Holger Osieck is walking an Asian Cup tightrope

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By Mike Tuckerman, 3 Sep 2010 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: A-League, Craig Foster, Eddy Bosnar, football, Holger Osieck, Socceroos

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Socceroos Tim Cahill at the conclusion of of Australia's 2010 World Cup campaign.

Australia's Tim Cahill celebrates after the World Cup group D soccer match between Australia and Serbia at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Wednesday, June 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

“My honest assessment? Take young players,” Shimizu S-Pulse defender Eddy Bosnar recently told me on the topic of who should feature at the Asian Cup. It’s a sentiment echoed by former Socceroos midfielder Craig Foster. So why are only four of the squad to take on Switzerland and Poland aged 23 or under?

“Ideally, we will eventually be able to achieve what Germany have done, which is bring through a group from 17, 20 and 23’s into the first team,” Foster told me.

“This takes pressure off the senior coach, as players have been trained under a uniform system and know each other well.”

But if that’s the case – and it’s a sentiment I personally agree with – why has new coach Holger Osieck selected a squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Poland top-heavy with ageing personnel?

The answer is partly because of what was painfully obvious at the last World Cup – Socceroos stocks are low and will take some time to replenish.

“We have only started this process lately,” Foster says. “Therefore, our youngsters need more time to build cohesion than other countries.”

Thus Osieck must walk the tightrope between preparing a squad capable of reaching the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup, as Foster suggests, and placating the many Socceroos fans who expect the national team to better their 2007 Asian Cup result.

The Socceroos were knocked out on penalties by Japan in the quarter-finals in 2007, but will the likes of Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill honestly be selected to feature in Qatar in the middle of their European seasons?

If not, why select them for friendlies against Switzerland and Poland instead of handing a chance to youngsters like Mitch Langerak, James Holland, Nikita Rukavytsya or even the in-form Mate Dugandzic?

I know the former three were selected in the recent squad to face Slovenia, but at some point these players need to be playing significant game time if Australia is to do some damage in Brazil.

“On both occasions of (the Asian Cup in) 2007 and 2008 Beijing, the urge to win meant a lack of foresight,” Foster tells me, arguing that Australia’s obsession with results hindered the chance to develop young talent.

He cites the examples of Philippe Troussier with Japan and current Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa as coaches who’ve been afforded time to mould young squads into successful teams over several years.

“Osieck is only just in town, so FFA needed the strategy which we have repeatedly called for, and for Berger to select young team for Osieck to coach,” Foster says.

“This is why I would have signed Bielsa and got going now,” he adds.

Food for thought from one of the Socceroos most passionate advocates, but the sentiment appears to have fallen on deaf ears if Osieck’s first squad is anything to go by.

Clearly a radical overhaul so early in the new club season is a difficult prospect, and Osieck must also consider the mindset of players who will realistically feature in Brazil, along with those more likely to lead Australia’s charge at the 2011 Asian Cup.

A typically forthright Foster believes the Socceroos should use Qatar 2011 as the start of a cycle aimed at winning the tournament on home soil in 2015.

But to do that Osieck needs young blood, which is why it’s curious to see the likes of Luke Wilkshire, Brett Holman and Richard Garcia selected for the umpteenth time.

We know what these players can do, and many of us would rather see youngsters like Urawa Reds defender Matthew Spiranovic and Nürnberg’s creative talent Dario Vidosic showcase their wares on the international stage.

“As it is, nothing changes,” Foster argues. And that’s precisely the sentiment that will go under the microscope in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman

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The Crowd Says (68) | Page 1 of Comments

AndrewMc said | September 3rd 2010 @ 5:22am | Report comment

If Australia wins the hosting rights of the 2022 WC, I would like to see one development cycle building from now until the 2015 Asian Cup. And then the next cycle from 2015 to 2022. After that period we should go to the regular 4 year cycle around world cups.

Reply
Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 8:17am | Report comment

The problem is that Australian soccer fans are continuing with the pretence that Osieck was part of a proper selection process.

He was not.

He will end up with a worse win-loss ratio than Pim, and it’s less than a 50/50 chance that he will still be around in four years.

Reply
- TomC said | September 3rd 2010 @ 10:51am | Report comment
  
  I guess the great thing about changing pseudonyms every few months is that you can make predictions four years into the future and never be held to account for it.
  
  Reply
  - AndyRoo said | September 3rd 2010 @ 10:54am | Report comment
    
    I think my strategy of constantly reminding people of my correct predicitions (suppporting AngeP and Holman) and just ignoring my many other failed predictions will work better in the end
    
    Reply
  - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:21am | Report comment
    
    Bookmark this page, you’ll be checking it again in less than two years, or my real name isn’t Mister Football.
    
    Reply
    - Art Sapphire said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:40am | Report comment
      
      Ted Whitten was Mister Football
      
      Reply
      - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
        
        The spirit of Ted Whitten resides in all who have live in and around Braybrook/Maidstone.
        
        Reply
    - TomC said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:42am | Report comment
      
      Thinking about it some more, you’re almost certain to be right.
      
      Verbeek had a win-loss ratio of about three to one, which I doubt anyone could keep up, and ‘in four years’ would take us to two months after the Brazil World Cup.
      
      Well played Mr Football, well played.
      
      Reply
      - Axel V said | September 3rd 2010 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
        
        Lol, in amazing news, COACH MOVES ON AFTER WORLD CUP….This applies to 50%+ coaches of the world of every nation after every world cup…
        
        The interesting thing about Osieck is, can he rebuild a team? and can we play more exciting football than Pim while still getting us to the World Cup (and doing well in the Asian Cup in a few months time)?!
        
        Reply
        
        Realfootball said | September 3rd 2010 @ 4:13pm | Report comment
        
        “More exciting football”?? You mean the Roos actually played some under Pim the Undertaker?
        
        Axel V said | September 3rd 2010 @ 5:35pm | Report comment
        
        , well you never know, he could be as boring! or WORSE!
  - Mister Football said | September 4th 2010 @ 9:10am | Report comment
    
    TomC
    
    if you are interested in pseudonyms, you should talk to Art, he knows a fair bit about them.
    
    Not that I blame him.
    
    I was motivated by similar sentiments.
    
    You would be too if you had been the subject of a concerted and organised campaign of targeted personal abuse (many of whom disappeared from the Roar as soon as I was silenced).
    
    But this is the interesting thing: I was proven correct on everything I said, the very opinion that was attracting the abuse, of which you were part.
    
    The question for all contributors such as yourself, and the Roar editorial team: under what circumstances should a reasonably argued opinion become the target of personal abuse and vindictiveness?
    
    That’s a question that I find quite interesting.
    
    Seeing that you are so interested in holding people to account – what do you think?
    
    Reply
- Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:05am | Report comment
  
  How was the selection process improper?
  
  Reply
- dasilva said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:21pm | Report comment
  
  Mr. Football
  
  Osieck CV is far better than Verbeek and Verbeek’s reign in terms of results was rather credible (Verbeek was a complete failure at club level in Asia and ended his South Korea reign with a player revolt and with an exception of promoting a club to the Eredivisie with Fortuna Sittard, he hasn’t won any trophy). So I don’t know how you can be that pessimistic about Osieck coaching Australia when you are pretty much a defender of Verbeek’s reign.
  
  So my expectation of Osieck will be pretty similar to Verbeek. My expectation is that Australia to be title challengers in the Asia Cup (Osieck’s record in cup competition is pretty good so this is not an unfair expectation), Australia to qualify to the 2014 World Cup and Australia being competitive at the World cup (although probably be eliminated in the first round like Verbeek as Osieck is inexperience as a full manager at the highest level) whilst playing fairly dour football.
  
  Reply
  - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
    
    dasilva
    
    I will have to disagree with you there.
    
    Yes, Osieck’s CV is long, broad and varied – granted.
    
    But this is the crucial difference.
    
    Pim came straight from managing South Korea (where he took them to 3rd spot in the 2007 Asian Cup), to managing us, and what’s more, he suited our needs down to a tee at that point in time. We knew what we were getting back then – and we got it!!
    
    Ozieck is walking straight out of the FIFA bureacracy to this job, aged 62, and I have zero confidence of his capacity to manage the Socceroos during this important transition period.
    
    Reply
    - Fussball ist unser leben said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
      
      MF
      
      Perhaps, for once, instead of just providing negative input you cam share your wisdom and tell us whom you would you have picked for the National Team Manger, given the selection criteria:
      
      a) proven success in Asia
      b) proven success with identifying and developing technically gifted youth
      c) proven success with the management of a National Football Team
      d) willingness to live and work in Australia
      
      Reply
      - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
        
        It’s a difficult question because we aren’t privy to a lot of info, in particular, the budget that is available, and what sort of guarantees we can get in relation to criterion d.
        
        I believe Jorvan Vieira may have been worth a look – he fits the criteria, and he’s still only 57.
        
        But I’m unsure what he’s been up to the past 12 months.
        
        Beyond that, there are a few managers of Slavic extraction who have had success in Asia, many of who are equipped with a rare tactical astuteness – but for some reason, we never, ever seem to consider these sorts of managers.
        
        Reply
        
        Fussball ist unser leben said | September 4th 2010 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
        
        MF
        
        Let’s see if I can summarise your thoughts:
        
        1. You admit you don’t know anything about the recruitment process yet you constantly whine, whinge and complain about the recruitment process!
        
        2. You identify one alterantive for the job – Vieira – and you then admit you don’t even know what he’s been doing for the past 12 months!
        
        3. You make a general comment about wanting managers of a certain ethnicity – without naming anyone!
        
        Do you really want us to take your opinions seriously or should we continue to view you as basically someone who is negative about everything to do with Football?
        
        What are Vieira’s credentials in relation to identifying and developing youth players – given the time he had with the Iraqi squad I’d be surprised if he would have had any influence other than match-day tactical input.
        
        In my opinion, no matter who the FFA had appointed you would have been negative with your assessment, which is fine, since you don’t follow football or the National Football Team.
        
        I don’t know and don’t care who is the AFL “national coach” or who is in the team to play Ireland later this year …
        … although, I’m have no doubt their names will be on the front pages of the newspapers when they get locked up by the Garda!
        
        Mister Football said | September 4th 2010 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
        
        3. You make a general comment about wanting managers of a certain ethnicity…
        
        Where have you been the last five years??
        
        Mister Football said | September 4th 2010 @ 3:24pm | Report comment
        
        Fussball
        I’m surprised that you would question the sheer amount and quality of coaches that have hailed from the Balkans who are employed all over the world – far too many to list – many of the them of the highest pedigree.
        
        Here are a few I’ve been able to remember – but there are stacks more, absolutely stacks:
        Branko Ivankovic
        Ivica Todorov
        Luka Peruzovic
        Blaz Sliskovic
        Victor Piturca
        
        Leaving the Balkans behind, another name that I thought of was Gabriel Calderon.
        
        But it’s a bit hard to just pull names out of my head, and a bit unfair that you would expect me to do that.
        
        My argument remains:
        1. Is that the best we could do? To pull a bloke out of semi-retirement who has spent the last couple of years in the FIFA bureaucracy? and
        2. Isn’t there a serious question mark over whether this was a fair dinkum selection process?
        
        Fussball ist unser leben said | September 4th 2010 @ 5:18pm | Report comment
        
        MF
        
        I have no issue with appointing a manager from the Balkans but I don’t understand why you think any of the names you listed would have been a more appropriate choice than Osieck.
        
        Heck some of the names you listed have managed obscure club and National Football teams so I can only imagine you would have been equally scathing in your criticism if the FFA had hired any of the names on your list.
        
        I have no doubt, whomever the FFA hired as NT Manager, you (and other negative people in Australia) would have been crictical.
        
        I reckon life is too short to always be negative.
      - Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 3rd 2010 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
        
        I asked before as to how the recruitment process was deficient and have yet to receive a reply from MF. He’s just trolling.
        
        Reply
        
        Mister Football said | September 4th 2010 @ 9:19am | Report comment
        
        Ben
        
        I’m surprised that you would need to ask the question. A stack of articles have appeared on the subject – in fact every single soccer commentator has expressed a view since Osieck was appointed.
        
        I’m surprised that the minute you read an opinion you don’t like, you’re first reaction is to play the troll card: quite unsophisticated, unbecoming, dull and unoriginal.
        
        My opinions are well reasoned, well argued and usually backed with references – which can’t be said for 90% of the opinions expressed on the Roar.
        
        Here is one articel from Jesse Fink, there were many others:
        http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/jesse-fink/blog/1017956/Osieck-Beckenbauer-and-a-question-of-questions
        
        The fact that we would hire a semi-retired bloke, hiding out in the FIFA bureaucracy for the last couple of years, is sufficent reason to question the whole process, that’s before we even get to the substance of the process, which provides even further food for thought.
        
        Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 4th 2010 @ 5:21pm | Report comment
        
        I apologise for playing the troll card however you made a firm statement and didn’t provide any facts when I asked, so I figured you were trolling (which was my second post, not the first). You still haven’t answered mind you as, the article you posted is about a possible advantage of the selection decision but talks nothing about the process.
        
        The FFA had a selection panel, all of whom had to declare any conflicts of interest in relation to applicants. They had established criteria and they had a budget. They then assessed applicants against those criteria and made a decision based upon the applications they had received.
        
        Because you don’t like the final decision doesn’t mean the process is improper, which is what you are claiming. The FFA can’t please everyone, all it can do is try to ensure that it employs good governance and recruitment processes that meet corporate norms. This, to the best of my knowledge, has occurred. If you have knowledge otherwise then please enlighten us.
        
        dasilva said | September 4th 2010 @ 6:21pm | Report comment
        
        I agree Ben
        
        Osieck does tentatively tick all the box in the FFA criteria.
        
        a) proven success in Asia
        He won one Asian Champions League
        
        b) proven success with identifying and developing technically gifted youth
        He was a youth coach of germany for like 8 years and must have coached some Germany players that ended up winning the World Cup in 1990
        
        c) proven success with the management of a National Football Team
        Winning the Gold Cup with Canada (breaking the USA/Mexico hegemy) with Canada is a pretty good achievement despite the tremendous luck he achieved (coin toss to advance through the group)
        
        d) willingness to live and work in Australia
        He is willing to do that
        
        Now I do have question marks on why success in Asia is such a high priority. Imagine if Guus Hiddink approached Australia in 2000 (for hypothetical sake we were apart of Asia back then) and we rejected him because he hasn’t got any Asian experience despite an excellence coaching CV. It would be a joke. If a coach is a proven success at World Cup or Champions League level (which Osieck hasn’t) then that should override any success a manager may have in Asia.
        
        So that’s one question mark I have on the process but really nothing about the process success seems particularly corrupt.
        
        I just think that Mr. Football has some sort of prejudice about working for FIFA Technical Committee. Sure most of them aren’t great managers but that doesn’t automatically make them illegitimate and bad coaches. Osieck just had a break from the high pressure atmosphere of full time coaching at a club/country for a few years and that’s all. I don’t know why we had to used his position at FIFA against him.
        
        Fussball ist unser leben said | September 4th 2010 @ 6:47pm | Report comment
        
        dasilva
        
        Osieck does have proven success at the World Cup – he was assistant coach to The Kaiser when Germany won the 1990 WC and The Kaiser has nothing but praise for his former assistant.
        
        Remember “Jogi” Löw was also an assistant to Klinsman at WC2006 and, in many eyes, Löw was THE Coach of the 2010 WC.
        
        The top Assistants will often go on to be the Master – in any sport (Mark Thompson, Ross Lyon & Mark Harvey in the AFL all served time as assistants before becoming “masters”)
        
        The reason we need someone with success in Asia is b/c we are new to Asia. Over time, as our Football departments gain expeience in Asia I think the “success in Asia” criterion will be less important when choosing the NT Coach.
        
        So, in 2000, when Hiddink went to coach Sth Korea although Hiddink had no “prior experience managing football teams in Asia”, Sth Korea was an integral part of the Asian Confederation and they would already have had all the “Asian experience” within their football departments & culture.
        
        dasilva said | September 4th 2010 @ 10:28pm | Report comment
        
        I don’t mind Asian experience as a factor in selecting a coach and it would probably should be used as a tie breaker between two coaches with similar quality CV.
        
        However using it as a prerequisite seems to take things too far. I would like to imagine telling the likes of Capello, Mourinho, Rijkaard that they are not good enough for the job because they never coached in Asia before. If you prove yourself at the highest level then you should be well qualified to coach for the socceroos. Of course if two World Class manager (let say Hiddink and Capello) wanted to coach the socceroos, you would choose someone with Asian experience but I wouldn’t say it’s a must have quality.
        
        If you want someone who could be able to handle the logistics of coaching in Asia, then get them as an assistant. Really in terms of success in Asia. Holger Osieck is hardly more experience in handling the logistical difficulties of Asia than Aurelio Vidmar who manage Adelaide in three ACL campaigns instead of one (Osieck only manage in one campaign in the season he actually won).
        
        About Holger being an assistant manager for the World Cup triumph. I’m not too sure how much credit a person gets for being assistant. How much credit do we give Graham Arnold for qualifying to the round of 16. How much credit do we give to Pim Verbeek for reaching Korea to the semi-finals of the World Cup? Remember that Hiddink had nothing but praise to say about Arnold as well and publicly supported Arnold taking over the Socceroos after he left.
        
        Osieck has proven to be a good assistant manager and that’s the most we can get from his role in 1990 world cup.Low proved to be a good manager after he was given the job but not when he was under Klinsmann
    - dasilva said | September 3rd 2010 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
      
      Pim Verbeek reign at South Korea ended in a players revolt (similar to Osieck). in fact their best performance during the match against Iraq where they were unlucky to lose in a penalty shootout was apparently due to the players ignoring his instruction and decided to play attacking football.
      
      Verbeek was coaching a second division club side in Japan and never went close in promoting the club to the J-league and finish 3rd with South Korea. Osieck won the Asian Champions League with Urawa Reds and won the gold cup with Canada (admittingly lucky to make it out of the group stage after advancing in front of South Korea due to a coin toss) as well as a third place finish in the following Gold Cup tournament (where they actually defeated South Korea in the 3rd place playoff). His record as a club manager in Asia and as an international manager is superior to verbeek in anyway you can look at it when they first got the job for the socceroos (although you could make an argument that Verbeek now has qualified Australia to the World Cup and Osieck never qualified anyone)
      
      About Osieck walking straight out of the FIFA bureacracy. So do you think Osieck would have forgotten his coaching ability after two years out of the game. Or are you saying that the game change so much over two years that now he is now out of his depth and behind the times? If so I would like an explanation how that is so. So coaches aren’t allowed to have breaks from the pressure of full time coaching once in a while?
      
      Look I’m skeptical about Holger’s record for us to succeed at the next world cup. his man management ability should be question due to two players revolt under his reign as well his inexperience at the highest level with him never coaching at the World Cup or the UEFA Champions League before (Ideally I would want the manager of the Socceroos to have previous successful stint at one of those tournaments). Nevertheless his record isn’t terrible and there’s nothing in his record to pigeon hole him as a failure this early on.
      
      Reply
      - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
        
        It’s rare for any top team or country to pull a bloke out of the FIFA bureaucracy, especially when he’s already 62. He’ll be 66 at the next WC.
        
        I’m just saying that we knew precisely what we were getting with Pim, there were no surprises, we got what we paid for.
        
        Reply
        
        Realfootball said | September 3rd 2010 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
        
        No arguing with your take on Verbeek, MF. His CV indicated a dull, talentless, defensive coach who had been little more than a career assistant, and that was sure what we got.
        
        At 2.5 million bucks per year, however, I’m not at all sure we got what we paid for. He was way overvalued at that price.
        
        Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 10:25pm | Report comment
        
        The attraction with Pim was that he was capable of helping us negotiate Asia for consecutive WC appearances, plus we knew he could organise a team, as I said, we got precisely what we thought we were getting, including a WC appearance.
        
        I’m continually amazed that people underestimate what Pim achieved.
        
        We will understand it soon enough.
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 3rd 2010 @ 8:55am | Report comment

There is definitely a need for intelligent and strategic regeneration of teams with top quality youth players but, in my opinion, unless you have a generation of technically gifted footballers (which Australia doesn’t) – it would be sporting suicide to rely only on youth for any senior tournament.

Championship winning teams tend to have a majority of experienced/older footballers, supplemented with some “football prodigies”.

Interesting to note that 3 out of the past 4 WC Champions had the majority of their starting 11 older than 27:
* Spain (2010 WC Champions): 6 out of the starting 11 were 27+ years old (Casillas, Puyol, Capdevila, Alonso, Xavi, Villa)
* Italy (2006 WC Champions): the whole starting 11 were 27+ years old
* France (1998 WC Champions): 8 out of the starting 11 were 27+ years old (only Barthez & Thuram – both 26; Zidane 25 were younger)

Only Brazil (2002 WC Champions) had more u27 than older. Brasil had only 4 out of the starting 11 were 27+ years old, but then Brazil is pretty unique in producing a never-ending supply of technically gifted youth players.

Reply
- Aljay said | September 4th 2010 @ 11:32am | Report comment
  
  These stats actually stand us in pretty good stead for 2018 given the number of 19-23 year olds knocking on the door now.
  
  Reply
Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 3rd 2010 @ 9:13am | Report comment

To be fair Osiek needs to look at the players he has as well as the ones he needs to bring through. I don’t have a problem with the squad provided that players such as Spiranovic, Jedinak, Burns, Vidosic & Oar all spend significant time on the park getting to know both the system and one another with an eye of having them as regulars in the starting 11 (form permitting).

Incidentally why does the editor keep choosing the same photograph for Socceroos discussions? I keep thinking that the supporter base has been drafted from the cast of 10,000BC.

Reply
AndyRoo said | September 3rd 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment

I don’t think Holman (and Valeri) should be put in the same category as the guys that won’t feature in brazil. I don’t think they should be left out of any side.

Reply
TomC said | September 3rd 2010 @ 9:39am | Report comment

Mike, I have to say that I’m surprised that someone with as much respect for Asian football as yourself is advocating Australia show such stunning disrespect to Asia’s premier national competition as to treat it as a development exercise for another tournament more than three years later.

There are many, many, many reasons why Osieck is best placed working with the most senior experienced socceroos before he takes a look at the youngsters, (identifying which of them would be valuable mentors, for starters) but the really concerning aspect of this debate is the tunnel vision large sections of the football media have developed towards the World Cup. If we’re not capable of regarding anything else as more than a glorified training session, then how does the team steel itself in real competition more than once every four years?

On a side note, I can’t stand the way everyone bangs on about Bielsa. He’s never managed outside of South America apart from a handful of games in Spain, and he’s only interested in one style of play. As much as we might daydream about the Socceroos playing a South American style attacking game its not about to happen. We don’t have the players and we can’t develop them from the top down.

Reply
- Mike Tuckerman said | September 3rd 2010 @ 10:54am | Report comment
  
  I’m not advocating that at all. I’m simply suggesting that Osieck will find it hard to balance the expectations of fans who want to win the Asian Cup in 2011, with the need to blood new players for the World Cup three years later.
  
  Reply
  - TomC said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
    
    Aren’t you? Because you heavily quote Craig Foster throughout the article, you present his views in a way that seems to be pretty positive, and you write ‘A typically forthright Foster believes the Socceroos should use Qatar 2011 as the start of a cycle aimed at winning the tournament on home soil in 2015.’
    
    Do you not understand why I might conclude that you share the view that we should use the Asian Cup as a springboard for later tournaments?
    
    Reply
    - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
      
      TomC
      
      it’s a fair enough point you’re making, but equally, I’m sympathetic to the view that we could use Qatar 2011 as one plank in rebuilding the squad, by getting a few fresh faces into the team, and by retiring a few older bods – with the aim of still doing as well as we can.
      
      Four years ago, our A team was absolutely humbled and embarassed – so let’s try something a little different this time around, with a bit more strategic planning.
      
      Also, I’m wondering how difficult it might be to get the biggest names for the tournament? If so, let’s grab the opportunity to things differently.
      
      Reply
    - Mike Tuckerman said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
      
      Of course I understand it. I’m just giving you my personal opinion.
      
      I’m not advocating that we ‘disrespect’ the Asian Cup, I just wonder whether there’ll be issues having the likes of Schwarzer, Neill and Cahill actually play in the tournament. And if there are, it shouldn’t take that much foresight to consider them and take appropriate measures now, rather than in six months time.
      
      I asked Craig what he thought about it because he’s passionate about the national team and I respect his opinion.
      
      But I’ve been around long enough to know Osieck was never going to radically overhaul the squad for his first two games in charge, which is why I’ve simply suggested that he’s walking a tightrope in regard to squad selection for 2011 and 2014.
      
      Reply
chocolatecoatedballs said | September 3rd 2010 @ 10:09am | Report comment

I would assume his knowledge of Australian footballers is quite limited, i really do not mind his selection as we can win the Asian cup, slowly introduce young blood afterward as he gets to know the players spread across the globe, keep confidence high without throwing too many spanners in the mix.

Reply
Brian said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:07am | Report comment

The national team only has two trophies to fight for every two years, so why not throw everything at the Asian Cup. After that there will still be 3.5 years till the World Cup rather than 4. Moulding youngsters is for friendlies and qualifiers (after you have qualified). We should play ouir best team in the Asian Cup, otherwise the public will never take the event seriously. Imagine if what football just had in June happened in this country twice every four years instead of once (like it does in Europe). Especially if we are going to host this event in 2015.

More importantly planning now will only marginally, if at all improve our 2014 campaign. The major European teams only rarely plan they euro cup teams around the next world cup, in fact they only do so when they are hosting and even then things don’t always work to plan. The Swiss planned for Euro 2008 and ended up performing better in 2006 and 2010.

The Chile and Japan teams Foster speaks of got to the R16, the latter when hosting – the exact same result we got when Hiidink took over with a year to go. We are not Germany or Brazil, we’ll never have an endless supply of youngsters, yes we need the right structures to develop talent but if its not there you cannot invent it. Our 2014 CB should play about 200 top class games between now & 2014, and about 25 for Australia. Does anyone really think that if he played 28 our 2014 will dramatically improve?

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- AndyRoo said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:32am | Report comment
  
  Good post Brian
  
  I don’t see any reason to take a whole new team but I don’t really see North or Garcia helping us beat South Korea either as the old absorb and pinch it plan isn’t going to hold up so well with even older legs. If we are going to keep playing defensive football at least pick some guys with pace like Burns or Ruka so we can counter attack effectively.
  
  World cup qualifiers for Asia start about 6 months after the Asian cup I believe. I’m not sure wether that’s in favor of the youth or against it in that if you want to throw the kids in before the qualifiers you have to get cracking but then there probably isn’t enough time to build a new team anyway.
  Remembering last time our first Qualifying group was quite tough with Asian Cup winners Iraq and China not progressing.
  
  Gradual regeneration of the squad seems the only real option I think as we basically need to keep up performances at all times. I don’t think we can afford the luxury of a lul period as we have a lot of genuine opposition in front of us.
  
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  - Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
    
    interesting that everyone thinks of Gracia as ‘old’, the guy is 28, exactly the right age for having a decent crack at the Asian Cup and helping us through the qualification process for 2014. Given the club he’s been playing for and his performances for the Socceroos I think he deserves to looked at by Osiek.
    
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    - AndyRoo said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
      
      He’s not exactly mobile and were he a solid defender/full back I think you would have a case but he’s an attacking midfielder.
      
      Don’t expect an appology if he scores the winner in the semi final either… I will have a new user name before the MOM award is handed out
      
      Garciaforever is available I see.
      
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      - Mister Football said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
        
        I’m with you 100% on Garcia (and I’m gonna beat you to that user name).
        
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Brian said | September 3rd 2010 @ 11:41am | Report comment

“So why are only four of the squad to take on Switzerland and Poland aged 23 or under?”
Because if the new coach listens to Craig Fosters reccomendations he should start filling out his Centrelink forms right now.

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Ryan Steele said | September 3rd 2010 @ 12:17pm | Report comment

It seems a bit of an overreaction for everyone to be going on about this after just the FIRST selection. It doesn’t seem like many in the media have really sat down to look at the decision properly, as if the next World Cup is only two weeks away instead of a whole four years.

While I’m far from being Osieck’s biggest fan, I can actually understand and I appreciate the selection.
If you were new to coaching a senior national team and that federation had given you the assignment to develop a future for the youngsters, would your first squad (and every other from therein) consist solely of those you expect to be playing for the next four years and onwards, or would you want to ensure that each new player gets individual attention, the correct development and each player continues to have a desire to work as hard as they can to play for their country?
After all, it’s something that should be earned, not given away.

If we played against Poland, Slovenia or whoever else we play against with a team of 18-23-year-olds, at their current experience, they’ll be walked over every time. And the experience won’t harden them; they’ll lose confidence. By the time the World Cup rolls around, we’ll be fielding this new side – 22-27-years-old by then – still running around like headless chooks.
Put it in perspective; give them individual attention, mix in age and experience to help them along on and off the pitch and the experience will turn out to be so much more fruitful.

If we focus on slowly bringing in these young players – from a long-term perspective – it will be much more beneficial.

Also, why are the media downplaying the importance of the Asian Cup? It’s a ridiculous notion that we shouldn’t be taking it seriously. Not only is it important for our stature in Asia and “the pride of a nation,” but winning it delivers us more games via the Confederations Cup and other (European) nations more willing to play serious friendly matches, instead of using them just to “give a few of their youngsters a run,” something our media doesn’t like to see. (Bit hypocritical, that.)

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- chocolatecoatedballs said | September 3rd 2010 @ 5:41pm | Report comment
  
  agree
  
  Reply