What lies beneath our golden generation?

Under-fire Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek is wrestling with whether to keep faith with his shame-faced older players or pension them off for a younger second-tier to keep Australia’s World Cup campaign afloat against Ghana on Saturday.

But what really lies beneath the 30-somethings in Verbeek’s bag of tricks – found to be a cobweb-infested sad sack when opened for the first time in two-and-a-half years against Germany?

Verbeek has insisted on playing the so-called “golden generation” which starred at the 2006 World Cup whenever available in the qualification campaign.

His 23-man squad contains just three players under 25.

Just above that age parameter are those most likely to freshen things up for the clash with Ghana in Rustenburg.

Dutch-based attacker Brett Holman, 26, could replace the suspended Tim Cahill.

Striker Josh Kennedy, 27, and David Carney, 26, will also come into consideration, while Carl Valeri, 25, was a surprise selection for the opening match against Germany but was at least serviceable and should retain his spot.

There is also Dario Vidosic, 23, an option on either left or right of midfield who has proven himself capable in friendly matches.

And there’s striker Nikita Rukavytsya – a 22-year-old work-in-progress preferred off the bench to Harry Kewell and Kennedy against the Germans.

Most likely for an immediate call-up for the must-win clash with Ghana is Holman – a much-maligned but energetic attacker who scored the winner as a substitute in the friendly against New Zealand and has been in excellent touch at training.

Verbeek says his selection criteria has nothing to do with age and experience, rather whom he believes are the best players for the job at hand.

“If I had better players than the players I have, I would bring them in,” he said this week.

“I don’t look if they are 30, 35 or 18. I just look for the best players available.”

It suggests he is most likely to rely on his old guard to lift themselves for one last effort before heading off to their post-international football Zimmer frames.

But for those who unfairly blame Verbeek’s selections during his reign for stymying the growth of those underneath the older players, remember this.

The mid to late-20s players coming through now were in national team age squads at a time the sport’s then-governing body was broke, battling and without a proper development plan for young Australian players.

Soccer Australia toyed with not sending a Socceroos squad to the 2002 Oceania Nations Cup for cost reasons before sending a third-string team in at the 11th hour.

So imagine how scant the resources were devoted to the then-youth players now trying to make their senior mark.