Socceroos need to give up on World Cup

Hi Jessie, (the author) To win the World Cup requires the best team to represent your country. Age has nothing to do with it, but experience under pressure has everything to do with it. Your are completely on the wrong track if you believe the World Cup is a platform for building up for the future, then mate you don't understand that the World Cup is the end game, not a building platform. The reason Holger selected the team he has selected is because he understands what is required and finally has stood up for what he believes. Basically our youth now, just aint got the performance skill nor the success at or on the world cup platform to replace the senior players. I am all for Holgers choice, I like that Harry is also not written fork 2014, if we get that far. I am also not going to be dissatified if we get third in our pool,. becasue it will give us another 4 qualification matches to get the side gelling again. Without our senior players at this stage, even if we qualify we will be smashed in Brazil, but with the mix of senior players and in particular Sasa Ognenovski we hold a wild card possibility. Jam the concept of youth and uphold the concept of may the best players represent Australia regardless of age. Putting the concept of youth into the decision making process = a form of ageism and selecting on the basis of age excludes our greatest ever players.. who have still got it! Remember France won the world cup with their dads army. Drop ageism its unhelpful Phil

I completely agree with picking the youngsters for WC games, but completely disagree with how you believe things will pan out. Picking the youngsters will most likely result in more wins. We've got some really talented youngsters coming through the ranks (thanks to the success of the A League finally shining through). You just wouldn't know it cause we currently have a backwards coach who believes a pensionsers card is required to represent Australia. Holger out! Ange or Tony in!

Leigh Matthews to call the Sokkah - i just had to laff hahahahaha :)

Don't think your comment is pathetic Vinnie but I question your sanity over the mentio of Carney?

Well, the reason why we are in this position is because of the FFA'S Whole Hearted Focus, on trying to hold the World Cup in 2022 in Australia. We got lumped Holger which was a favour towards Beckenbauer, and I can say we put all our eggs in 1 basket. It was a shambolic bid and now we are paying with our national team with an inadequate manager. We put a mediocre man in the top position when Australia needed to shift from the Golden generation to the rebuilding generation. I believe we have the players and if the players are getting the confidence to play for their nation then it is usually a flow-on effect for their club (look at Robbie Kruse when given the chance for the Socceroos). The FFA needs to focus on Junior elite development starting with a proper junior Academy set-up from U13s and up for all of the A-League clubs. Of course short term, this costs money but it will develop players ten-fold to then later sell them on to rival A-League clubs and then to the top leagues world wide. Another thing that needs a shift in thinking is that we select 3 lots of Socceroos camps with; A-League Socceroos – mainly U25, Current Socceroos, and Under 23's internationally based socceroos. Get these 3 groups playing with other, training and improving each other, because if there is pressure for your spot, then it is only a positive outcome. Also by introducing an A-League Socceroos Junior team and taking them to Europe for training camps with the seniors and getting them used to the wider world of football would only be beneficial, and give them a taste for what is needed to: 1 Be a senior socceroo and 2 What is needed to be a great player, to play in the best leagues in the Europe.

nah. Jedinak is physical but technically limited. Can't control a game and concedes far too many fouls. Championship is poor technical quality and little help for our players development

I think 7 will be more worried about upsetting the world's ManU or Liverpool fans than the local Sokkah community. Its business as usual with AFL on 7 and the Sokkah on 7Mate. - at least McEnanny would be able to be in 2 places at once and they'll have to get Leigh Matthews to call the Sokkah.

that's a fair point...let us know what your take is when you've read the lot. question. Assuming we do get through. What do think will happen? It's clear things need to change. Do you see the Holger as the man to ensure we can put a team on the park and play in a fashion that avoids us being flogged? Does he have some extra ideas and is the campaign thus far all a ruse. Or do you see the powers that be step in again and wield the axe? Personally, I was out at that Oman game and I've seen the AUS NT put in some dodgy shifts over the years but I can't say, with the exception of some of the Asian Cup 07 games, that I've seen a team display so little urgency as that game.

Is there a FIFA Over 35s World Cup?

Even if that is true (the Howard government had plenty of time to dismantle the anti-siphoning list and didn't), it will have no impact on the 2014 world cup as SBS has the rights locked away which is what your original point was about. I'm pretty sure that they have the 2018 rights as well, though I stand to be corrected on that part. To be honest, I wouldn't have a major issue with Foxtel getting better access to sport anyway. FTA coverage of most sports is woeful

Of course age is a concern, as nobody can play forever, but if our best players are over 30 then it is what it is. There's no point playing younger players if they're not good enough. With World Cup qualifiers coming up very, very soon, our focus is short-term, as it should be. Pick the best team and do our best to qualify. It doesn't matter if our best team has an average age of 33 or 21. The best is the best. That's not to say that this is the best possible Socceroos squad that we could have picked. As I said in the previous post, I have my doubts about whether it is our best squad. In fact there are a few players that I think deserve a spot ahead of some of the current squad, but I will never argue against the general concept of picking the best team. There is nothing wrong with a player having to earn his spot on merit, rather than having it handed to him simply because he is of a certain age.

Unfortunately we are not Germany (re: how they changed after Euro 2000), throwing money and changing programs may not be enough. We also may got the way of scotland too. Maybe we had a one off golden generation. Asian teams are only going to get better, so we should try and pick the best teams not based on age and try and qualify for every world cup. Make young players work for their caps. The world cup gives football unlimited exposure and inspires many kids to take up the game (even if we do not do well). What I do not understand is why youth has not been tried in some friendly games. The asian cup definitely should be used to blood some kids, for this world cup its too late. Look at our central defence without Lucas neill in the last world cup qualifier. A change of the guard can happen in between the world cup 2014 and next WCQ in 2016 - look at itay in 2010 compared to euro2012 (ok we are not italy either) but it is possible.

times have changed with Digital - 7Mate

"Wray-McCann" - funny way to spell "Fink".

But that only tells half the story? Wasn't it Oar, another sub, who provided the assists for Archie to score?

People are going on about youth a lot, but it is the experienced heads who guide the youth coming into the game Not to mention the fact that it is the experienced players who know how to play under and handle the pressure they are under I recall for the Iraq away game for example, the 'younger players' were rubbish, then what happens, Holger brings on Archie and wowee thanks to him and Cahill we not only equalise we go on to win the game

The headline is part of the article. I commented on the headline. I'll try to read the article later.

Not to mention Traore >>>> Behich, Carney at least Maybe Zullo is better, not even sure who the other guys are so won't comment /MVFC bias

Ronaldinho is still playing regularly tho... A number of our veterans are struggling to get game time...

Farina has confirmed that it s unlikely Lucas Neill will be sticking with Sydney FC... http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/videos/aleague/Sydney-FC-unlikely-to-keep-Neill/302256/8114/1013/1