There are three A-League players who must be in the Socceroos’ squad for the World Cup and they’re all forwards.
Postecoglou’s squad for the match against Ecuador contains three forwards.
There is Ben Halloran, who is a really a winger, Tim Cahill, who is definitely a central midfielder, and Mathew Leckie, who is the in-fashion German prototype of a forward.
Leckie is not quite a striker, and not quite a winger, similar to Robbie Kruse, Andre Schurrle and Marco Reus.
Thus, the squad has more or less three quarters of a forward rather than three.
If Josh Kennedy, who really doesn’t fit in with Postecoglou’s revered style, is picked then the Socceroos will struggle to play like Postecoglou’s former team the Brisbane Roar.
As a side note, for all the A-League’s faults, the Socceroos are now trying to mimic a team from the A-League, rather than the EPL, La Liga or Eredivisie.
The Socceroos aren’t going to Brazil to park the bus, which is ironic because Postecoglou said they’d be happy to play in a car park.
The team is going to have to pressure their opponents until they cough up a goal.
However, in the squad that was picked for the friendly against Ecuador, no player is a goal scorer.
Cahill scored 11 goals in the MLS in 2013 and Leckie has six this season in the 2. Bundesliga.
Given the MLS is only a few imports better than the A-League, Cahill’s goal haul does not hold much more merit than Adam Taggart’s, David Williams’ or James Troisi’s respective totals.
The three players have 29 goals between them (ten, ten and nine, respectively) and they’ve all played less games than Cahill did in the MLS (albeit as midfielder).
David Williams and James Troisi represent what we’ve lost with Kruse’s ACL injury.
They can play midfield but that isn’t a euphemism for “barely scores”.
They’re quick and are in form.
Adam Taggart is more of solid striker, who is holding off Emile Heskey for the Newcastle Jet’s number nine position.
He is the player that the recently-announced squad lacks, a guy who doesn’t use a thesaurus to describe his position.
He doesn’t have a dodgy touch and he’s the equal-leading goalscorer in the A-League this season.
For that reason he would be perfect for Postecoglou’s squad.
David Williams is the player that will dribble directly at defenders, shrug them off, and blast the ball out of reach of the opposition’s goalkeeper.
Cahill won’t do that and Leckie isn’t a certainty to do it either.
Williams is a form player and he’s the “YOLO” factor that Australia need.
Otherwise the Socceroos will fly all the way to Brazil to be polite and thank Spain and Holland for giving them the opportunity to kick the same ball.
That’s not good enough.
The Socceroos should pressure their opponents until the ball falls out to Williams in space so he can crack one past Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen or Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
James Troisi is Australia’s most cultured player.
He speaks like a second-generation Greco-Italian, who holidayed in northern England for too long and grew up in Australia.
He also plays like one.
Troisi is technically adept enough for Italian clubs Juventus and Atlanta to share his ownership and he can score a goal.
He also played under Postecoglou and he is the definition of the false nine that Postecoglou is renowned for.
No Australian player in the current squad, or out of it, have the goals and the form that Taggart, Williams and Troisi have.
Australia can’t defend for 90 minutes against David Silva, Rafael van der Vaart or Alexis Sanchez.
Nor can they punt long balls forward to Kennedy and Cahill.
Troisi, Taggart and Williams must go to the World Cup, otherwise the Socceroos will be scraping the half-finished Brazilian barrel to score a goal.
Batou
Guest
Good comment. I agree that Taggart is the one of those three that is actually in with a real chance. Interesting point about whether to choose players on 'form or consistency.' You could probably rephrase that as form vs class which would make for an interesting discussion. As the saying goes, form is temporary but class is permanent. You definitely don't want a player who has been going through a great patch of form to go off the boil when selected for the WC, although a classy player low on form would also be a problem so both are clearly important to some level. It seems to me that for the the week to week of club football, form is the key factor, but that is probably reversed for the world cup where if it came down to Kewell or Williams, I'd be taking Kewell.
Da`
Roar Rookie
With regards to David Williams, the real problem in deciding is whether you use form or consistency to decide. His form at the moment is brilliant, he goals great and the technique leading up to them laudable. He is a true striker who's a danger up front - and I'm not just saying all this because my sister was a schoolfriend of his. His form of late is amazing, but his consistency under Aloisi was minimal and his play was somewhat mercurial also for the Fury. So - do you decide based on current form or a previous lack of consistency? If Taggart is not included in the WC squad and the South Africa match, I will be really surprised. He is a true striker, gifted and a creator of chances where there were none. He also provides the scoring X-factor on the ground that Timmy Cahill provides in the air. And he's 20, so he'll be around for a long time yet. Isn't Troisi an attacking midfielder - a position which we have in abundance?
fadida
Guest
Rhys Williams won't make it. He'll he short by a couple of months looking at where his rehab us at. He might make full training by the time the WC starts
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
+1
Park footballer
Guest
How does Jade North escape attention? He is the Roar's most consistent player and can play ANYWHERE in the back 4 and can also push up into the midfield. He's a quality player we need for Rio
AZ_RBB
Guest
Maybe we should send the Wanderers to the WC?
Dan
Guest
Of those three Taggart is the only one with a chance. Troisi has struggled for large parts of the season in the HAL, as have all three players. Troisi is like a poor mans Oar. Had his chances, didn't take them then. Pass. None of them are remotely consistent. Williams has no chance unless he keeps scoring 1-2 goals per game from now til the GF. Taggart has potential but again doesn't do nearly enough over 90 mins on a regular basis to get called up to the Socceroos senior squad. The Aussie strikers with a chance of getting called up are Juric, Duke and Taggart. They all need to be fit and firing for the rest of the season to give themselves a shot at making it. It's over to them now.
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
Juric is even in the top 10 for A League goal scorers, there is no logic to taking him over these three. Oh wait he plays for the Wanderers.
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
Sainsbury to come back and Rhys Williams might just make it. Williams is streaks ahead of anyone in experience and skill.
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
Troisi > Rogic.
Franko
Guest
Nervous times at the back. Is Spira and Good really our best options right now? Spira I am happy with, but maybe partnering with someone a little more experienced, Lucas? The Og? Both very slow but who else is there?
Franko
Guest
Whilst building for the future is the mantra of this WC, we need to think about the best way to do that. I'd take Kewell over Taggart and Troisi, he offers something to guys in the squad like Oar, Vidosic and Rogic in that they can actually learn from him, this may be of more benefit than throwing in another rookie.
fadida
Guest
What about Spiranovic given we have zero defensive options? I'd have thought he's a given?
fadida
Guest
Kisnorbo may tackle well but he's slow and poor with the ball
fadida
Guest
Great points about Williams, Sam Clark. Hopelessly inconsistent, poor technique. This season's Daniel McBreen. Taggart is a chance. Troisi is a better option than Vidosic for me, more of a threat. I really rate Juric but he needs game time. Let's hope for a minor Santalab injury :)
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
At club level, Cahill isn't played as a striker. Still, one player who isn't an out and out striker who rarely scores with his feet can not be our only goal scorer at the world cup. Cahill when played as how is supposed to be like today scores, but we can't pigeon hole him as a number 9 because he isn't a striker. World Cup squads should be chosen on form, and Taggart, Williams and Cahill are the only players to reach double figures this season. There is no one else, we can't go into a world cup with 10 attacking midfielders.
my left foot
Guest
I would only say taggart out of those three, but I can see Kewell and Kisnorbo being considered. Kewell is still class and has been a good captain, while Kisnorbo defends well, has a good passing range and completion and can score goals.
James Anderson
Roar Guru
I agree with Troisi and Taggart. These two have had spectacular seasons. They both know how to score the goals that Cahill and Leckie don't. I think Ange needs to choose between the two Swiss lads, Vidosic and Boazanic, and slot Troisi in the others place. Watching them both last night, they were as good as the other, though Bozanic offered a little more physicality, as well as good skill, and Vidosic probably edged Bozanic in the speed department. But we don't need both. It certainly won't hurt to name all four lads in the 30 man squad, and test them against eachother. I'm quite excited to see whats next for Socceroos. Some very good football was played this morning amongst a few shocking mistakes, but all up I thought a strong performance for Postecoglou to work with.
Midfielder
Guest
Being a tad over the top lets add A-League players who have transferec overseas... Jedi, Sainsbury, Ryan, Olly, Mitch L [despite this morning], Robbie Kruse [OK out ], and heaps of others.. On those in the A-League Troisi, Milligan, Taggart
Johan
Guest
Is it 1 April already? Surely a joke. Williams? Pull the other one. As an Australian of Dutch Aristocratic ancestry at least I have a fall back option when the socceroos become the soccer who's. I guess it is tough for Angie boy though, Australia have such a poor pool of players currently. At least they have a chance in the Asian cup in January where most of the sides are as poor as us.