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Fresh Socceroos formation crushes poor Bangladeshis

3rd September, 2015
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Mathew Leckie struggled once again in his defensive duties as a wing-back. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
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3rd September, 2015
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It was the biggest win in Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as Socceroos manager, yet the former A-League coach may find it difficult to take away any valuable lessons from the 5-0 thrashing of Bangladesh on Thursday night in Perth.

Not since December 2012 have the Socceroos looked so comfortable disposing a minnow nation – when Chinese Taipei were defeated 8-0 – and that is probably the first positive to take from the victory.

The Socceroos were ruthless, something The Roar‘s Rob Brooks called for yesterday, and they looked comfortable from kick-off to the 20-minute mark, after which they were in true cruise control, albeit without giving their opponents breathing space.

Bangladesh were disappointingly poor, taking on such an ultra-defensive position that the Socceroos were effectively able to play 3-5-2 for most of the first half. Central defender Bailey Wright was often the only player not pushing beyond the centre circle – Matthew Spiranovic essentially playing as a number six.

Captain Mark Milligan was superb at the base of a midfield diamond containing Aaron Mooy, Massimo Luongo and Tom Rogic, his role as fulcrum expertly carried out. Yet the lack of pressure on him during the match makes analysing his passing statistics too deeply a little pointless.

Nevertheless, the midfield quartet was the main reason for Socceroos fans to get excited.

Mooy was finally given 90 minutes to prove himself at international level and he was one of the best on the field. His movement matched that of Luongo and Rogic – whose creative talents fans are well aware of – and the trio will make it hard for Postecoglou to welcome back Mile Jedinak into the starting line-up.

This looked like the future, it looked like a Postecoglou midfield. Granted the opposition did not provide much resistance, but there was enough on show to give this line-up another chance to further evolve.

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Rogic and Mooy both grabbed goals, Milligan and Luongo provided assists – it does not get much more emphatic. The return of Rogic will rightfully be hailed, his performance was exceptional and his understanding with Luongo exciting. Yet to see Mooy seamlessly join in was the biggest positive.

Tarek Elrich was a beast on the right wing of Australia’s formation, bombing forward constantly and linking up well with his teammates – mainly with Luongo but also at times with Rogic. Similarly, Jason Davidson’s increased game time with Huddersfield Town looks to be having the desired effect – his crossing was largely faultless.

Yet the two fullbacks, both more adept in attack than defence, will be under much more pressure in Dushanbe.

For most of his time in charge, Postecoglou has steadfastly stuck true with a 4-3-3 formation, using Tim Cahill as the lone striker with two pacy forwards in support.

His decision to drop Cahill to the bench – though he’ll likely return for the Tajikistan clash – and use Mathew Leckie and Nathan Burns as a striking partnership in a 4-4-2 (diamond) was refreshing.

Leckie quashed any concerns that Australia would lack an expert aerial presence, impressing with his hang time ability on numerous occasions. He scored his first goal since a 3-0 win over Canada last year, and deserved two more. It was the Ingolstadt forward’s best performance in green and gold since the 2014 FIFA World Cup, that finishing still needs work though.

The less said about Cahill’s introduction off the bench the better – though Postecoglou probably wanted to give his legs game time ahead of Tajikistan – but Chris Ikonomidis and Jackson Irvine put in promising shifts and grabbed valuable minutes.

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Ikonomidis looked right at home playing international football, and could have marked his second Socceroos appearance with a goal, his header agonisingly grazing the upright. Similarly, Irvine should have had a debut goal after having two decent opportunities.

But again, the Bangladeshis were so poor it would be folly to get too excited. Tajikistan is the big test, though it would be fantastic to see the same eleven players line up once more.

When considering the long travel distances, the foreign conditions and stronger opposition, however, Postecoglou may have to make a few tweaks, though hopefully nothing too major.

While it is hard to take any concrete lessons after punishing an inferior opponent, the line-up has potential. It may not suit every opponent the Socceroos face, but it is promising to see Postecoglou’s switch from his preferred 4-3-3 result in a successful test.

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