Pim, are your ‘Roos ready?

Roar Rookie

By The Bear, 1 Sep 2008 The Bear is a Roar Rookie

Tagged:: David Carney, football, Mark Viduka, Matthew Spiranovic, Nick Carle, Pim Verbeek, Socceroos

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Before Pim Verbeek batons down the hatches, and really gets down to business for qualifying Australia for the World Cup in South Africa 2010, he needs to take stock. And stock is something of which he still has in abundance.

There are a multitude of questions that any prudent national coach should ask at this stage of a squad’s development. Especially only moments away from facing your own country’s national team, and having to live up to the inevitable Hiddink comparisons.

Whether or not Pim uses the upcoming Netherlands game for sorting out any positional queries, it is becoming very apparent that the squad is fleshing out.

But perhaps, with the inclusion of Shane Steffanuto (LB) and Jacob Burns (LM/Holding), Pim is proving to us all he really is still clutching at straws.

Especially when you consider there are no less than 4 goalies being summoned across the dikes of Holland. Perhaps the dikes have finally given way, and they could use the extra pairs of hands.

It may seem to these players, as with Nick Carle, that a squad is just a squad: a mock team for the first team to play and train against. No less, no more.

I wonder if the irony is not lost on the left footed Carle, whose latent ability to play more as a holding midfielder in the second tier English league is being stretched with good success. I am sure he wishes Jacob Burns all the success, and sympathy.

Which brings me to an oddity. Chris Coyne. Trialed over the last round of World Cup Qualifiers, when Michael Beauchamp couldn’t track a forward if his visa depended on it, Coyne’s “stop gap” inclusion seems to be a flowering success. Maybe even to reach a fuller bloom than of Jade North, for this Socceroo’s tilt for South Africa 2010.

Chris has been around the National set-up for years, and like Jacob Burns, missed the cut for the 2000 Olympics squad. Pim is either a visionary or a gambler.

It seems the preparation is cutting it fine, with the Uzbek’s just around the corner, the tinkering must all be but complete. The squad must have had the final inspection. The casualties, those that were deemed unfit for Pim’s plans would surely know where they stand by now.

And the Verbeek/Arnold success stories would be scripted right from the coal face that they have been digging around in since Verbeek’s, and his wing man, Duut’s, appointment last December by the FFA.

The persistence with David Carney, Brett Holman, Michael Beauchamp, Chris Coyne, Bruce Djite, Scott MacDonald, and more recently with Matthew Spiranovic, and Mark Milligan, have all reaped important intel for Pim and his team.

Some players, though, haven’t been so fortunate to have such focused attention. If Chris Coyne can be unearthed from Colchester, why hasn’t Serie A’s Richard Porta of A.C. Siena, or SPL stalwart, Kilmarnock’s Danny Invincible? Perhaps Garcia’s inclusion in this squad is an after thought, after his surprise equalising header with Hull last month.

Last I heard our Socceroos had just as much a scoring problem, as a defensive problem. But in the last 9 months, only Djite and Holman have been seriously trialled as a solution to this problem. It seems the management team have a preference to defend, not score.

So, are our ‘Roos ready? By this weekend, surely. Other than that, and banking on the return to form and fitness of Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill, it would be fairly rational to assume that the squad has been given it’s provisional rubber stamp for the upcoming road to South Africa’s hosting of the next World Cup.

Are we all happy with the process since Germany ’06? Are we happy with the trialling, the quality of the football and motivations behind this squad? I am far from convinced, but one would have to suggest a minor catastrophe, to cock it up from here.

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The Crowd Says (84) | Page 1 of Comments

dasilva said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:19am | Report comment

There are rumours that Carle choose not to play against Holland. Probably personal issues.I don’t think he is cut off for good yet. Funny that everyone thinks he is an attacking creative player and yet his biggest succes is a DM. I’m quite sure if grella and valeri are injured, he may be a decent replacement.

Chris Coyne did well for someone in the lower leagues of England he may be the best options to partner Neill after Jade North had his recent implosion and the inexperience of spiranovic. Jacob burns selection is rather mystified. He played dreadfully in that match against Ghana and that should prove he should have been offloaded

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jimbo said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:53am | Report comment

Gracious Bear,
I had my doubts about the Socceroos preparations as well, but probably out of Pimbos hands I think and have to accept it now.

Friendly against SA 2 weeks ago, then friendly against Holland just 4 days before the Uzbeks game.

What happened to the plan to get to Uzbekistan early to acclimatise?
The Holland friendly was probably too good to refuse and we had to fit in with their plans, not ours.

Socceroos would have probably got bored sitting around in an Uzbek hotel for a week cuddling baby goats and watching Borat videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2i5ShKaASc&feature=related

Mood of the Socceroos seems very good and Uzbeks aren’t playing too well at the moment so we just might beat those mofos after all.

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old goalie said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:05pm | Report comment

No, not happy Bear

I don’t think we’ve really progressed since Germany ’06. But it was always going ot be hard improving on Hiddink. What he gave us; structure, fitness, never say die attitutde, and knowledge of our own game was brilliant for one off tournament play, which is why he is so successful in these tournaments (i’m not forgetting he also knows how to win league titles either)

At least under hiddink we fought to score goals

Under Verbeek, it’s more don’t get scored against

Verbeek by now really should have a settlled squad that knows it’s own game inside out and can therefore fight it’s way out of any situation

i dopn’t like this cautious cautious approach to the Uzbek game. OK, they’re unknown but it reeks to me of justifying a bad result before the game is even played.

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Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:01pm | Report comment

One interesting aspect is the amount of game time that many in the squad are receiving. It is a good thing that Chippers is back in the frame, as is Steffannuto, because Carney isn’t getting game time in the Championship, and that is a concern. At least up front guys like Djite, Kennedy and Kewell are getting good time on the park and should be sharp.

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dasilva said | September 1st 2008 @ 5:35pm | Report comment

How good is steffannuto? Against china a couple of years ago he had a semi decent match. Played well in the first half but played poorly in the second. Hope he rise up as we need some more left backs as that is a problem position a long with the partner for lucas neill because IMO Carney really shouldn’t be anywhere near our first XI.

4 goalies can be a little bit understandable as Pim hasn’t seen Brad Jones play yet and he has been given a starting spot for middlesbrough in the EPL. So he has to check Brad Jones out withiout dropping any GK from the squad.

Everyone says we will be cautious but we were attacking against Qatar away. If bresciano and kewell start, we will see some decent attacking football even if Pim picks two DM. If he suddenly decide that Bresciano should be bench like what happen against Iraq ( why did no media question that decision?) then we will see a pretty dour match. Surely he won’t do that against the Uzbeks?

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Midfielder said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:06pm | Report comment

Bear

I hope they are ready ……… the two lead up matches and playing together previously……… my guess the team gel.

Will be interesting to see if we go for a win or a draw, ………..Pims history indicates we go for a draw ……… I can hardley wait.

On Nick I posted on another thread it is rumoured he choose not to play the friendlies, which then makes it hard to get picked for the WCQ if true. I have heard he has some poor advisers and maybe a tennis DAD …… who he listens to a bit to much. Nick needs some good managers guiding him is the story I have been told.

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Koala Bear said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:23pm | Report comment

I think Uzbekistan will be a lot tougher to overcome for us than Japan or Sth Korea. So for me this will be a real test to our strength and standing in Asia.. I would think they have a similar style as Russia have, with a very physical hard running approach to their game, with a fair bit of technical skill..

There are two areas I am still not happy with in our team.. I don’t believe we have settled on our 2 best central defenders yet and we are not sure of our strikers .. Therefore in the light of all that. I will be happy to take home a point in the first leg.. I don’t want to see North in the team as a central defender.. Not that I am knocking his commitment, but the lad lacks a physical presence there and for me he is better suited as a fullback. I hope Pimbo will soon recognise this before it’s too late. The two central defenders should be our two most experience and commanding players in the squad .. Emerton and Neil ..

~~~~~~
KB

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Joe FC said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:06pm | Report comment

Bear
You raise some good points but Pim is no fool & neither are the people who put him there. Unfortunately in the 21st century where winning is everything & results are all that count caution is more likely to be the byword than adventure, particularly when it comes to WC qualification. I believe we have the personnel to do the job. Pim will stand or fall on getting us to SA & I for one don’t care how he does it – just that he does it.

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Adrian Musolino said | September 2nd 2008 @ 1:03pm | Report comment

I don’t think Scott McDonald will be fit for the WC qualifier so that limits one attacking option.

One issue I think people are overlooking is the good draw Australia landed. A bye on the first round followed by the toughest away trip in the group that means the players avoid the 20+ plus hour flight from Australia to Uzbekistan with three of the final four games at home.

It could have been a lot worse.

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The Bear said | September 2nd 2008 @ 5:33pm | Report comment

Folks, apart from Scotty MacDonald, the reports are that Brad Jones will be missing this squad, as well due to injury. Perhaps Mr Invincible can take his seat on the plane from Scootland! That may give Pim a bit of alternative to Djite, up front. And given that Scott hasn’t actually gelled too much over the last year, it may be the “money” move.

Also, Shane will be there merely to make the numbers. If he gets trialled again, then Pim is more open minded than i thought. It is the first time i have ever seen three left footed fullbacks in a Socceroo squad. Maybe i should put some money on the lottery, and $50 on Steffanutto to start. Does anyone like my chances??

Graciously,
The Bear

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