Pressure’s on Pim no matter what the result
Columnist By Mike Tuckerman, 5 Jun 2009 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Australian Football, Bruno Metsu, football, Harry Kewell, Pim Verbeek, Qatar, Socceroos, Takeshi Okada, World Cup finals
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Australia's coach Pim Verbeek reacts from the sideline during the friendly match between The Netherlands and Australia at the Philips stadium in Eindhoven, southern Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. AP Photo/Ermindo Armino
By the time Australians awake from their slumber on Sunday morning, the Socceroos may have already qualified for a second successive World Cup finals appearance. With three qualifiers remaining, Australia need just a point to book their seat on the plane to the world’s most popular sporting event.
Yet, even drawing with Qatar in the desert of Doha could be easier said than done.
With temperatures expected to soar towards the 40 degree mark at the compact Al Sadd Stadium, the Socceroos will be up against more than just a desperate Qatari side aiming to sneak into third place in the group.
Wily tactician Bruno Metsu has pinned his faith on youth for Qatar’s must-win encounter – dropping captain Saad Al Shammari from his squad and including teenage defender Ibrahim Majid after he scored the winner in a recent friendly against Iraq.
But while Harry Kewell was quoted this week as suggesting that Australia “don’t need to win pretty,” the pressure will remain on coach Pim Verbeek no matter what the result.
That’s partly the result of the increasing influence of our football media.
Late last week The Roar’s very own Jesse Fink was taken to task over at The World Game website, for daring to question why Verbeek had dropped Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici in favour of Middlesbrough custodian Brad Jones.
I thought it was a reasonable question to ask.
I’ll even lay my cards on the table and admit that I’m an unabashed fan of Jesse.
I may not always agree with what he writes – I reckon he needs his head read if he thinks that “the 39th game” is in the best interests of the sport – but I admire his willingness to consistently ask questions that make him about as popular as a Melbourne Victory fan at a Sydney FC club luncheon.
After all, isn’t one of the responsibilities of the media to hold the powers that be to account?
I’m sure that Pim Verbeek can handle any criticism. He’s a calm and composed individual and no doubt he’s generously recompensed for his role as national coach.
Besides, a little tit-for-tat in the Australian press is nothing compared to the suffocating pressure of coaching South Korea.
What will be interesting is whether Verbeek chooses to experiment with his line-up should Australia pick up the point required in Doha.
Verbeek has already named an experimental line-up in one home qualifier – the dead rubber against China at ANZ Stadium a year ago – and he was widely criticised by fans as the Socceroos went down 1-0.
Then there’s the issue of Japan.
The Blue Samurai have suddenly roared into life with back-to-back 4-0 friendly wins over Chile and Belgium in the Kirin Cup, and they’ll be buzzing at the prospect of trying to snatch top spot in the group off Australia.
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has a selection quandary of his own – whether to thrust 18-year-old Urawa Reds sensation Naoki Yamada into his starting line-up.
The teenage midfielder is drawing parallels with the great Shinji Ono – one of the most talented Asian midfielders of our time before a series of knee injuries all but ended his career.
Urawa’s stern German coach Volker Finke has warned against putting too much pressure on Yamada, whose rise to national prominence has been meteoric to say the least.
The production line of talent shows no sign of grinding to a halt in Japan, and Takeshi Okada may be tempted to send out his youngest player in the hotbed that is the MCG.
If Pim Verbeek feels under pressure, a glance towards the Japan bench might provide some small consolation.
After all, no matter how much pressure he faces from Australian fans and media, things could be worse.
He could be in Takeshi Okada’s shoes.
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June 5th 2009 @ 9:44am
Pippinu said | June 5th 2009 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Millster
was that a long winded way of saying we should be wrapt at the prospect of qualifying for two consecutive WCs?
If so, I agree.
If not, what the hell are you trying to say??!!
June 5th 2009 @ 9:46am
Pippinu said | June 5th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
sj
Kewell looks like his absolutely jumping out of his skin – might be his best game in a gold shirt for many a year (if the heat doesn’t kill him first).
June 5th 2009 @ 10:43am
Midfielder said | June 5th 2009 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Mike
The SBS team is the most football knowledgeable pannel in Australia… If you were to ask any of the leading football nations in the world would they play the way we have and be in our position.. You and I both know the answer from most would be YES.
Interesting with such a knowledgeable team why so much is questioned … any idea why …
June 5th 2009 @ 10:48am
Pippinu said | June 5th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Good point Mid.
June 5th 2009 @ 10:50am
Mike Tuckerman said | June 5th 2009 @ 10:50am | Report comment
Slippery Jim – I chose to disclose the fact that I enjoy Jesse’s work this week because I found it odd that last week he was criticised for asking why Adam Federici was dropped. It had nothing to do with whether he “praised” my last article. I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t see fit to comment every time someone enjoys something that I write – Roar colleague or otherwise.
Millster – I was referring to the influence of our football media relative to football itself. I would very much like to see football become a hot topic within the mainstream media in the way that State of Origin or Terry Wallace’s resignation is this week, but just because the Socceroos are not on the backpage of the Telegraph every day or the lead sports story on Channel Nine every night doesn’t mean we don’t have a vibrant (and growing) football media and one that is attempting to cover more angles of the game than was possible in the past.
June 5th 2009 @ 11:01am
Pippinu said | June 5th 2009 @ 11:01am | Report comment
More coverage than the resignation of Plough?? That’s asking a lot!!
June 5th 2009 @ 11:10am
Mike Tuckerman said | June 5th 2009 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Is that his nickname? I have to be honest… I had to just run him through Wikipedia to see who he was!
Midfielder – the word “agenda” does get thrown about quite a bit in relation to the differing stances adopted by various media outlets. As a fan first and foremost, I’m delighted with the way qualification has gone this time around. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking questions. As Australian football fans, don’t we all want what’s best for our game? I suppose the friction arises because we’ve all got different opinions on the best way for the game to move forward.
June 5th 2009 @ 11:17am
Koala Bear said | June 5th 2009 @ 11:17am | Report comment
The SBS team is the most football knowledgeable pannel in Australia…
Midfielder,
that is the only part of your comment I would agree with….
If we are not one of the top five nations in Asia… I will down all of my green and yellow pills in one hit…. And leave the pink blood pressure ones for you… Midfielder we then better not ask the Brazilians or the Spaniards what they would do as being one of the top 5 nations in their confederations … I think we both would know what their football philosophy would demand…
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KB
June 5th 2009 @ 11:28am
Strikerx said | June 5th 2009 @ 11:28am | Report comment
While it is a game of opinions, we really don’t want to go the way of England where the players have an “us” and “them” mentality against the media and the fans. That’s is why I am disappointed with the recent so-called “debate” about “performances” and the tenure of the coach. (Please save that for when there actually is a crisis.) It has been a terrific campaign and we are going to the World Cup!! We’ve probably never had it so good (Asian Cup qualification aside, which is a very important issue). We should be fully behind this team that we derive so much enjoyment from and which is achieving great things in far away places. We can achieve a lot more together than if we are divided. That is our strength. Let’s not undermine that. Be part of it.
June 5th 2009 @ 11:41am
Koala Bear said | June 5th 2009 @ 11:41am | Report comment
” Kind of related to all this, to Timmy’s comments, to what the game this weekend means etc incidentally is my view that someone needs to put squarely on the table the issue of the Australian public’s sporting psyche and how it needs to grow up significantly in relation to football. “
Millster,
(Lads, I can hear discontented rumbling from the Grooky lads approaching) …
We on the Gold Coast have been flogged to death with the Grooky TV ads every day and night… (So boring) But I’m glad to report up here for a week and a half we have been getting a news report every day on FTA TV of the coming match against Qatar on Sunday … Finally the TV media as far as I can see is on board with more coverage then the Barbarians Rugby for Saturday night on TV 7 … Momentum is growing and Football will win in the end….
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KB