Australia may have finished at the bottom of the table but Socceroos coach Holger Osieck has declared his East Asian Cup fact-finding mission accomplished.
Australia’s forgettable campaign ended with another loss at Seoul Olympic Stadium on Sunday, their 4-3 defeat to China leaving them with just one point from a possible nine.
Ironically that one point came from Australia’s worst performance – a 0-0 draw with South Korea – having also lost 3-2 to Japan at the four-nation tournament Osieck labelled as the start of Australia’s World Cup preparations.
Nineteen of the 23 players who travelled to South Korea play in the A-League, so competing out of season against countries where leagues are in full swing was always going to be a struggle.
But in the aftermath the German was left satisfied he’d acquired some valuable data about the members of his experimental squad.
“I collected a good deal of information on everybody,” he said.
“We wanted to do as well as possible but I needed to get a good idea about the performance level of the players.
“I think it was a valuable experience for all of us to see where they stand and how much work there is ahead to really make it to this level.”
Seven players made their Socceroos debut at the tournament, joining a host of fringe players who had a chance to push their World Cup cause.
And while the likes of Eugene Galekovic, Central Coast Mariners striker Mitchell Duke, new Western Sydney Wanderers signing Tomi Juric, his teammate Aaron Mooy and China-based defender Ryan McGowan put their hands up at various times over the nine days, several others didn’t make an impact.
Osieck admitted “there definitely have been some pleasant surprises” and singled Duke out for praise.
Asked on Sunday if any player had worked their way into his reckoning he said: “Definitely.
“The performance of Mitchell Duke. He’s a very promising young boy.”
Socceroos regulars Mark Milligan, Archie Thompson, Matt McKay largely didn’t feature.
But while Osieck had warned “no final positions are locked away” for Brazil, he also assured the senior members of the squad they hadn’t harmed their prospects of future selection.”
“You’re not at your best every day, but I know what I can expect from them and no, I wouldn’t say that anybody has left a negative impression,” he said.
Looking ahead Osieck said he plans to use all six international friendly windows available before next years’ World Cup in June and aims to have settled on a previsional squad of 30 players after the last friendly in March.
“The World Cup is the target, so for the boys this was an opportunity to show and I have the opportunity to assess, ” Osieck said.
“There’s going to be a couple of more games coming up and a couple of other players will be invited, that will gives me another good look.
“So by the latest March there will be no room for any experiments anymore.”
j binnie
Guest
tadpohle - Thanks for the minor correction. Keep up the good work. jb
Tadpohle
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" will not see" ......... I think you will find is the saying ........ As you cannot get "more blind" than blind ????
nachos supreme
Guest
I'm curious, apart from his national team appearances how much has anyone actually seen of him in a week to week scenario over the past few, oh I don't know let's round it up to 8 years since he left Adelaide?
j binnie
Guest
dasilva.- Sorry friend miss your point completely. Pim Verbeek never coached an A-league side.What I think he implied at the time was,that when questioned why he was sticking with the ageing Golden Generaton, he passed comment that he had tried HAL players & in his opinion they were not up to the standard he required for the World Cup adventure which after all is the main aim of a national coach. Good man management or not is not really the issue, one now has to question if his opinion was perhaps nearer the truth than we would like to admit. Now whether you agree with his views or not doesn't matter one whit,but you have had a chance to see up to 16 or so individuals in the last week front up to opposition from Korea,Japan & China & it is my opinion that these three teams,for exceedingly long spells in each of the games, have outshone our boys in the basics of the modern game.That to me is a cause for some deep, deep concern. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong when the big Cup comes around but my better senses are telling me there is much to be done in an ever shrinking time frame. jb ps Just to refresh your memory, of the 23 players who were at Verbeek's 2010 World Cup only 1,Jason Culina played with an HAL club,the now defunct.GCU. Of the 23 , 4 have retired , 2 are without clubs,& another 6 have returned from their European clubs to play in the HAL.The average age of that squad 3 years ago was 27.5 years. There is more than half a team to be replaced, by whom?????. jb
dasilva
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The issue with Pim Verbeek statement is that it is terrible man management and IMO self serving statement instead of whether it is true or not . You are given the job to coach an A-league side and then you publicly question the standard of the league. Even if what you are saying is true, how does that inspire confidence in the players you are managing when part of your job to maximise confidence and morale of the team. Also I believe it was Pim Verbeek manipulating the media to his own personal benefit. He question the standard of the league so that he put himself in a win-win situation when he was coaching the A-league socceroos. If he wins than he is a genius. If he lose then well the media will be more focusing on the standard of the A-league instead of his personal performance. I thought it was an insidious manipulation of the media to bring pressure off his back and instead placed the pressure on the A-league players.
Qantas Supports Australian Football
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Fad---you may well coach young boy's teams where they only have one good foot. This being the case of your understanding of what it takes to play in a certain position, however, at the elite level it is very different. Most to all good footballers have two good feet that's why Thwaite can play anywhere across the backline. This was also backed up by the Fox commentary team Simon Hill and Andy Harper making comment of MT's versatility during the match---it seems to me you flatter yourself far too much with your own limited knowledge of it takes to be an elite footballer.. :D
David
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No idea. I struggle with the continued selection of Cornthwaite and Thwaites. They simply don't cut it. Thwaites doesn't stand out in the A League. Sainsbury impresses most weeks. Excuse my probable ignorance, but is Topor-Stanley a posible alternative?
fadida
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Your point was quite clear Qantas. It clearly showed your poor comprehension of the game. Thwaite, unlike Ramos, cannot play left fullback because; a) he's not two-footed and therefore his right footedness narrows our play b) he lacks recovery pace c) he lacks athleticism d) he lacks the mentality to play the position. He doesn't get forward, not does he try. This isolates the left midfielder/attacker and leads to a breakdown in our play/forces us to play down the right Ramos has all of the above qualities Again, I quite like Thwaite as an A-league player, but he is completely unsuited to the role that you, and only you think he is perfect for. Ahead of Traore apparently????
j binnie
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Jukes. It wasn't me who made the blanket assessment of HAL players it was the national coach at that time (2 years ago),Pim Verbeek.As I said in my reply he was ostracised by those in the "know" at the time but from what I have witnessed over the last 3 games I'm now not so sure he was wrong. Try & clear your mind of all the different angles being put forward & .when viewing the games try & assess the players in either side as individuals. IMO I have not seen one player in any of the Socceroo teams that have played who I could say was outstandingly better than the counterparts they were playing against. Now remember the criteria I am using are basic skills (1) good first touch, (2) ability to pass a ball quickly & accurately,(3) the knowledge & skill to use space by constantly moving into support positions,(4) their pace over 10 metres. I think that is enough to go on with & if you care to look up the possession figures for the 3 games you will find data to back up what I am saying.We were "outplayed" for long spells in each of these games. I don't like that in any way & feel it is time we started to see improvement in these skills bearing in mind the millions of dollars that have been spent in recent years, after all we have had a Curriculum & countless competitions & "camps" in place for more than 4 years now & some of Olgers "young men", Mitch Duke &Tomi Juric for example,are 22 years of age & in football terms this is not "young". after all your "top man" Messi has been playing at Barcelona since he was the same age & there are countless others I could cite from the top echelons of the game. That worries me, ok? jb
Qantas Supports Australian Football
Guest
Fadida---I can hear the sound of the ocean coming from your ears. Yes Thwaite is in the mould of Ramos---I didn't say he was as good as Ramos was, but MT can play every position in the back four like Ramos and if you had not hastily replied to me like a muppet, you would have worked that one out.. lol x10. I do hope your scape goat improves tho, because Holger will take him to Brazil---I hope the lord not as our LB.
fadida
Guest
+1 He made a pigs ear out of what was a pretty straight forward qualifying campaign. It's only that our scars from not making the WC for many years are still fresh that his mediocrity is somehow celebrated/overlooked. Even in the last qualifier he only made a like-for-like sub. Cahill probably would have been on the end of that cross anyway. He was unable to change the way we were playing, as any good coach would have done. Sub-par performances have been the theme of his time in charge. Name 3 outstanding performances in the last 15? His selections are questionable in the extreme Do we actually have a style of play after all this time?
fadida
Guest
Appalling football, with performances regressing. poor selections, tactically inflexible. The list goes on....
fadida
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He is a scapegoat. A midfielder played out of position by a coach out of his depth You on the other hand likened Michael Thwaite to Sergio Ramos, and asked if I watched Barcelona? Lol x 10
Jukes
Guest
Come on jb I think that blanket assessment of A-league players needs to be put in perspective. When your whole squad is A-league players of course your not going to perform better than say if 3-4 players were A-league players. You also cant expect a cohesive side when wholesale changes are made, Holger will be aware of that and make a proper assessment. Even Holger has said he has been pleasantly surprised as was I. He would have a better idea of the players he will be looking to take to Brasil. He has done what we have begged for him to do and thats to player a younger crop of players. Some stood up and pressed their claims while others didnt. Players like Brillante, Taggert wont be in Brasil but I guarantee you they would have learnt from this experience and will only benefit them as footballers going forward.
realfootball
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I cannot wait for Osieck to go. I personally will be cracking a very good bottle of sparkling when this talentless mediocrity boards a plane out of Australia for the last time. Can't select a squad. Can't coach a squad. His only positive coaching quality is that he was/is a mate of the Kaiser's. That got him the job. Not a smart way to choose your national team coach. Any other country in the world, Osieck would have been fired midway through the WC qualification. The mere fact that he is still in the job speaks volumes about how far we still have to go in terms of professionalism at the top in football in this country.
realfootball
Guest
He has most certainly not passed 3. He has failed hands down. The football has been dreadful.
Qantas Supports Australian Football
Guest
Sorry, you are alone in bad company yet again Fidida...
Qantas Supports Australian Football
Guest
No mistake----you love the scapegoat... let's face it a demitasse would fit on your head like a sombrero as you were the only one who has said "he was made the scape gaot"... lol
fadida
Guest
Agree Antman. Considering Osieck has has the players for a month he has shown an inability to imprint any strategy or system of play. Nor does he learn from mistakes. A quality coach makes the whole better than the sum of the parts. An average coach struggles to put the parts together. I always hear people talk about preparation time in defence of Osieck,, and yet many international coaches can put out a cohesive side on a preparation equal or shorter than ours.
Towser
Guest
jbinnie Here's a few Yorkshire sayings which I hope dont keep applying to Football here. "Tha’ can allus tell a Yorkshireman(Aussie football coach), but tha’ can’t tell ‘im much" "It’s neither nowt nor summat"(The game in Australia) "Sit thissen dahn an' tell me abaht it"(Adressed to Technical director about why were falling behind in skill compared to Korea,Japan & China) Ah yes a couple more. "Well, Ah'll go to t’foot of ahr stairs" -noted as an exclamation of suprise. Well theres no suprise about Asian teams being more skilful on & off the ball. An' Ah'll tell thi that fer nowt