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It seems that Pim Verbeek has a problem. He just can’t seem to settle on a Socceroo squad. As we enter the final round of World Cup qualifiers, we still have fifty or more players actively seeking to pen themselves onto the squad sheet.
With this amount of competition, it seems Pim has a great position. But this Bear wonders.
The upcoming friendly against the Netherlands, is his last comfortable opportunity to knead these players into a fashionable squad; a squad that can stand the rigors of this final round of WC qualifiers. A squad that can start to gel for the next World Cup.
And there have been a few top players missing.
Tim Cahill could walk into the squad, as would Mark Viduka. Craig Moore stepping out of ‘retirement’ is a tasty addition to the backs.
But whom would Pim be leaving out? And whom is he still counting in?
With so much choice and mix and matching of squads and eleven’s, he could make four completely different Socceroo teams.
Then, if you look at the combinations and permutations to experiment, it gets too mind boggling to conceive.
Will some immediate order and cohesiveness come from such chaos and variability?
It is ostensibly possible that some players being trailed may never actually get to test out the chemistry with the ‘certain starters.’
The playing relationship between their flanking (or central) defender, midfielder or forward may never be tested, for familiarity or rapport.
For example, can anyone tell me how Jade North plays with Lucas Neill?
And is it a better fit than, say if Neill is playing right full back, and Craig Moore playing centre back, instead? And what if we play with a back three? Is Carney or Chipperfield the better option?
Let’s be perfectly honest, there are links of cohesiveness and football telepathy that may never be explored due to that specific variation never actually being investigated.
It’s all too much variability for this, or any, coach to cope with.
And what of Matt Spiranovic?
He seems very good on the ball. Will he actually be a deputy, at least, in the squad for future potential or will someone like Beauchamp, or even Coyne, be retained in the mix instead, just for ‘reliability’?
Interestingly, it seems that much tinkering and detailed analysis occurs in the backs whenever our Socceroos draw or concede goals (a lot it seems lately!)
To consider placing the accountability of a game only to the defenders is reprehensible.
I would speculate that if the midfield received half as much of this mental energy from Pim, the number of goals conceded and scored would equal out in our favour.
Further, we may even start to see the depth and specificity of class midfielders in the squad, as we currently are seeing in the quality and sheer numbers of players being trailed in defence.
The pool of quality strikers may even widen substantially.
All my musings aside, will we actually see the best balance of players that gel as a team, with depth across all areas of the park, for this tilt at the World Cup?
Pim, where is the team, amongst this squad?
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