Previously hailed the laughing stock of Australian Football, Brett Holman has turned around to be the saving grace of the 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign. And having previously writing him off as “hopeless”, we as the Australian Football Fans, have to apologise.
Brett Trevor Holman, on behalf of the Australian Footballing community, I say “Sorry.”
We are all convicted of shunning you, and completely losing faith in your ability. We continually condemned your selection by the conservative Pim Verbeek, and at the time, in all honesty, we had some reasons to disapprove your constant call ups.
Almost three years between your first and second international goals gave us fodder for our dissent cannon.
It was that second international goal, however, that began your rise into our praises.
The Socceroos were locked at 1-1 with a lacklustre New Zealand side who, quite clearly, outplayed the Australians throughout the 90 minutes. Lurking in the shadows on the left hand side of the box, your run onto a lofted ball gifted the Australians an undeserved win, with the last kick of the game.
Brett Holman entered our hearts.
This sent me into a sense of purgatory of beliefs. I analysed several old tapes of you. One YouTube clip comes to mind: “Brett Holman vs. Netherlands Superstar”.
I forced myself to believe that you were just at the right place at the right time, and was not anything special. This then led me to continually disparage your selection by the ever pressured Verbeek.
Up until game day, I read the team sheets, with despair over your selection. I joined all the groups, commented on all the hate messages, and was ready to hurl vulgar messages onto Verbeek’s Facebook Page.
The Germany game passed, as did an entire week.
I believed that the lacklustre showing by the Socceroos would prompt Pim Verbeek to play an actual striker, and reshuffle the Socceroos Squad in order to try to out play Ghana.
I, at the time, believed that Verbeek had lost his mind. Holman was once again in the team. My tunnel vision against Holman was tightening, and became unreasonable.
It was against Ghana, however, that I opened my eyes, as I’m sure a huge majority of Australian Football fans as well. Brett Holman had officially pushed away those Facebook groups, and then became a believer. Gone are the deft thoughts against him, and those Tweets about his insolence. Brett Holman gave the Socceroos a life.
And he did this for his country he loves. He ignored the fans that continually gave him the shove, and did it for his country.
Brett Holman, I salute you. Your patriotism is a thing to behold.
I began to breathe hope into the Brett Holman revival. And anyone who still doubted, were blown away by a stunning speculative shot from just inside the Serbian half. Gobsmacked I was as I sat in my mate’s living room.
Then it all rushed into my head. The laughing stock of Australian Football has just won our hearts. And boy he did deserve it.
What have we been missing?
Soon after the World Cup, I noticed this peculiar group floating around Facebook. Justice for a player lurking in the shadows.
He chose the perfect time to jump out and prove every doubter wrong. The world’s biggest sporting event. The best time to strut your stuff, and boy did he strut it well.
Welcome to the Footballing community in Australia. Long have we shunned you, but now, on behalf of us all, I welcome you to the family. I hope that your patriotism will help you enjoy our embrace. We hope you will bring many wondrous goals and superstar-esque moments.
You’ve done Western Sydney Proud!
jimbo
Roar Guru
He's shut me up! I've never been a fan of Holman in the past, but in the last 3 Socceroos games he has been our best player and scored some great goals. I'll even go so far as to say that along with Tim Cahill, he will be a key player in our Asian Cup challenge and WC qualifiers. I wonder what the transfiormation has been? Please apply it to about a dozen other fringe Socceroos - we sure need them.
dasilva
Guest
http://scienceoffootball.com/2010/09/10-man-socceroos-hold-poland/ Although Holman was only in the pitch for a short while. Another 100% pass rate and zero ball loss due to poor touch
Australian Football
Roar Guru
Obviously Art, he reads my posts on the Roar and he is trying very hard to impress me.. so you can all thank me for his vastly improved performances... :)
dasilva
Guest
What's also impressive is that looking at this stats analysis by Jon Price. Holman against Switzerland has a 100% pass accuracy and only lost the ball once due to poor touch http://scienceoffootball.com/2010/09/missed-penalty-cheeses-off-swiss-but-the-holes-are-in-aussie-attack/ That was supposed to be his weak point throughout the past years.
Brett McKay
Guest
Maybe Andy, maybe. My apologies JB, if that is the case. I assume all young footballers in western Sydney are now getting around in headbands and cracking shots from 40m out?? I refuse to acknowledge this "time when he wasn’t called Holminho" of which you speak. It just didn't happen...
Art Sapphire
Guest
Where's AF? He posted this a few days ago :) "Bret Holman the Footballer is crap––two goals is fair enough, but I doubt if he will ever get another one"
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I saw that Brett, I think you misinterpreted that post Brett..... JB had clearly never heard of him just reffered by his birth name Holman. In some areas of Western Sydney where Holminho fever is most rife it's pretty easy to forget there was a time when he wasn't called Holminho.
Brett McKay
Guest
I had a comment left on my column yesterday from someone claiming never to have heard of Holminho!! Crazy talk. I suppose they've never heard of Chuck Norris or Jack Bauer either....
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Not to mention the fact that he always did a heap of work off the ball so that even when he wasn't in top form he made opponents life difficult as well as helping other Socceroos play the ball out by always making good runs. I remember watching Kemp struggle agaisnt Kuwait because the players around him wer much more static. What I found most puzzling is when Pim went in with defensive mindset against Germany he didn't play Holman, and the team didn't seem to press at all. Yet all the other times when we probably didn't need him Pim played him in the starting line up. That is why the German game was such a **** up because I still can't tell what Pim's plan was. A 4- 5 1/2 - 1/2 with no pressing? Anyway in 30 mins Holminho beat Poland so all those who feel guilty about bagging him are going to have a tough 4 years.
dasilva
Guest
Of course Holman was given more chances then the likes of Carle Holman had played far more games in the Eredivisie (and scoring far more goals) then Carle ever did in the English Championship and in the A-league. People tend to forget that Holman goal scoring record in the netherlands is about 1 goals in every four game (in comparison with Cahill which is around 1 goal every 5 games) the fact of the matter is that people who play in better leagues and perform at club levels will always be given more chances to succeed. By the way a pretty good finish and an assist from Holman in this morning game. They may have been a slight deflection but the ball was going in anyway. Holman may end up turning up to be our key forward and our main reliance on goals for the next world cup
Phil E Buster
Guest
Albal, Danny_Mac's point is spot on. Carle was given the opportunity to play for the national team and TURNED IT DOWN three times. For example, on one occasion he chose to go to a BBQ rather than play a world cup qualifier held in his home city of Sydney. I don't care how many step overs a player can do, if his attitude is that poor he deserves to be left out of the squad.
Albal
Guest
That is all well and good but how many games did they give him before he came good? 20 caps? It gets me angry when we only give a 1 or 2 games to youngsters and then deem them not good enough for the Socceroos. Brett Holman and Scott McDonald were given many chances before they started to produce the goods (in Scotty Mac's case he still hasn't done so). You also can't compare Nicky Carle to Brett Holman because Nicky was never given the amount of caps that Holman was given. He never was given the support nor opportunity to play many games like Holman. So claiming Holman has won the battle between both players is way off the mark. BTW, Holman missed a few sitters against Switzerland so he is still not the finished product. I just hope that the new coach has the same patience with the next generation as Verbeek had with Holman!
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
I knew this would turn into a slanging match... disappoints me... I'm a firm believer of "your talent doesn't lie" in that, no player of serious talent ane potential sits on the bench, especially in the championship, where one skillful playmaker could be the difference between getting promoted and not (blackpool and derby county were both relegation favorites in the season of thier promotion). Brett Holman has been the easy target because he took Carle's place in the side, but he was playing week in week out at a club at the top of the Dutch top flight, hard to argue with that really. Nick Carle had one great season with Newcastle, and one great game for the Socceroos (vs Argentina @ MCG), his problem was never talent, but mentality, he expected things to be layed out for him, I think this is why he was never a success in England (geez liverpool have been dying for a player like him for 5 years!), the coaches over there could smell his attitude a mile away... I think that Carle's efforts for Sydney this season highlight this, he should be one of the best players in the league, but things are tough in Sydney and he's not stepping up. Culina is doing a far better job at GCU with half as much "talent"...
Midfielder
Guest
AF Or expect SBS to be equal to other media outlets overseas ... no more than SBS expect of the A-League...
Michael Turner
Roar Pro
Correct, Rangers looked at him, but he's still at AZ. Although i now fail to see how the free to air debate has spanned three of my posts :S
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I don't mind admitting that during Arnie's time as coach, and Pim's earliest games, I was a big detractor of Brett. He gave the ball up too cheaply, through balls to no one, and he had the poorest first touch in the team. However, when the squad was announced, and people complained about Holman being there, I repeated this sentiment a number of times: in terms of the quality of the league and club he plays for, he's a top ten player, full stop. In a few games leading up to the WC, it was quite obvious that Holman had improved out of sight from what we had seen 2 or 3 years earlier of him.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
Agreed, he still has a lot to prove to me.
Dog
Guest
I was at the Guangzhou game vrs China back in 2007 and was amazed at the game he played. Being at the ground, watching this game live, he had the crowd on there feet every time he touched the ball, even to the applauds of a very patriotic Chinese crowd. Having been lucky enough to be at this game, he was always a socceroo for mine! Then watching him in the WC had me standing up in Beijing bars wearing my socceroos jersey with pride, pride that I needed back after the German disaster!
Australian Football
Roar Guru
Midfielder, you do go on about SBS and about their ratings. Maybe it’s Fox Football that was losing the ratings war and had to do something positive and give some FTA vision of the HAL to SBS to pick up momentum. I would be surprised if you know any SBS executives at all, to say what you claim to be true. Why don’t you give us a hint to who he is..? (you are all piss and wind). I don’t hate Bret Holman the man, however, I do hate Bret Holman the footballer and consider him to be a total crap footballer. Bret Holman the Footballer had a blessed life under Pim and could do no wrong and was undeservingly given chance, after chance, after chance, to prove himself that Nicky Carle was never given, and that was outrageous. Who can say––had Nicky Carle been given the same amount of loyalty and chances as BH we may have been toasting Nicky Carle as our WC hero. Bret Holman the Footballer is crap––two goals is fair enough, but I doubt if he will ever get another one, the last I heard he was being chased by a Scottish club. One would think he would have been much more sought after then Shane Smeltz if he was really that good. _____ AF
Midfielder
Guest
I think Bret had as many on his side as those against him... trouble is Jessie Fink in particular and his desire to get Nicky Carle a spot in the team would point out all his flaws ... THB the entire SBS panel held this view...To me anyway it proves what I have been posting for quite a while now ... that the SBS panel and one Craig Foster and Jessie Fink are not as good as they think they are... I recall a particular exchange with KB (Australian Football today) ... any-hows KB was in full support of NC over BH and I asked who is playing for a European club constantly gets heaps of game time and who does not.... meaning judgments by top coaches also support BH. Also the role Pim had BH playing needed an understanding of shape which I found strangely lacking in the analysis of BH's role. To explain BH played high up the park and defended high up the park... the calls would have come from behind him to push the attack to the left or the right or try to hold them... essentially not to make a tackle but to force the attack were we have numbers to defend .. further to hold an attack and track with it holding it if our defense was caught out and needed time to re set... The role of a high energy player capable of directing an attack to were you have defense requires a high quality technical player and one with heaps of petrol... BH did an excellent job and was one of the key reasons our defensive record was so strong... That many football media analysis did not explain this .. to me has always shown great bias and rather than give credit to the player for his ability and the coach for having this system work so well .. was IMO very wrong nay chasing rating and screaming the shy is falling when the very same broadcasters analysis types could have explained what was happening... Funny ... very funny ... a guy I play with holds a very senior position at SBS .. I can assure you the turn around in SBS this year {which I have already written and article of praise about} was no accident falling ratings and thousands of complaints from A-League football folk ... coupled with the positive stance taken by Ch 10 forced the hand of SBS management and thus the new format and positive stories... Sorry old hobby horse but it is all connected ... Mike I guess what I am saying is BH under Pim played quite a skillful game of high up the park defense and directed the attack were the calls would have directed him ... you need a very skillful and very fit player to do it...