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If, as Frank Lowy has repeatedly reiterated, the sole aim of Pim Verbeek’s appointment to the post of Australian coach was to ensure a safe passage to South Africa 2010, then the team’s impending qualification should rubber-stamp the Dutchman’s tenure as a success.
Yet, as a ticket to South Africa looms, the focus – and thus the measure of Verbeek’s success – must broaden. Yes, Australian will compete in the next World Cup. But once there, what level of damage are they realistically capable of inflicting? On the basis of recent performances, not much.
Verbeek’s modest recent run not only paints a bleak World Cup picture for the Socceroos, but eerily resembles the haunted legacy of Dutch coaches. Almost as a matter of habit, Dutch managers have led the horse to water, but failed to make it drink.
Guus Hiddink, for all his genius, has failed to turn fairytales into trophies. Likewise, Marco Van Basten inexplicably failed to translate a squad laden with talent and guile into any form of material success.
So what of Verbeek?
Is he, like those before him, pre-destined for relative underachievement? Can he avoid such a fate? Yes he can.
Pim’s problems are entirely self-induced. They lie not with fiscal inadequacies, squad-based deficiencies or hierarchical interference. Thus, they are imminently fixable.
With neither an iron axe nor a blunt knife, Verbeek must seek to adjust his rigid thought processes. His unabashed loyalty to a 4-2-3-1 system has suffocated Australia’s ability to control and subsequently score. Excluding the four goals pushed passed an abysmal Qatari outfit, the Socceroos have scored just twice in the final stage of World Cup Qualification.
Perhaps more alarming than the scarcity of goals is the bizarre and inconsistent nature of the strikes. Marco Bresciano’s 11th hour sealer against Bahrain and right-back Scott Chipperfield’s headed winner against Uzbekistan were neither conventional nor intricately planned.
Whilst this may suggest an obvious offensive fragility, in truth the problems lie further down the pitch. The loss of Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell appear to have frightened their left and right-sided partners – Chipperfield and Luke Wilkshere respectively – into engaging in any form of productive forward enterprise. This timidness has adversely affected Tim Cahill, leaving the ‘striker’ hopelessly isolated and effectively useless. Furthermore, with Emerton gone, Verbeek has been forced to extradite his most under-rated attacking weapon, Jason Culina, into an unfamiliar role on the right-hand side of midfield.
Culina presents an interesting case. His technical nous and calm demeanor have gradually overshadowed – and eventually suppressed- the attacking qualities that flourished during his time at FC Twente. Verbeek must resurrect, and subsequently promote, these attributes. This will ultimately lead to a re-shuffle of Verbeek’s favorite, and perhaps only, system.
But it needn’t be drastic.
Vince Grella, or Carl Valeri if required, can occupy the lone defensive midfield postion, thus allowing Culina to partner Cahill in the centre of a newly-formed midfield quartet. Until Mark Viduka overcomes his injury concerns, Josh Kennedy should -and ably can – occupy the target striker position. With a simple shift in thinking, and the benefit of a healthy squad, Verbeek can effectively triple his goal-scoring options. It seems almost too simple.
Whether or not the Dutchman chooses to emerge from his creative hibernation remains to be seen. But what Verbeek must acknowledge is that qualification alone is simply not enough any more. If he forgets this, I – with the entire Australian sporting public – should fear the worst.
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