An assessment of Carle against Japan
Columnist By Tony Tannous, 22 Jun 2009 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert
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- football, Nick Carle, Nicky Carle, Socceroos
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Arguably the most intriguing part of the Socceroos selection on Wednesday night was to see how Nick Carle would go with a rare start.
I thought he started pretty well, touching the ball numerous times in the opening 10 minutes. Australia were on top and it was only natural he would find the ball, even if his use of it wasn’t always of the usual crisp standard.
But then Japan started pressing high and we started coughing up the ball and retreating. Japan dominated the rest of the first half and none of our front men touched the ball as the likes of North, Neill, Williams and Stefanutto had to go long given that the short options, Culina and Grella, were given no room.
On the few occasions the two screeners did get it, the pressure was immense, and they couldn’t get it into our front third.
Carle, I thought, struggled to work out his defensive role in the first half. He dropped too deep and allowed Uchida to become the Japanese outlet, and he allowed him to venture forward too much, into our half, before pressing him. Some of his tackling was off as a result.
In the second half Carle worked it out, pressuring Uchida higher, getting in his face earlier, which meant the chance of missing tackles was reduced.
The whole team did well in the second period, pressing Japan, allowing us to win more of the ball higher and control the second half, and Carle played his part in that good work.
Once we started dominating he started to get on the ball, and his set pieces were at least on par with what we’ve seen throughout this campaign from Wilkshire, Emerton, Culina et al.
His in-swinging corners from the right were arguably the best corners we’ve produced in the campaign.
Carle showed, in the build up to the second goal, how dangerous he can be once he gets his foot on the ball often, and he started to combine nicely with the likes of Cahill and Culina as Australia got on top.
Verbeek seemed happy enough with his job after the game, but there is still the prevailing thought that he is not a wide player, especially against a team like Japan that can hold the ball well and shift it from side to side, as they did in the first period.
For mine, his performance was about average, with hopefully a few more opportunities to come over the next 12 months, particularly through the middle.
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June 22nd 2009 @ 10:14am
Pippinu said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
sj
I admit – WWE is a good description of what happened during that 2nd goal – I was actually waiting for the whistle to go as the defending team will nearly always get the benefit of the doubt in those situations (a pet hate of mine).
But – put a ball in the right spot – and you fill the keeper with doubt (as to whether he should come for it or not), and you fill defenders with doubt – and indecision on the part of defenders creates goals for the opposition.
Let’s give a bit of credit for what was a pretty good corner!!
June 22nd 2009 @ 10:16am
Slippery Jim said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:16am | Report comment
Pippu, maybe the ref viewed it as 50/50?
June 22nd 2009 @ 10:21am
Pippinu said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:21am | Report comment
sj
but that’s what I’m saying – those 50/50s, in those WWE free for alls that you get regularly from set pieces, invariably favour the defending team (19 out of 20 times), which I’ve always viewed as odd because it’s generally the defenders doing all the grappling AFL style.
June 22nd 2009 @ 10:23am
Vicentin said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Tony, I strongly agree with the point you raise in your subsequent comments ….
But if Pim wants to press the opposition, pin them back in their own half and keep the ball, get on the front foot, then Carle can play ahead of the holders and keep the cycle ticking by rolling the ball left, right and forward and threading those passes and tee up the likes of Kennedy and McDonald.
I thought we got a glimpse of these possibilities (yes, I am projecting a bit) in the few minutes he played against Bahrain (in a central role) where he was constantly offering himself to receive the ball and acting as a conduit to keep the ball moving and keeping defenders on the back foot. This aspect of his game shouldn’t be underestimated but it sounds like he rarely gets to show it if he’s playing as a DM in the Championship. For mine the Championship is an uneasy fit for his style of play – he has acknowledged that it is very direct with a strong slant towards getting the ball to the penalty area as quickly as possible, which often means long and in the air – so hardly surprising that a midfielder of his characteristics could go missing. That said it seems to have increased his fitness and workrate (and positional flexibility) – the things he was constantly hassled about before he moved, and it probably has helped him simplify his game … not that I mind a player taking “too many touches” on occasion. This is often the difference in retaining the ball and giving it to the opposition.
Cheers, a balanced piece Tony. I appreciate your analysis as I only got to watch it once – whilst in heavy conversation – and I think I missed some of the nuances of the game.
June 22nd 2009 @ 10:36am
Robbos said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:36am | Report comment
I agree with Pip, he put the ball on the spot, he whipped it in ala Recoba style, unlike many of the freekicks & corners taking previously in our campaign (a pet hate of mine). I didn’t say different is better, i say give different a go to see if it gives us another option.
As for Holman, yes his best game for the NT, as an attacking player he did a great job of defending (not contolling, Holman & controlling should not be ever grouped together) the Dutch midfield (yes no 2 in the world), but let’s also rememeber they were reduced to 10 men in the 2nd half.
June 22nd 2009 @ 10:39am
Pippinu said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Robbos
Whoah – slow down – who said anything about Recoba??!! Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves!!!
June 22nd 2009 @ 11:00am
Robbos said | June 22nd 2009 @ 11:00am | Report comment
I said whips it in ala Recoba, not as good as Recoba, no he is one of the best in the business. No not that stupid, though sometimes.
June 22nd 2009 @ 11:42am
Pippinu said | June 22nd 2009 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Robbos
no worries – how can we ever forget some of those ferocious balls he whipped in against us in Montevideo in 2001 that made us all look a little silly (I’m sure the Schwatter doesn’t look up those old clips!!). He really was the absolute best in the business. Even in Sydney 4 years later, when he wasn’t quite at his best, our hearts were in our mouth every time there was a set piece within, say, 50 metres of our goal!!
It’s interesting you raise Recoba in an article about Carle, because in one sense, it’s quite pertinent.
Carle is part of a modern day development whereby even players like Recoba may have a limited future – I’m not saying I support it, or it’s inevitable – but there’s a definite trend in the modern game that dictates:
1. two DMs
2. one striker who is not necessarily a specialist striker (think trequartista)
3. no number 10 role (lost somewhere between the trequartista and one of the DMs)
4. attacking mids who are actually every bit as defensive as they are attacking – which leads us back to you know who!!!
June 22nd 2009 @ 11:59am
Koala Bear said | June 22nd 2009 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Toni,
I thought Carle did OK as well; not one of the stellar performances as you rightly point out, however, we know he is capable of more… Whether he plays out wide or more central shouldn’t matter… He should create his magic if he has players around him that can read and benefit from what he is capable of when he is on the ball… I thought the defender Williams couldn’t read his moves… like North and Stefarno who can defend, but, can’t play close controlled football and look only to clear long instead of holding and supporting who maybe in front of them..
On a number of occasions when Carle was on the ball … Williams sat back instead of moving up to support Carle to get the pass back (lack of experience) .. I saw Carle on several times lose the ball as his defender sat back instead of moving up to support him … If he had either Emmo or Wilks playing behind him instead of Williams he would have had a much better impact… Nonetheless, he got more into the game in the second half with more ball and better support around him.. He deserves to be on the bench at the very least…
~~~~~~~
KB
June 22nd 2009 @ 12:00pm
Finno said | June 22nd 2009 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
Carle is a good player who find it difficult to find a slot where he fits in the Socceroos line up. He did go missing abit against
Japan. Im not sure weather they marked him out of the game of he just wasnt giving the option. Maybe Williams was seen as the weaker link and let the ball to go wider on the left than let Carle play. Carle can beat a player and if given the chance i.e having a few stronger players in the mid field and all around him I think he can step up. Im still not totally converted but I will watch what Pim does as he tinkers with the side.