Jamie Maclaren will only return to the Socceroos fold once he starts finding the back of the net in the A-League with regularity again, coach Ange Postecoglou has warned.
The Brisbane Roar striker – who was the highest-scoring Australian player in the competition last season with 20 goals – is yet to score three rounds into the new season and was left out of Australia’s extended 30-man squad for their World Cup qualifier next month in Thailand.
Postecoglou has made it clear to the 23-year-old what he has to do to get his green and gold jersey back, after handing him his international debut with a start in a friendly against England in May.
“He had a fantastic year last year and the challenge for Jamie is to back that up this year,” Postecoglou said.
“He hasn’t been far off it – particularly on the weekend he was probably a bit unlucky to (not) get on the scoresheet – but he’s certainly on the radar and if he has a similar season to last year and bangs in the goals, as he did last year, he’ll be rewarded for that.”
The in-form Tomi Juric, Apo Giannou and Tim Cahill were the three central strikers selected in Postecoglou’s latest squad.
“There’s a little bit of competition there but if Jamie bangs in some goals this year and has a similar season, he’ll be in the reckoning, as will someone like Adam Taggart,” Postecoglou said.
“There are others, between now and the next (Socceroos) game in March, they’ll all have the opportunity to show what they can do.”
Juric has emerged as Australia’s first-choice frontman in recent months and is in sensational form for club and country but had one of his finest moments yet at the weekend for Swiss club FC Luzern.
The 25-year-old made light work of a St Gallen defender with a dazzling turn-and-shoot goal so sublime Postecoglou believes it will rightly add to his increasing confidence.
“It was a fantastic goal, he probably could have had another couple. It doesn’t surprise me,” he said.
“He’s been really strong for us and contributing in just about every game, whether that’s scoring a goal, or he won the penalty against Japan.
“We’ve all been waiting for Tomi to find some consistency, as much in his body as his performance. He looks strong and fit, I’ve been really pleased with him.”
Mozart
Guest
Can't have too many Roar players (current or former) in the squad. Think about all the heartache it'll cause fans of other clubs. Mitch Nichols, Luke Brattan, Ivan Franjic, Matt McKay for example. We're Ange Postecoglous favourites Our lads places are set in stone The next Socceroos away kit Might as well be orange and maroon
Kaks
Roar Guru
There are no players who have not been part of the set-up that are demanding selection in the position. Plus, it's not like Geria will be starting/be part of the match day squad anyway.
TK
Guest
I don't get to see the away matches so will take your word on him being close. Thought the game against victory the mids held the ball too long a couple of times when he would have been nicely through the defence..maybe they aren't seeing the runs but as an old striker i would think JA would have first hand experience to impart to the midfield on the benefits of looking up and playing an early ball when your striker has speed and timing as great attributes.
Eamonn
Guest
Geria - defend and you're in...oh wait even if you don't defend in your first few games you are still in. Hopefully he improves a lot but right now he's nowhere near National Team squad never mind starting team. He's been appalling to date.
Waz
Guest
Thanks for going that :) I doubt he'll score heeps this weekend but the chances are coming, he got 4 good ones v Mariners which on another day he would have scored.
Waz
Guest
That's pretty much it which is why I'm hoping we see Petratos return to midfield this weekend as he and Maccers had developed a good understanding of each other. Petratos was involved in more than half of Maccers goals last year. Holman will get there and there were signs v CCM his understanding is coming, Oar less so
Kaks
Roar Guru
I must admit I've been feeling very frustrated watching the Roar this season. A firing Maclaren is good for Australian football, and it's got nothing to do with him. He is making the right run's - the one's he was doing last year which consistently paid off - but his midfield are, whether under instruction or not, ignoring the run. I wonder how long it will take until he stops doing what he is natural to because he knows it wont pay off. Maclaren is the best when he make's an early run with a ball over the top/through to him. He is terrifying to opposition defences because it is hard to defend. But no one wants to find him in that Roar team.
TK
Guest
He will score heaps this sunday. Why? Because I just traded him out of my fantasy football team. Agree the roar aren't giving him the right service so the goals aren't coming.
Waz
Guest
We're not ... unless you believe popular press and "couch-potato-experts" many of whom were telling us Corona was "too old" until he left when they changed tune to Roar will miss him ... Kristensen has got the DM bit covered (we've got a competition low 6 shots on target largely because of his work, the worry is maybe why 5 of those shots have gone in?). The spine of the team hasn't clicked yet though - DeVere, Kristensen and Holman aren't quite there and the usual slick passing has been a bit laboured. Maclaren looks like he is new to the team and his team mates don't know how to play him, he's making intelligent runs as he did last year but he's arriving in space while his team mates go elsewhere - that's mainly an Oar/Hollman problem. It'll be interesting to see how Maclarens confidence goes? If you remember solorzano, a fine striker, but when he had a lean spell his confidence evaporated and it showed.
paul
Guest
Hey Waz how much is MacLaren and the Roar missing Corona?
Waz
Guest
Ange had three games to test Maclaren and he chose to give him a run away to England and then nothing in the two home games v Greece. Rather odd! I mean a debut v England is something to cherish but in hindsight it was nothing more than making up the numbers. So having scored 20 goals he got a rather pointless debut and nothing more he's now told "score and you'll make the squad" - it's an odd way of going about it Ange.