Two weeks ago, Australia’s World Cup hopes rested on a knife’s edge. Now, after a credible 1-1 draw with Japan, and a flattering 4-0 victory over Jordan, Australia is just one win away from booking its place in a third consecutive World Cup.
In fact, if it were not for an inexplicable handball by makeshift left back Matty McKay we would already be there, and Tuesday’s match against Iraq in Sydney would be a dead rubber.
That mistake was followed by a very nervy game for McKay against Jordan, where he misplaced quite a few simple passes and did not provide the support that would’ve allowed young gun Tommy Oar the space and service he needed to build upon a man of the match performance against Japan.
Despite this I have one thing to say against all of McKay’s detractors: calm down.
Any serious football fan obviously already knows McKay’s history, coming to prominence as the captain of Brisbane Roar’s all conquering 2010-11 team.
After sweeping to the title and being widely recognised as a vital part of the best A-League team we’ve seen, we saw McKay head off to an ill-fated and ill-advised move to Scottish giants Rangers, where their approach was not suited to McKay’s short passing and industrious midfield style.
McKay ended up in China – via a short stop in Korea – as so many Australians have now begun to do.
However as the failed stint in Scotland was just beginning, McKay also started to break into the national team. Many saw him as a natural fit in the midfield, as a player who’s short passing game could greatly benefit Australia.
However Holger Osieck, realising how versatile a player McKay was, used him in a number of positions early on including left back, a position he then found himself as first choice after David Carney fell of the map.
Against Japan McKay put in his best performance in a long time, looking assured and barely putting a foot wrong. That was until his blatant hand ball, which led to Japan’s equaliser from the spot.
After this game McKay was crucified on all forms of social media, people ignoring his positive contribution to the game due to the one error which unfortunately cost Australia dearly.
People were calling him the worst Socceroo ever (clearly forgetting about Max Vieri), useless, saying the error was ‘unforgivable’ and calling for McKay to be dropped in favour of Michael Zullo and, in the long run, Shane Lowry.
McKay’s error-filled performance against Jordan did not help his cause.
However many people seem to forget that Mckay is not a left back. He has been asked to do a job for his country because, according to Osieck, he is the best option we have at left back.
I’m not here debating whether or not McKay should be our first choice left back, all I’m saying is the flack he is receiving is not fair. He has been asked to play where he is not comfortable simply because we as a country are struggling to produce quality left backs.
Scott Chipperfield was the last player to look comfortable there and even he was not a natural defender he was a converted midfielder just like Mckay, Carney and Zullo.
I hope Lowry is soon given a chance to prove himself there but until that point, support McKay as you would support any other Socceroo.
He should be commended for being asked to play out off position and not complain about it but put his head down and do the best job he can.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Yes you are right it was Jamaica, I watched the game live on TV and he was definitely the RB in that game. The Centre backs were Neil and Moore. He was a good player then at 22 yrs old, however, Hiddink stuck with the established more experience players in Poppa and Vidmar in the end and that was fair enough. Thwaite is head and shoulders above McKay who is slow on the turn and slow on the chase. Thwaite is strong with both feet and has much to offer over McKay in an aerial defence, also faster on the turn and chase. Can play either side of the field right or left.
fadida
Guest
Rubbish. Vidmar was an excellent and intelligent player
fadida
Guest
Thwaite is a poor nomination for LB. Rght footed and lacks all of the required physical attributes ie acceleration, agility, recovery speed. He also has the mentality of a centre back and offers less than McKay going forward, further isolating Oar. He about #10 choice
strayan
Guest
yes please cap Adama Traore he is head and shoulders above any other candidate
holly
Guest
It was actually against Jamaica (5-0) - I was there that day and Thwaite played pretty well at centre back (if memory serves) although he gave away a lot of free kicks, somehting which I don't think endeared him to Guus Hiddink who wanted disciplined clever defenders for the world cup.
Ian
Guest
from the comment by Moss today: (thanks Moss) Fifa: 1. If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another country of which he holds nationality, subject to the following conditions: a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition at “A” international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play. So, he is eligible if A) he hasn’t played for the senior team of Ivory Coast AND B) if at the time he played for the Ivory Coast youth team in an official competition, he was already an Australian national.
Ian
Guest
obviously we all worship at the altar of different gods - (whether or not traore is actually up to socceroo selection yet is debatable) however i read a comment today on another article on this site saying because traore played under 21s world cup for the ivory coast and he did not hold an australian passport at the time - fifa regs state he is not available to play for australia.
Kane Cassidy
Roar Guru
I've never bagged Matt McKay, I've only said that he's more suited higher up the pitch.
jack
Guest
Mckay was extemely average against Romania in friendly i actually think he was voted the lowest rated player on the field. He was poor against Oman and in last two games, does 4 horrid games in a row not warrant critism ? I honestly think he is a very average player who was made to look good by Ange's system. Agree that Lowry should have his spot
Max Weber
Roar Pro
Well this is silly. He wasn't great against Japan, he was shocking against Jordan. He's not a left back. The criticisms are not an attack on McKay as a footballer, they're attacks on him as a defender - and they're more than valid. Regardless think you'll find that primarily the criticisms are of Holger playing him out of position. The idea that there aren't any left backs out there is a fallacy. McKay is in the team because Holger is a conservative, and given the choice between a 24 year old converted winger and a 30 year old central midfielder, he'll pick the 30 year old midfielder.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Towser----McKay and Thwatie are both 30 yrs old. Thwaite was a right or left Back for his European clubs Naţional Bucureşti, Wisła Kraków, and SK Brann. He also has turned out for the Roos under Guus Hiddink in the game against Nigeria at Cranvan Cottage UK and played very well. Unfortunately he was the understudy to Tony Vidmar and Popovich. He knows the position well and has more pace than McKay, not to mention a much better player in the air, he is the better all round ball player with two good feet..
Top Secret
Roar Pro
lol Tony Vidmar. Almost as bad as Dave Carney.
Towser
Guest
And he was much better than Thwaite.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
We haven't had a specialist LB since Tony Vidmar. It seems to be a position we struggle with.
Mahler
Guest
The best thing Matt needs to do soon is to get out of China! Come back to the Roar!!
Towser
Guest
QsAF Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Stan Lazaridis & Scott Chippefield play left back for the NT prior to it being a difficult position to fill? If so although Matt McKay,whether at left back or elsewhere on the park is not IMO at their level having watched him week in week out at The Roar. He's done well since Ange took over at The Roar though. Bottom line for me is that Thwaite is not at their level either ,so it still remains a problem position going into the future.
Jukes
Guest
Dont even go there with Thwaite. I am sorry but I have watched plenty of Michael Thwaite in the A-league and I stand by my assessment. He just isnt good enough.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
I don't want to tarnish Matty's football profile, I think he has a lot to offer, but he is not a LB and Holger has one ready in his squad in Michael Thwaite who should be used in that position.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
I like Matt McKay, people are only ragging on him because he made a rash decision and hand balled it in the box. So what it's one mistake, it's not like we have many other options.
Top Secret
Roar Pro
Matt McKay can have the left back job for as long as he wants it. If my Aunt Judy could play left back better than David Carney, Matt McKay certainly can.