Ange Postecoglou trimmed down his 30-man squad, scything off the fatty token call-ups, hewing away the gristly knobs, and leaving us with – injured Tom Rogic notwithstanding – the best team the nation can muster right now.
This is the team set to face Iraq and the UAE later this month, both games crunch World Cup qualifiers. This isn’t some show squad; we expect it to shoulder the responsibility of cleanly imprinting fresh, bold footprints on our way to the big tourney, and the match against Iraq – to be played in Tehran – will be a very difficult trip.
In February, Postecoglu said this:
“I don’t think it’s a new faces kind of year… This year will be about hopefully consolidating a group of players and hopefully reaping the rewards of the hard work we’ve done so far,” he said.
“That’s not to exclude anyone breaking through. We’ve still got six months until then. But I wouldn’t expect too many new faces.”
So when Ange revealed his final squad a few days ago, the fact that five uncapped players were left in it was a surprise, to be sure. Rhyan Grant, Danny Vukovic, Riley McGree, Mustafa Amini, and James Jeggo all made the cut, and have been showered in hearty congratulations in the days since.
Grant and Vukovic have been two of A-League-leading Sydney FC’s best players this season, and fully deserve their call-ups. Amini and Jeggo have both made more than 25 appearances for their clubs, in the Danish and Austrian leagues and cups, respectively, and are certainly worth testing out.
McGree is only 18, and has played just over half of Adelaide United’s matches this season. His selection severed the moorings of eyebrows around the country; he is a very handsome prospect, but in a squad already heavily populated with midfielders, one wonders just how much use he will be to the team over the next two competitive matches. Certainly Aaron Mooy, Massimo Luongo, Mile Jedinak, Mark Milligan, and Jackson Irvine would be ahead of McGree in the central midfielder ranks.
Postecoglu also spoke late last year about how players hoping to earn a national call-up must focus on playing regularly.
“The players know the position they’re in and we need our players to be playing regular football,” Postecoglou said.
“It would help more if they were playing regular football, but again I can’t influence that – apart from selection.”
With that in mind, and knowing that national team managers can never please everyone, selecting as they must based on form, playing time, and a decided-upon set of reliable and system-appropriate players, it will be interesting to see whether, for example, Aziz Behich starts over Brad Smith.
Behich has been a permanent fixture at left back for Bursaspor in the Turkish league, playing the full 90 minutes in all but one game – where he was absent through injury – for them this season. Smith – who started the Socceroos’ last qualifier against Thailand – has featured in the Bournemouth starting XI just three times this season and – save for a four game spell where he was injured – has been unused, slouching on the bench for the vast majority of the other fixtures.
If Postecoglou is true to his word, then Behich will start, and so he should. The fact that Grant is the only natural right back in the squad also bolsters hope that a new full back pairing might trot out in Tehran in a week. They have been such troublesome positions for the Socceroos lately, and Grant and Behich might well make them their own.
There is also another aspect of the squad that has caught they eye or, more accurately, agonised the mind: Tomi Juric and Tim Cahill appear to be the only two strikers in the team. A front three of Matt Leckie, Robbie Kruse and Juric is a worryingly goal-shy lot, with just three goals, as a group, for Australia since the beginning of 2016.
The nation is harrowingly short of strikers at the moment, and with only Jamie Maclaren or Alex Brosque excelling in the A-League as local products, this is a painful issue throbbing close to the forefront of the Australian football consciousness. Relying on the midfield to score goals is one thing, but the absence of Rogic makes this a much riskier prospect.
Cahill cannot always provide a telling strike off the bench, and – as much as McGree’s call-up warms the heart – the palpitations currently afflicting Socceroos fans over a goal shortage might be eased had Maclaren, Brosque or even Adam Taggart been taken instead of the Adelaide youngster.
As it stands, Australia are in third place in their Round 3 group. If that position is maintained and not improved upon, then the Roos will miss out on World Cup qualification at the earliest opportunity – only the top two teams automatically qualify, currently Japan and Saudi Arabia – and will have to play through a Fourth Round and a final Playoff Round to qualify, a much more difficult route.
Japan and Saudi Arabia both play Thailand this month – who are bottom of the group – and will expect to pick up three points from those fixtures. Japan also play the UAE – who are behind Australia only on goal-difference – and could do the Socceroos a favour by beating them on the 24th, the day after we play Iraq. It’s all very tight, and the sloppy draw with Thailand last year will look an even worse result if the Socceroos are leap-frogged by the Omar Abdulrahmen-led UAE this month.
Ange’s “no new faces” assertion has already been abandoned, mostly for the better. Whether he keeps to his “playing time” promise is yet to be seen. What is known, and it now looms like a colossal spectre on the horizon, is that these two qualifying matches are critical tests of the Roos’ World Cup ambitions. We’ll know by April whether or not this squad can pass them.
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
Leckie has to be one the biggest disappointments in recent history, those swashbuckling Kewell-esque displays against the Chileans and the Dutch seem an eternity ago he absolutely terrorized their full backs. Kruse just got held back by injury and probably won't hit the heights he could of, he was class Bayer Leverkusen don't come calling you aren't.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Yeah Milligan will be either centre back or right back at a guess, with Jedinak screening in front, unless he picks up an in the build up.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Wasn't it hot and humid inThailand for the game? Nothing saps your strength like heat and humidity, particularly if players were coming off a cooler European climate. Notwithstanding the conditions it was still two points lost imo.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Is Leckie still the only player to have played in all of Ange's NT squads? He may have missed one or two by now. Leckie has pace out wide ( and stamina) which is what Ange seems to like there, but Leckie lacks control, particularly at pace. His only redeeming quality would be his goal scoring ability but that is just below his lack of control on the list. Kruse also hasn't been in form with lack of game time but when he is he is more than capable of beating players. Interesting to see if his injuries has affected his speed. Goodwin has a more accurate cross from when I've seen him play, just maybe too much risk this round of qualifiers in a team that has already some risk attached.
punter
Guest
JB, nice story about Ray. My point being & you missed the first time, is that I can remember ever having 3 creative midfielders in Mooy, Luongo & Rogic all available. Yes they have all played in the same team, but it has not worked, I'm not talking of combination, I am saying we have for 1st time in history, 3 players that can play that creative attacking midfield role, can't remember outside of Bresc, having such luxury of having a creative outlet from midfield, centrally. This was my point.
j binnie
Guest
Ken - As a casual observer of AU's games I would question your classing of Goodwin as "the most missed player". As you are aware AU struggled for a long time last season and it was noticeable that as soon as Bruce DjIte found his scoring touch the team's season went from strength. As you also know,Bruce departed the scene too and AU haven't hit their straps since so I think they are missing his goals. Cheers jb..
j binnie
Guest
Punter -Point (1) Ray Richards I class as a very good acquaintance of my wife and I when he played his football in Brisbane. What is not widely known about Ray is that he came to Australia as a goalkeeper, had one look at the then Latrobe goalkeeper,a very astute Horrie Clark, and like the larrikan that he was in those days,immediately told the manager he was a centre forward. Ray went on to be a very successful goal-scorer with both Latrobe and Hollandia ,but it was not until his move to Sydney and tie up with Rale Rasic, that he was converted into a strong, aggressive, no nonsense defending midfielder. a position in which he earned his international caps .In his time in Brisbane football he was the Ronaldo of the day,driving around in his white gull-wing Mercedes sports car. Sadly he was never replaced in Brisbane football of the time. Your other points- Sorry if I misunderstood but the players you mentioned have been playing as a unit in recent Socceroo games, hence my observations. Cheers jb.
punter
Guest
Loved this combination, I am not talking about combination. I'm talking 3 talented midfield players, wit poise, vision, comfortable on the ball & can create something out of nothing, I am not talking of them as a combination. Grella to me was the star of the WC 06 for Australia, he made Neill look good.
punter
Guest
I would like to say 3 things JB. 1. Ray Richards was my hero in those days, very Souness like. 2. I'm not talking about them being a combination, I'm talking about 3 players with the ability to play midfield & does so with poise, ball control & vision. We do not create too many players in the midfield with these attributes, yes Bresc, can't think of too many more. Can they make it to the top, I hope so, will they make it the top, it's certainly up to them for they have the skill, but do they have the attitude, mental capacity & luck. 3. We are lacking in the front 3, there is no doubt there.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
The issue of 1st generation parents who received their football education in Europe and passed this onto their children, usually from a very early age, and the dilution of this education as 2nd & 3rd generations entered parenthood is a fascinating subject. The impact of this dilution on both home development, volunteer youth coach quality and NPL development capacity is a subject worthy of a thesis.
Franko
Guest
You ever see Bresciano, Grella and Culina in our midfield? The first two were regular starters in SerieA, the other Erivdese. Maybe not as creative, but could control the tempo and hold the ball all day long and ever so comfortably.
j binnie
Guest
Punter - You mention 3 young players and then go on to laud their ability to "create something out of nothing".This is a dangerous onus to put on young shoulders for the results attained by the Socceroos in recent matches suggest their efforts ,if correct, are not meeting with much success when it comes to the main aim of the game ,scoring goals. The other thing to be considered is what it takes to make up a "successful midfield" ? The trio that got us to Germany in 1974 were three players, Rooney,Richards and Mackay, who, as a successful trio, were as different as chalk is to cheese. Cheers jb.
j binnie
Guest
Mid - Cannot really fathom the connection between the start of the HAL and the amount of "players available in the '80's". Elsewhere ,on another blog site, there is a very highly respected journalist pushing the same argument using "facts" that are nothing if not mis-information. He tells us the National Curriculum was "released" in 2009 and it will be years before it will throw up players of quality. This is rubbish,the FFA commissioned one Robert Baan , a very experienced Dutch coach, to write a "curriculum" in 2007, which he did before "retiring" from the game in 2009 only to reappear as DoF in India , (writing a new curriculum) . Before he left Australia he would have been instrumental in employing another Dutch Coach ,Han Berger. to fill his erstwhile position. Berger set about "up dating" the 2 year old "curriculum" making much publicised "improvements" and then,,after consulting other youth development group Coerver,,Berger admitted he was finding it very hard to get the curriculum "up and working" in Australia. After 5 years he vacated his job at FFA and then turned up as Director of Football at Sydney FC. This all took place between the years 2007 and 2014, so the question still remains who helped to "make" those 1980's stars you mention. Cheers jb.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
I would not be surprised if Craig Goodwin is carrying a few niggles. Sparta were absolutely hammered by Vitesse the other day in what must have been a torrid day out for the defenders. I dare say he'd been throwing his body all over the place.
punter
Guest
Plus Mooy & Rogic. Please tell me in any other time in our history have we produced 3 midfielders so comfortable on the ball & able to create something out of nothing, like Mooy, Luongo & Roic. I have ben watching since 1974.
Marty Gleason
Roar Guru
Fine, they have to play Australia's key opposition at home still - they still have UAE and Saudi in Thailand.
Midfielder
Guest
Kaks agree
Caltex & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Kaks, Goodwin and Burns were both unlucky to be cut.
Andrew
Guest
I would have to disagree with you there Australis has a reputation in excelling in sports science and this is why we have many coaches and scientists working overseas!
Fadida
Guest
Burns has had limited time off the bench in recent internationals. When called on he has looked very sharp, though final ball has been left wanting at times