It is unequivocally good news for Australian football. Former Socceroos Alistair Edwards and Tony Vidmar will fill two of Jan Versleijen’s three former roles in the Australian youth team set-up.
While the success of this decision won’t be known for years down the track, it’s hard to fault the thinking behind the move.
First of all Versleijen, who coached both the Joeys and Young Socceroos while leading the football program at the AIS, carried a remarkably large and diverse workload. The need to break it up was inevitable.
It’s a point FFA Technical Director Han Berger touched on when making the announcement.
“Whilst the AIS program aims to provide the majority of players for the Qantas Joeys squads, the task of providing the daily training environment for the players and that of managing a team at international tournaments are slightly different,” said Berger.
Furthermore the nuances of coaching boys on the verge of adulthood are different to coaching 19 and 20 year olds playing regular senior football. Keeping these coaching positions separate is a good idea.
Though it’s possible for one candidate to have the skill sets required for both positions, the demands of both simultaneously could lead to burnout.
After having coached the Joeys and Young Socceroos at two consecutive World Cup tournaments last year, Versleijen then had to head into Asia with the under-17s.
Having been in both Mexico and Colombia, I found the process of covering the two World Cups tiring enough. I can only imagine how Versleijen felt at the end of it all.
Coaching at three tournaments across as many continents over a four-month period would not be conductive to producing one’s best work.
The new coaching structure will minimise this risk.
It’s also positive to see FFA’s coach education programs continuing to pay dividends, with the appointments going to former Socceroos with a strong understanding of both Australian football’s history and where the game must head in the future.
Australian coaches developing the next generation of A-League and Socceroos players is certainly a nice sentiment, so here’s hoping it works out.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.
Nestory Irankunda has sensationally rejected the chance to play at the Paris Olympics this June after a late bid from the Olyroos to include…
Mathew Ryan's tenure at AZ Alkmaar appears to be over, as the Eredivisie side are seemingly moving on from the 93-time Socceroo. The decision…
One down 49 to go. Socceroos striker Kusini Yengi raised some eyebrows this week when he declared himself to be the talisman striker the…
