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Australia's head coach Holger Osieck, second left, talks to his players during a training session. AP Photo/Martin Meissner
What a difference a week makes in football. One of the worst Socceroos performances in years was soon followed by one of the best, and surely one name stands above all else when it comes to his influence on Australia’s performances: Holger Osieck.
It’s hard to know what to make of Osieck just over a year after he first took on the job.
The softly-spoken tactician was little known in Australia when he signed on to take over the vacant position left by the unpopular Pim Verbeek, yet Osieck has already won over many fans with his football intelligence, his positivity and his willingness to take risks.
Some of those risks have failed to pay off, such as Osieck’s continuing attempts to convert Tim Cahill into a bona fide striker, but his tactical flexibility stands him in marked contrast to his rigid predecessor, Verbeek.
There’s little doubt Osieck has overseen some of Australia’s best results in years.
A trip to the Asian Cup final was followed by a friendly win over European powerhouses Germany on their own soil, before Osieck’s team promptly helped themselves to six points from their opening two World Cup qualifiers.
But amidst it all has been some questionable football, including a 3-0 friendly thrashing at the hands of Egypt, the sluggish Asian Cup extra-time victory over Iraq and Australia’s insipid first half display against Thailand last Friday night.
It’s those kinds of performances which have kept the lid on any “Osieck mania” potentially bubbling under the surface, although they’ve also allow a more reasoned discussion on the man himself.
His decision to leave Tim Cahill on the bench against Saudi Arabia was one of the major talking points from the 3-1 win in Dammam, but it wasn’t the only sign of Osieck’s willingness to gamble.
Matt Spiranovic didn’t put a foot wrong against Thailand in Brisbane, yet the young central defender found himself benched for the more experienced Sasa Ognenovski in Dammam.
Injuries notwithstanding, 23-year-old Spiranovic has a decade of national team football in front of him, so picking the much older Ognenovski to start against the Saudis is a sensible piece of man management given the long and potentially gruelling qualification campaign ahead.
Leaving Josh Kennedy in attack was another stroke of bravado when it meant the omission of a more illustrious team-mate, yet the Socceroos looked more effective when they finally attempted to play the ball to Kennedy’s feet.
The beanpole striker is a better finisher than he’s often given credit for – see his neat finish for his second goal against the Saudis – and when the ball’s not constantly sailing towards his head for ninety minutes, he’s able to bring those around him into the game.
Yet, for all the positive changes under Osieck, many questions still remain.
Does Lucas Neill have a lock on a starting role for the next three years? Will Harry Kewell return against Oman?
And does the fact the Socceroos still struggle to break down compact and well organised defences mean aerial bombardments are here to stay?
To put it simply, the jury’s still out on Holger Osieck and the long-term impact his appointment may have on the Socceroos.
But so far Osieck has had little trouble conjuring victories and in a results-driven business, that’s as important a factor as any.
They may not always play the most attractive brand of football, but Australia’s performances over the past twelve months hint at a well-drilled unit by the time Brazil 2014 rolls around.
And credit for that must go to Holger Osieck, who has managed to brush aside the negativity of the Verbeek era and transform it into something akin to optimism.