For Holger Osieck, the pool of players Australian football has for him contains few surprises these days.
Well into his second year as coach of the Socceroos, the German tactician has taken a close look many times over at the full spectrum of players at his disposal and has now settled on a core group.
Even a raft of overseas trips across Asia and Europe during the last few weeks failed to unearth any surprises for Osieck.
This reality was confirmed yesterday when the Socceroos coach announced his latest 26-man squad, which will be cut down to 23 players before the first World Cup qualifier next month.
In a squad that features all the usual suspects, the biggest headline was Aston Villa youngster Chris Herd getting his first national team call up after being originally scheduled to join the Socceroos last November before an ankle injury ruled him out of contention.
Osieck’s trust in his core playing group was further underlined by the inclusion of Socceroos stalwart Harry Kewell despite the Melbourne Victory striker having not played since the A-League season wrapped up at the end of March.
Osieck acknowledged the 33-year-old is under a fitness cloud saying, “It is no secret that there are question marks over some players like Kewell and Thompson who have already terminated their season.”
“This is not good for match fitness. They may be healthy, in good spirit and okay but when it comes to international demands it is a different story.
“So I need to see if they are ready to do the job for us.”
With two players (Kewell and Thompson) who haven’t played a competitive minute of football for over two months making the national team squad, Osieck has made it clear it will be difficult for any player not currently in contention for a Socceroos berth to break in as Brazil 2014 approaches.
The one revelation in yesterday’s announcement was the inclusion of midfielder Mark Bresciano.
The former Palermo and Lazio player returned to the national team fold with aplomb in the match against Saudi Arabia in February after having stepped away from the international scene following the 2010 World Cup.
It’s a sign Osieck has acknowledged the Socceroos’ much maligned issues when playing with the German’s previously preferred midfield two of Carl Valeri and Mile Jedinak.
Osieck has experimented with this position before, most notably playing Neil Kilkenny alongside Jedinak, but the inclusion of Bresciano is instructive.
“Our set-up will always be the same because even if you play with two holding midfielders one is the motor and worker in midfield and the other the more creative player who feeds the attacking guys,” Osieck explained.
“Mile Jedinak and Neil Kilkenny did it (the attacking role) in the past but I think Mark has the best potential of everybody.”
“I think he has all the tools and the quality to play in that central (playmaking) role.
“He can impact our attacking game and, yeah, I consider him as a major part of our team for our forthcoming games.”
Unsurprisingly for a man who was a member of FIFA’s technical committee for so long, the German is correct in his assessment of Bresciano.
In the 32-year-old’s final season at Serie A side Palermo Bresciano was extremely effective in the exact same role as he helped lead the Rosanero to an impressive fifth placed finish.
In a cautious squad, the Melbournian’s re-emergence offers Socceroos fans one major talking point.
Australia: Mark Bresciano, Alex Brosque, Tim Cahill, David Carney, Nathan Coe (GK), Adam Federici (GK), Chris Herd, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Joshua Kennedy, Harry Kewell, Neil Kilkenny, Robbie Kruse, Matt McKay, Mark Milligan, Lucas Neill, Jade North, Sasa Ognenovski, Nikita Rukavytsya, Mark Schwarzer (GK), Matt Spiranovic, Archie Thompson, Carl Valeri, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams, Michael Zullo.
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michael
Guest
Denmark looked very much to be playing within itself..........Our current team does not line up any where near in capabilities to the team we had lined up prior to the world cup in 2006, if the current process does not uncover some stars or if some of the existing players don't start showing their latent skills, we will left with a team who will be fairly average . Therefore, more of the same issues we had in the last world cup will start popping up again with results which were patchy at best. I am not comforted by Lucas Neill recent comments which are similar to what he was saying last time around while at the same time the reverse was the truth.
Bondy
Guest
There are six offensive players there I trust , and most of them are over thirty .
dasilva
Guest
If we are going by stereotype, a prawn on the barbie and then drinking VB beer.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
thanks for that mate, I was wondering as he's been on fire in Turkey (well, right up until they stopped paying his wages)
chris p
Guest
There was a rumor that Benfica were interested but nothing close to an actual transfer, you may want to check your sources
chris p
Guest
Did you watch the match vs Saudi Arabia ? Thompson came on and changed the match played really well so he shouldn't be a surprise that he has been selected again.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
It's true, Oar has moved to Benfica.. There is a big difference in ability with Kaz and Tommy. Oar has represented the national team in the past and now a season professional. Kaz went to Benfica as a rookie to learn..
JAJI
Guest
Zullo also disappeared for months at Utrecht - so it doesnt leave us as usual with many options at that position. This and Spiranovic have me worried especially when you look at the form of Kagawa... I am also a Jade North sceptic but he is playing every minute for a team that is coming stone motherless last in the J League top flight.
JAJI
Guest
Tommy Oar after starting the season well has disappeared from Utrecht save for the odd few minutes hear and there. Benfica is news to me - remember Kaz Patafta went to one of the Portuguese giants and look where he is now....
TomC
Roar Guru
I'm surprised that Thompson continues to be picked. It's not just that he hasn't played for two months; he's hardly had a good performance all year. I know he's the kind of player that the national team sorely needs, but only if he's playing well.
jamesb
Guest
agree with everything you said JAJI I suppose it highlights the lack of depth of Australian players playing regularly week in week out. very happy to see Chris Herd there. Hopefully he doesn't have any more off field dramas.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Rosanero? Please David - Rosaniuru!!
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
I am truly puzzled why Tommy Oar is being continually overlooked for a spot in the national squad.. I believe Oar has been bought by Benfica. If he has been playing so ordinary, how is it possible he was picked up by a power house of the likes of Benfica..?
Titus
Guest
That's fine but what would you be eating?
Titus
Guest
Yes, the persistence with players who aren't playing first team football is concerning.
nordster
Guest
in your mind Chips, it wouldn't matter what flavour they plumped for ... edam or sowerkraut or Pep flavoured tapas. They'd all just be on the "sockah gravy train" or rowboat or some such thing .... :)
Chips Rafferty
Guest
If they offered me the sockaroo job I might be tempted to come out of retirement. If I got Ken Schembri and Frank Arok as my cone carriers I'd do a better job than the sowerkraut gobblers and the edam munchers for a lot less of the hard earned.
JohnL
Guest
Luke DeVere has only recently come back from injury I think, and made his return on the weekend.
Chips Rafferty
Guest
What would the sowerkraut gobbler know? he was only appointed as the Socceroo boss because the other candidates for the job were no name hacks. Osieck is just another european hack on the strayan sockah gravy train. he really is no better than the edam munchers. Utterly clueless muppet our Holgah, so more utterly clueless muppets appointed him as the clipboard carrier - the clog wearer, the AFLer, the rower, not to mention the corporate king of shopping centers in straya. what has Holgah achieved? just got some credibility for being the Kaiser's cone carrier and coaching Canada to win some no name cup in the West Indies. Hes beaten nobody in Asia who is half decent with the Socceroos.
ossie
Guest
devere and davidson should feel hard done by. spiranovic and kruse are very lucky.