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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
Imagine if England failed to qualify for the Euro Championships. Would the coach stay on? Unlikely, isn’t it. But if Australia fail to qualify for our Euro equivalent, the Asia Cup, our coach, Pim Verbeek will not be shunted off as a failure.
Instead, he will still get to ride into South Africa as our leader.
If we don’t get a draw on Wednesday, Pim should be sacked. No ifs, no buts!
The A-League boys are in the international spotlight once again as Australia takes on Indonesia on Wednesday in a “must not lose,” game in the Asia Cup.
Australia were handed all their Christmas presents at once when they gained entry into Asia in 2006, but we seem to have become so used to football presents. Like the modern kid, we chuck the least interesting one away.
And games for our local Socceroos seemed to be devalued: by the coach!
Australia always goes to the World Cup. Well, for now anyway.
But what Asia should have given us is a clear and strong “technically and tactically” (borrowed from a Crystal Palace midfielder) developed A-League Socceroo squad. Yet after four years, what do we have?
Do you know who will play in your national team on Wednesday. Can you name 95 percent of the team after two years of Mr Pim? Sure you can name the tactics, but not the team.
Go on try it. Bet you can’t.
Do you think Japanese, Chinese or Korean fans can name their national teams without their overseas based players. I bet they can! And I bet they’ve had heaps of camps, learning the system with or without their overseas players.
On Wednesday, Pim’s Hotpotch United take to the field again:
Where is the planning: from Mr Pim and the FFA?
Craig Foster said this week that you get a Socceroos cap after you’ve played just three games in the A-League. Tommy Oar, Matthew Leckie, Daniel Mullen, and Shannon Cole could all attest to this.
But he failed to ask, why is this so?
Let’s face it, the system isn’t so amazing is it.
Pim is right to criticise the A-League if he wants to, but he’s been here long enough to get the Socceroos who are A-League based playing in Asia to win.
And wouldn’t it be great if we were so confident in our home-based players that to beat Kuwait or Indonesia on home soil we could rely on the home-based Roos.
We’ll beat Indonesia, everyone says. But the point is, I’m not as sure as I’d like to be, and this isn’t because of our local talent, it’s because of Pim’s lack of planning.
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