On a night where the shrieks of the vivacious home crowd skittered through the balmy Bangkok air, and when the playing surface resembled a drizzled-on Christmas pavlova being plum-struck spectacularly by a mis-hit tennis ball from a neighbouring game of French cricket, the Socceroos’ 2-2 draw with Thailand was indeed a feast of frustration.
It left Ange Postecoglou’s side third in their World Cup qualifying group, with the result also leaving a decidedly sour supplementary aftertaste; the Socceroos had never before failed to seize the maximum return of points against the Thais. Amid the sweat, shuffling between airborne chunks of turf, was a sub-narrative just as infuriating, and the enduring image of it was the impish face of Robbie Kruse stained with an exasperated expression.
Robbie, make no mistake, we’re just as exasperated with you as you are with yourself. The demeanour of the match was set quite early, as the Thai defenders hurled themselves into tackles, often completely leaving the pitch, both feet outstretched as if they were shooting down some invisible luge track. At other times they were seen soaring over the head of Matthew Leckie, using the spongy turf as a makeshift trampoline-cum-crashpad.
With all this being the case – combined with the fact that there are glaciers faster than the pitch was – it all pointed to lofted balls, lifted over the top and into the vacant areas behind the defence and either side of the box, as being the most promising way up the pitch. Of course, with Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic and Mile Jedinak in midfield, the Socceroos are well-equipped to play these exact passes. But making the pass is one thing, receiving it is another, and, naturally, what the receiver does with the ball once he has it is even more crucial.
And so we come to Kruse. In that first half, during that 25 minute period where Australia appeared as though they might score three or four goals, Robbie Kruse put forth an exhibition in wasteful wing play. Flittering around the pitch, starting on the left but drifting over to the right, Kruse was largely an impotent and scrambling figure. Twice he scampered into poor offside positions. At least four times in the first half he crossed directly into the defender in front of him.
The impression Kruse gives – that he isn’t quite in control of his fragile limbs, a baby deer on the ice – only exacerbates the issue, makes the teeth grind harder with every mistimed run or scuffed cross.
And then, further compounding the feeling, there are always sequences – as there were in this match, early in the second half for example – when Kruse is central to moments of superlative fluency and clarity. He is, for this reason, the Socceroos’ most frustrating player. Three of his four dribbles, according to the Socceroos’ stats, were unsuccessful. He made, in 90 minutes, no successful crosses from open play. The two ‘chances’ he created were both, by some distance, crafted outside the box. His only shot was off-target. In the 88th minute, with the score at 2-2, a lofted ball from Jedinak – perfectly weighted, caressed almost – was scuppered because Kruse once again strayed forward too early.
Kruse was, admittedly, offered precious little support by Milos Degenek. There is a real issue with lopsidedness in Postecolgu’s team, as Brad Smith bombs forward on the left, and the right-back hangs back more conservatively. Perhaps Kruse would have done better in that opening period had he had a close comrade by his side. But it does seem as though Kruse is much more situational than most players; he requires a very specific and delicate set of conditions to succeed, and is far too easily disrupted by unideal circumstances.
At club level, Kruse’s career has stagnated. He has been frozen out of first team involvement at Bayer Leverkusen, the club with which he signed in 2013; in four of the ten Bundesliga matches this season Kruse was an unused substitute, and in the rest he was excluded from the squad. His loan spell at Stuttgart last season was prematurely terminated. Postecoglou made a point of reminding his players after the draw with Thailand that a lack of involvement at their clubs will always count against them when the national team is picked. At this point, further time on the bench, or training with the reserves, might be as damaging to the Australian’s career as another injury.
Kruse finished the match playing in more of a striker’s position, following the substitution of Jamie Maclaren. Here he watched, a largely uninvolved onlooker, as Thailand surged toward the final whistle, trying to snatch the points themselves. He finished the match just as the rest of his team did, bedraggled, holding on desperately to what by the end looked a very fortunate point.
Kruse has scored four goals as a Socceroo, and his last one came well over a year ago. It is difficult to remember a period, even a run of two or three consecutive matches, when Kruse has consistently been anything other than inconsistent for the national team. We can all see his ability, in those rare moments when he combines his speed, anticipation and touch, weaving it all together into some beautiful tapestry. These tapestries, though, fade with every underwhelming performance, wearing dreadfully thin along with the patience of the supportership.
Michael Kruse
Roar Rookie
This is for you Evan Morgan Grahame ...Nemesis spot on...
Amrit
Roar Guru
Leverkusen is by no way, an average club in Europe.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Good call, an Australian problem.
Steve
Guest
Fuss may know of Douglas, who "played" for Barcelona. Picked up a treble in 2014-15. Barely played and completely useless, dumbfounding fans and leading to the moniker "Lord Douglas". Fuss would probably unironically call him that and argue he is an elite player because he was at Barcelona.
marcel
Guest
To his credit though Kruse is giving it his best shot...you cant criticize his commitment. But as a player has never progressed beyond potential...for at least 5 years now he has been nothing more than a... look busy, but do nothing player....Its time to give up on him at international level....he only remains because all our other attacking options are equally hopeless at actually scoring goals. What really pushed my buttons the other night was watching Mooy and Rogic amble around the park as if they were already focused on their recovery and trip home.....Is this what we can expect from a generation that is being taught that individual development is more important than results?
Amrit
Roar Guru
That's not the point, he has the class, but his performances are tailing down. Perhaps he needs to move to Denmark and not stay in Germany.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Maybe Germany is not the ideal country, yup, I think that would do him good.
Amrit
Roar Guru
I don't doubt it. Expected he would be a top star while he was in Germany.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Ha, that's a great comment. Perhaps we should all play the game than write silly.
World Football.
Guest
Sorry Fadida. No relation to fuss or Nemesis.
Fadida
Guest
World Football? A new poster? Me thinks I smell a rat (or a Fuss)
Fadida
Guest
As you have never played international football Rakshop according to Fuss' rules your opinion holds no weight. Hang on, Fuss agrees with you, so it appears it is OK for some people to have an opinion on what they are apparently not "qualified" for :) Ah, the mad world of Fuss, Nemesis, uncle junior etc... Rakshop, I'll think you'll find that Mooy, Jedinak and Rogic also were heavily criticised
World Football.
Guest
Real. You are more annoying than nemesis. ?
Fadida
Guest
Again, this"have some respect for coaching professionals" stuff is nonsense. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing. Just because they are paid it doesn't mean they are always correct. Do you agree with every decision our politicians make? You must do, as they are trained professionals in their field. Dear God
Realfootball
Guest
This isn't about "haters". You are impossible to take seriously. All you are is annoying. Even your new posting name is a preposterous piece of self indulgent, would be macho fantasy. And you have too much time on your hands. Way too much.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
Trouble is, Fuss, that he isn't playing at all. The point everyone here is making is that he is rusty, and clearly so. If, as you say, Bayer Leverkusen truly valued him, he would have made it onto the pitch this season; he would have played more games when he went out on loan; he would have been played more often for Leverkusen prior to being sent out on loan, etc. The other point being made is that Ange always said that you need to be playing to get selected. He has seemingly ceased to apply that rule. The inconsistency is problematic, and could be seen to have contributed to the lacklustre performance against Thailand. And before you dismiss me completely, I trialled with professional clubs as a young man (didn't make it, but at least I know something of the expectations and how hard it is to crack a contract).
Nemesis
Guest
Excellent insights, rakshop. Kruse was a constant threat when he came on against Japan. We looked toothless before that. Also remember him getting a standing ovation (maybe in Sydney) when he set up just about every goal against Jordan .. and we scored 5 that night. This is especially for the Robbie Kruse haters with short memories. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFa-4zxXiW4
rakshop
Guest
I suggest Jedinak serves an important purpose in Ange’s structure and wouldn’t drop him just yet. But why doesn’t he cop the same amount of criticism, particularly when its warranted???? Nemsis’s comments about Hollman and now Kruse being the whipping boy are apt. Why are our wingman the constant target of our criticism? The defence has been makeshift for years now, and our total depth of our strikers consists of “one 37 year old player who has a freakish ability to score goals at an insanely high strike rate who didn’t even make the squad for the last game” and yet it’s always the wingman’s fault when the Socceroos are playing bad???? I just don’t get our fixation on one role within the team. Don’t get me wrong Kruse played poorly on Tuesday, very poorly. But in my opinion, Jedinak and Mooy were worse (it was his poor defence that conceded the first goal), McClaren never got in the game, Leckie has been disappointing since the world cup (he also conceded the penalty), our right back is a lottery and the last few goals we have conceded from field play have come down the left hand side. But because Kruse plays/is not currently plays for Leverkusen, he must be made the scape goat for our problems. I just don’t get it.
Nemesis
Guest
If Leverkusen thought Robbie was not worth the trouble or cost, they'd be rid of him by now. They'd make his life hell, like clubs do to players they want to move on. Mourinho seems to be doing it to Schweinsteiger at the moment. Troisi got that treatment from Atalanta. You see Robbie Kruse playing poorly in the humidity of Bangkok and you think you're a better judge of his football ability than the Leverkusen staff? Get over yourself and have some respect for coaching professionals who are doing their job; jsut as you expect respect from outsiders when doing your job.
Fadida
Guest
They have to pay him, he is contacted. Would they, or any club of their status buy the current Robbie Kruse? This is the question, and I think even you know the answer to that Fuss