Residing under a permanent wet blanket, the throng of armchair managers that plague our country and the media have been quick to blame the current generation of young Australian footballers as the source of our problems.
Instead of putting out the fire, national team coach Holger Osieck has applied a keg of gasoline to the conflagration.
Following the dire 2-2 draw with Oman, Osieck slammed the young and inexperienced players in the Socceroos squad. I highly doubt this was part of his contract when he signed up as coach of the Socceroos.
It is true. The current crop of Australian players are not at the same level as the Golden Generation of Socceroos who led us into the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup.
How much the media has to emphasise this point, however, when it is (or should be) assumed knowledge among Australian football fans, astounds me.
There is still hope. I would far from agree with Osieck’s assessment of Australia’s youngsters.
Robbie Kruse was one of our only creative outlets in the second half, before he was bizarrely substituted in the 66th minute.
Tommy Oar was the only Australian player, apart from Kruse, who showed any signs that he could beat an Omani defender to cross the ball into the penalty box.
Players such as Kruse, Oar and Holland are consistently starting for big teams in big leagues.
Yes, I would consider Austria Vienna, a team that has frequented the UEFA Champions League and Europe League on and off in recent times, a big club.
Either way, it’s a higher quality team than many of the teams ageing Socceroos are playing for.
Adam Sarota showed glimpses of his potential with his fine form for FC Utrecht before injuring himself.
Tom Rogic’s move to Celtic similarly bodes well for the future of the national team.
Shane Lowry, who scored a sublime free kick for Millwall a few days ago, has maintained the impressive reputation of Australian players plying their trade in Britain.
Ian Holloway, manager of Crystal Palace FC, was gushing with compliments and admiration for Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak, when interviewed by journalists.
Having only become a professional footballer at the age of 21, Jedinak has been somewhat of a late bloomer. If we make it to the World Cup in Brazil, he will no doubt be an integral part of the team.
He performed his role as a ball winning central midfielder to perfection in the first half.
In an apathetic first half, where the players were almost swaying in the breeze in their state of lethargy, Jedinak was one of best players.
He was the only player willing to get his feet dirty. While he may have been guilty of not pushing the ball forward at times, he was offered few options in attack. This is not his role in the team anyway.
I felt for him after his own goal. Unsurprisingly this has led to the public slamming his individual performance.
While his influence on the game lessened in the second half, he was far from our worst player.
Osieck can hardly blame the youngsters for the failure of the Socceroos against Oman.
The whole team was flat. Experienced players like Wilkshire and Thompson hardly helped our cause.
The defensive pairing of Cornthwaite and Thwaite, with an average age of 28 years, is hardly a young pair.
Corthwaite should not have been dragged out of position for the first goal of the game, leaving Abdul Al Maquarterbackali one on one with Thwaite.
Osieck too has hardly helped our cause by persisting with the same players, even in friendlies, which are intended to test out new players.
He cited inexperience as the primary problem with Australia’s performance but he has failed to give experience on the international stage to those who need it.
This has corresponded with conservative team selections.
Furthermore, when Osieck has selected promising young talent he has left them languishing on the bench.
Why select young players at all if you are not going to give them a run?
Robbie
Roar Pro
Yes, I agree with you. The Roar actually changed the name of the article from “Stop Blaming the Youth”, my original title (in reference to Osieck blaming the young players), to “Football fans must stop blaming the youth”.
Lucan
You can thank Lucas Neill's cap collecting for that. As a leader, he should've done the team thing and stood aside for the Romania game and let the WCQ pair get 90 minutes alongside each other.
Sky Blue
Guest
I've never heard anyone blaming youth, inversely I've heard time and time again people blaming the older players for not being good enough and Holger for selecting them.
Harry Sevas
Guest
I have written the same thing on another football website. Oman prepared by having a practice match against Haiti. The aussies prepared by taking leisurely stroll through the streets of Sydney. And guess what? They played like a pub team that was put together the night before. Is that how to prepare for a football match of this importance?
Robbie
Roar Pro
Osieck has actually said he prefers training camps over friendlies and believes there should be less international friendlies. I find it ironic therefore when he condemns the youngsters for their inexperience on the international stage
jack@hotmail.com
Guest
most of what his idea's dont make sense. No friendlies before matches anymore as players need recoevery time.... what does he think we happen in Brazil? We need 12 days between games sorry fifa
Matt F
Roar Guru
That was very strange. He knows that Neil is suspended and has the perfect opportunity to blood a new CB pairing and doesn't take it, then comes out and says that it's tough because his CB's haven't played together!
Matt F
Roar Guru
I agree that Holder's doing a poor job but if anything he may be overrating the A-League, and players playing in Asia, a touch. The idea that Shane Lowry is apparently nowhere near selection while we start a the likes of Thwaite, Cornthwaite and McKay in defence is quite baffling
Andyroo
Guest
Agree with all you wrote. I am not worried by the personal available but how they are coached. Oman looked much better coached than our team did. The only thing I would add is that people have bagged Corthwaite and Thwaite. They may not be the ideal selections but they are who Holger decided to play with and they seemed to be his preference from the conclusion of the Korean game. Why then didn't he pick them as a pair for the Romanian game? Let them get some time together in game conditions. Instead he played Neil who was never going to be eligible for Oman. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
langou
Roar Guru
+1
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Thanks for clearing that up, Robbie. I agreed with every single word in the article, so I should have realised the heading was the work of sub-editors! Nice article.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
It's a pity... the current "young Australian players" are not as good and a natural flow on from the Golden Generation.... End Of Story..! But let's get behind the team, and the coach, for the last 3 games---instead of crying about a disappointing 2-2 draw result in Sydney. We are still well in the hunt..
Robbie
Roar Pro
the Roar actually changed the name of the article from "Stop Blaming the Youth", my original title (in reference to Osieck blaming the young players), to "Football fans must stop blaming the youth". I too agree that it was a very strong squad picked for the Oman match but it was the starting eleven that was conservative. I would have liked to have seen Rhys Williams start and Oar start especially (in the place of an ineffectual Alex Brosque)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Football fans must stop blaming youth" That's what I call a non sequitur. Which football fans are blaming the youth? I only hear football fans blaming the coach for starting with the wrong players, subbing the wrong players & being unable to get the team playing with a proper structure and style. As far as I'm concerned, we had a fantastic squad for the OMA match. But, our most creative players: Bresciano, Oar & Rogic were all on the bench. Add, McGowan & Rhys Williams - also on the bench - and the youth look fine. James Holland had a shocker - that happens. I don't blame him for this at all - I've seen Timmy, Viduka & Harry have shockers for the National Team. I've seen Messi have a shocker for his National Team & Ronaldo regularly has shockers for POR.
Jack
Guest
Sorry oar and mgowan
Jack
Guest
Why pay the big bucks for a European that provides a worse tactical sense then a local? if we just focus on tatics and not selections he has been inept in every way. Now let's focus on selections wilkshire has been terrible for NT for last 3 or 4 matches but holger simply never allows an inform younger player like mgowan to take is place. We have no squad evelution. On the comments made about youth that was total lunacy he has replaced old player with old players he should be sacked for those comments. we have lots of talent overseas that should of been in squads just for progression purposes (Lowry Inman Ginnao) and youn player like par and mgowan should be 15-20 cap players by now coming onto there prime ! Holger out!
midfielder
Guest
H out
Stevo
Guest
Well Holger really sucked in Foz and the SBS crew when he first came and talked about attacking football and blooding new players. But when the pressure came on he reverted to his conservative type. Holger wants his bonus for getting the team to Brazil and that's his KPI as set by FFA. And DEEP DOWN like Pim he doesn't believe in Australian footballers unless they're plying their trade in the highest leagues - a training run in Holland is worth more than game time in the HAL. Only a local coach will change this attitude. Holger OUT, Popo IN.
asdf
Guest
The transition should have started prior to the Asian Cup.
The Bear
Guest
For transitioning the squad, HO seems the unlikely person to do this. FFA need to (re)assess. And look at their Key Selection Criteria for the role in the future for NT coach posts.