The following dont get enough respect....

[Embers]

Brett Emerton - Our player of the tournament IMO, been fairly consistent for the three games and his energy is amazing (generally is when you spend a whole season on the bench), after this performance he will find himself a full time regular at some EPL club

Marco Bresciano - The guy who scored the goal in the qualifier (not Harry Kewell btw, I was amazed as you are right now finding that out), and the guy who put in the brilliant cross last night for Kewell to hammer home. I wonder if Kewell will yet again steal his thunder, how he is on the bench ahead of Sterjovski is beyond me too. Guus isnt as smart as the people make him out to be....

 

[Borgsta]

Brett Emerton - Our player of the tournament IMO, been fairly consistent for the three games and his energy is amazing (generally is when you spend a whole season on the bench), after this performance he will find himself a full time regular at some EPL club

Marco Bresciano - The guy who scored the goal in the qualifier (not Harry Kewell btw, I was amazed as you are right now finding that out), and the guy who put in the brilliant cross last night for Kewell to hammer home. I wonder if Kewell will yet again steal his thunder, how he is on the bench ahead of Sterjovski is beyond me too. Guus isnt as smart as the people make him out to be....

Guus is much smarter than you give him credit for. There is a good reason why he brought Bresh on late and his energy and running were on extreme importance late in the game.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Bresciano hasn't been 100% all tournament (ear infections can really knock you out) and he will be needed for the Italy game. Excellent man management.

 

[Mike_B]

Brett Emerton - Our player of the tournament IMO, been fairly consistent for the three games and his energy is amazing (generally is when you spend a whole season on the bench), after this performance he will find himself a full time regular at some EPL club

IMO our best so far has been Lucas Neill. Barely made a mistake, looks comfortable on the ball, uses it well, and has been solid as at the back, especially when we've made substitutions taking defenders off in search of goals leaving him with less support at the back.

 

[Embers]

Guus is much smarter than you give him credit for. There is a good reason why he brought Bresh on late and his energy and running were on extreme importance late in the game.

I cant understand or commend not having a player who has played as much footy as Cahill recently (add the injury aswell) as our pinchhitter, it makes alot more sense...

Bresh has to start against Italy IMO, itd be crazy not too.

 

[Sir Gusset]

IMO our best so far has been Lucas Neill. Barely made a mistake, looks comfortable on the ball, uses it well, and has been solid as at the back, especially when we've made substitutions taking defenders off in search of goals leaving him with less support at the back.

strongly agree!! Super star and future aussie skipper. Moore has be a rock at center back as well.

How about Aloisi as well. Don't discount his slight header which went to the feet of Kewell and we all know what he did against Japan even if it wasn't the winner.

Vinnie Grella has also been one of the player under the radar who has given 110% and been a rock. Thank god for the Parma connection in the socceroos camp!!

 

[Embers]

IMO our best so far has been Lucas Neill. Barely made a mistake, looks comfortable on the ball, uses it well, and has been solid as at the back, especially when we've made substitutions taking defenders off in search of goals leaving him with less support at the back.

Its alot harder to go from playing no footy at all too playing on Ronaldinho then it is for Neill, its tough to split but I gave it to Emerton mainly due to the circumstances. Emerton has had much more difficult circumstances IMO and hes flying, gonna be tough to replace IMO.

 

[Cameron_K]

IMO our best so far has been Lucas Neill. Barely made a mistake, looks comfortable on the ball, uses it well, and has been solid as at the back, especially when we've made substitutions taking defenders off in search of goals leaving him with less support at the back.

Neill has without a doubt been the best for Australia so far this tournament, Some of his work over the last 2 matches has been brilliant

 

[Chezza]

I may be going out on a limb here Embers, but you say some silly things sometimes. As long as you show your favourite players your respect what do you care what anyone else thinks. What do you have against Harry Kewell? (And don't say 'nothing' because I've heard these comments from you before.

Anyway, I certainly wouldn't say those guys are taken for granted. Especially the Bresh. Who were you directing your comments at?

And I agree with those who suggest Lucas Neill has been our best player thus far.

 

[Mike_B]

Not saying Emmo hasn't been good, just that Neill has been a bit better. And Emmo really has cost himself a game against Italy with poor discipline - the yellow against Brazil for abusing the referee and then a first yellow this morning for throwing the ball away is very very silly stuff - really disappointing that after the Japan game with the question mark over yellows that we have one player miss a game, for getting yellows the way Emmo has.

 

[Z_K]

Emerton has been ok. Just ok.

Covers alot of ground but he consitently burns posession. Drives me mental. Good option because he is flexible.

Lucas Neill has been the best defender of the tournament so far IMO.

 

[Alex99]

IMO our best so far has been Lucas Neill. Barely made a mistake, looks comfortable on the ball, uses it well, and has been solid as at the back, especially when we've made substitutions taking defenders off in search of goals leaving him with less support at the back.

Yep, Lucas Neill is a world class top shelf player now who can almost right his own ticket to a super club.

Lucas aid a club tonic

23jun06

THE already burgeoning marketability of Socceroos defender Lucas Neill has surged to new peaks during the World Cup.

After yesterday being described as one of the form players of the tournament by Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold, clubs were forming a queue for Neill who will be out of contract at English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers this time next year.

Whether Neill, 27, will still be at Ewood Park in 2007 is highly unlikely with Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle, plus two Spanish clubs, bidding to lure him to richer pastures.

And it's not difficult to see why. Just run back the tape of Neill's performance against Brazil last Sunday night and all becomes clear.

One tackle on samba superstar Ronaldinho evoked recollections of former England captain Bobby Moore's artful interception to dispossess the great Pele when the sides met during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

The sight of a prone Neill's outstretched leg wrapping itself around the ball to halt Ronaldinho in full flight and then him striding away from the danger area spoke eloquently of his evolution.

He has travelled the long distance from hard man to elegant interceptor in a very short time.

"I feel he's been one of the form players in Germany and he just keeps on getting better," said Arnold.

"He's been converted from a right back for his club to a central defender for his country by Guus Hiddink and he's stepped up to another level.

"I feel that maybe that's his best position for the future, he's grown into it without any teething troubles at all.

"He's comfortable on the ball, times his tackles well, distributes with accuracy and is a leader at the back who likes to take possession from the keeper and give our momentum gong forward."

But for Arnold, the most impressive feature of Neill's game, is his intuition, a spooky knack of reading the play.

"His anticipation is excellent," Arnold said.

"In our first game against Japan, when we were chasing goals late in the game, we left very little cover at the back and we needed someone to be strong to hold things together.

"Lucas did a superb job and we knew we could count on him if they tried to hit us on the break."

While Neill has attracted a lot of interest from other clubs nothing will be decided until he returns to England after the World Cup.

 

[Portmanteau]

Emerton has really come of age in this tournament. Hopefully gets the opportunity to do another match because he continues to deserve a chance to prove himself on the big stage.

Neill has been absolutely heroic in his performances, where Hiddink often leaves Moore and Neill (vulnerable by numbers, not be endeavour) down back, or Neill by himself (i.e. against Japan). Chipperfield and Emerton have helped out considerably, but Neill has had a massive job to do and come through with flying colours. Agree that he should be the next captain, although he's 29, so maybe at the next WC. Aussie legend.

Bresciano turned the game when he came on today, but you've got to understand that putting your best 11 players out there is not the best recipe to win games. Guus has used impact players off the bench (Kewell in the home qualifier, Cahill against Japan, Bresh today) to shake things up, when obviously, on talent, they are in our best XI. It worked today, and let's hope that continues. FWIW, I'd start Bresciano for the rest of the tournament, as we need him out there for set pieces, with Cahill remaining a pinch hitter.

 

[jezza]

Emerton is far better as a wing back, his defensive work has been excellent and his workrate top class, always sprinting forward and back, running games right out. Only problem I have with him is if he ever gets the ball within 30m of goals he gets stars in his eyes and lets fly with a shot, haven't seen him go remotely close to the goals in a long time. Needs to be told to not bother with those ridiculous speculative shots and instead play the percentages a bit more. Other than that, very please with how he has performed this world cup (given I rated him our worst player in the first Uruguay leg).

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

Both the Blackburn guys have had great World Cups, they've been close to our 2 best. Neill's value is increasing every game, while Emerton has done well to put a dissapointing season behind him and has stepped up when its mattered.

Neill's World Cup has been inspirational. He is as tough as nails, yet composed at the same time. I agree that he'd have to be a great shot at getting the captaincy post Viduka, although a younger guy will probably get it. Our whole defence, which was supposed to be a weakness for us has been very solid

 

[Kegs44]

Emerton and Neill have been simply brilliant all tournament. I have also liked Neill, but never thought alot of Emerton, but si far in this tournament they've been the pick of the aussies. They work their arses off all day and Emerton will be a massive loss for the italy game. Emertons pace is world class, i never realised how quick he actually was. Both of them Aussie heroes IMO

 

[Ari]

Emerton has been ok. Just ok.

Covers alot of ground but he consitently burns posession. Drives me mental. Good option because he is flexible.

Lucas Neill has been the best defender of the tournament so far IMO.

What he said....

 

[MrAaron]

Yet Emerton can not control himself when it comes to these little niggling attacks on his opponents, and in the end it might cost him the world cup ...

Very Unprofessional of a so called Professional Footballer

 

[Embers]

Emerton got his second yellow for a tackling foul, not the picking up off the ball, anyway Kewell mouthed off at the ref, yet hes still a hero.....

Neil is a good player but Neil in Spain is laughable, the guy would get red carded every match, too physical and would have to change his gameplan a hell of alot, no way West Ham would of made a bid for him, thats complete garbage. He will stay with Blackburn, Emerton on the other hand will find another home, im guessing Reading.