FFA boss David Gallop was in Paris to give Socceroos coach Holger Osieck the flick, so how about he slips back across the Channel to have a meaningful with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger?
Aiming too high?
Probably, but if you don’t ask the question, you don’t get the answer.
But Gallop will have to gallop. Wenger is poised to re-sign with the Gunners for another three years which will take the Frenchman to two decades with the club.
And he’s 64 on October 22, a likely time to put pen to paper on the dotted line.
Arsene Wenger, Socceroos coach – now wouldn’t that be the ultimate.
It would cost FFA around $15-18m a year, but if the governing body can spend $40m, with the help of the Federal Government, in that smell-like-a-dead-rat FIFA vote that awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, $15-18m would be a snip for someone of Wenger’s stature.
He has everything the Socceroos need.
When he first took over Arsenal on 1 October 1996, they were known as ‘boring, boring with no creativity’.
Sound familiar?
Following the Socceroos is like watching grass grow, and paint dry. They are ranked 53rd in the world, which doesn’t say much for the 154 other countries ranked behind them.
Let me put my cards on the table, I am not a football fan, but like every other sports-minded Australian, I want the Socceroos to do well every time they turn out.
They are representing us.
But like the baggy greens and the Wallabies for most of 2013, the Socceroos have been a disaster – 6-0 down to Brazil, 6-0 down to France, two embarrassing shellackings.
Good sides don’t get flogged 6-0 by anybody.
It must be a sinking feeling for Frank Lowy, who more than anyone else in Australia has supported the round-ball sport, especially out of his own pocket.
He had to pinch John O’Neill from rugby, and Gallop from rugby league, to keep the momentum he set up.
The A-League is healthy, the crowds are healthy, but the national side is sick, almost terminally so.
Get Arsene.
And if that’s too far from left field, Guus Hiddink.
That’s not to say Ange Postecoglou, Graham Arnold, or Tony Popovic can’t do the job, but Hiddink tapped into the Australian talent and took them to the World Cup for the first time since Rale Rasic broke the drought in 1974.
Hiddink, like Wenger, has that touch of class.
It’s probably too late for Rio, but at least Hiddink has the football nous to make the best of what he’s got.
Looking back on how the Socceroos have been coached over the years, there have been some doosies in the chair.
Englishman Jim Shoulder (1976-78), Germany’s Rudi Gutendorf (1979-81) – what a shambles he was – Hungarian Frank Arok (1983-89), Scot Eddie Thomson (1990-96) another Englishman Terry Venables (1997-98) who you had to make an appointment to see him, if and when he was ready – and then one of the very worst – Pim Verbeek from 2007 to 2010, Mr Negative in the extreme.
But Guus was a breath of fresh air, and would be welcomed back with open arms.
That’s if Arsene Wenger isn’t available. It’s still worth a shot, long odds or whatever.
Time to get the very best for what should be the best Australian football team.
joeb
Guest
Afternoon, David, "FFA boss David Gallop was in Paris to give Socceroos coach Holger Osieck the flick, so how about he slips back across the Channel to have a meaningful with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger? "Aiming too high?" Hmmmm, your erstwhile colleague TFF reports Sat., 22 Feb, 2014... 'Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger: ‘‘He is a specialist in failure. I’m not ... Eight years without a piece of silverware, that’s failure.’’ ' :( Let us breathe a collective sigh of relief - in the end we got the right man for the task: Ange Postecoglou. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-fitz-files/let-us-pray-the-waratahs-actually-deliver-20140221-33747.html
Tex Redmund
Guest
Arsene Wenger would be a perfect fit for Australia's, trophyless history. If the FFA decide to aim beyond their means, why not try for someone who's actually won a trophy in the last decade, particulary if the trophy was won with a team of no-name players who the manager had inherited rather than one which can be recruited. A very, very different thing, managing a big-team full of capable player who you can handpick and sign, compared to managing a side with a very restricted player pool.
Alex
Guest
+1
Someone who knows a thing or two about soccer
Guest
Try to get ferguson out of retirement first, then try wenger, then di Matteo, then maradona, then Sven-G. Eriksson, then John Barnes? Then Gerard Houllier, then Bert van Marwijk, then we give up and get Ange Postecoglou
TriangleFlatDog
Guest
The furtherdown I read through the comments to this article the more I think you're an ass clown. Just my opinion!
ChrisUK
Guest
Ferguson has managed a national side - and did quite well with them.
ChrisUK
Guest
Yep. He's turned down the French job, he's turned down the England job. There is not a prayer of him even considering the Australia job. Harsh though it might be, Australia in world terms are a footballing backwater. There is no way someone of Wenger's standing would consider it - except as a retirement job.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Possibly has something to do with the reaction to this article by football supporters,apart from the little jibes throughout the notion that Arsene Wenger is a remote possibility to take the job is utterly ridiculous.Theres nothing wrong with thinking big but I don't think much thought was put into this article at all.
mahonjt
Guest
#palmface
Subbed
Guest
Whilst I appreciate David's optimism for the 'Roos, the bottom-line is: no chance. Why? Because Arsene has always made his disdain for international football known; more than once he has said 'I can't ever see myself coaching a national side' and that's without mentioning his hissy-fits whenever 'some meaningless international' strips him of half his Arsenal squad for a few days. He's a club-only man through and through, sadly.
Towser
Guest
Justin Thigm how do you know that Wenger would make an excellent national team manager,by what set of criteria do you judge this,his record in a domestic competition the EPL? Chalk & cheese domestic league manager ,National team manager for the many reasons stated by posters above. England have been employing National team managers from the domestic leagues for years,in a country where football dominates the national sporting scene, its results since winning the World Cup back in 1966 on home soil are not exactly cause for celebration. Genuine International coaches are as scarce as hens teeth,guys who make there living in International football rather than domestic. Somewhere along the line this country has to bite the bullet & stop putting out wild gambling ideas like Wenger & start investigating what's needed to be consistently succesful Internationally ,in a sport that evolves & advances year upon year. I said in 2006 that Australia getting through to the second round of the World Cup would create a false dawn ,one that lulled Australia into doing sweet FA about planning for the future, 7 years down the track the chickens coming home to roost have morphed into emus & are kicking the dunny door down. Increasingly International football gets faster both physically,mentally & the speed you execute a skill. Informed football followers all know that Holger,Pim or Arsene whoever, are not responsible for producing the players they coach on the park. Managing them picking the right players ,employing the right tactics depending on opposition is. Holger failed badly in many matches, particularly recently in this respect. So where does it all fall down like everything at the beginning. Seems to me that Australian players dont know what it takes to be a professional footballer early enough coming through the "Aussie system" of football development. Then its catch up either by going overseas or in the long term rectifying it here. Thomas Broich in an interview with David Zdrilic said as much. Check the video from Around 9.08 minutes in to 10.05 minutes for what he said. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNpqj5gfdeE So set the groundwork for developing kids who know what it takes to be a professional footballer,then use the system of World cups,Asian cups,Olympics etc to National team level to constantly monitor players as they develop through these levels. Seems to me its all over the shop currently. How can the National team still not know who is the best Left back? Ludicrous situation should have been identified years ago. Same as the goalkeeper Langerak,Federici,Ryan,Galekovic as Schwarzer's replacement? Many more but these are obvious examples. Whoever is chosen as coach,the mercenary paid to do a job has to stop immediately & whoever is employed needs to be first of all shown "THE PLAN" from the FFA which involves long term development of the National team(s). I doubt whether a suitably qualified overseas coach would wish to hang around or indeed be interested in developing our National team(s)(Most are football mercenaries) that leaves an Aussie coach with International experience. Only two fit the bill Ange & Arnie. Both are better coaches today than when involved internationally,both are passionate about football growing in Australia. With the right back up for the coach Australia can find it's own solution to the present National team predicament it finds itself in. Future Aussie coaches can get the International experience at u17's etc & work their way up from there.
Dillan
Guest
Again proving the point that it's only the non-football/soccer people who have a problem with the term Football.
WoobliesFan
Guest
True colours come out. Go back to writing about cricket and rugby - the true basket cases. You write about soccer like a someone who knows very little.
my left foot
Guest
1, it's unfeasable. 2, his coaching style would do the soccerroo's a disfavor, as we would not have the players to suite his desired way to play. 3, we don't need to pay massive dollars, when there are some pretty good options for less. 4, he is currently under contract and is getting good results whith Arsenal, I cannot see him leaving. 5, it's a bit late and personally I am not expecting amazingness, just organisation, some pressing, players playing in position and the best avaliable players playing in the best leagues being picked. We do not need Wenger to acheive this.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Matsu is certainly right that Pixy Stojkovic hasn't exactly developed into the coaching messiah Nagoya were hoping for, but I don't see why David should be criticised for simply putting the idea of hiring someone like Wenger out there.
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
Anyone would be a great manager for the Socceroos at the moment. What's Clive Palmer up to these days? :) Wenger is a superb football manager and tactician and would be an excellent national team manager, but a cash strapped FFA couldn't even afford his lunch money. Holger was on about $1M a year plus bonuses, that sort of money is not going to get you a Hiddink or Wegner. They are being chased for 10-15M a season or more. FFA are also up for a 1-2M payout for Osieck. Best value for money, quickest and easiest solution is to appoint an Aussie like Postecoglou or Arnold and restore the Australian pride in the Socceroos shirt.
bozo
Guest
May need a Government Assistance Package but I reckon the time is right to apply for one.
Ryan Eckford
Roar Guru
If Football Federation Australia could attract Arsene Wenger to coach our national team, he would be a fantastic choice due to his ability to get every bit of talent out of players, and his playing style is certainly what we are looking for.
Seb Vettel
Guest
You can have AVB... not Wenger... Wenger is too good, he belongs at Arsenal.
Robbie
Guest
lol