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With Brazil just over three months away and Ange Postecoglou hinting at opportunities for players from both the A-League and overseas for next month’s Ecuador friendly, here I run the rule over some of the European-based players likely to be in his thoughts.
Postecoglou has suggested that the squad, to be announced next week, will have a new look and feel, and has started that process by adding new support staff in assistant Ante Milicic, analyst Peter Cklamovski from the Melbourne Victory, and sports scientist and conditioning coach Andrew Young.
That freshness looks likely to extend to the playing pitch.
The manager, of course, has recently been on scouting mission overseas, and this squad should give us a great insight into what he has seen.
For example, we constantly hear names from the English lower tiers being pushed.
Among the most recent names being thrust is central defender Bailey Wright of League One Preston North End.
This selection will indicate whether Postecoglou thinks that level and standard is good enough to allow players like Wright to step onto the international stage.
Certainly Mile Jedinak, who is a regular in the EPL, and playing well, gets in, but there remain doubts about whether there is enough quality being produced across the UK to throw at the likes of Spain, Holland and Chile.
It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if the manager is more inclined to go with those playing regularly on the continent.
There was another pointer to that yesterday when reports filtered through that Western Australian raised central defender Tomislav Mrcela, playing in the Croatian top flight, appeared likely to get a call-up.
Mrcela is a player that the Football Central website have been tracking, and it appears that Socceroos management have been doing the same, recently touching base with him to indicate he was on the cusp of a call-up.
Central defence is certainly an area that Postecoglou hopes to find a pearl or two, and while Matt Spiranovic has been impressing domestically (more on that in another article), it’ll be interesting to see if Mrcela does get a call up, and game time against Ecuador.
Certainly it would send a message to Australian footballers the world over that performances are being monitored, something that should be a given, but rarely has been in recent times.
Whether there are any beyond Mrcela that Postecoglou uncorks remains to be seen, but a sweep of Europe indicates there is a foundation of names at least playing regularly.
Two that are near certainties are Tommy Oar and Mat Leckie, particularly given the unfortunate injury to fellow front man Robbie Kruse.
Another I would throw into the mix now that he’s back from a long term knee injury, playing consistently, and seemingly playing well is Adam Sarota.
A player I’ve long admired, it was terrific to see Sarota recently feature alongside Oar for FC Utrecht in an Eredivisie game against Trent Sainsbury’s PEC Zwolle.
While he was at times a little too deep for my liking on the right side of a midfield diamond, he made some delightful long passes that showcased he has great vision and passing range.
Certainly Sarota’s creative qualities present another option for the manager in a squad likely to contain holding midfielders Mile Jedinak, Mark Milligan, James Holland and Matt McKay.
The manager was full of praise for left back Jason Davidson after the Socceroos beat Costa Rica in November and he’s been getting game time in Holland, so is likely to remain in the mix.
Postecoglou has made no secret of the fact he wants people playing. A couple that have been getting game-time in Germany are Ben Hollaran and Nikta Rukavytsya.
The former would be a blotter, but not a complete surprise. In many ways, he could be the biggest benefactor of Kruse’s misfortune.
If Halloran does get a call-up, it will be fascinating to see just how much he’s developed since moving from the A-League, where he showed exhilarating pace but not always with the requisite composure in the final third.
It would certainly send an encouraging message or two to someone like Kwame Yeboah, who has recently taken a similar path.
Meanwhile, Oliver Bozanic and Dario Vidosic continue to get games in Switzerland, while Holland features in Austria.
Add Mat Ryan, who is playing consistently in Belgium, and Jedinak, and there’s 12 names based in Europe, playing regularly, who should be right in the mix.
12 European based players in the Socceroos mix:
Mat Ryan
Mile Jedinak
Mat Leckie
Ben Halloran
Nikta Rukavytsya
Tommy Oar
Adam Sarota
Jason Davidson
Oliver Bozanic
Dario Vidosic
James Holland
Tomislav Mrcela
Next I take a look at the A-League players most likely to be in Postecoglou’s plans.
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