It was the decision Ange Postecoglou’s predecessor Holger Osieck couldn’t or wouldn’t make, but one that had to be made in order to move the Socceroos forward.
Lucas Neill, though he’s been among our best ever defenders, has over the past five or six years been a major part of the stagnation of the national team under managers Osieck and Pim Verbeek.
As the skipper, he might be remembered for leading the teams that qualified for both South Africa and Brazil, but he’ll also be remembered for being a big part of era where the Socceroos weren’t able to evolve beyond the success that was 2006.
While many in the establishment often trotted out the line that there weren’t enough youngsters coming through, the bigger picture was that the FFA allowed a culture of entitlement to fester across the national set-up, from players, to staff, right through.
Many, including Neill, adopted the line that there weren’t the players begging to be picked, and while it’s certainly true that the golden generation did the job for Verbeek and Osieck whenever called upon for a key qualifier, the fact they even needed the likes of Neill told its own story about their coaching quality.
Both Verbeek and Osieck were conservative, even old school, managers, who struggled to move the national team forward.
Their default was essentially to throw out the veterans for any crunch game, and generally they delivered a result.
While they brought in youngsters for camps or gave one or two the odd start, there was nothing convincing about their technical output.
Safety first and status quo was their way.
From a tactical perspective, what I’ll most remember about the ‘Roos under these two managers was the position of the defensive line.
Retreating to the 18-yard box and setting up the defensive blanket seemed to be the default position.
It was a symbol of a team that was scarred to come out and play. It was the easy way to defend.
It painted a perception of an aging, slow, conservative team, taking the easy way out.
It was very un-Socceroos.
Verbeek set the trend, at one point famously playing a 4-6-0 on the road in a World Cup qualifier, while Osieck wasn’t able to turn the team over, despite it being one of his main performance objectives.
The reality is that Neill was the cornerstone of that retreating defensive unit, and for many years.
While the skipper often performed with distinction, and the ‘Roos got their key results, particularly in qualifiers, it was rarely pretty.
The Socceroos ranking, both on the official FIFA list and in the eyes of the public, kept retreating too.
Rather than step up and play in a proactive way, as they did in Germany under Guus Hiddink, the Verbeek and Osieck years were best described as stale and reactive.
The fact that the results-obsessed FFA were unable to see and address this said much about their technical knowledge.
This was a governing body, after all, that sought to commercialise the Socceroos post 2006, maximising the exposure of a few key players, including Neill.
With their faces plastered all over the place, it became nigh on impossible to dump them, even if a manager wanted too.
At one the FFA even anointed Neill as captain ambassador for the 2015 Asian Cup, almost 18 months out.
He said at the time: “I feel very proud and deeply honoured. It’s like wearing the captain’s armband, but never having to take it off.”
It was a quote that said much.
Neill and a few others were allowed to become far too comfortable and powerful in the national set-up.
The hope is the FFA have learnt much from an era where they allowed this culture of largesse to develop.
As he had done when he arrived at the Brisbane Roar, Postecoglou sensed and said as much.
While Neill survived the manager’s first selection, it was clear Postecoglou would keep all the players, including the incumbent skipper, guessing.
The pressure showed when he snapped at a fan or two that were heckling him in at a ‘Roos friendly at the SFS late last year.
In truth, it was hard to be overly critical of Neill for hanging about as long as he did. Many players would do the same in his situation.
Frankly, he should be remembered as a Socceroos great.
But the backdrop is that his national team career coincided with a period where the ‘Roos lost a bit of their magic, and, as such a key component, it’s hard to distance Neill from that narrative.
Roscoe
Guest
I think it's too easy to blame the previous managers. Have a look at the 2006 team and where the players were playing at the time and apart from Wilkshire the rest were playing consistently in the top Euro Leagues. Since 2006 how many other players are playing at that level? You can't expect national managers to pluck untried players from obscurity.By club performances in a quality league players demand to be selected for the national team and that hasn't been happening because .the players are not good enough to make it otherwise we would have other players apart form Jedinak & Kruse in the highest leagues demanding selection. Name a central defender that is playing at the highest level of club competition since 2008? The manager is selects his best 11 to win, the national team is not a development squad. Ange won't be taking a development squad to Brazil he is taking what he thinks is the best team available to win games and that is what the 2 previous managers have done. Not saying they were the best managers going around but I can understand their team selections and the continual selection of Neill.
Mato-Bateman
Guest
I think Lucas Neill made the Top 20 Players in World Cup 2006. Neill had a great tournament back then.
Holly
Guest
Neill didnt pick himself. You can't blame him for playing on. If, if there is fault it lies with Holger and/or Pim.
Bondy
Guest
Sara H
Guest
Great article by a GREAT writer
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I totally understand that if you have young players who are well and truly good enough to be in your national team but never get a chance that can hurt them. Also, it's not up to the AIS to produce World Beaters. It has to be part of the development of the A-League and associated Youth League, and all these other things, identifying the 14-15 year olds and developing them. Then it's about them playing week-in, week-out at club level, playing the best opposition they can and continuing to work on their game. Playing international football is just the cherry on the top, it's not what makes a quality footballer. It can sometimes put them in the shop window to get opportunities. If there are a couple of young guys perform really well for Australia at the World Cup, they have a good chance of having bigger clubs coming knocking, but I can't agree that it's playing international matches that makes them international class. Which would do more for making a player a top quality player, starting 38 EPL games, Bundesliga games, La Liga games etc each year, or playing 2-3 international matches against Oman, Thailand, and Iran?
SlickAs
Guest
I was being facetious when I mentioned Patafta at Benfica. Last year Kaz was playing for some pub team in the ACT Premier League and running a clinic for kids at 24 years of age! He is the definition of hyped-up youngster with overblown potential. To compare the current crop with the 2006 golden generation is unfair. This is the group being groomed for the 2018 world cup in Russia. In that case it is more apt to ask where the 2006 generation were 4 years earlier during the 2002 WC for which we did not qualify. Sure Viduka and Kewell were at Leeds and playing champions league and Aloisi was playing at Coventry City and stuggling to get a run, Brett Emerton was playing in Holland (like Jason Davidson, Tommy Oar and Adam Sarota are now), Lucas Neill was playing for Millwall in the English 2nd division, Bresciano & Grella were with Empoli in Italy, Chipperfield was in Switzerland (where Bozanic and Vidosic are now), Craig Moore was in Scotland (where Curtis Good and Jackson Irvine are now). To complicate it further, Australian players go out on loan in anticipation of a spot in the WC. We did not qualify in 2002. Would Aloisi have gone out on loan from Coventry for game time for example? So we need to keep in mind that Curtis Good is a Newcastle United player, Jackson Irvine and Tom Rogic both Celtic players, James Troisi a Atalanta player in the Italian Serie-A. Ben Halloran is at Fortuna Dusseldorf, Robbie Kruse is in the Bundesliga for a champions league team, Matt Ryan at Club Brugge, Paul Okons old club. Sure, in 2002 we were not relying on the likes of Wilkshire as there was a previous generation of the Muscat, Okon, the Vidmars ilk that simply do not exist now. But also we need to keep in mind that football has become far more global in the last 12 years since 2002 with satellite TV available throughout Asia, Africa and South America which concentrates the attention of the world on the European game. European clubs are far better at recruiting foreigners that do not speak English now than they ever were. When Juan Veron played for Man U in 2001 he was the first Argentinian ever to play in England. Sounds hard to believe now, but that is how much the world has changed. It may be that it is harder to get a gig in Europe in 2014 than it was in 2002. Also worth bearing in mind is that the A-league is much stronger and more lucrative for a player than anything we ever had back then meaning young players can stay at home. The reality for me is that we lost a generation of players to the game in the period during the demise of the NSL from about 2001 when it lost sponsorship and TV, players left overseas, its eventual folding. There was a gap before the beginning of the A-league and potential players went out and became builders and plumbers to pay the rent like even Sasa Oganovski who became a builder. When the A-league started it was only 8 teams, each with 3 foreign players, then with the return of Kevin Muscat, Archie Thompson, Paul Okon, Tony Vidmar, David Zdrilic, etc, etc, etc all came home, there was not much space for youth. The A-league was not that good either. This new generation are not the lost generation though, they are the new shiny 'new football' generation grown out of sophisticated A-league playing possession football with full and half press. Lucas Neil did badly saying that the young players are not good enough. It may have been true a few years ago, but there is little question that Curtis Good is a better central defender than Lucas Neill was at his age (21 ... itself a little disingenuous since Neill only converted to central defence in his mid-20's). Point is the talent is coming through with the green shoots of regeneration and I would expect many of them to go on to play in the big leagues by the time the 2018 world cup comes along. Then your comparisons will be interesting trivia. I expect us to loose all 3 of our games, but hopefully it is like 1-0 and 2-1. We want to see our young lads go out there and believe in themselves. Attack those Spaniards with confidence. See how young Jason Davidson goes trying to keep Arjen Robben under control on the right wing. They are a young plucky team going up against heavyweight champions of the world and we want to see them do us proud!
Deep Thinker
Guest
I am still angry about Verbeek after the stunt he pulled against Germany. I have no time for Verbeek apologism. For over a year in every lead up game we were playing a lone striker Scott McDonald was easily our best striker at the time.Easily! Nobody was even close to scoring the number of goals in any league that McDonald was scoring at Celtic. At Celtic, he scored 51 goals from 88 games. That is an incredible record. Under Verbeek, McDonald made no impact at international level. Nil. Verbeek never played two strikers and this basically took McDonald out of the game. McDonald didn't play well as a lone striker. McDonald begged for a partner up front: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/socceroo-scott-mcdonald-says-he-needs-attacking-help/story-e6freuy9-1225698861200 Verbeek dropped him from the squad before the world cup and publicly stated that the reason was because McDonald wasn't suited to his lone striker strategy: http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/mcdonald-doesn-t-fit-bill-verbeek-s-australia-squad-861691#.U2uI-PmSwxU When we went behind against Germany, we had no chance of coming back with only Cahill upfront with no support. I think he even played two strikers during the game and McDonald wasn't even in the squad. It was the first time we had a formation with two strikers for 30 months. He also kept Kewell and Bresciano on the bench while we were getting murdered in the midfield. So yes, I blame Verbeek. That was unforgivable.
Reginald Bomber
Roar Guru
Not selecting someone for the Socceroos next match isn't so much a lack of respect. The coach has to pick what he thinks is the best team available. That's his job and his responsibility. Ange said in an interview this week after he announced Neill will not be selected, that he is picking a squad for the next two world cups, not the next game. I believe he has given the former Socceroos all the respect he can by travelling all around the world to tell them in person that they won't be selected for Brazil. The fans certainly respect players like Neill and what they have done for the country, absolutely respects that, but they just think he is no longer good enough to play for the Socceroos, that's not disrespect, just a football fans opinion. Mark Viduka never had this problem, he picked his time to retire, when he knew he didn't have it in him no more. He didn't need the coach to drop him and appear to be disrespectful to him. It just happened that way and the blame wasn't put on the coach at that time and the fans weren't labelled as being disrespectful to the Dukes either..
Reginald Bomber
Roar Guru
I understand what you are saying Chris, but even if the AIS produces world beaters, if the national team coaches don't select them in the team then they aren't going to develop as international players, no matter how good the AIS or other factors were. The coach has to actually give them a game and teach them how to perform at this level. The AIS isn't going to teach them that. Its a combination of a number of factors culminating with actually playing for your country on the international stage.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
No. You said "Soccerooos stocks of international grade players are at an all time low. Its entirely Verbeek and Osieck’s fault." Since playing the odd international here and there is not what makes a player into an international grade player, how could the lack of international grade players be in any way the fault of the national coach. Now, if there are other international quality players out there who haven't been given a chance in the Socceroos, that you can blame them for, but you can't blame them for the lack of quality players!
apaway
Roar Guru
JAJI I agree. I think Verbeek gets a terrible rap because of one game and we all remember THAT game against Germany. But then, Germany went on to put 4 past Argentina and England as well so we were in good company. Yes, he got that Germany game all wrong but he did a tremendous job in that Ghana game when the Socceroos had to manage a balancing act, 1-1, with only 10 men and a loss would have sent them packing. Verbeek's tactics were spot on that day and Luke Wilshere could have won it for the Roos at the death.
apaway
Roar Guru
Sleemo While I agree with you 100% about Grella, I'm pretty sure Neill made some sort of World Cup "superteam" in 2006 as well.
Griffo
Roar Guru
I don't think Neill was being stuffed around, just the opposite - Neill certainly would have been annoyed if he was offloaded straight away on the 23 October 2013 (Ange's appointment date). But Neill would have known also that playing in barely a handful of games that season leading into March 2014 and having an 8 game run for Doncaster, 4 of which he was injured leading to his last game for Doncaster, a do or die relegation battle in the last round against Leicester, was not enough. Credit to Ange for giving him the opportunity. Credit to Neill if he accepts the decision without much public angst. http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/socceroos/sasa-ognenovski-hits-out-at-disrespectful-treatment-of-veterans-by-coach-ange-postecoglou/story-e6frf4l3-1226910290911
Punter
Guest
Exactly how I felt, Grella was the legend of the WC06 Socceroos side, he is the 1 player we have not been able to replace, even in WC10 when injuries had already curtailed his career.
Griffo
Roar Guru
My recollection was he was expecting to be NT captain and Farina didn't choose him...
Reginald Bomber
Roar Guru
Our new Socceroos captain tops the EPL stats: http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/premier-league/socceroo-mile-jedinak-has-not-missed-a-minute-in-crystal-palaces-premier-league-campaign/story-e6frf4a3-1226909714016
Midfielder
Guest
Tony Maybe Ange was giving a number of players time to reflect ... Harry / Schie/ Holman all said we are going ... Lucas to his credit just kept trying his fault if anything was not to realise like Harry did he was no longer the best in the position he had ...
jupiter53
Guest
Good call. Vinnie was taken for granted by many. However while I agree that the injury-enforced retirement was sad, I doubt the return to live in Italy was!
Atlas
Guest
Furthermore , just so we can really gage the lack of quality coming through , Harry & Dukes(Leeds EPL), Okon,Grella,Bresc(Serie A)Zelic(Dortmund)Schwarz(Middlsb Epl)Aloisi(Osasuna La liga)Neil (Epl) Jones(Epl)Wilkshire(Epl)Cahill (Evert Epl). That's compared to what ? Sorry but Milligan ,Leckie,Holland, Sarkies,Thompson, Bridge,Spiranovic,Oar,Troisi ,Lia,Spaseski & Patafta , where have they played & in what standards ? Patafta I know for a fact signed at Benfica for 4 years & come home after 1 , because couldn't hack it & come home. Milligan aside , as he has a lot of quality but needs to play abroad, the rest have played in pub leagues or 2nd divisions compared to the last generation . In closing, not being too judgmental , but for Okon,Bresc & Grella to play in Italy Serie A in their clubs as 1st choice players is some outstanding feats by them & we never saw the best of Grella in Aussie colours but he was a freak (agree sleemo).our "WELL" has run dry !