Recent news on the selection of the Australian football squad for the Brazil World Cup has been focusing on the preemptive retirement of many of Australia’s ‘Golden Generation’ players.
Australia’s coach Ange Postecoglou has made the step of contacting a number of players considered the regulars of the last few Socceroos campaigns to let them know personally that their services will no longer be required.
The recent addition of Lucas Neill to this list of unwanted and his subsequent retirement appears to be the precursor for Ognenovski to have let fly at the new Australian manager, going as far as to suggest it disrespectful.
Now with all due respect of my own to Sasa, that is crap.
In many ways, his comments come to represent the sense of entitlement many senior Australian players have had until now. They fly in the face of what an Australian representative sportsperson should be.
Australia needs to recognise the need to bring in fresh talent that have patiently waited for their chance to attend a World Cup and encourage the next generation of Australian football.
Instead, Ognenovski seems more intent in paying one final homage to the previous generation and making the Brazilian World Cup a tribute and swan-song to arguably our greatest generation of players.
It seems at odds with what Australian fans want.
Articles have come out all this week applauding Ange’s decision to release those players that had previously enjoyed automatic squad selection under Osieck.
That for too much of the lead-up to this World Cup, the Socceroos have been stuck in a time-warp with squad selection, preferring to stick with an old tried-and-true formula rather than take a chance with new players.
It is worth recognising that Neill was the player of the tournament for Australia in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
It is also necessary to realise that this was eight years ago. The talents that had made him so great at that event are the same ones we had seen succumb to time and age like they do with any player seeing out the last few years of his playing career.
Yet for qualifiers he and the familiar faces from 2006 continued to enjoy automatic selection to the Australian squad because they had too big a reputation to snub and reinforced the perception of a lack of genuine replacements.
I think most Australian football fans have come to the realisation that the good times we enjoyed under Hiddink are over, and that some rebuilding must take place.
Football is a generational roller-coaster, with good times preceding and succeeding bad, and indeed that Australia might have to accept a lull after its best generation.
Instead I suspect that most were to happy to give these younger players the chance to prove themselves against some of the best teams in the world at Brazil. An opportunity throw caution to the wind and maybe even cause a few surprises while we develop.
That was the kind of World Cup I was looking forward to after South Africa and that I lost hope in with Olsieck during qualifiers. However I also think it is what we will now receive with Postecoglou in charge of the team, and this is a good thing.
For Sasa to say it is disrespectful on the legacy Socceroos is to ignore the fact it happens worldwide and is an accepted part of being a professional sportsmen.
They get paid big bucks while on top of the world because they know it will not last forever. But more than this, when playing for country rather than club, they realise they are not playing for individual plaudits, but for the benefit of their chosen nation.
So if this is the case, would Australia have benefited from washing their hands of making a decision on the selection of these players and instead allowing them to choose if they want to attend or not?
Did Brazil allow Kaka or Ronaldinho such an option? Did the World Cup they won for Brazil in 2002 dictate that they choose whether they play in this year’s edition or not? After all, at one time they were each considered the best in the world.
Or like any sensible country, did the selectors realise that individual hopes, desires and grievances need to be sacrificed for the benefit of the team as a whole?
It is not even as if Ange publicly stated these players were washed up geriatrics with no shot at the Socceroos? As far as I can tell, he rang certain players privately who deserved such notification to let them know ahead of time that he did not have them in mind.
If this is not the very definition of courteous and professional, then pray tell what is?
Reading it back, the article may give the impression of me as a youngster with a lack of respect for these players. It could not be further from the truth.
I openly weeped for Neill when he had that challenge on Fabio Grosso controversially ruled a penalty. As a Hammers supporter, I was filled with pride every time he led the team out, and I cheered him and other greats as loud as anyone in the 2010 World Cup and 2011 Asian Cup.
Hell, for a few years there, I was an ardent supporter of the Turkish league as it saw Socceroos like Harry Kewell and Neill join the team, and every week I prayed for good games to give me hope for the Socceroos.
However, watching these same players in the last few years has now convinced me that it is time to move on.
Certainly I will always appreciate what they did. Memories of Uruguay in 2005, Japan, Brazil, Croatia and Italy will always stick with me. After all, we, as supreme underdogs went toe-to-toe with eventual winners Italy for 89 minutes and almost shook up the world.
But I know now that this cannot justify prolonging their career now.
Australia must move on in its football identity and focus on what’s to come, and that is young players.
tHomas V
Guest
Comparing this to Brazil's treatment of Kaka and Ronaldinho is apples and oranges. Brazil are taking their best 23 and not a bunch of inexperienced kids they hope may amount to something. And Scolari has stayed faithful to the team's core over the last 4 years. Our best 23 is not what Ange has picked. Sasa is far and away the best defender in the league and should be there on merit. We should also be taking players who were actually involved in getting us to qualify like Holman and Sasa. A crap squad who will get spanked in each game. The misplaced confidence in the quality of the A-league and it's caoches will be the only result we'll see out of our performance at the world cup.
Mazzalenko
Guest
Good point....basically if he had a smallish chance of making it into the WC squad before his comment then he now basically has f**k all chance of making it now. I think Ange has a hard task to try and call Neill & Kewell (two of our best ever but also two of our biggest ever ego's) to try and tell them the bad news, but I feel he has handled that thankless task in a great way. I mean what did Sasa expect him to do put on a ticket tape parade in the middle of Sydney to say goodbye thanks and bugger off?? Sasa had his one day in the sun during the 2011 Asian Cup but since then he has gotten older and slower so his time may be done.
j binnie
Guest
Bondy- What I witnessed was tons of effort,lots of speech lots of running with the ball and very very little comprehension of what the modern game is all about.Players seemed totally dependent on what their coach had told them to do,and did,much to the detriment of the overal efficiency of the team.In short, a total lack of knowledge of what "enjoyable footbal" is all about. This is what we have been told is being eradicated and yet when one reads reports of how the "curriculum" is progresing we costantly see the words "high performance" being used which smells ever so slightly of "elitist thinking" at high levels.Not good for grass roots participation. jb
Griffo
Roar Guru
jb, seems the process of finding Berger's replacement has officially begun: http://m.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/ffa-scouting-for-new-technical-director/90430
Bondy
Guest
JB Interesting with the young lads or youth development, was the ball in the air to often " headers " and more of a physical game being played ?. Also I've noted even State League players who burst into the HAL are frighteningly of poor quality " slow and confused " and generally dont return. Much work still to be done.
j binnie
Guest
Mid - in today's press it is claiming there will be at least 11 HAL players in Ange's squad.When one considers the players playing in the HAL under loan arrangements I suppose one has to class Spiranovic,Rogic & Troisi,as overseas players who have sought out the HAL for game time.That leaves only 7 HAL players,one of whom,Ognenovski Is in the veteran stage.So the figures are not adding up. Now to the hard part. Of the 30 players you mention why don't you name 11 & try to forecast how they would go against any of the World Cup favourites,Brazil,Germany,Italy, or Spain.The mind boggles. Now so you don't get the wrong idea I'm all for the selection of local players but a question remains unanswered, If we believe we have a group of HAL player good enough for the WC, why have that group not been under a strict,regular training regime over the last 4 or 5 months of Ange's tenure. For example, from your select we could have HAD Galekovic,,Malik,Spiranovic & Oga, Franjic,Milligan,Rogic Mackay Ibini,Taggart & Troisi playing in a 3-4-3 formation against most pre-season state league clubs around the country.What have we had?? Zilch jb
j binnie
Guest
Fuss - 2 years ago I attended some football matches at one of Brisbane's largest private schools.What I witnessed appalled me. I took the liberty to "patrol" the touch line and talk to 16-17 youngsters during the game.Example- Spoke to the left full back and asked him why he was parked on the half way line when his team was bombarding their opponents goal?????His answer - My coach told me to stay here. !!!!!!!! Got the coach's ear some time later,(about 22) and asked him (in a nice way) about his qualifications. Answer- he had got it off the Internet !!!!!!! Just yesterday I spoke to a man deeply involved in local football, in an out of the way village.Had watched his team (Under 17) playing and once again was appalled at the lack of comprehension being shown by the players. He informed me he had a young coach "doing' this team and he wanted them to play 4-2-3-1 (his words) and the boys didn't understand the tactic, !!!!!!!! Fuss,while the advance into private schools is no doubt a step in the right direction it is in the standard of coaching,or lack of it, that these kids are getting, that is a far more serious problem,and after 3 years of the curriculum one would have imagined it was time it should be percolating down to these levels. Worrisome jb ps note there has been no replacement named yet for our departing D of C who is supposed to be supervising the cure to the above problem. jb
Bondy
Guest
Fuss I like the Soccer section The Age has online and they stick it right near " Real Footy " their tak'n the pi^^ aren't they, that makes my blood boil.
Bondy
Guest
Mid I've been mulling over the same issue today I'd include Bratton definately possibly Ibeni but I'd have M Nicholls in for sure and probably starting, B Jones has never impressed me and Eugene is imbalanced or erratic,Wilkshere wants to fight people were playing football not wrestling, Ivan a definite and may have to be moved up the park,Malik's just as good as Spiranovic and Sainsbury needs games, Wilkinson not really good enough I believe. Not a lot of ball players in the Midfield but a lot of screener's, Halloran and Troisi possibly back to midfield we need more penetration through midfield going forward not constant screening through the midfield that's were we generally come undone and Jesus just heads the ball so he's largely one dimensional . I'd seen that advertised Mid the open house Socceroos meet I'll be shooting down as well. The GF was great but this is what I've been waiting for the WC , also a good point Fuss with Juric over Ibini but they both snatch at their opportunities I believe.
Midfielder
Guest
The development of our products just gets better look at this FFA GF day vid .. excellent ... and all based on fans its worth considering that the other codes rely on big hits ... FFA are going crowds ... HHHMMmmm re recent announcement about police , single fixed tickets... http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/videos/all/season-2013-14-grand-final-day/10963/2
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss Also remember the first ever private Football School on the coast.. http://www.internationalfootballschool.com/
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss Saw it carries on from a Craig Foster article a few months back.. yes the tide has turned and is on the way in... http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/beautiful-game-comes-top-of-the-class-in-school-system-20130817-2s3cw.html
balls
Guest
Read between the lines people! Sasha has already been told himself he hasn't made it why else would he say that!!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Middy Off topic, but thought you'd appreciate the significance of this .. For the past few years, you & I have been saying "the sporting landscape in AUS is changing". No longer is this true ... The sporting landscape in AUS has changed! Cultural change takes time. Like a locomotive changing direction, it starts slowly but, once it's moving in the new direction ...watch out!! (Football in private schools) has been unconquered territory ever since as the Anglo-Saxon establishment favoured cricket and Australian football in the southern states, and rugby in the eastern states. Football was banished to the fringes – at best ignored, at worst actively discouraged. It says much about the game's buoyancy that after more than a century of disenfranchisement, football is now not simply breaking down those barriers, it's smashing them down. From: Football's growing popularity in private schools another sign game is breaking down barriers, by Mike Cockerill Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/footballs-growing-popularity-in-private-schools-another-sign-game-is-breaking-down-barriers-20140509-zr71b.html
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss On edge of seat ... getting into WC mode now especially as the WC squad are having an open house at Bluetounge next week ... omg like a silly teenager I am going down to wish the boy good luck.. Some open training at the COE as well.. BTW for all the hhhmmmmm stuff some folk say about the Mariners they choose the COE as the countries best training facility and in my squad above 6 Mariners ... we pull our weight IMO...
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Nice 30-man squad Middy. Can't say I'd be unhappy with that. I recently read an article where they mentioned names of Aussie lads playing in Europe, whom I'd never heard of before, but Ange has been in Europe watching them & talking to them (Tomislav Mrčela was one of the names people are getting excited about). I've only seen a little of Mass Luongo, but I get the feeling he's exactly an AngeP-type of player. I'd have Tomi Juric as an "outside chance" before Bernie Ibini. Not long now, before all will be revealed.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
Touche :-)
Midfielder
Guest
See who can get the closet ... who I think Ange will put in the Socceroo squad..very similar side to what smh said this morning Goals Matt Ryan, Mitch Langerak, Eugene Galekovic, Brad Jones. Defence Jason Davidson, Luke Wilkshire, Ivan Franjic, Ryan McGowan, Trent Sainsbury, Matthew Spiranovic, Osama Malik, Curtis Good, Alex Wilkinson, Sasa Ognenovski Mids Mile Jedinak, Mark Bresciano, Tommy Oar, Mark Milligan, Matt McKay, James Holland, Tom Rogic, Dario Vidosic, Oliver Bozanic, Adam Sarota. Forwards Tim Cahill, Josh Kennedy, Mathew Leckie, Ben Halloran, Adam Taggart, James Troisi. Outside chance Luke Bratton, Bernie Ibini
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Good article. You are spot on in every regard. Ange knows what he's doing and he is handling the necessary transition professionally. Most of us do not expect miracles from out boys in Brazil . We just want them to play with passion and pride and skill, and to keep learning, so that when the 2015 Asian Cup comes to our shores, we can expect them to be well prepared to win it. I too am a Hammers fan, do I know all about suffering.
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Good article. You are spot on in every regard. Ange knows what he's doing and he is handling the necessary transition professionally. Most of us do not expect miracles from out boys in Brazil . We just want them to play with passion and pride and skill, and to keep learning, so that when the 2015 Asian Cup comes to our shores, we can expect them to be well prepared to win it. I too am a Hammers fan, do I know all about suffering.