Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill faces a monumental battle to go to the World Cup with coach Ange Postecoglou casting serious doubt over his selection for Australia’s international friendly in March.
The Socceroos will have one one last hitout in Europe before Postecoglou settles on his extended World Cup squad.
The coach is in Europe to scout various fringe Socceroos and check in on regular starters based there before heading to the Middle East to do the same.
Neill, who has failed to secure a club since leaving Japanese side Omiya Ardija early last month, is training with his former English side Blackburn Rovers.
But Postecoglou says he’s only interested in catching up with players who are playing regularly and has no intention of chatting to Neill while he’s in the UK this week.
With Postecoglou to finalise his squad for the March friendly when he gets back, Neill appears likely to miss the cut unless he can secure a club before the January transfer window closes.
When asked if he’d be seeing Neill, Postecoglou said: “I’m not into having a lot of meetings with players. I never have been and never will be.
“The message has been consistent to all the players about my expectations so I’m not going to be having series of meetings with players.
“Where my priorities lie is to see where players are playing and hopefully playing good football then I can sit down and watch them play and assess where they’re at.
“But the message is pretty clear and I don’t think it will surprise anyone that I’ll only be looking at players who are playing regularly and playing some good football.”
Fellow veteran Mark Bresciano is also not playing as he serves out his four-month FIFA ban but Postecoglou says he’s still well in contention for Brazil.
“I’m certainly not ruling him out.
“Knowing Mark, he’s very professional and looks after himself very well so I’d be surprised if he’s not in good condition when it comes time to pick the World Cup squad.”
Postecoglou said Australia’s opponent for the March friendly is close to being locked in and who the Socceroos will face in their farewell clash in Sydney in May.
He will spend the next week in the UK before heading to Holland, Germany and coming home via the Middle East.
“It’s a chance for me to check out some players I’m not too familiar with or others who I want to have a look at and, post this trip, come up with a squad to play in March,” Postecoglou said.
He said he had already met goalkeeper Brad Jones at Liverpool and spoken to Reds coach Brendon Rogers about his progress and that of young left-back Brad Smith who recently debuted at the English Premier League giants.
“He’s rated very highly at Liverpool,” Postecoglou said of 19-year-old Smith.
“He’s still not even training full time with the first team yet but he’s one obviously we’ll keep an eye on.”
Postecoglou will also touch base with injured Aston Villa midfielder Chris Herd, Millwall duo Shane Lowry and Scott McDonald, Bailey Wright and Neill Kilkenny – who both play for English League One side Preston – and Scotland-based Jackson Irvine.
He’ll then head to Holland to watch FC Utrecht duo Tommy Oar and Adam Sarota, who recently came back from injury.
And while Uruguay-based striker Richard Porta and Carl Valeri, who just joined Italian Serie B side Ternana, might not get a visit, Postecoglou says both are on his radar.
Click here for the full draw of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.
Nestory Irankunda has sensationally rejected the chance to play at the Paris Olympics this June after a late bid from the Olyroos to include…
Mathew Ryan's tenure at AZ Alkmaar appears to be over, as the Eredivisie side are seemingly moving on from the 93-time Socceroo. The decision…
One down 49 to go. Socceroos striker Kusini Yengi raised some eyebrows this week when he declared himself to be the talisman striker the…
