Ange Postecoglou is on fast-track mission to create some depth within the Socceroos set-up, just four months out from the Asian Cup.
With the 2014 World Cup behind us and Asia’s showpiece event on home soil just five months away, there is no time to waste. For friendlies against Belgium and Saudi Arabia in Europe coming up next month, Postecoglou has named a 20-man squad.
There was some experimentation with the team as the head coach seeks to cast his net far and wide.
The squad is: Terry Antonis (Sydney FC), Joshua Brillante (Acf Fiorentina), Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Jason Davidson (West Bromwich Albion), Ben Halloran (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Chris Herd (Aston Villa FC), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace FC), Tomi Juric (Western Sydney Wanderers FC), Robbie Kruse (Tsv Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Mitchell Langerak (Gk B.v. Borussia 09 Dortmund), Matthew Leckie (FC Ingolstadt 04), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town FC), Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory FC), Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht), Mat Ryan (Gk Club Brugge Kv), Trent Sainsbury (Pec Zwolle), Brad Smith (Swindon Town FC), Carl Valeri (Melbourne Victory FC), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai FC), Bailey Wright (Preston North End FC).
There were a few surprises, a couple of players with injury clouds over them and also five players in line to make their Socceroos debuts. In a squad of 20, that’s a large number and creates some excitement.
Skipper Mile Jedinak and talisman Tim Cahill are the old heads, providing leadership and experience. With Mat Ryan and Mitchell Langerak in goals, World Cup squad members Alex Wilkinson, Tommy Oar, Mark Milligan, Massimo Luongo, Matthew Leckie, Ben Halloran and Jason Davidson are there to add some familiarity.
Carl Valeri, now with Melbourne Victory, gets a recall after a long absence from the national team and so does Robbie Kruse after his return to fitness. Those in line to make their debut include Wright, Trent Sainsbury, Brad Smith, Tomi Juric and Chris Herd.
Hopefully Herd, the player who has probably been called up to more Socceroos squads and never played than any other in the past, has sorted out his off-field issues and is ready to go. The Aston Villa utility is also eligible for Scotland and his versatility across several positions in midfield and defence is definitely needed by Australia.
Brad Smith is also eligible for another country, in his case England, and the speedy left back will add depth to that often troublesome left-side defensive area.
Sainsbury would have gone to the World Cup if it had not been for injury, the same as Kruse, while Brilliante just missed the cut. The bearded former Newcastle Jet has since moved to Italy and is doing well, by all accounts.
Juric has also impressed in the recent All Stars game and in the Wanderers Asian Champions League quarter-final win, and he brings a certain muscular presence to a lightweight attack.
Eli Babalj, now at AZ Alkmaar, is another forward who come into contention before the end of this year.
Only four A-League players out of 20 selected is not a surprise considering its long off-season. The European season has begun while Australia’s is another two months away.
With Smith at left back, Herd or Brilliante at right back, Sainsbury or Wright partnering Wilkinson in the middle, it will be a very different Socceroo defence than the one who shipped in nine goals in Brazil. With no Matt Spiranovic, Ivan Franjic, Curtis Good or Rhys Williams available now, depth is desperately needed in defence.
Belgium and Saudi Arabia will present good opposition in these matches, especially the Belgians who reached the quarter-final of the World Cup.
The Socceroos will also take on the UAE and Qatar in October, with another two games at home expected in November before the Asian Cup kicks off.
Six games is a few, but not a whole lot, to strengthen a squad that was light in Brazil. Postecoglou will want to build on the potential that was unearthed in South Africa and he is going to the Asian Cup to win it.
Competition for places is what needed and it is not too late for the likes of Cameron Burgess, James Meredith, Ryan Edwards, Adam Federici, Luke Brattan and others to force their way in come January.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
Jack
Guest
Cheers
Griffo
Roar Guru
Jack - Eli Babalj is who you're thinking of. Check out his progress throughout the season but he hasn't been in the squad for first few games.
Jack
Guest
Who is the stiker that went from Melbourne heart to holland? The Serbian born guy, name escapes mejia another one we could add to our list!!!!
John Davidson
Roar Guru
Hi Pete, I don't see Wilkshire getting a recall, see: http://www.smh.com.au/fifa-world-cup-2014/australia-2014/backstory-to-luke-wilkshires-world-cup-exclusion-20140619-3ah1j.html
Pete
Guest
In my opinion Sainsbury is by far the best defender in Australia. I can see him becoming a long term fixture in the national squad (and potential captain in the future). Smith will be interesting. Anyone on the roster of Liverpool (be it out on loan this season) surely has to have some class. Attack wise I think Leckie is a good option still, however needs to develop his "killer instinct". Juric and Taggart both have potential but a few years off being permanent fixtures. We also shouldn't dismiss Wilkshire making a comeback for the Asian Cup. He is playing regularly for Feyenord, a higher level than most Australians. Especially if Franjic finds it hard getting time on the park with his Moscow team. Ange is lucky as he has this time to do some experimenting before having to settle on a team for the Asian Cup. I think his real test will come with the next World Cup qualifications however. By that stage more will be expected of the team, no more is it a 'developing' team. It needs to perform and perfrom well in qualification. I think the Asian Cup reaching the sermis would be the minimal expectation (but Korea, Iran and Japan are all better sides than us, and we'd need to play at our best to beat any of them).
James Anderson
Roar Guru
Wise of Postecoglou to persist with Bailey Wright and Luongo. Neither, I think, should go to the Asian Cup, but both need to be developing in a higher environment than third tier England. Great to see them back to add depth to the Aussie squad. Also definitely exciting to see Juric, Brad Smith and Brilliante in the squad. Eli Babalj is hardly in the mix - he hasn't featured for AZ competitively in a long time. He's third choice striker at his club. As you say, the biggest problem we have at the moment is Defence. If Chris Herd can get a cap or two for the Socceroo's that would be ideal, but something tells me he won't. The problem seems to be that we've now exhausted all our resources. If Sainsbury or Wilkinson were to injure themselves, I'm not sure what we'd do. Turn Davidson into a CB is probably the best way to go.
Fadida
Guest
Juric and Taggart both have massive potential. Exciting prospects, while not in the Viduka class are certainly capable of being in the Aloisi class.
bryan
Guest
What do people this is a pass mark for the cup? Semis? Final? Or do we have to win to meet expectations?
whiskeymac
Guest
Am yet to be convinced of the next gen of strikers. Outside of Kruse, who to me is not an out and out striker anyway and doesn't play as such, there is Taggart and Juric (and maybe a few others but I cant recall them immediately) but none seem to be of that calibre of lethality to instill fear in the opposition. Maybe time will tell and like the LB issue it may have some interesting developments.
Griffo
Roar Guru
I think the net will have one final cast for October before seeing some settling for Novembers matches. A lot can be done in camp, depending on how long that will be in January ( a few weeks at most), so these friendlies and club form leading in to December is going to count for some of these guys. Defence and attack are where we need some depth at the moment. Remove Cahill for a good chunk of these games and we really need these friendlies to see some young attackers step up.
whiskeymac
Guest
Potential unearthed in Brazil I think? Unless Holman is back? The nt is a much more interesting story now, and in the WC, squad wise, with so many faces. But hopefully it will all settle down and there'll be consistency and partnerships developing, especially in defence. I agree six games is not a lot when combinations still aren't decided upon.