A look at the Socceroos’ Golden Thirties players
Roar Rookie By AlexMilic, 10 Dec 2009 AlexMilic is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- Australia, football, Galatasaray, Harry Kewell, Lucas Nei, Mark Schwarzer, Marko Bresciano, Socceroos, Tim Cahill, World Cup, World Football
Related coverage
- Football news
- Socceroos news
- Socceroos Fixtures news
- World Football - EPL, Champions League & Europe news
- World Cup Favourites news
- World Cup Roar of the Crowd Competition news
- Football World Cup - South Africa 2010 news
- Tim Cahill news
- Socceroos 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying news
Australia's Tim Cahill, left, fights for the ball with Japan's Marcus Tulio Tanaka during their soccer match for the World Cup Asia final qualifying in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009. (AP Ph,oto/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Australia’s best footballers have hit the thirties and are past their prime. Or are they?
Harry Kewell (31) has played magnificent football at Turkish club Galatasaray, which has resurrected his playing career after terrible injuries took away the best of him.
It’s only Harry’s second season at the Turkish giants and he has already become a fan favourite.
His goals have been crucial for the club’s push for a league title and in the club’s run to Europa League success.
I believe that Kewell. who will be 35 come the 2014 World Cup, will be at his best come South Africa next year and it’s his last chance to show everyone that he can play football. Let’s just pray that the Golden Boy of Australian football doesn’t get injured and goes off with a well deserved BANG!
Tim Cahill (30) has been this countries’ best footballer in the last four years and his performances at Everton are just getting better and better.
He is the key player in David Moyes team, and has proven himself to be one of the English Premier Leagues’ best players.
He will be a crucial part of the Socceroos team at the upcoming World Cup and we all hope he will show the world he is worthy of playing at the biggest stage week in week out and that everyone can see that Aussies can play the beautiful game.
Captain Lucas Neil (31) is never questionable.
He has captained Blackburn and West Ham UTD, and now at Everton, he is slowly fitting into the team after almost joining Atletico Madrid in the Spanish La Liga.
Neil’s leadership will be vital next year.
His cool and calm character shows he is serious about his football and a true role model for kids. Defenders seem to hit their prime in their early thirties, so we hope Neil’s best is yet to come.
Marko Bresciano (29) will be thirty come the World Cup, and we all hope he gets back into form.
His match-winning performances will be invaluable to the team, but it seems Marko has lost alot of passion for the game and is well past his best.
It’s a shame because he had the potential to be one of the best in the Serie A.
Blackburn Rovers teammates Bret Emerton (30) and Vinnie Grella (30) will be key players in the squad. But injury problems have been a issue for the two and big game match fitness will be valuable.
Legendary goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (37) and the tireless Scott Chiperfield, who will be 34 at the end of the month, are excellent examples.
I hope the boys are like red wine and get better by age.
Recommend this story.
December 10th 2009 @ 2:06am
Freud of Football said | December 10th 2009 @ 2:06am | Report comment
Cahill is unbelievably overrated by Australian’s. He’s a good player yes, but take him out of Everton and he’ll struggle, he is neither a midfielder nor a forward, he has to play somewhere in between and is lucky that Moyes affords him that luxury for he would certainly not fit into a team with genuine structure up front or in the middle.
I won’t say his game is based on luck, that would be harsh, he has a bit of Solksjaer about him in that he seems to constantly pop up in the right places, that’s not luck, that’s instinct and of course he has a fantastic leap but the other aspects of his game are average at best and he needs a team that creates chances.
As for Neill, well if Cahill is overrated I have no idea what to class Neill under. He is utterly crap, a hack with no technical skills, he wins the ball by kicking wingers off the park and is always exposed when a player runs at him or pulls out a trick, further, when on the ball he is very much a hit-and-hope type defender. That he is the glue for the Socceroos defence is a good indicator of their chances for South Africa.
Thank god he didn’t go to Spain because he wouldn’t have gotten a game, regardless of the language barrier his game would have been sorely exposed in the less physical La Liga.
December 10th 2009 @ 8:54am
Punter said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:54am | Report comment
Spoken like a true Liverpool supporter. They say club is greater than country.
I spoke to my Scouser friend on why Fowler was more loved than Owen (before his move to Man U).
Reason, Fowler was happiest playing for Liverpool, Owen always talked about playing for England.
December 10th 2009 @ 4:06pm
Freud of Football said | December 10th 2009 @ 4:06pm | Report comment
Yes, had you clicked on that picture of Barnes you’d have noted that I’m a Man Utd supporter.
December 10th 2009 @ 8:56am
David said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:56am | Report comment
I agree with Neill he hs destroyed his career via greed he used to be good around the time liverpool wanted him but his too slow now. However i disagree with Cahill.
Australia plays one of the hardest formations to attack from and cahill has scored a number of goals for the socceroos not to mention he captians Everton FC atm and his there most highly regarded player.
December 10th 2009 @ 9:08am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:08am | Report comment
On what authority do you repeat this mantra that Cahill is Everton’s most highly regarded player in a squad that includes the likes of Mikael Arteta, Steven Pienaar, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Louis Saha?
Cahill is very important to the Australian team, but I would argue that the formation suits / caters to his game, rather than acts as further evidence as to his awesomeness. There’s generally only one out-and-out striker, which gives Cahill room to work in, and there’s two holding midfielders, which frees him of defensive responsibility. The set-up suits a forward like Cahill down to the ground, but perhaps not so much other types of players, like Bresciano or McDonald for instance…
December 10th 2009 @ 2:26pm
David said | December 10th 2009 @ 2:26pm | Report comment
he starts every game is pretty much never rested because his so important Moyes always protests when he goes to play for Australia cuz he doesnt want Cahill to get injured his one of there highest scoring players last season and his a mid fielder. AND HIS CAPTAIN ATM
December 11th 2009 @ 11:58am
Fisher Price said | December 11th 2009 @ 11:58am | Report comment
That doesn’t prove he’s the ‘most highly-regarded’ player.
December 10th 2009 @ 8:56am
whiskeymac said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:56am | Report comment
A bit harsh Freud.
Cahill has a good strike record at the highest level. he might not have the trickery of a brazilian or creativity of some more celebrated players (like say Kaka who i know you rate;) or indeed fit comfortably into a traditional role but he works hard, leads and he scores goals, important goals, for his club(s) and country. on this measure alone, and after all goals are what count, he is an important and influential player. I thought he was rated by a lot of EPL managers (allegedly including Wenger who is a good assessor of talent)?
kewell might be a better player but i wld rather cahill in my team to be honest and if there was a choice to be made ( and for Pims sake i hope neither are injured).
spot on with neill mind you.
December 10th 2009 @ 9:32am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:32am | Report comment
‘EPL’ managers know he’s a goal threat, especially in the air. Of course he’s rated; that doesn’t distinguish him from most players playing at the top level.
December 10th 2009 @ 10:29am
whiskeymac said | December 10th 2009 @ 10:29am | Report comment
i disagree i think that if he is mentioned then he is “rated”. He is rated as a good (and am not saying he is a fabregas or gerrard or torres or rooney but potentially the next tier down) player at the highest level. many players inthe EPl dont ataing this level even if they are significantly better than most other players. but ultimatley this is all subjective and i think we are on the same page anyway as i note you yourself said he is good just not “that” good. which is probably about right IMO.
December 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm
dasilva said | December 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
When Ballan D’or nomination was announced and Wenger was asked what he thought about the nomination. Wenger immediately singled out Tim Cahill for praised out of all the players who were in the top 50 list.
I get the feeling that if Arsenal had more cash or if Tim Cahill didn’t sign another contract with Everton that Arsene Wenger would have considered buying Tim Cahill.
December 10th 2009 @ 1:29pm
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
Considering Wenger purchased (and continues to pay!) that dreadful ex-Man United left-back, anything possible…
But seriously… I actually don’t think that Cahill, as a front-third player, has ever had the skill or passing ability to fit in with Wenger’s playing philosphy. Doesn’t mean that Wenger hasn’t still admired the player for his efforts for Everton.
And bear in mind, Wenger has in the past considered (but then inexplicably passed up) the chance to sign the likes of C Ronaldo (from Porto), Kaka (from Brazil), Torres (from Atletico), Villa (from Valencia), plus the then French-based trio of Essien, Drogba and Cech, so I wouldn’t read to much into any possible Cahill interest, particularly as buying from a fellow English club was never going to present the type of bargain (i.e: cheap purchase) that Wenger prefers.
If Arsenal had more cash? They charge the highest ticket prices in Europe and made a $50 million profit last year, whilst Wenger’s on $5m a year. Lack of cash is not an issue.
December 10th 2009 @ 4:12pm
Freud of Football said | December 10th 2009 @ 4:12pm | Report comment
Wenger would never want Cahill, he would never fit in with Arsenal’s movement because he’s not great on or off the ball, he’s an opportunist and Arsenal need 11 players who can pass and run, with Cahill they’d have 10.
He is certainly an excellent judge of talent and Cahill was looking good at Millwall, Everton certainly got a bargain picking him up so cheap but that’s not to say that Arsenal should have ever made the move.
Wenger has seen most of he great names before they were big and in most cases it was one thing or another that stopped the move. I think with Drogba it was the mental side of his game and C Ronaldo, well United just moved quicker.
You also seem to be forgetting that Arsenal built a very expensive new stadium so while they might make profit, they’ve got debts.
December 11th 2009 @ 12:01pm
Fisher Price said | December 11th 2009 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
I don’t think that has effected Wenger’s budget; he’s just on a mis-guided crusade do prove success can be achieved on the cheap.
He always finds some reason or another to block a move, even when the player in move is begging to be bought. Apparently he had Kaka over for a trial but refused to pay something like 4 million…
Your American doesn’t have debts?
December 10th 2009 @ 8:57am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Cahill’s a forward.
December 10th 2009 @ 9:00am
Punter said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:00am | Report comment
Your comments on Neill could very easily be the same for Jamie Carragher, the only reason he is playing for a Top 4 team is because he is a scouser & turned his back on his country when they needed him to play for Liverpool. Total hack.
December 10th 2009 @ 9:34am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:34am | Report comment
Carragher’s limited and slow, but he’s a far better tackler and header of a ball than Neill, who has spent most of his career out wide. When used as fullback Carragher offered absolutely nothing past the halfway line, but then, surprisingly for an ex-midfielder, Neill is no great user of the ball – perhaps because he needs to squeeze out every drop of concentration to serve as a solid pro.
December 10th 2009 @ 9:39am
dasilva said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:39am | Report comment
I got a feeling that Freud is a Manchester united supporter
Also he wrote that Jamie Carragher is the most overrated player in the world.
December 10th 2009 @ 9:52am
Punter said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:52am | Report comment
OK I got it wrong. My apologies Freud, you have every right to rate Cahill as you do.
December 10th 2009 @ 2:08pm
Jeb said | December 10th 2009 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
Freud of football said “Cahill is unbelievably overrated by Australians”. Like it’s soooo unbelievable that we rate a player who constantly, constantly wins us games. And one of those wins was the most important we’ve ever had. If you don’t know that instinctual goal-scorers are priceless, then you don’t know football.
December 10th 2009 @ 4:23pm
jimbo said | December 10th 2009 @ 4:23pm | Report comment
You’re joking Fof!
Tim Cahill is one of our best and will star again on the World Cup stage – only difference being he will start every game as our attacking midfielder and not on the bench like Guus used him.
December 10th 2009 @ 5:54pm
Freud of Football said | December 10th 2009 @ 5:54pm | Report comment
No I’m not joking. He may be one of our best but “one of the English Premier Leagues’ best players.” he is not. He is totally overrated and as both myself and Fisher Price have noted, requires a very specific system to fit in.
If you want to know why McDonald hasn’t scored for Aus, look no further than Cahill. McDonald plays well with another forward alongside him or in front but with Cahill playing for Aus he occupies some of the space that McDonald otherwise would and Cahill isn’t creative, he’s not good on the ball, he’s no fantastic leader, his defensive skills are non-existant and he doesn’t have the best shot on him for a supposed forward.
Cahill has his strengths and in Moyes and Verbeek, two men who know how to utilise them. He often gets carried through games simply because he only needs one corner or one half chance and he can change the game. Rarely is he best-afield, that’s just not his game, he isn’t an all-rounder, he’s a poacher and good from set-pieces but that doesn’t make him;
“one of the English Premier Leagues’ best players.”
December 10th 2009 @ 7:55am
estragon said | December 10th 2009 @ 7:55am | Report comment
i assume this article is compensation for major milic’s previous anti-australian diatribe…
kewell i s a good player but nowhere near the level he was at during his last couple of seasons at leeds… he doesn’t breeze past players like he did then…
bresciano’s name is mark not marco… he has stated this on many occassions…
neill is not at all ‘vital’…
as for the so-called ‘freud of football’, cahill was once more of an attacking midfielder but it is moyes who has developed him into a striker of sorts rather than him affording cahill any luxury… to intimate cahill is ‘lucky’ smacks of an agenda that some rigorous analysis could purge… i guess its up to the ‘freud of football’ to seek the appropriate guidance…
i breathed a sigh of relief the other day when verbeek said chippers injury was worse than first thought… i just hope it keeps him out of the world cup…
for anyone whose interested, i’m keeping regular…
December 10th 2009 @ 9:07am
whiskeymac said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:07am | Report comment
you are regular? you mean the bran muffins working a treat? not really interested but will support the general proposition that good health shld be promoted at any and every opportunity
December 10th 2009 @ 12:56pm
AlexMilic said | December 10th 2009 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
you would rather have muscat in the defence wouldn’t you? ok so you wouldn’t care if neil was injured and had to miss the wc
December 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Quite what Muscat has to do with this I do not know.
Sure, it would a blow not have Neill at the World Cup, but that’s more an indictment on the central defensive depth Australia has / Verbeek’s unwillingness to give the younger centre backs a decent run in the side.
As for his ‘vital’ leadership… he didn’t seem too bothered about leading the side while he was holding out for a wage as close to the (ridiculous) money West Ham had him on. But maybe the players rate him as a captain – I don’t know.
Your blog makes ‘Never Questionable’ Neill out to be a far better player than he is.
“Cool and calm personality shows he’s serious about his football and a true role model for kids…Neill’s best is yet to come”. Are you the founder of his fan club?
December 10th 2009 @ 1:17pm
dasilva said | December 10th 2009 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
To be fair on Neiill
He generally rises and perform better for the Socceroos then he does for the club.
His performance at the World Cup was his purple patch and he was exceptional in most of the match and he had a great match against Italy until he falled down at the end.
It was rumoured that he was considered for Barcalona until Frank Rijkaard crossed him of the list after that fateful fall against Fabio Grosso.
Mind you it would probably have been a dud signing if Rijkaard did buy him.
December 10th 2009 @ 1:31pm
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
That’s true. He was impressive in the last World Cup finals, having been switched to the centre by Hiddink.
Back in club football, he wasn’t ambitious/confident enough to join Liverpool when they wanted him, so I doubt he would have succeeded at Barcelona. Nor I suspect would Barcelona have paid the buns he was on at West Ham.
December 10th 2009 @ 4:27pm
jimbo said | December 10th 2009 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
rather see spiranovic or coyne or Kisnorbo or Rudan before the Muskrat keeping out those foreign WC attackers.
December 10th 2009 @ 8:20am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:20am | Report comment
Cahill: “one of the English Premier League’s best players”.
Not totally sure what is meant by ‘best’ players, how it’s possible to compare players in different positions or how many footballers can qualify for your label; but If Cahill were to be justifiably included then it would need to be a list of at least 100+.
It’s not his fault, of course, but Cahill seems vastly overrated by too many on these shores (see Freud’s post above for details).
December 10th 2009 @ 8:27am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:27am | Report comment
PS: Lucas ‘Never Questionable’ Neill. West Ham fans weren’t distraught to see the ex-Blackburn right-back go and – even though he was apparently desperate to secure matches ahead of the World Cup – he couldn’t find a club for love nor (ahem) money prior to landing a support gig at Everton… Good luck to him but he’s no great shakes.
PPS: What did Bresciano do to upset you?
December 10th 2009 @ 11:14am
Gibbo said | December 10th 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment
and the west ham defence have gone from strength to strength since he left…
December 10th 2009 @ 12:03pm
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
as opposed to conquering all with Neill at the heart of the defence?
December 10th 2009 @ 8:46am
dasilva said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
I do agree with Freud that Cahill is an very limited player. He offers very little in open play. His defensive game is almost nonexistent and I notice in the Netherlands games that he was lazier closing down the opposition then the dutch superstars.
However he is a goal predator and great in the air and he scores goals. Fortunately for Cahill that’s probably one of the most important and also rare skills a player has on the pitch and makes him indispensable to Australia and probably Everton as well.
Does his limited game make him overrated? I don’t think so. The fact is that he is a vital piece of the socceroo and is a matchwinner and scores some of the most important goals in Australian football history. Who cares how limited he is in judging his career. That doesn’t stop him from being a great player for Australia.
December 10th 2009 @ 8:54am
Fisher Price said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:54am | Report comment
I agree with your appraisal of Cahill’s game and why he’s indispensible for Australia and Everton.
On your last point, though: There is nothing about Cahill’s game that makes him overrated; the overrating seems to come from some Australian fans who perceive his skills to be broader than they are in reality.
December 10th 2009 @ 2:20pm
David V. said | December 10th 2009 @ 2:20pm | Report comment
Unfortunately in this country we do have a too-rosy view of some of our own players even if they’re no more than standard fodder in the leagues they play in.
December 10th 2009 @ 8:57am
David said | December 10th 2009 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Our players are old and most will be in the HAL or retiered by the next world cup most of them are already to slow
December 10th 2009 @ 9:19am
whiskeymac said | December 10th 2009 @ 9:19am | Report comment
schwarzer has been incredible for the Socceroos and massive for Fulham. although goalies can play into their 40s (Shilton for example) 37 pretty much suggests we seriously cant always rely on him and need some one to begin being blooded in the number one possie.
kewell is not as good as he was at leeds but is playing better than he has for a long time. and thats good for us.
December 10th 2009 @ 4:46pm
AlexMilic said | December 10th 2009 @ 4:46pm | Report comment
Maybe Vukovic or Galekovic for the future but i think Mark will be there for another WC.
December 10th 2009 @ 2:32pm
David said | December 10th 2009 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
Kewell was gun a liverpool 8 goals in 14 games i think 4 of them were off the bench his not that good enough mor but id say his still our best player
December 10th 2009 @ 2:34pm
David said | December 10th 2009 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
For all u Cahill haters im just gana say this SUPER MAN WERES TIM CAHILL PJ’S!
December 10th 2009 @ 6:07pm
Freud of Football said | December 10th 2009 @ 6:07pm | Report comment
“as for the so-called ‘freud of football’, cahill was once more of an attacking midfielder but it is moyes who has developed him into a striker of sorts rather than him affording cahill any luxury… to intimate cahill is ‘lucky’ smacks of an agenda that some rigorous analysis could purge… i guess its up to the ‘freud of football’ to seek the appropriate guidance…”
I know what Cahill was, I’ve seen him play since his Millwall days and clearly remember him in the FA Cup Final against Man United, he was the only player who looked like he could compete at that level.
But even back then he was seen as an attacking/centre midfielder who was good going forward but mediocre in the middle, in his time at Everton he pushed forward further, sort of ‘in the hole’ but then again not really as he is not a playmaker so all he really did was get in Arteta’s (who by the way is far better than Cahill – yes I’m looking at you David) way, so he went ahead of Arteta but still didn’t play as a genuine striker, he doesn’t play off the shoulder and he doesn’t play just in behind, he’s plays in a hole in front of the hole.
He roams and he does this because his all-round skills aren’t good enough for him to be a genuine striker or a genuine number 10. He is given freedom because that is the best way to utilise his ‘instinct’, which Estragon, I said is what Cahill had, I distanced myself from calling him ‘Lucky’ as his goals – the most important part of his game for club and country – aren’t luck, they are predatory – go back and read over that one again.