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Socceroo's coach Pim Verbeek chats with Harry Kewell during a training session at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Thursday, June 19, 2008. The Socceroo's take on China in a World Cup qualifying match this Sunday, June 22. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
With qualification virtually assured after what I believe has been a impressive and methodical campaign from Pim and his accumulators, it’s time now to start building towards South Africa. That gives Verbeek just over twelve months to get his strategies and contingencies in place to cover all the scenarios that a World Cup group is likely to throw up.
While a very defensive structure, and depth in quality, at least by Asian standards, has undoubtedly laid the platform for qualification, it’s now time work on a few other things.
With the three World Cup qualifiers over the next fortnight, and countless other Asian Cup qualifiers and friendlies between now and next June, here’s a few things we should be looking for from Verbeek.
Experiment with a front two and find your front-men
With no Mark Viduka in the interim, and the increasing likelihood that that arrangement may become permanent, I re-iterate my argument here that our seemingly preferred 4-2-3-1 system doesn’t function as effectively without the big man at the sharp end.
There may be times in a World Cup, say against a Spain or Argentina, where you need a defensive-minded 4-2-3-1, with an emphasis on nullifying the opposition, but there may be other games, or parts of a game, where the Socceroos have the opportunity to get on the front foot, and control games.
This is where Verbeek is likely to need a front two that has had an opportunity to build confidence, be that any combination involving Viduka, Kennedy, McDonald, Djite, Sterjovski or even Rukavytsya.
Of course, it would help is Kennedy and Djite really step up to the plate at club level next season, and McDonald gets going at international level, but the next 12 months gives Verbeek the opportunity to plan with two, even if only for contingency.
Only against Qatar, in the two games at home, has Verbeek gone with the Kennedy/McDonald combination. On one occasion it finished 3-0. The other time it was 4-0.
Introduce more flair
As intimated earlier, this campaign has been most remarkable for the workrate, all over the pitch, and we are forever indebted to Verbeek and the players for their efforts in getting the nation to the another World Cup, so soon.
That should never go unrecognised.
Occasionally the front third shackles have come off, most notably in the opening game, where Verbeek had a dream start, playing a very offensive 4-4-2, and then in the fifth game of the first phase, when Emerton and Co. put the cleaners through Qatar.
However, since Emerton’s knee injury, there hasn’t been the same penetration down the right, so someone needs to step-up. Maybe that man is Sterjovski, who has been there and done that, but it’s great to see Dario Vidosic in the squad and hopefully he’ll be given a chance.
He’s the type of player, in my opinion, worth nurturing and developing, for he can add those rare commodities from wide; goals and assists.
Centrally, again, the Socceroos have been workmanlike, and no-one has typified that in an offensive sense more than Brett Holman. Perhaps he deserves a spot in a World Cup squad on the basis of this workrate, in games where we need to stifle the opposition, but if Verbeek is serious about chasing a game, or looking to control one by keeping the ball, then his man is Nick Carle.
I’ve argued that Carle has been ready for the national team since his outstanding A-League season two, and while I haven’t been too thrilled by his career choices since, in a strange way I think that’s only added facets to his game, and improved his work off the ball, such a vital a part of the game these days.
Now that the points are just about accumulated, it may indeed be time fit Carle in, and, especially if Viduka isn’t available, he could play a key roll in ensuring the front-third ticks.
Let’s also hope Nathan Burns gets back on the park next season.
Encourage more ball playing out of the back
In Neill, Moore and North, Australia aren’t short of central defenders who can play-out, but it’s always good, in my mind, to keep looking for comfortable and composed central defenders.
For that part, the inclusion of both Spiranovic and Madaschi is encouraging, and at this stage I’m definitely with Verbeek in arguing there are plenty of good options ahead of Lubjo Milicevic, as comfortable as he is on the ball.
Rhys Williams is less of a known quantity, and his motivations for donning the green and gold are debatable, but given the dearth of quality right-sided defenders, he is definitely worth a look, without guarantees.
Hopefully Scott Jamieson can back up his last season on the other side.
Sort out the pecking order between the sticks
What a twelve months for Schwarzer, both for club and country. But who’s behind him?
I tend to agree with my Roar colleague, Jesse Fink, that right now, Federici should be ahead of Brad Jones, the better of two average keepers at Middlesbrough, especially after an outstanding Olympics.
Elsewhere, Galekovic made giant strides in 2008, and needs to build on that the next A-League season.
Vukovic has lost his way a touch, but has time, and Michael Theoklitos’s departure might finally unearth the hidden gem that is Mitch Langerak.
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