Author: isport

The transfer window is getting heated up as clubs vie for signings as they look to strengthen ahead of the coming season. The Premier League clubs have also been thick in action with several players exiting clubs and potential signings on the verge of completing moves.

One player that has been linked to several clubs is Huddersfield midfielder Aaron Mooy. The Australia international is said to be on the radar of West Ham,Wolves, Bournemouth and Brighton.

The transfer window is getting heated up as clubs vie for signings as they look to strengthen ahead of the coming season. The Premier League clubs have also been thick in action with several players exiting clubs and potential signings on the verge of completing moves.

One player that has been linked to several clubs is Huddersfield midfielder Aaron Mooy. The Australia international is said to be on the radar of West Ham,Wolves, Bournemouth and Brighton.

Mooy was one of the standout performer for Huddersfield in their two season stint in the EPL and is highly unlikely to play for the Terriers next season in the Championship.

The former Melbourne City ace is a quality midfielder capable of dictating the tempo of the game with his wife range of passes. He can also play in different positions across the midfield and can fill in as s holding midfielder.

Wolves are thought to have registered a formal interest for the player as they brave themselves for a bid for star player Reuben Neves. Neves has been linked to some of the top teams with Manchester United and Manchester City interested in the Portugal international.

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo views Mooy as a cheap replacement for the player and could also provide depth if the club manages to keep Neves.
Bournemouth meanwhile wants Mooy to be a regular in the team. One area where Eddie Howe’s team are weak is in center midfield as they lack s true creator. Mooy would be a good solution for the team slotting in to the midfield and dictating play.

Huddersfield are yet to name a price for the 26-year-old but a fee of £8-£10million has been suggested as the valuation if the player. Mooy would be a decent signing for any of the midtable club and has the ability to contribute either as s starter or from the bench.

Graham Arnold, who is presently in charge of Australian senior men’s Football team, is not sure whether he can oversee the Australian junior team as well whom he oversaw on an interim basis in the Olympic qualification matches recently.

The matches of the junior team are mostly scheduled round about at the same time of the year when the senior team plays their matches, hence it’s virtually impossible for a coach to be in charge of both the teams and Arnold understands it.

Graham Arnold, who is presently in charge of Australian senior men’s Football team, is not sure whether he can oversee the Australian junior team as well whom he oversaw on an interim basis in the Olympic qualification matches recently.

The matches of the junior team are mostly scheduled round about at the same time of the year when the senior team plays their matches, hence it’s virtually impossible for a coach to be in charge of both the teams and Arnold understands it.

According to Arnold, he was not getting paid anything to coach the junior team for Olympic qualification and neither did he take up that job for money. The only reason he took up that job was because he has felt in the recent times that the senior team is lacking depth and he wanted to know why it is lacking depth and why the production line at the junior level is not churning out players for senior Football at a fast rate.

And now having worked with the junior team, he reckons that they probably don’t play as many games as they should and there are not enough camps either for the youngsters to work on their skills.

A couple of managers in the A League were not amused with the fact that Muscat took away their key players for the qualification tournament. Muscat reckons that the problem is with the Australian calendar because it doesn’t sync with the way the international Football is scheduled in the Asian region.

Arnold is of the opinion that the Australian association should probably think about slotting in an international break period during January because that’s the time when big international events often happen in Asia and if there is a break period in the league season, the clubs won’t have any trouble with the availability of the players.

After Huddersfield managed to stave off the threat of relegation in their debut Premier League season, they had little time to celebrate their achievements. As soon as one campaign finishes, the preparations for the next begin in earnest.

That is exactly what David Wagner would have had to do this summer as he plans for Huddersfield to extend their stay in the English top flight into a third season and beyond. However, that is a feat that is easier said than done.

After Huddersfield managed to stave off the threat of relegation in their debut Premier League season, they had little time to celebrate their achievements. As soon as one campaign finishes, the preparations for the next begin in earnest.

That is exactly what David Wagner would have had to do this summer as he plans for Huddersfield to extend their stay in the English top flight into a third season and beyond. However, that is a feat that is easier said than done.

In the past, many clubs have fallen victim to what is known as ‘second season syndrome’ and on the evidence of the first four weeks of this campaign, Huddersfield are showing all the symptoms of what can be a deadly illness.

It’s an illness that means a second season at this level ends in the ignominy of relegation. If this is to be avoided and the club end up getting the all-clear after finishing 17th or above come the end of the season, then it will need the likes of Aaron Mooy to deliver throughout the campaign.

The Australian international chipped in with four goals during the 2017/18 campaign, a contribution that, although it did not go unnoticed, is one that he will be looking to improve on as he bids to make sure his current employers are not sucked into a relegation battle.

Looking at the current football betting market for relegation from the Premier League, the prognosis does not look great for the Yorkshire based outfit. They currently find themselves second favourites for the drop at a price of 4/7.

And when you consider the fact that three teams will be demoted to the second tier of the EFL Championship at the end of this campaign, it is not something that will make for particularly good reading for fans of the Terriers.

Looking at their squad, there is not a great amount of fault that you can find; it is just that life has been made so much harder by the fact that promoted outfits Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham have raised the bar considerably after their large summer expenditure.

Championship winners Wolves have already won a lot of admirers after their early season performances. This probably comes as no real surprise after they spent in the region of £100m in the recent transfer window, an outlay that was matched by London-based outfit Fulham.

And although a new wave of incoming players means that the two sides will need time to settle and work out what exactly is their strongest eleven, they both look well equipped to deal with the additional cut and thrust that a step up in competition will bring.

Huddersfield may have a season of Premier League experience behind them, but at the same time, you do have to wonder where exactly the goals will come from and, more importantly, who will be the person or persons to provide them.

That’s a burden that former-Manchester-City player Mooy may have to take on his shoulders. The 27-year-old registered just three assists in Huddersfield’s debut Premier League campaign, and that’s a figure he will have to improve this time around if the club are to have any hope of staying up. Only time will tell if this is the case.

Australia were not supposed to win their first match of the World Cup 2018, and they did fall to France. However, they performed admirably in that tournament opener, and look like they may be able to threaten the other two teams in Group C. With a huge match against Denmark coming up, can Australia get over the hump and deliver some much-needed points to their campaign?

Before focusing on Denmark, it is worth pointing out just how good Australia were against France. They were victims of two different Video Assistant Referee calls, both of which benefited the French.

Australia were not supposed to win their first match of the 2018 World Cup, and they did fall to France. However, they performed admirably in that tournament opener, and look like they may be able to threaten the other two teams in Group C. With a huge match against Denmark coming up, can Australia get over the hump and deliver some much-needed points to their campaign?

Before focusing on Denmark, it is worth pointing out just how good Australia were against France. They were victims of two different Video Assistant Referee calls, both of which benefited the French. The first was a penalty decision on a foul against Antoine Griezmann, which Griezmann converted to give France the lead. And after Australia levelled the game with a penalty of their own, goal-line technology prompted a goal decision after a Paul Pogba strike to give France the lead once and for all.

Despite the loss, one has to be impressed with the way that Australia played in the match. They were dogged defensively and put the ball into dangerous-enough positions to scratch out a goal against one of the best teams in the world. If they can play the same way against the other two teams in their group, they could conceivably come away with points in both of those games. But, for now, Australia must focus on a tough Denmark side.

Denmark came away with a gritty 1-0 win over Peru in their first game of this World Cup. They did the job admirably and managed to get out on the counter-attack to score the lone goal of that match. Australia would definitely be well served to make sure that they guard against the counter when they are in this match.

William Hill has the Danes as the favourite in this match, which puts Australia in an underdog role that they are more than familiar with on this stage. The difference this time is that the Aussies have a great shot at nicking three points against a Denmark team that didn’t look overly special when getting out on the attack, outside of their one goal-producing counter.

Australia will come into the second game of their World Cup campaign a more confident team than they were when they entered the France match. They will need to ride their bolstered morale here against a team that will also be riding high after the first match of their tournament. And with Denmark having the opportunity to secure passage into the second round in the clash with Australia, the Aussies can be sure to get a tough game here.

After this match, Australia will have to tangle with Peru, who were the better side despite losing to Denmark. This is to say that there are no easy games for Australia in this World Cup.

Australia had to put in plenty of groundwork and travel a lot to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, having come through the challenging route of the Asian section, which they have been members of since 2006.

The Socceroos had to travel to all of Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Thailand, Syria, as well as a detour to Malaysia, and finally Honduras to ultimately secure their spot in Russia this summer. Continue reading Can Australia progress from Group C?

Despite having to go through two unwanted playoff rounds to secure their place in Russia this summer, Australia fans can have high hopes going into group stage action.

The Socceroos feared the worst after they were placed in pot 4 for the group stage draw but they will fancy their chances of matching their best ever performance in 2006 when they reached the round of 16 following the draw. Pitted against France, Peru and Denmark in Group C, Bert van Marwijk’s men will have their sights firmly set on progression to the last 16 and beyond.

Despite having to go through two unwanted playoff rounds to secure their place in Russia this summer, Australia fans can have high hopes going into group stage action.

The Socceroos feared the worst after they were placed in pot 4 for the group stage draw but they will fancy their chances of matching their best ever performance in 2006 when they reached the round of 16 following the draw. Pitted against France, Peru and Denmark in Group C, Bert van Marwijk’s men will have their sights firmly set on progression to the last 16 and beyond.

Australia had to come through two group stages and two playoff rounds to qualify for this year’s tournament so do not expect them to give up their place in the competition easily. Their gruelling qualification campaign began in June 2015 with a 2-1 away win over Kyrgyzstan.

They went on to top their group in the second round, losing just once to Jordan on the way, but managed just a third place finish in the third round of qualification meaning the Aussies missed out on automatic qualification to Russia and had overcome two nerve-wrecking playoff rounds.

First up was Syria, who they defeated 3-2 on aggregate after a tense 2-1 extra time win in the second leg thanks to a Tim Cahill brace.

Mile Jendinak was then the hero as his hat trick helped Australia defeat Honduras 3-1 on aggregate to book a place at their fourth consecutive World Cup.

We’ve done it. We’re going to Russia.#AUSvHON #GoSocceroos

Match centre: https://t.co/ISg3YfvlIz pic.twitter.com/Yq947LLf6S

— Caltex Socceroos (@Socceroos) November 15, 2017

Australia’s route to the World Cup has been longer than most but despite that, the coach who steered them through the arduous campaign will not be the one who leads them in Russia. Ange Postecoglou quit his role as Australia manager after victory over Honduras and in his place will be Bert van Marwijk, the man who guided the Netherlands to the World Cup final in 2010.

This means the new boss will have had just four games in charge of Australia before their World Cup opener against France in June (although, two of those games have already been played to varying degrees of success, a 4-1 loss to Norway was followed by an impressive 0-0 draw against Colombia). Van Marwijk certainly has the managerial pedigree having coached Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord amongst others but will his lack of time in charge of the Socceroos cost them when it comes to their performances in Russia? Either way, Australia will have a new manager after the tournament whatever the result with Sydney FC boss Graham Arnold already named as the Dutchman’s successor following the World Cup.

To call Australia rank outsiders to lift the World Cup would be an understatement, they are currently at odds of 300/1 to go all the way in the latest World Cup betting odds, but reaching the last 16 could be seen as respectable achievement – seeing as the Aussies have only reached that stage once in their history. They start their World Cup campaign with arguably their toughest game first as they take on a supremely talented French side in Kazan on 16^th June.

Then come two games which could be described as more winnable for the Socceroos although they would be foolish to underestimate either Peru or Denmark. It may be the first time that Peru have qualified for the World Cup since 1982 but they had to come through a gruelling qualification campaign of their own having finished fifth in the notoriously difficult South America qualifying group and they then had to overcome New Zealand in a playoff. Likewise, Denmark trounced the Republic of Ireland 5-1 over two legs in their playoff to make it through to Russia and with Tottenham superstar Christian Eriksen in their ranks, it would be wise not to write off the Danish.

The Aussies will be looking for their star players to perform if they are to have any chance of making it through the group stage. There’s no doubting that Tim Cahill is a legend of Australian football. He is the country’s all-time leading scorer and has scored in all three of the World Cups he has played in, including that wonder goal against the Netherlands in 2014. He also scored 11 goals during qualification for this summer’s tournament so his importance to Australia cannot be doubted. But despite all he has achieved, Cahill comes into the World Cup in arguably the worst form of his career. He has managed just sixteen league appearances all season with just one of those being a start. He also hasn’t scored a goal since his brace for Australia against Syria all the way back in October last year.

The 38-year-old decided to leave Melbourne City last year due to a lack of game time following the A-League club’s loan signing of Ross McCormack but he has not found that game time easy to come by since he has left his homeland. 14 years after he left his first senior club Millwall, to join Everton, he rejoined The Lions in January of this year. It was a move for football romantics. Cahill now 38, back at his old club to try help them secure promotion to the Premier League and then lead the line for Australia in Russia. Except the reality has been quite different. Since his return to The Den, Cahill has managed just 63 minutes of action for the Lions spread across ten substitute appearances. To make things worse, the veteran picked up a three match ban for elbowing Fulham’s Ryan Fredericks in their most recent Championship clash. With Millwall failing to reach the playoff places, Cahill did not play another league game this season and his place in Australia’s starting line-up at the World Cup is under real threat, which could affect the World Cup betting tips.

I’ve accepted a 3 game ban by The FA and I’ll always accept accountability for my actions on and off the football pitch while representing @MillwallFC My aim now is to contribute in training and to help keep my team-mates focused on trying to secure a Play-Off place. pic.twitter.com/fss17gmMs7

— TIM CAHILL (@Tim_Cahill) April 24, 2018

There are positives for Australia going into the tournament, however. Aaron Mooy has completed his first ever Premier League season with Huddersfield Town and he has earned plaudits with his performances in the middle of the park for the Terriers, scoring four goals and picking up three assists. Having been dragged into a late battle with relegation, Mooy will no doubt be a better player for the experience he has gained in the English top flight. Another player who has also played his first season in the Premier League this season is Brighton goalkeeper Matthew Ryan and he will be crucial between the sticks for Australia having impressed in the Seagulls’ debut season amongst the big boys.

Elsewhere, the emergence of Newcastle Jets as title contenders in Australia has seen two players force their way into Socceroos contention. Dimi Petratos and Andrew Nabbout have both had breakout seasons firing ten goals each as the Jets reached the A-League playoffs for the first time since the 2009/10 season. The pair, both aged 25, made their debut for Australia during the friendly defeat to Norway in March and could offer serious attacking threat in the absence of goals from Tim Cahill.

Australia are up against it this summer in Russia. The ageing Tim Cahill is not in great form, manager Bert van Marwijk has not had much time to spend with his new players and they limped through qualifying but Australia have always performed well as underdogs before (remember in 2006 when it took Italy a 95^th minute goal from Francesco Totti to overcome the Socceroos?!) and they have a manager with real World Cup pedigree this time round. Write Australia off at your peril.

Written by Cam Melling

Australia became the 31st country to secure their spot at this summer’s 2018 World Cup in Russia when they overcame Honduras 3-1 in their intercontinental play-off tie.

That victory also saw them finish as the Asia best third-placed nation and cement their position on Russian territory, where they have now been thrust into a tough and testing group stage. Within a challenging Group C, the Aussies are set to compete against three solid sides, as they prepare to do battle with all of Euro 2016’s hosts and finalists France, South American outfit Peru and European contenders Denmark.

Australia became the 31st country to secure their spot at this summer’s 2018 World Cup in Russia when they overcame Honduras 3-1 in their intercontinental play-off tie.

That victory also saw them finish as the Asia best third-placed nation and cement their position on Russian territory, where they have now been thrust into a tough and testing group stage. Within a challenging Group C, the Aussies are set to compete against three solid sides, as they prepare to do battle with all of Euro 2016’s hosts and finalists France, South American outfit Peru and European contenders Denmark.

This will be Australia’s fourth appearance at the World Cup finals, with experienced 65-year-old Bert van Marwijk’s current crop of stars being presently ranked at 39 overall in the world by FIFA. The Socceroos are regarded at 14/1 to win Group C ahead of main rivals and Euro 2016 finalists France, but they are a much more promising 3/1 in the football betting with bet365 to simply qualify for the next round on Russian territory.

Australia are seen as obvious second challengers for Group C supremacy behind former World Cup winners France, with Les Blues seen as the clear front runners for success in top spot.
Although, the Aussies no doubt have a great opportunity to progress to the knockout stage ahead of both Peru and Denmark, having proved they can deal with the big occasions and produce strong performances in their admirable qualifying campaign.

This tournament will also represent the final appearances of current coach Bert van Marwijk, with Sydney FC tactician Graham Arnold set to take up the mantle after the World Cup comes to a close for the country. This will be his second spell in charge of the national side, having previously overseen the team for a year after Guus Hiddink stepped down from the role in light of the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

Although, before that happens, current coach Van Marwijk is keen to make a huge impact on the international scene in Russia this summer, before departing proceedings and handing over to his imminent successor Arnold. The former Netherlands, Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord boss has outlined his intentions of making a strong showing on Russian turf and has taken inspiration from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, stating: “One of the most important things you need is speed, especially in modern times.

“The pitch is the same size as it was 100 years ago, but we are bigger, stronger, and faster. The tactics are better. So it is all about the space. You have to play football within the space and use it. You have to create space for yourself. Watch Man City. They are playing the best football in the world at the moment. They have always the most ball possession and still they score goals out of their transition. There’s more variation. But it’s all about the space.”

Australia are unlikely to be playing like Man City have throughout the World Cup, but their confident current coach is clearly keen on implementing some of Guardiola’s tactics in his upcoming campaign, as they aim to negotiate a testing Group C in Russia.

Not many nations who qualify for a World Cup will see their coach resign just a week after the qualification is achieved but this was the case for Australia. Just one week after the Socceroos beat Honduras to secure their place in Russia 2018, their coach of the last four years, Ange Postecoglou, left his post citing the pressures of international management as a huge contributing factor.

He cut an emotional figure during his press conference and had clearly put a lot of thought into the decision but ultimately the role had taken its toll on the coach “both personally and professionally”. The Greek-Australian had been in charge of the Socceroos since October 2013 after the sacking of previous manager Holger Osiek following successive 6-0 defeats to both Brazil and France.

Not many nations who qualify for a World Cup will see their coach resign just a week after the qualification is achieved but this was the case for Australia. Just one week after the Socceroos beat Honduras to secure their place in Russia 2018, their coach of the last four years, Ange Postecoglou, left his post citing the pressures of international management as a huge contributing factor.

He cut an emotional figure during his press conference and had clearly put a lot of thought into the decision but ultimately the role had taken its toll on the coach “both personally and professionally”. The Greek-Australian had been in charge of the Socceroos since October 2013 after the sacking of previous manager Holger Osiek following successive 6-0 defeats to both Brazil and France.

Postecoglou, by leaving, has passed up the opportunity to become the first Australian coach to take a team to two World Cups having been in charge at Brazil 2014. The Socceroos have now qualified for four consecutive World Cups but they have not got the quality to call upon in Russia that previous sides have had. In fact, there will be only six teams in Russia that are ranked lower than Australia which highlights the challenge that awaits the new head coach.

There should be plenty of interest in the role; after all, it is not often that the opportunity arises to coach a side that have already got a World Cup place guaranteed but it will be a tough gig nonetheless.

In Australia’s group in Russia will be France, Denmark and Peru. Although it is not an impossible task to get out of the group, it will be a massive achievement for the Socceroos should they manage it. There is no “group of death” but several are pretty difficult, with a number of teams that are hard to separate in terms of quality. As for Australia’s group, the French will be the clear favourites and the way the Danes destroyed the Republic of Ireland in the play-off shows what they are capable of, especially with an in-form Christian Erikson in the team. He is the kind of stand-out star that the Socceroos lack and if the Aussies are to get through the group you feel that they will have to battle out a victory against either Peru or Denmark.

As for the South Americans, they qualified in a very tough section having to face the likes of Argentina, Columbia, Uruguay and of course Brazil. They finished fifth in the group ahead of traditional rivals Chile and had to beat New Zealand in the intercontinental play-off. After a 0-0 draw in Wellington, they returned home to Lima, thanks to goals from Christian Ramos and Jefferson Farfan, qualified with a 2-0 win.

They will be a tough opponent for Australia and one that you feel the Socceroos will have to beat if they are to qualify from the group. Even facing this challenge the idea of leading a National side into the World Cup in Russia should see a lot of interest in the head coaching role. Although the Football Federation Australia have said they will not rush the decision and are determined to make the correct choice.

The Socceroos don’t have another match until March so there is plenty of time for a thorough selection process but some names are already circulating as potential candidates for the role. Amongst the favourites is the current Sydney head coach Graham Arnold who was assistant to Guus Hiddink during the 2006 World Cup where Australia made it to the second round. It is not this stint aiding the Dutchman that has made him a favourite to take over, though.

He has had a glowing career as a coach and when he took over at Gosford based Central Coast Mariners in 2010, no one was expecting him be as successful as he ultimately was. Under his tenure in charge, the Mariners won two Premierships and one Championship. Considering that the Central Coast Mariners were such a new team it was an amazing achievement and flew in the face of the fan expectations.

Arnold has a very good understanding of the issues that face the National team going forward and will, in many commentators’ eyes, be the ideal man to face those challenges head-on. Another name that has been circulating is that of Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman is remembered fondly for the way he led the team in 2006 and not many fans would say no to giving him a second spell in charge. He already has a good grasp of what the expectations will be and is a talented, experienced coach. The only question would be whether he would want to take over a team that does not have the quality it did when he was last in charge. During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he got the Socceroos out of an extremely tough group that included Brazil, Croatia and Japan. Winning 3-1 against the Japanese in the opening match got his side off to the perfect start and then a well-earned 2-2 draw with Croatia was enough to see the Aussies finish in second place behind Brazil.

They were unable to progress past the second round where they lost 1-0 to eventual winners Italy, which was by no means an embarrassment. He had at his disposal the likes of Mark Schwarzer, Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, a young Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano, amongst others. This group have been coined the “golden generation” by Australian media and fans with good reason but it does not appear that the Socceroos will be able to call upon such talent again anytime soon.

The current squad is lacking that kind of star talent that was available to Hiddink before so it may be unlikely that he will come back for a second stint. One other name that is worth a mention is that of Gianni De Biasi who received an Honour of National Order from the Albanian president for reaching the 2016 UEFA European Championships with the Albanian National side. It was the first time that they had qualified and De Biasi used defensive tactics to make sure they got results against some tough opposition which could be a style that might work well with the current Australian side.

Despite the side not being as good as in 2006 it still boasts some impressive talent for the new coach to work with. One such talent is Aaron Mooy, the current star midfielder for English Premier League outfit Huddersfield Town. He was a summer signing from Chelsea and joined after a successful spell on loan. Huddersfield had to pay £10m for the midfielder whose equivalent Bitcoin value is about 761, a currency accepted by a number of online bookmakers such as Sportsbet should anyone want to put some money on the Socceroos in Russia. If the Aussies are to do well then they are going to need Mooy and other key players to perform.

Players like Bournemouth left-back Brad Smith and Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic will need to be at their best and are two of the brighter young talents coming through for the Socceroos. The real problem for the Australians is their over-reliance on their ageing players. Tim Cahill was their top scorer in qualifying and is now 38 years old and it was Mile Jedinak’s hat-trick that got them past Honduras to secure their place in Russia and he is 33.

The A-League, Australia’s top domestic league, has a dearth of up and coming Australian talent and in truth is full of ageing stars from abroad such as Brisbane Roars Massimo Maccarone or Diego Castro of Perth Glory. But getting young talent through in a crowded and often hostile market is a massive challenge for the FFA. Football or Soccer is not the main sport in a country dominated by Cricket, Rugby and Aussie Rules Football. Players like Lachlan Jackson and Bruce Kamau of Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City have shown promise but they are not going to be able to propel the National side to its previous heights and A-League sides are going to have to work hard on developing talent through their academies if they are going to start producing young players that could help a future Socceroo side hit the heights of the Hiddink era.

The new TV deal worth $346 million will help and hopefully the money will be invested wisely by the 10 clubs that make up the A-League but for now, the hopes of the nation will rest on those players that helped Australia qualify for their fourth World Cup in the country’s history.

Their first game will be against France in Kazan on June 16, which could be a blessing in disguise. Getting the hardest opponent out the way first could help the Aussies bed into the competition and if they manage to get a positive result then it will give them a boost going into the match against Denmark a week later in Samara. Whatever happens, one thing is certain, the Socceroo fans are going to enjoy every minute.

Much was expected of Ross McCormack at Aston Villa when he joined from Fulham in the summer of 2016. The former Leeds United striker was a massive success at Elland Road and Craven Cottage, and the £12 million that Villa paid for him was going to be money well spent, it was presumed. The Villans were planning to make an instant return to the Premier League following relegation, and McCormack’s extensive experience in the Championship was going to be a key factor.

McCormack, though, failed to make an instant impact at Villa Park. The 31-year-old Scotland international striker fell out with manager Steve Bruce and was sent out on loan to Championship rivals Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window. The former Leeds star was able to make only three starts in the Championship for Forest last season, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process.

Much was expected of Ross McCormack at Aston Villa when he joined from Fulham in the summer of 2016. The former Leeds United striker was a massive success at Elland Road and Craven Cottage, and the £12 million that Villa paid for him was going to be money well spent, it was presumed. The Villans were planning to make an instant return to the Premier League following relegation, and McCormack’s extensive experience in the Championship was going to be a key factor.

McCormack, though, failed to make an instant impact at Villa Park. The 31-year-old Scotland international striker fell out with manager Steve Bruce and was sent out on loan to Championship rivals Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window. The former Leeds star was able to make only three starts in the Championship for Forest last season, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process.

The former Rangers striker failed to re-establish himself in the Villa team upon his return from loan in the summer of 2017, and he was shipped off to Melbourne City in Australia in the A-League in September. It was quite a strange move, but it has paid off for both Melbourne City and McCormack. The Scotsman has scored six goals in eight league fixtures and has taken to life in Australia like a duck to water. Melbourne City are third in the league table at the moment, just six points behind Sydney FC, and are third-favourites for the title, according to latest A-League betting odds.

McCormack’s loan spell at Melbourne City is going well, and it would make sense if it is extended from January 2018 until the end of the season. Given the form that the striker is in at the moment, Warren Joyce’s side do need the striker if they are to be successful. Even if the loan spell cannot be extended, it would make sense for all parties for a permanent contract to be drawn up for next season.

Villa are doing well without McCormack, and it is clear that manager Bruce does not have any need for him. Returning to Villa in the January transfer window would only put the former Rangers star’s future back in limbo, and he would get precious little playing time in the second half of the season. Joyce is a very good manager who seems to get getting the best out of McCormack, and it would be wise of the striker to continue his ‘rehabilitation’ under him at Melbourne City.

McCormack may be 31 years of age, but he is still a very good player who can get back to his best in the coming years. A couple of bad or mediocre seasons should not undermine his quality and his extensive experience. What the former Motherwell and Cardiff City star needs to do is carry on working hard and banging in the goals. A season or so at Melbourne City could well see him return to a top club in the Premier League or in the Championship.

Aaron Mooy failed to make an impact in English football when he was at Bolton Wanderers, but the Australia international central midfielder is taking the Premier League by storm at the moment. Now on the books of Huddersfield Town, the 27-year-old has been one of the best and most instrumental players in the English top flight so far this season.

Huddersfield have made a stunning start to the 2017-18 Premier League campaign, and the early signs are that they will stave off the drop to the Championship at the end of the season. The Terriers have picked up some important points in the opening weeks of the season, with Mooy playing a key role.

Aaron Mooy failed to make an impact in English football when he was at Bolton Wanderers, but the Australia international central midfielder is taking the Premier League by storm at the moment. Now on the books of Huddersfield Town, the 27-year-old has been one of the best and most instrumental players in the English top flight so far this season.

Huddersfield have made a stunning start to the 2017-18 Premier League campaign, and the early signs are that they will stave off the drop to the Championship at the end of the season. The Terriers have picked up some important points in the opening weeks of the season, with Mooy playing a key role.

The Australian scored one goal and provided one assist in the opening five Premier League matches for Huddersfield.

One of the main reasons why David Wagner’s side got promoted from the Championship at the end of last season was Mooy’s displays in the centre of midfield. The former Melbourne City star scored four goals and provided seven assists in 48 appearances in the Championship last season. If Mooy continues this form for the rest of the season, then it will be hard for Huddersfield to keep hold of him beyond next summer.

Huddersfield, who are 2.50 to get relegated to the Championship at the end of the season, according to latest football betting odds on bet365, paid an initial transfer fee of £8 million in order to make Mooy’s loan deal from Manchester City permanent in the summer transfer window. It does now look like a bargain signing, and one should not be surprised if a bigger club in England come knocking on the Yorkshire outfit’s doors at the end of the season.

Mooy has adapted to the Premier League perfectly, and given his experience with the Australia national football team, he would make a good addition to a club aiming to finish in the top six or the top four. Of course, at the moment most of the big clubs in England are stocked with good midfielders, but things could change next summer. West Ham United could do with a player of Mooy’s quality especially if Mark Noble fails to regain his form. Stoke City, too, would be a better team with the Australian at manager Mark Hughes’s disposal.

Mooy, though, should focus only on Huddersfield for the time being. The Yorkshire club need to make sure that they get to the 40-point mark as soon as possible in order to retain their Premier League status for the 2018-19 campaign.

The Australian will be a key player in their quest and will be especially important in big games. Despite making a strong start, Wagner’s side cannot be complacent, as things could change in a matter of weeks. The key to Huddersfield escaping the drop and finishing above the bottom three in the Premier League this season is to be consistent and pick up as many points as possible at home.