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For so long, the Socceroos were crying out for a top quality number ten. Now the dilemma is in deciding which one should be picked to start.
As Australia – and indeed the rest of Asia – gets ready for the next round of 2018 World Cup qualifiers to kick-off in early September, all eyes are on the club form of the continent’s biggest stars.
For Socceroos fans, of course, that makes for some uncomfortable reading at the moment.
Captain Mile Jedinak is still struggling to get a run in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, while Aziz Behich and Tomi Juric saw zero game time last weekend. The A-League is yet to resume for season 2015-16, which leaves Matt McKay, Tarek Elrich and Aaron Mooy short on match fitness. But at least they’re in a better situation than the clubless Tommy Oar.
One area in which the national team has – rather surprisingly – an embarrassment of riches is in attacking midfield.
Asian Cup hero Massimo Luongo is making a difference for his new side in the Championship, QPR, notching another assist against Rotherham United at the weekend.
North of the Anglo-Scottish border, a fit-again Tom Rogic is finally hitting his stride for Celtic. The lanky 22-year-old was named man-of-the-match against Dundee United on Saturday, capping a fine run of form in recent weeks.
Both Luongo and Rogic love to play in between the lines, using their fleet feet to draw opponents into awkward positions. This will likely be a key for the Socceroos in their bid to overcome Bangladesh and Tajikistan in the qualifiers, with the in-form Tim Cahill, Mathew Leckie and Robbie Kruse to pick out up front.
However, it is hard to see how the duo will both fit into Ange Postecoglou’s starting eleven.
Australia’s tactician will surely be loath to change his formation just to accommodate another attacking midfielder – especially as neither possesses the pace to play as effectively in a wider area.
At a pinch, Luongo could play deeper, sitting beside Jedinak or Mark Milligan – who, incidentally, played for new club Baniyas in the Arabian Gulf League opener this week. But is that using Luongo’s deft touch or ability to cause trouble on the edge of the penalty box to greatest effect?
In truth, the Socceroos could probably afford to take a few risks in attack against their lowly opponents, but they will be ill prepared for the challenges ahead if these early games are not used wisely.
Perhaps both could be played in the middle of the pitch at the same time, but at least one would have to sacrifice his ability to create goalscoring chances to do so. And that’s if their natural attacking instincts can be curbed in the first instance.
This fact is particularly highlighted by the usually solid Jedinak and Milligan lacking a bit of sharpness. Structurally, the team simply can’t have too many central players wanting to bomb forward while the fullbacks also push up to provide width. It’s a somewhat comparable problem the one England had with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard; both wanting to make that decisive late run to join the attack.
So, will Postecoglou sacrifice defensive structure to play two of his best players? Will he remain faithful to his system and pick either Luongo or Rogic to dictate the Socceroos’ attack? Could he somehow find a way to squeeze both into his line-up and play to their strengths?
It’s certainly going to be an interesting decision ahead for the Asian Cup winning coach, and one which could reveal a great deal about his strategy to navigate through to the next World Cup.
Regardless which way he leans for these first two qualifiers, it’s a fantastic predicament for the Socceroos to be in.
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