In choosing Mile Jedinak as his skipper for Brazil and possibly beyond, Ange Postecoglou has made another statement that reputations, public standing and star players mean little to him.
For Postecoglou, it’s about the substance, and the team, and there’s no doubt, in choosing Jedinak, he has a footballer who is much respected by his peers.
Speak to anyone who has played with or knows the current Crystal Palace skipper, as I did yesterday, and there is an overwhelming sense Australia has the right type of person leading the on-field revival of the national team.
Simple and humble are the type of words that come to the surface when you think or talk about Jedinak.
Much like his game, I’m told his personality is a no-frills one.
He is anything but the commercial figurehead that came to symbolise the Socceroos under Pim Verbeek and Holger Osieck.
Jedinak won’t be the type to turn up to press conferences or public appearances and command attention or charm the media.
Growing his or the Socceroos’ brands aren’t what motivate him.
Jedinak’s talk will be done on the pitch, where it matters, and while this mightn’t always keep the media pack entertained, Postecoglou won’t care less.
Nor will he care what anyone at head-office thinks.
For the manager, it’s a line in the sand. He’s trying to reinvigorate some of the old humble spirit in the Socceroos, and while he understands some of the commercial obligations, he won’t let it overwhelm the team.
Jedinak is like-minded in that way. He just wants to be part of the team.
Leadership will be something the manager demands from every member of the squad. Jedinak will merely set the tone.
That much was evident at the ‘Roos first public training session at Gosford on Saturday.
While he didn’t train, he was still there despite only getting off the plane a few hours earlier.
What’s more, as the rest of the squad filed back into the dressing room after an intense training session and long autographing signing shift, Jedinak was the last man standing.
While I’ve long felt he became a symbol of our previous managers’ want to sit back on the 18 yard box and scrap and disrupt opponents, Jedinak just continues to go about his business and earn the respect of all the managers, players and fans he touches.
The ability to keep plugging away and win over those in power is his endearing quality.
Written off by many throughout his career, it’s been his ability to stick around that has earnt him much respect.
Much is made of the Central Coast Mariners plucking him out of the state league and giving him his big A-League opportunity in 2006, but the reality is they were only playing catch-up.
Indeed, it one of the tragic oversights of the first batch of A-League recruitment that players like Jedinak, Sash Ognenovski and Ante Juric were overlooked when the contracts were dispersed.
This was particularly galling when you looked at some of the rubbish imported in the early days.
Jedinak didn’t let it phase him and got on with the job at the club, Sydney United, that gave him his NSL debut at age 16.
His initial steps in the national competition were largely unheralded, coming at a time when the NSL was on its last legs. But for Jedinak it was a foundation.
No doubt he will have learnt much from starting his career with the likes of Kresimir Marusic, Aytek Genc, Ante Milicic and Gabriel “Chi Chi” Mendez as teammates.
Even then, as a product of United’s famed youth team, he was a respected club-man.
Indeed, it’s hard to find anyone with a negative word about him.
Postecoglou clearly sees not only his leadership value, but, given he is building a team around him, his value as a footballer.
While his workrate, tackling and heading ability are obvious qualities, Jedinak also brings tactical discipline, mentality and an ability to get forward and strike from deep, or from the set piece.
In fact, in the two friendlies since Postecoglou took over, I’ve been impressed by how quickly Jedinak has been moving the ball, and moving off it.
While under previous regimes he was found to be on the back foot, retreating to the 18 yard box, scrapping to win the ball back, and struggling to move it, here he’s been proactive.
That’s not to say he has the ability to drop in between the two central defenders and start the team’s play, as Erik Paartalu did under Postecouglou at Brisbane Roar, or Steve Gerrard did at Liverpool this season.
Jedinak isn’t that type of number six.
Passing range hasn’t been his greatest attribute in the national team until now.
Instead he’ll be expected to set the defensive pressing tempo, to monster the midfield, win the ball back quickly, and then play it simply into the front four, to allow Australia’s transition game to build.
From there, with the Socceroos trying to be proactive, we might see him start to venture a little higher and take up some shooting positions if space presents.
We saw, particularly towards the end of his stint with the Mariners, how effective a shooter he could be.
Hopefully a higher position under Postecoglou allows this attribute to shine more often.
The one thing that will clearly come through, as it has done in his career so far, is that Jedinak will keep a level head and lead those around him by action.
The ‘Roos are very much back in a position they like, of being the underdog, and in an important rebuilding phase over the next couple years, having a skipper that embodies many of the team’s attributes looks like a sound fit.
LewDub
Roar Rookie
Nice to hear stories like this. Maybe overly positive with the assessment of his quick adaption to Ange's Way. I actually felt that along with Neill, Mile struggled to play the Ange Way in the friendly at the SFS against Costa Rica. Good luck to him and the team, and I know that they will be given plenty of time.
j binnie
Guest
Fadida - I would have thought a man with your thought processes would have been asking why "this new team,who have barely played together,let alone played" and I may add a new coaching staff, have had so little preparation both physically and mentally, these last 6 months. jb
Bondy
Guest
Fuss Here's my starting 11 for Sth Afr, Note: I've moved players back down the park and some "forwards and mid's" will have to be replaced after just over an hour the formation is left to right form left back to up top and in 4.4.2 formation , what's yours ?.. (G Mat Ryan D Ivan Franjic D Jason Davidson D Mile Jedinak D Tommy Oar M Ben Halloran M Mark Bresciano M Mark Milligan M Matthew Leckie F James Troisi F Tim Cahill
Kyle Stewart
Roar Pro
I wonder if Rhys Williams was fit if he could have made a challenge. Still think williams should be in the EPL, has been constantly linked with moves
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
Qantas - I like Timmy too but there's every chance he won't start games or he won't finish them. Either way he won't play 90 minutes where as MJ will always play for 90. That's the simple reasoning behind the captaincy decision. At this stage if you look across the whole squad the only 2 you would be certain of playing all minutes would be MJ and the goalkeeper.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
That's a fair enough question. It is an attribute I have observed in Timmy over a long period (and in spades) - but you reach a certain age where the body can't follow the heart anymore - and I think Timmy has reached that stage. It's an attribute I would give to the much maligned Holman. It's not necessarily an attribute I would give to Bresh (especially a 34 year old Bresh who hasn't played in over 4 months). You have already heard me assign that attribute to Jedi. As for the rest, well, did I not write that you only can test this attribute in the heat of battle - at the requisite level - you observe it when it's most needed, when it's crunch time. How can we truly test the rest of the squad? What can we possibly base it on? We can't. Furthermore, the attribute on its own is not sufficient enough to make up for serious shortfalls elsewhere. It has its place, most definitely, and every manager wants a player or two who can display it in spades over 90 minutes (or better still over 120 minutes - do you not remember the German captain, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in the semi-final in 1982, coming on off the bench, not fully fit, and in 5 minutes single-handedly bringing Die Mannschaft back from the brink, a two goal deficit, and into a WC final). Now thatz whaddam talkin'bout!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"That’s because he has a quality we sometimes don’t value in soccer: determination" Yet, you conveniently overlook this attribute when you ridicule the prospect of the National Team giving a good account in Brasil.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Very nice stats. Timmy was so incredibly dangerous in the air for his pint-size. That's because he has a quality we sometimes don't value in soccer: determination. When the ball was in the box, he wanted it more than his opponents and always got there first - that's a a trait you can only test in the heat of battle - and the numbers don't lie. Having said all of that, I understand were Realfootball is coming from, and in part, I do agree with him. Timmy had his limitations, even at his peak, and it's unlikley he will add much to this squad. If it wasn't such a young and inexperienced squad, I'd say Ange would have preferred to have left both timmy and bresh out of it.
dasilva
Roar Guru
If you look at the goals scored here you'll find that he scored against Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea. So it's not just mediocre defence he can score against as he scored against the top 4 sides regularly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAfAplM9zDQ Yes he is perhaps a one dimensional player where he is reliant on his heading ability. However you can make a case that TIm Cahill is the greatest header in English Premier League history and one of the greatest aerial threats to ever played the game. He topped the Headed goals to game ratio in the EPL in a league where aerial threat is valued than any other league in Europe. http://www.sos1878.co.uk/everton-news/cahill-tops-headed-goals-list-premier-league/ Top 10 scorers of headed goals in the history of the Premier League 1 Tim Cahill – 27 headed goals in 170 Premier League matches (6.30 games per headed goal) 2 Dion Dublin – 45 in 312 (6.93) 3 Duncan Ferguson – 35 in 270 (7.71) 4 Les Ferdinand – 43 in 351 (8.16) 5 Gustavo Poyet – 22 in 187 (8.50) 6 Peter Crouch – 27 in 232 (8.59) 7 Chris Armstrong – 23 in 216 (9.39) 8 Alan Shearer – 46 in 441 (9.59) 9 Niall Quinn – 26 in 250 (9.62) 10 Dwight Yorke – 38 in 375 (9.87) *All players have scored at least 20 headed Premier League goals and 40 Premier League goals in total
Brick Tamland of the pants party
Guest
Real I think you were stung by Tims comments about our league and we all were but to slate his whole career is out of order. "What exactly has he done well,apart from heading the ball into the net against second and third rate defences",c'mon now this a guy who has scored against Chelsea,United,Arsenal,Liverpool.Are Everton looking better without him?,im not sure they finished in the same position 2 or 3 times while he was there and finished 4th once as well which is unbelievable considering their budget. You've had a crack as his second half performance against Ecuador,or course he was ineffective we couldn't really get the ball to him as we were a man down.He was absolutely immense in the first half and never mind the 2 he scored,he had a stonewall penalty waved away and the keeper kept him out twice with brilliant saves, they had no idea how to handle him.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Switzerland were seeded by virtue of some canny manipulation of friendlies etc I seem to recall.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Wisey---you are not alone in your thoughts, I'm with you. (Your reply to the above comment. Obviously RF has a midlife crisis on his hands---a sad infliction for anyone to have to go through)..
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
So who is more important than Tim in the front line..?
AZ_RBB
Guest
Meanwhile our ladies have a date with the world champions this weekend. With a very real chance of winning the trophy.
Fadida
Guest
And deep down JJ that's my hope, even though rational me says "no chance". At least with Ange you get to dream a little, because you know that he is planning to get out of the group
JJ
Guest
Imagine if we somehow snuck out of our pool ... How bloody amazing would that be. Let's go boys!
wisey_9
Roar Guru
What I love about The Roar is it gives me the chance to hear from others that have a different perspective to me. So, thank you Realfootball. Never would I have thought that someone would think that our greatest ever goalscorer was overrated. The guy that scored THAT goal against Japan. You actually make me shake my head in wonder. As for his move to the Red Bulls, some people conveniently forget that - and yes there were many other contributing factors, the chance to live in NYC being one of them - Everton received a transfer fee for Cahill. To my knowledge, no A-League club has ever stumped up a transfer fee for a player - let alone the 1 million the Red Bulls paid. So if Everton weren't going to release Cahill without recouping some money, and no A-League club could afford to buy him, how on Earth did he snub the league? And yes, the quality of the MLS vs. the A-League can be debated ad nauseum - and will be. However, 1) I'd back Cahill's football judgement over yours any day of the week. 2) As he is still clearly our best option in attack, has his choice to move to the States now been justified?
Realfootball
Guest
I will be very surprised if Cahill even blows bubbles at this World Cup. Never a natural striker, there is absolutely no hope of him having any kind of impact, at 34, against top quality defences. He was always a player of limited talents. I've never rated him in the past, and do even less so now. What exactly is it that he has done well, apart from heading the ball into the net against second and third rate defences? Once Ecuador brought on their A centrebacks, he wasn't sighted. It is also notable how much better Everton look without him - and without Moyes, his patron saint. I have no time for this Timmy for Saint nonsense. He's a footballer who has always been driven, like Neill, by self interest. They both treated the A League with naked contempt. I don't blame Cahill for choosing NY, but I certainly blame him for the way he did it, inflicting maximum damage on the A League. I think the Roos play better without him, and so they did in 2006, when Hiddink used him of the bench - and he was at his peak then
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Well, Switzerland was one of the 8 seeded teams, let us not forget that, and they are one of the few teams to have defeated Brazil in the past 9 months. Euro 2012 qualifiers is a fair bit back now, but yeh, they really bombed out of that.