Those that got up the other morning to catch the Socceroos taking on Ireland in Limerick, received a rare treat. It wasn’t just the three goals and the clean sheet. It was a rare treat because of the quality of play and the circumstances of the encounter.
Consider this:
1. Ireland is in the middle of their World Cup qualifiers and are doing reasonably well (having recently earned an away draw against Italy).
2. Ireland have an excellent record at home, especially defensively (with Dunn and O’Shea featuring in the back four).
3. Pim was essentially experimenting with the back six – but you wouldn’t have known it.
Given the context, a 3-0 win is well beyond anyone’s wildest expectations, although as the commentary team mentioned, perhaps it reflects our new high ranking?
Let’s have a look at some of the performances and what it means for the squad as a whole.
Central defenders
With Keane limited to just one scoring opportunity, you would have to say that they did well. Kisnorbo found himself in the unlikely role of the senior defender, and despite being impeded by heavy bandaging round his head, was solid.
North was occasionally shown up, particularly with his first touch, but generally performed satisfactorily.
Madaschi and Spiranovic replaced them at various points in the second half, and were both able to maintain the cohesiveness of the back half, although Ireland did start threatening a bit more in the last 25 minutes.
With all the expectations that we have put on Spiranovic, I have to say that he just keeps impressing every time he gets a run. I know he’s young and relatively inexperienced at international level, but he still seems the most likely to me to partner Neill next year, and he will ultimately become a 10 year Socceroo.
Full backs
Rhys Williams gave another solid performance. He has a good attacking instinct backed up by a solid defensive game. For the second goal, he won the ball in an advanced position, cut into the box and managed a good shot on his left which was parried away to Cahill who slotted it home.
He’s probably our third choice right back, and in that context, he’s pretty handy.
Carney did his case no harm to be the one to take over from Chippers, given that that left back position is currently wide open, with no one’s name penciled in, let alone written with indelible ink.
His attacking qualities cannot be faulted: overlapping runs, skill on the ball, crossing, and as we saw at the 90th, he can smack it from distance. His defensive game is still not quite there yet, and while he did reasonably well in that department, just occasionally it was obvious that his positioning was slightly awry, allowing the attacker to get a slightly more advantageous position than should have been the case.
Defensive mids
Wilkshire partnered Jedi as an unlikely holding mid partnership, and one would have to conclude that it proved to be a very successful partnership.
Wilkshire has already stamped himself as Mr Versatility, a quality that Hiddink admired in the last WC. What Wilkshire possesses is great tactical awareness and flawless, quick decision making, and he displayed these qualities many times over during the game.
Jedi had a nervous few minutes with the odd stray pass, but once he settled down, his game too was flawless, in particular, his positioning and reading of the game. I lost count of the amount of times that he was able to intercept a pass.
In fact, this was a feature of the team as a whole – any stray pass from the Irish was quickly dealt with and tidied up. What’s more, we were able to do it cleanly. If I’m not mistaken, the foul count at the end of the first half was 8-2 against the Irish.
Do not underestimate the importance of making clean challenges and winning back possession when it comes to playing in World Cup finals.
Attackers
I’ll put our front four together, because that’s pretty much the way we played it. While Timmy was playing ostensibly as a midfielder, he was often to be found forward of McDonald, and almost just as quickly helping out in the back third, that’s the way Timmy plays the game.
While we all have doubts about McDonald’s capacity to play as a lone striker, we’re all aware that if there was a player who can support McDonald from a slightly deeper position, it’s Timmy, and that’s the way it worked out, with both combining for the first goal, and it was a gem.
Neither Bresh or Kewell were stand outs, but both had decent games, popping up in unexpected places, helping to retain the ball in the final third, and helping the full backs out when it was necessary.
Holman replaced Timmy at the start of the second half and did reasonably well. We all know he’s not Timmy, and we all know his first touch occasionally lets him down (as it did once tonight in what should have been a good scoring position), but he brings other qualities to the squad and he’s a decent back up.
Ruka and Carle came on late in the game. Ruka showed glimpses of his pace, while Carle played a few deft chips that helped us get behind the Irish defence. He really did make the most of his 10 or so minutes.
Conclusion
Almost faultless.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
But it's the context Bear - the back six was completely experimental - and we were away to decent European opposition - so we have to give credit where credit is due.
The Bear
Guest
I rewatched the game, and I am a little perplexed at how Australia were supposedly dominating the game. They were the better team, sure, but it wasn't a masterclass by any stretch of the imagination. Good work, Pim and the lads.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Big in the 80s? So was Howard Wilkinson. Euro 2004 was a freak - one of the worst tournaments in football history, and a classic illustration of how mediocrity can soemtimes prosper at international level (especially at the less prestigious tournaments) when the big players from the big countries are all absolutely knackered. International football is a much easier gig than club football. Rehhagel is no more a great manager for winning Euro 2004 than Richard Moller Nielsen was a great manager for winning Euro 92. I agree, though, that Verbeek's record is vastly inferior to Rehhagel's. He's more at the Trousseau/Milutinovic level of ability - probably not even that, if truth be told.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Viscount - Otto Rehagel is 71 years of age!! Why would a big club come a calling. He has no interest in getting a club job and next time do some research before you call him a "just" a competent European manager. He managed german sides for 26 years and is a managerial legend. The man spent 14 years at Werder Bremen and turned an average team into a German powerhouse. They were Bayern's biggest rivals during the 80's and he won 2 championships with them. He also took newly promoted Kaiserslautern to the Bundesliga title - no team has ever done this before or since. He then takes an average team and wins a Euro. That is the mark of a great manager. Pim's club record and national records pales into insignificance when compared to Otto.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Steady on, old bean. I think you somewhat over-estimate the value of Verbeek's achievements. His work with Australia will scarcely have featured on the radar of even mid-ranking European clubs, let alone major clubs. Let's see how Australia fare at the World Cup before we get too excited. You simply cannot judge the quality of a team or coach on friendlies and qualifiers - there are always teams who qualify easily for World Cups, develop a completely disproportionate sense of their true ability, and then fail abjectly at the final tournament itself. Plus, as another poster mentions, international and club football are so different that most clubs are quite wary of hiring managers on the basis of achievements in the international field. It's generally perceived as an easier "gig" than club football. See Felipe Scolari, for instance. My own assessment of Verbeek is that he is just another in a long line of reasonably competent European managers who don't quite cut it at the highest level, but who are perfectly capable of cohering an adequate group of footballers into an efficient unit. See Philippe Trousseau, Bora Milutinovic, Otto Rehhagel, etc, for other examples. The last chap even won Euro 2004 with Greece, but no major clubs came calling.
GeneralAshnak
Roar Pro
Cometh the hour, cometh the man Pips!
Pippinu
Roar Guru
It's worth noting that he was 2nd or even 3rd choice (when he was first appointed) - that's all ancient history of course - for mine, he has done as well as anyone could have.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
You'd have to think that Pim is enjoying himself at the minute!! In fact, I reckon he'd be thinking right now: wow, this is even better than I first thought!
Art Sapphire
Guest
Greg - Pim has 20 years experience managing club sides. Managing a club side is a much more intense week to week grind. I am sure he prefers managing a national team. Its much more relaxing. Most of the time you just go around and watch loads of games, talk to lots of players & football people and plan ahead. But, ofcourse, come the match time. The scrutiny is unbelivable.
dasilva
Roar Guru
"the Asian teams play with a mobility and technique that poses a totally different test for us. " Yeah I look forward to that. It also the only way to know for sure has Kisnorbo really learnt from the Asian Cup debacle. Kisnorbo was impressive for Australia against Ireland however when he play against the faster mobile opposition like Iraq and Oman he floundered. It was similar to Coyne excelling against Uzbekistan and even holland but a really a poor match against Bahrain.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
The Middle East would be my guess as to where he ends up next as his success in control of an Asian based team will attract them. They have just as much money as the euros and his achievements match exactly what they are looking for rather than a European club who will be looking for club success.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
Thanks Pip. The thing that interests me most about the Socceroos at the moment is Pim Verbeek. To me he is like a master puppeteer: almost unseen, always pulling the strings, doing so in surprising ways, and invariably succeeding. How many of us really believe that we understand how he is thinking and what he will do next? And yet he seems to have a Midas touch. At some point a major European club has to notice what Pim is achieving with the Socceroos, and make him an offer that will be very hard to refuse. I mean, how many EPL coaches show anything like the same ability to manage their casts and get their tactical decisions right so often?
whiskeymac
Guest
Pip - let's hope he gets to a club where he can impress as oppossed be depressed at. even norwich wldve vbeen good - but not sure how his performances there were. as anside (coz its splitting hairs onmy part a bit) but i agree with the team effort being the more impressive goal because it relies on several players synchronising, breaking down play etc. One of my faves was Brazils here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igcnhhESuas (at 6.50minutes but the ones at 4.28... and 1.24 were good too) but i did say "individual" effort, and in that category i think for the roos Carney is pretty good at standing alone in the last 5 seasons. In saying that Williams effort (and had it gone in) suggests he might have healthy competiton there.
danny
Guest
very glad i got out of bed for this game, one of the best australian games i've seen. was most pleased with rhys williams, wilkshire's advancing role, and the cahill-mcdonald partnership. recently, jason culina (in the wilkshire role) hasn't been getting as far forward and the roos have looked less potent as a result. if pim's going to be happy for culina to likewise get up the field as a nominally defensive mid, then i think our attacking will be much better. mcdonald looked the best i've seen in the (metaphorical, in this game) green and gold. and that was def due to the great support he got from timmy. again, this game highlights how vital he is to our gameplan. as has been said elsewhere, whilst perhaps not the greatest player FROM australia, he's surely putting a decent argument up to be the greatest player FOR australia. finally, in defence. williams looked great. disappointed spiranovic didn't get more of a run, but you can't have everything, and what time he did have he looked assured. our future defence looks formidable. williams, spiranovic, milligan and jamieson. nice. was a good game, bodes well.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Whiskey Somewhere, maybe in the SMH, I read that Carney's strike is likely to generate some interest - and so it should. His two strikes are definitely up there - but I'm one who doesn't like to give undue weighting to spectacular long range efforts - I like to balance that against team goals which are always pleasing to the eye - and Timmy's first goal falls into that category. Two fantastic goals in the one game (Timmy's first, and Carney's) - we can't argue about that!!
Pippinu
Roar Guru
thanks Ghost - you're right that post 2010 we'll be looking at an U25 CB partnership - definitely a settling in period to come!
whiskeymac
Guest
just not the manager he threw his lot in with. more's the pity for him. but his international form far outweighs his club form... maybe his performances for the roos are being driven by a desire to prove himslef and make him self a more interesting prospect than his club position/ form suggests he otherwise wld be to a suitor? eitherway his goals against nigeria and ireland (both good opposition) make a good highlights package... best individual goals from a socceroo in the last 5 years?
Ghost
Guest
Nicely written Pip and it was a delight to watch. As per your other piece on this site we do have some very pleasing depth emerging in our squad notwishtanding that we need to settle on an under-25yo centre-back pairing to replace Neill and Morre, and carry us into 2014 and 2018 (not saying we don't have very good talent, but we just need the pecking order to emerge so partnerships can be formed). I do agree with Midfield General's comment above - will be interesting to see us against Korea. While at a basic level one could say that the decent middle powers in Europe are around the same level as the Asian 'biggies' (Japan and Korea in particular), and I don't dispute that, in fact the style is totally different and the Asian teams play with a mobility and technique that poses a totally different test for us. Good news for Australia in the longer term from this is that if we can 'hack it' playing regularly against the Asian majors then this stands us in good stead for games such as the one the other night. Plus hopefully we can blend into an eventual 'Australian style' some of the best of our pragmatic anglo-euro roots with the finesse which we can learn and absorb from our Asian confederation experience.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Whiskey all true. You'd have to think that the past 12 months or so would have affected Carney in terms of his ongoing development. But that he was able to provide such a good performance given his lack of first team football, shows that he has some pretty desireable personal qualities - the sort that managers love.
whiskeymac
Guest
nice summary pip - and i totally agree withyour assessment of ireland. canny vastly experienced and respected coach in trapatonni, good EPL players like Given, Keane, Dunne, Oshea and a few others in the squad who are the equal of, if not better than, our Serie C, Championship and Division 1 subs etc... and yet we were the better team. they were playing at home, they were the favourites to win and even though 3 goals to zip is flattering, we deserved the win and scored some nice goals. hopefully Carney can use his latest shot (how good is that to see from a soccero) to secure a deal away from theBlades bench and to Anderlecht or wherever. am wondering if the last 2 years havent plateaued some fo his potential... ie his positioning being as you said "slightly awry" at times. great to see Williams input for the second goal. so glad he realised he is more aussie than welsh