a matter of time before Bulut breaks into centre forward. 35 in 2014 and with his injury record we might have seen the best (and maybe the last) of him.

You know, I would like to see Williams in midfield pretty soon. Now that Jedinak is playing in the same league, we get a direct comparison of the two, especially when Williams plays in midfield which will be a lot of the time this season - even as an attacking midfielder.

For me, whilst Wilkshire has that rightback slot on lockdown, instead of wasting Williams on the bench...surely he should be pushing for a spot in midfield. He has all the aggressive defensive qualities as Jedinak and Valeri but is technically a mile better than both of them. It's been good to see Kilkenny get an extended run in midfield, he dictates the pace of our side better than the others but he probably hasn't done enough to turn Osieck's head and once Jedinak gets matchfit(He's been injured all pre season), Jedinak will probably get his spot back.....

With Kewell, I agree....the fact that he hasn't played a single match since June is pretty bad. He needs to find a club. He still holds the ball up better than anyone in the side but as long as he isn't match fit, every day he will be losing that bit of sharpness. I still think he has a lot to offer the team but he needs to get a club. I don't think he will ever play as a winger anymore but it's as a striker to where he's found his resurgence for the Socceroos anyway.