“They’re too young”, is the excuse Graham Arnold has used for leaving out Australia’s trio of 20-year old European prodigies, Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite and David Williams, from his Olympic squad.
How do we make sense of such a comment when other players in Arnold’s squad are only one or two years older?
It isn’t as if Djite, Williams and Burns are budding teenagers who are fresh out of the AIS. They have all played for the national team, one has enjoyed success in Europe, and the other two have both played in the Asian Champions League.
By contrast, James Troisi spent most of his years with Newcastle in their reserve side and is now out of contract (Not that I am against Troisi’s inclusion. To the contrary, I am actually a big fan of his).
To his credit, Arnold actually appears to believe that the Olyroos will have a realistic chance of winning a medal in Beijing.
Whilst I have admire Arnold’s optimism – and that’s pretty much where my admiration for him stops at the moment – I question his motivations.
Following his selection, Arnold went on to state that, “Maturity goes along with quality as well as athleticism and tactical nous.”
The un-contracted Mark Milligan was selected by Arnold.
Arnold also went on to prophetically claim that “What I’ve learned from Asia is that players who can’t play in the heat, can’t play in the heat”
I won’t even bother trying to decode that one.
Arnold might use the same excuse that we heard when Scott McDonald was excluded from the Asia Cup squad – that time would be needed for the player to adapt to new surroundings at club level during pre-season.
Then why include Sydney FC’s newly signed duo Bridge and Musiliak, or even Zadkovich for that matter? It doesn’t quite make sense.
Arnold speaks of tactical nous, when only one of his selected over-age players plays in Europe; in the Championship, the reputation of which is hardly built on tactical sophistication.
Ruben Zadkovich certainly didn’t look comfortable tactically against China, and the same could be said of Topor-Stanley. Both are in Arnold’s squad and both are likely starters.
After considering Arnold’s plethora of cliches, it becomes clear that they are not cliches but excuses.
What do all of the omitted three have in common? They are all strikers and out-and-out attacking players. They are quick, skilled and direct.
They are the sort of players a manager looking to win matches would take to a tournament.
Arnold says that his side will “fear nobody,” but his squad contains only three strikers: Archie Thompson, Mark Bridge and Nikita Rukavytsya – all plying their trade in the A-League.
Argentina – one of Australia’s group stage opponents – have five strikers in their squad.
Despite Arnold’s claims that he is chasing a medal at the Olympics, his squad selection is conservative and foolish.
If, say, Archie Thompson were to get injured – an annoying habit he seems to have when wearing the green and gold – that would leave only two natural strikers in the squad in Rukavytsya and Bridge.
And if they were to get injured or suspended?
I don’t want to picture Ruben Zadkovich in a lone striker role against the likes of Garay and Burdisso, but that could be the situation Arnold is faced with.
Adaptable is the key word in 2008 Olympic games football. Arnold’s squad is anything but.
This Olympic games should have been viewed as an opportunity to groom our future Socceroos into World Cup contenders.
Is Graham Arnold wasting a generation of strikers – an area in which Australia severely lacks depth at international level – in the name of a clean sheet against Argentina?
In any case, I’m sure Messi, Aguero and Riquelme will have other plans.
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Salvation
Guest
3rd Man....lol, Frank Lowy. Frank has put the "noose" around GA's neck, as he did at the Asian Cup. And Arnold has happily been complicit in stepping off the "chair".... to the detriment of himself, obviously, and the football in this country. If he knew what was good for him (and us) Arnold would get away from Frank, the FFA, and coach overseas for a few years. As much as Frank has done alot for football in this country, his idea of being competitive is to try and buy the silver, with short term thinking and consistent obsessive focusing of "branding" our Australian teams. Rather than create world class squads, that spectators are drawn to, Frank is impatiently directing operations, when he should be letting the "others" do the work they have been delegated. And then reviewing their performances. You can't tell me that GA deserves to be given the Olyroos, after the Asian Cup, last year? Heck, he did not even "deserve" that gig. It all stinks, and it's got to be problems originating at the very top. Yet, people like Jesse, and even Les, and to be frank (no not that frank), many of us independently of SBS, HTO (which we all probably are) need to start asking questions towards the management of FFA. If i could be bothered i may write something here, on the Roar....
The Third Man
Guest
Salvation, Do you mean Frank Farina. at the Roar ? Re: recruitment of players I think not.
Salvation
Guest
Frank i s b o s s . . . .
The Third Man
Guest
Would like to detract my last comment,as I belive that under the FIFA ruling that this sort of thing can't happen ? Jog on Sept, 6 degees of seperation my arse,the system is for want of a better word " open for finacial gain" do we think that the best player at any age are coming thru the system ? FFA have done a fantastic job over the the last three years,but I think it is time to have a clear out of the old pals act & start with a clean sheet . P.S Agree FFA brought R.Baan ! but he may have been undermined.
The Third Man
Guest
Kick backs ! relationships with players agents,also how could the panel beater's from Manly get a train on with the olympic squad ? user pay's probably.
Sizzle
Guest
The fact that these players are not there will hurt us but in reality it is probably a good thing that they will not be a part of the absolute spanking that they will get over there. It would just destoy their confidence in their ability. We don't have any world class players at this age not even the players who were left out. Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and some of the other teams have players who are already world class, knocking on the door of first team selection with top class sides if not already superstars ie Messi. While its important to be optimistic, we have absolutely no chance of getting a medal, and getting 1 point from our group will be a good result. Serbia are the Euro under 21 runners-up, Argentina is Argentina and Ivory coast probably have loads of talent but little discipline and will be our best hope of a point. Lets just hope that we are somewhat respectable, but if we are hoping on Arnolds so called tactical nous, we are in for an embarassing tournament.
Mick of Newie
Guest
nailed it Chris, spot on. It is a squad built on fear. To be a bit cheeky, it looks like Arnie would accept first round elimination provided he gets a point somewhere and keeps the goal difference down. He can then make a case for keeping his national team job. Final comment, the work rate comment kills me, as a Jets fan I have watched an overweight and lazy Mark Bridge wander around this last season. We will be forever indebted for his GF goal but we wont miss him. To leave Djite out for Bridge is beyond any comprehension on basis of current talent, workrate, strike rate, or future potential.
jimbo
Guest
I think Arnie's concern for the welfare of the players as football professionals has influenced his team selections. He's picked a team that will definately get eliminated in the first round, so that the players won't miss too much of their pre-season training at those big European Clubs. All the players are just dying to get back to their new clubs and not jeopardise their chances to sit on the reserves bench. Pim also agrees with Arnie that they are much more important than those crap A-League teams. With any luck, the Olyroos will be out of the Olympics after just a couple of 3-0 losses in the first two games and the boys will get even more pre-season training, so they will be better prepared to sit on the bench for the first half of the upcoming season.
Cpaaa
Guest
well said. ive never been a fan of arnolds around our national teams. hes given himself another big up, we fear no one, anything less than a medal is a failure type attitude. Its too early to be making bold predictions. i dont like the team he has chosen and more so the members he has left out, there too young, its too hot for them and whatever else hes got lined up. good luck arnie, because i think under your leadership we will be lucky to get past the group stage.