Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek believes his young and inexperienced A-League players will benefit greatly from their shock loss to Kuwait.
While disappointed at the fact Australia have picked up just one point from their first two 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers, Verbeek was taking some positives out of Thursday night’s performance at Canberra Stadium.
The Dutchman fielded a youthful side that included Adelaide defender Daniel Mullen, Queensland winger Michael Zullo and Central Coast striker Matt Simon, while he also handed debuts to Mitch Nichols, Fabian Barbiero and Robert Cornthwaite in the second half.
While acknowledging his side would need to improve significantly when Asian Cup qualifying resumes at home to Oman on November 14, Verbeek was confident it would happen.
“We have to improve and we have to wait six months, so we have time enough to improve I think,” Verbeek said.
“Let’s wait for the coming months and see what is going to happen and see how the players are going to pick it up.
“There’s some quite young players and, okay we play to win, but it’s a great experience and they have to learn and the only way to learn is to make mistakes.
“Pity it’s a qualification game, better they make mistakes in a friendly match and then you can work on it, but now we know we have two games played and one point.”
While Verbeek’s opinion on the standard of the A-League has been a hot topic since his appointment, he took several opportunities this week to clarify his stance.
Again after Thursday night’s loss, he maintained he still had faith in his domestic based players and said was simply being honest about how all players needed to improve.
“I have to be fair, I’m very surprised by all the reactions because I didn’t say anything wrong,” Verbeek said.
“Sometimes I’m just honest.
“I still think we have good players talented players here, but they need experience, they need a bigger league … they need more international experience, so they still have to make improvement.
“Not just the A-league players but same with our big players, they want to improve every day, even if you play at Everton, Liverpool or Blackburn Rovers.
“…That’s all I wanted to say, if you want to improve you to have to know what you have to improve and that’s not criticism that’s just facts.
The result left Australia bottom of their qualifying group, while 125th-ranked Kuwait moved up into second, one point behind leaders Oman.
But Kuwait coach Goran Tufegdzic was not ready to speculate that the Socceroos could fail to finish in the top two and miss qualification for the 2011 tournament in Qatar.
“There is too many more matches, everything now is open,” Tufegdzic said.
Socceroos captain Craig Moore was forced off in the second half of the loss with a hamstring problem but now has several weeks of time to recover for Australia’s World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan in Sydney on April 1.
Joe FC
Guest
I am somewhat surprised at the degree of enmity directed by some roar football bloggers toward Pim. It has certainly escalated since last Thursday night's defeat by Kuwait. Pim is just like the rest of us, he is not perfect and he makes mistakes. The suggestion that he does not take the Asian Cup seriously should be quickly dismissed. So too any notion that he deliberately under prepared the Socceroos, hoping for a loss to vindicate his earlier views on the HAL. As with any professional he makes decisions and plans strategies with the best available resources. Some judgments he gets right and some wrong, just like every other coach. It is always dangerous to look back on some imagined golden era through rose colored glasses and lament what is not happening today because invariably such a period never existed. Pim's job is to get us to Sth Africa and he is well on the way to accomplishing this goal. If he succeeds I would expect and hope that his contract will be extended a further 12 months whereupon he can focus on and achieve Asian Cup qualification. Our perceptions and expectations can sometimes lead us into rash and irrational conclusions.
Koala Bear
Guest
Towser, you know my opinion of Pimbo and his style of play from day one ... I have not changed my thoughts of the man (the manager) and hope he resigns soon ... I have stated he can write out a team sheet of available O/S players that can perform and get a result as ugly as it has been, when we should have been winning in style, with the fire power we have at our disposal; we're capable of it.. Unfortunately however, it's another thing to inspire young players to play well above their natural talent and ability in important qualifiers like the Asian Championships .. He can't do it .. he is incapable of doing it, so, I hope he resigns ... or sacked now... For the good of the HAL players confidence ... ~~~~~~~~ KB
Towser
Guest
KB Whilst I still stick by his WC strategy,see my thoughts on our Asian Cup campaign on Jesse Finks article "The Ogre pricks our World Cup balloon". Even with 10 "new" overseas players against Kuwait(with many only kids) we would have struggled. That is where responsibility is placed back on Pim & he is well & truly held accountable for the loss last Thursday.
Koala Bear
Guest
midfield general, Precisely we older supporters of the game can remember the likes of Rasic, Arok, and Thompson who put teams out on the park that could punch well above their weight and play an entertaining attacking style of football with all part-time players... Pimbo, with all the resources at his disposal can't mould a team to beat the Kuwaiti part-timers.. A true measure of a manager is to select a young team, inspire them, give them the self belief that they can achieve; then send them out to do a job.. Pimbo has introduced a defensive negative style of caution from day one that has inhibited the natural attacking style of Australian players when they need to attack.. I have to say, for what we pay Pimbo, he falls way short from Roo legend managers of the past; Rasic, Arok, and Thompson... ~~~~~~~~ KB
midfield general
Guest
Yes Pim YOU have to improve the team, it's your responsibility, stop blaming the players. Those of us older fans might remember very competitive home based Socceroos under Arok, Thomson and even Farina. Ok, it's a different era, but players always seem to play above themselves when wearing green and gold.