If things are going badly and we are behind, he will be thrown onto the field at about the 86th minute mark and then blamed for not scoring and salvaging a point for the team.

No one had heard of the guy until he impressed in a training camp 18 months ago. He’s a good CB if a little-rough hewn who did a job in the WCQs when there was a baby boom/injuries/suspensions crisis. That’s all.

He’s been alright in the A-League but Colosimo has been on fire and is streets ahead of him on the ball, hence he was picked ahead of him. This is complete hysteria from Somerford given that three of the other four returning Socceroos are in the squad.

———–Vukovic
Wilkshire Moore Spiranovic Kemp
———Culina Jedinak
—Vidosic Carle Thompson
————- Djite

Since Pim loves the one out striker.. So Djite will give him that option.. however he could go more mobile and had it to Brosque

He’s going to throw Archie one last life line.. Archie better play the game of his life!!

Love the cut of Vidosic’s jib.. Thats the future of the socceroos right there peoples..

Time for Nicky Carle to show Veebak what his made of..

Culina and Jedinak is the standard defensive midfielder shape that is Pims trade mark.

Old faithful in Wilkshire and Moore.. though Moore could be running around with an injury by all reports.

Spiranovic is a certain defensive back up for WC so more game time for the boy..

Kemp is the dark horse.. Pim sounded impressed with kemp.. but we’ll see

Not sure about Vukovic.. looks a little short from my TV at home..

nice work daddyo

———–Vukovic
Wilkshire Moore Spiranovic Lowry
———Culina Jedinak
—Vidosic Carle Rukavytsya
————-Djite

I’ve obviously picked all the o/s players, I think Verbeek rates them higher than the A-Leaguers. I think Brosque might have a chance of squeezing in there, pushing out either Carle/Ruka, who are playing the least out of the front 4 (which is saying something – none of them are really playing at all!)

its about fringe socceroos (coyne burns sterjovski) who’ve com back and seen a lot less time in the squad than when they left… nothing to do with how many aleague players are in the squad for kuwait… there was actually a time where coyne wasn’t playing for colchester as he was being left out of their squad but was being picked for the socceroos… further, i don’t think league 2 in england is any better than the aleague…

i think wilkshire will be deployed in a central position alongside jedinak. wilkshire’s just about the best player in the squad, and has played some of his finest in the middle of the park for the roos. this would allow culina to be deployed in an advanced role, and would relegate burns to the bench (a good outcome, for mine).

realistically, djite will be starting upfront as he’s the only forward that really fits the system although i’d love to see a very fast and mobile front third with players like ruka, vidosic and sterj lining up as a front three with culina just behind.

i reckon the starting eleven will look something like:

vukovic, kemp, spiranovic, moore, jamieson (although would prefer to see lowry given a shot on the left), jedinak, wilkshire, rukavitsya/sterjovski, culina, vidosic, djite

or at least, i hope it will.

Eamonn,
the Italian leagues, too, don’t take a winter break, with Serie A and Serie B matches fixtured for January 6. So Carl Valeri therefore hasn’t been overlooked, but simply not made available.

Denis Sims,
Chris Coyne was a regular Socceroo playing in the big WCQ until he left Colchester for Perth. He hasn’t been picked since and couldn’t even get in this depleted squad. What’s changed? Only his club situation, thus my prognosis it’s not a good look for A-League clubs hoping to sign Aussies from abroad. Sure, Moore and Culina have stayed in the Socceroos teams, but there’s plenty of examples of those who have seen their WC hopes drop after returning home. It certainly is a risk, Aussies players based abroad will have to acknowledge when pondering a move home.

Nevertheless, interestingly there was an article in today’s West Australian where Coyne reportedly missed the squad because of an ongoing back problem which has troubled him recently. He had a heart-to-heart with Verbeek and that’s what was revealed, so he remains determined to get his loan deal in January.

As to loan deals I can’t recall the exact details but Mark Bridge was able to go to China and I think he completed his A league Season but missed the start of the next one, Santalab and Aloisi were also offered deals though Aloisi opted out.

Milligan is no longer a young player. To say his career hasn’t worked out is a massive understatement and I am surprised to even see him even mentioned in his current circumstances.

The Loan Deal idea looks to me to be fraught with problems for the players. They have to go to a club with an established team, with the team coach knowing they are effectively a guest player, and then that coach has to be prepared to risk dissent and bad feeling in the dressing room by dropping a regular team member for the guest – not to mention the danger of throwing out the on field dynamic of the team. From a coach’s point of view, unless the loan player is of genuine star status, this represents a very considerable risk, and none of the players looking at deals come anywhere near that kind of “star” status, with the possible exceptions of Craig Moore and Jason Culina, who in any case have the contacts and CV to find a club in need of a good central defender or a hard running midfielder. But for fringe players like Brosque, Thompson, Burns and Sterjovski, workable loan deals may be much easier said that done.

Nathan Burns is without a doubt the best young creative/attacking talent to come through the A-League in its first five years. Have we seen a better performance by an Australian player over that time than his game-changing exploits for Adelaide v Binh Duong in the ACL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3u4a5eVb4A

To quote Simon Hill in that clip: “Ladies and gentlemen, you are watching a very special talent”.

Reporters need to start asking serious questions about why more isn’t been done to develop him as a future national team player. His exclusion from the Beijing Olympic squad (in favour of many players who failed to shine or have not gone on to make any sort of mark) was hugely disappointing. Now it seems he is behind many inexperienced A-League players in terms of national team calculations – very undeservedly in my opinion.

On behalf of the Australian football community, I want answers. Now.

Does this latest Socceroo selection mean that 15 A League players are now searching for loan moves to overseas clubs?

My question is if it’s so easy for these players to go on loan to overseas clubs why aren’t they there already?

There is a reason they play in the A League.

A bit disappointed not too see Milligan involved and I guess Lowry is taken as a left back so no room for Zullo… that would have been my bolter.

I hope Tommy Oar gets on the pitch along with Vidosic and Carle he is one of the most entertaining players in the squad.

~~~~~~
KB

Would we be taking J-League, K-League or Chinese players on loan????..or any other country come to think of it.

A-league players can only hope for Asian Cup places at best and even then they’ll have to be very lucky.. .

It’s a tough situation for all players and coach..

But this is a headache that Australia only has now that we’ve come from the football wilderness. How many decent players around the world never get/got to play for their country at the highest level because they didn’t fit in the national teams mould or just better players a head of them.. Cantona and David Ginola to name a couple.

Unfortunately the absence of Kennedy, Holman and Carney means there will be too many newer players starting (including 2 or 3 with next to no chance of going to SA) for this to be a meaningful world cup trial.

As for what Pim is thinking on his goalkeepers it is anyone’s guess.

For mine the starting line up should be:

Galecovic, Jamieson, Moore, Spiranovic, Wilkshire, Jedinak, Burns, Culina, Vidosic, Sterjovski and Djite