Debacle. Farcical. Embarrassment. National Disgrace. You’d have to think we are now used to these sort of performances from the Socceroos.
For years we have been crying out for a rebooted and rejuvenated national football side, for the old wood to be shifted out and our promising youth brought in.
But time and time again, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. This debacle has been coming for a while, and as much as I dislike Holger Osieck, this all started with Pim Verbeek.
The rot started when he was manager. We’ve been on a slippery slope since the 2010 World Cup, and now that slippery slope has taken us to being the joke of the footballing world.
The FFA have just stood by, ignored this mess, and watched our national pride become as legit as Dave Warner’s off-field behaviour.
Why have they stood by and allowed this highly paid manager to watch us become a side of footballing senior citizens? We are too old, too slow, too bloody obvious.
Where has the good old fighting spirit gone? We are just lifeless numpites on a football field.
Whoever becomes the next national coach, they need to revamp things fast. I’d rather go to a World Cup and lose every match convincingly with a youthful side, then go with an ageing side that has severe consequences to the future of our game.
Lucas Neil, we love you, you wear your heart on your sleeve, but your time has come – give it up. You’re no longer the stellar Lucas Neil model of 2006.
You could say the only positive contribution from Holger, bar getting us to the World Cup, was to start grooming the likes of Langerak to becoming our number one keeper, but it’s took him a god damn long time to do so.
Dark times are ahead, but to begin the revolution we need to carefully wipe our ageing players out of this national side.
The likes of Ognenovski, Wilkshire and Schwarzer should go, but to do so the new manager must be able to assimilate our younger boys – the likes of Brett Holman, Tommy Oar, Robbie Kruse, Mark Milligan, Tommy Rogic and Carl Valeri.
When given a chance they grasped it with all they have.
Let’s hope whoever takes charge has more common sense than Holger to take the brave step and lead Australia in a new direction.
Claude Bawlz
Guest
We definitely need a talented new coach, preferably young with initiative & enthusiasm. We sign him to start now and create a new team for the future, take them to Brazil then prepare to win the Asia cup. The coach then readies our lads for the next World Cup & brings in new young players on a regular basis Zee.your excellent article has certainly created interest from all of us football lovers in the country. There are a lot of promising young coaches around the world, too bad USA grabbed Klinsman but there are others, we shouldn't be afraid to talk to a coach presently with a club team overseas.
Evan Askew
Guest
I think Wilkshire is still up for it. He is still playing regularly for Dinamo Moscow in the Russian premier league. And I don't doubt that had Holman stayed at AZ he would still be up to it,
mahonjt
Guest
Tripe. You disgusting little person.
trimmers
Guest
this seems all a bit of a stretch do you have good grounds to believe all of this or are you just being speculative?
JR Salazar
Guest
Come oooooooooon Canada! I kid.
Zee
Roar Guru
Yeah Exactly, Guus would do a whole lotta good for our boys, so it just depends who gets the top job!! Ah Thanks James, I a female, its what we do :P .. I love writing, and expressing my opinion so this is like a hobby for me, I am a Anatomy/Science nut in the real world. So this is a great outlet to vent.. Haha exactly your male ;)
fadida
Guest
If you can't spell his name properly I doubt you have the right to criticise Neill. Yes, he's gone as a player, but he's always been available for the NT and his performances have generally been very good. Likewise let's not rewrite history people. Wilkshire was a key player for 5 years, Holman for 2. It shows a real lack of respect and knowledge to dismiss their contributions because they are now not up to it
jamesb
Guest
It depends who the next coach is. Guus could get the best out of him as you say. But if it's someone like a Bielsa, he could go in a different direction. BTW: Zee, you have a high work ethic. You submitted two articles today, and you did a blog last night. Maybe ,that's multi tasking I guess. As for me, I only hand in one article at a time. Seem lazy in comparison. But I am a male, true to form,
Zee
Roar Guru
I get your point re Holman, but I just think under Guus supposing he returns he could possibly get the best out of him
Zee
Roar Guru
Cheers Dyl
Vic
Guest
Franl Lowy & Lucas Neal have only ever been interested in personal glory and their own legacies.
jamesb
Guest
Holman shouldn't be picked again. He runs around like a headless chook, and he looks scrappy as a player. Plus he is playing his club football in the middle east. The players that we should be looking at, are players that are playing regular, or semi regular football in Europe. Players like, Ryan, Langerak, Rogic, Leckie, Lowry, Kruse, Oar, Bozanic, Davidson, Vidosic, R.Williams, Jedinak, Holland and even Wilkshire. I'd keep persisting with Wilkshire. He is still playing regular football with Dynamo Moscow. He will be 32 at the world cup, play him at right back, and allow Williams to be at centre back. I'd also shift Jedinak from the midfield to centre back. Bring in Milligan to the midfield where he could form a combo with either Holland or Sarota. I just hope Sarota is back from injury.
Evan Askew
Guest
I agree that Brett Holman is probably no longer in the reckoning because of his lack of game time at Aston Villa and his baffling move to the middle east. But from the 2010 world cup to 2012 he was immense at both national team level and at club level with AZ Alkmaar. If only he had stayed there instead of chasing the allure of the EPL which is all too strong in Australia. he might still be a key member of the national team and we would have one more decent player in the national team playing at a decent level in Europe.
jamesb
Guest
"Debacle. Farcical. Embarrassment. National Disgrace." You could also add horrible, pathetic and awful as well. Here is a theory. I reckon Holger got the coaching gig because he was mates with German legend Franz Beckenbauer. Bear in mind, Holger was signed on August 2010, but also the FFA were bidding for the world cup at the time, and were trying to get Beckenbauers vote, who was one of the 24 ExCo members. In the end, Australia got one vote at a cost of $45 million, which was most likely from Beckenbauer. That world cup bid turned out to be a debacle, farcical, embarrassment, national disgrace, and I'll add horrible, pathetic and awful as well.
stu
Guest
Australia will never be able to challenge for the WC until some fundamental stars are aligned. 1, The sport becomes one of the top two in the country. 2. At least one possible two football codes no longer exist. 3. The code takes advantage of the available talent pool with now only two codes available. 3. The Nation and Money is behind the code. 4, Now once all the above stars align, have a simple and agreed development structure in place. What happened in 2006 can only be discribed unusual to say the least. When the A-League started, my thoughts were to focus on the league and make the domestic game as strong as possible. The eye was taken off the ball and much time has been lost. Get the house leeping right at that level and national success will follow. i don't exect to be around when the starts do align, however there is a chance and worth chasing the goal.
fatboi
Roar Rookie
I agree with 99% of the article except the bit about Brett Holman. Under two managers who happened to be our most dull dour and hapless coaches ever (Pim & Holger), Brett Holman has been central to the mess we are in. Quite simply, when our most important position on the pitch in terms of creating attacking plays is given to a mediocre, headless chook with very little technical ability, poor touch, poor vision, poor passing and zero creativity, you know you are doomed. I hope our Socceroos revolution starts by discarding players who have very little technical ability because we are forever limited by their deficiencies. And this starts with never picking Brett Holman ever again for the national team
Dylan Arvela
Roar Guru
Good article, agree 100%