Get on the phone quickly and bring back Guus to guide the Socceroos’ 2010 World Cup campaign. That’s the message from former Socceroo Craig Foster after Guus Hiddink’s Russian team failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.
The Dutchman’s magic touch was not in evidence this time as Russia bowed out with a 1-0 away loss to Slovenia in a European play-off.
Foster says Football Federation Australia should seize the opportunity to bring back the man who led the Socceroos in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and put him charge, with current coach Pim Verbeek as assistant.
While Hiddink remains under contract with the Russians, it’s believed he has a contract clause which could see him leave if offered a role with a World Cup team.
“I’d strongly encourage the powers that be to get straight on the phone to Guus for a number of reasons,” said Foster, a respected television football analyst.
“In an ordinary scenario you’d probably have some problems but Pim Verbeek has already been an assistant to Hiddink at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. So they clearly already have a strong relationship.
“Secondly, when a coach leaves, they often, or more often then not leave on bad terms. Hiddink left on excellent terms.
“Thirdly, there’s still a very strong Dutch influence here … clearly the ground is very fertile for him to walk back and take over very quickly.”
Hiddink, who has managed top European club teams such as Chelsea, PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid, has coached three countries at World Cups – Holland in 1998, South Korea in 2002 and Australia in 2006.
He guided Holland to a fourth-place finish in 1998 before becoming a national treasure in South Korea with a remarkable run to the semi-finals in 2002 and took Australia to the last 16 four years ago after ending a 32-year drought by reaching the Cup tournament.
Foster believed Verbeek should step down to an assistant’s role if Hiddink returned despite his success in guiding Australia to South Africa.
“Ideally he should come back as the boss and Verbeek should be his assistant really,” he said.
“That’s what’s worked in the past. Of course, I understand there’s issues about ego there and Verbeek’s done an outstanding job to qualify the team.
“But by no means are they operating to a fantastic level and Hiddink’s World Cup experience is very important … (there’s) a level of discipline, or a management style with the players, which is the polar opposite of Verbeek.”
“His tournament preparation of a group is second to none. Verbeek’s done, again, an excellent job over a long term campaign but Hiddink is the master at preparing a group for a short tournament.”
And surprisingly, Foster feels his suggestion is one Verbeek would be open to.
“With a different coach it would be an issue, the current coach would probably say “well I’m going”, he’d resign,” he said.
“But these two guys know each other, they have a long-term history and I’d be surprised if Verbeek had a massive problem with it.
“Even he understands that Hiddink is a class above.”
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