“Ange just resigned.” I sent that text out to a lot of people this morning and all were dismayed.
Although not all were rusted-on football people, they knew who Ange is, knew the magnitude of the news. The Socceroos coaching job has become the most important, highest profile appointment in sport in this country.
It invites scrutiny worldwide, involves guiding a team into the biggest sporting event on the planet, and comes with a litany of history and a swathe of in-built opinions, agendas and ideologues. None necessarily right or wrong, but all passionate.
Ange Postecoglou strode into the national team job in 2013 with a reform agenda. He had done much the same at Brisbane Roar and ended up changing the way the game is played domestically by building a side that played thrilling football and won things.
Doing the same thing at a national team level was always going to be a bigger task but he defined himself early by making some hard decisions about the futures of members of the Golden Generation.
Handed the most appallingly hard group imaginable at the 2014 World Cup (the previous champions, the previous runners-up and the champions of South America), his side inspired not by results but by style.
The 3-2 loss against The Netherlands at that World Cup, after the Dutch had destroyed Spain in the previous game, was a watershed. This was how an Ange-coached national team was going to approach the task of matching it with the so-called superpowers of world football. Even Craig Foster loved it.
It was the ultimate dichotomy that the Socceroos had come out of the 2014 World Cup with the worst record of any Australian side to have made it to the finals, yet with a sense of optimism and respect that the future beckoned more brightly than had been anticipated. It was clear that Ange thought long-term; he had started blooding young inexperienced players, using the cauldron of the World Cup to expose them to the pressures of international football as a certain Asian Cup loomed in early 2015.
(AAP Image/Matt Roberts)
For modern football fans, the date November 16th, 2005 represents the most electrifying moment in our recent history. On January 31st, 2015, that night was matched when Australia won the Asian Cup by beating South Korea 2-1 in extra time of a thrill ride of a final, at the same venue as the Uruguay game of 2005, the Olympic Stadium, in front of a jam-packed crowd.
Ange had ridden the critics who had questioned the number of players he had trialled in the ensuing period, the selection of relatively untested young talent who ended up playing a huge part in the first ever international trophy for our men’s team.
Watching that game from the nosebleed seats, picking up my fellow Socceroos fan in a large bear hug, it was a moment and game not to be forgotten, as Ange exhorted the crowd to cheer louder. And we did.
Who knew then that the national team were to embark on a qualification campaign to Russia 2018 that would take in more travel miles and more games than any country has ever embarked on before? The Socceroos road to Russia was an implausible thriller novel where we got both the ardour (but inherently more fair) group stages and then two sudden death play-offs.
It was almost as if Ange secretly revelled in this. Much was made of his shift from a 4-3-3 to a 3-2-4-1, with howls of discontent from the pay TV punditry.
(AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
The last group game against Thailand saw the Socceroos amass 43 shots to 5, 24 on target to 1, yet a 2-1 scoreline that should have been quadruple that but for the width of the goal post and lack of a clinical number 9 saw the peanut gallery step up calls for the coach’s head.
Ange didn’t change the formation, didn’t waver from the vision. You could call it stubborn, but it was ultimately self-belief as well as belief in the players. And in the end, it worked.
Realistically, the tie against Syria ended up being more difficult than the one against Honduras. The 0-0 draw in Honduras might have been mystifying to Mike Sheahan but it was as important a result as just about any in the Ange era, as the Socceroos effectively swamped the Hondurans while allowing them only one shot on goal in the entire first leg.
A Mile Jedinak hat-trick four days later had the side reviewing Russian travel plans for summer 2018, even if the architect of it all is now not going to be among the number.
If there was one clue in the press conference that might have been a pointer to Ange Postecoglou’s decision, it was the comment that the last time he’d departed the national set-up, it was under acrimonious circumstances that took him a long time to recover from.
This time he leaves on his terms, as disappointing as that may be for those of us who’d love to see him take the national team to Russia. He is a man of strong principles, a football philosopher as much as a coach. It is hard to think of anyone who has been able to transform the game in this country quite like he has.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
He's always played with a back 3 even against Japan in japan, when a draw would have served us a lot better and given us a better chance to qualify.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
We know who you are Pip.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Nothing compared to the move in rankings wheile Hiddink was in charge.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
As I mentioned previously that would be Guus Hiddink, Rale Rasic and Les Scheinflug. If I had to choose one, the most successful was Hiddink. We came very close to beating Italy in 2006 who went on to win the world crown. What he did with that team in the short time he was in charge was truly amazing. Ange is a good coach, but he hasn't acually won a game yet for Australia in International tournaments outside of the Asian Cup on home soil, so I don't see how he can be seen as "Australia's greatest ever coach"..
j,binnie
Guest
Post hoc- You attempt to denigrate "total football" as played by the Dutch in a 4 year period 1974-1978. It is widely accepted in learned football circles that the term "total football' was erroneously used by someone in the Dutch press and the description stuck despite the coach Michels strongly denying he had ever used the term, in fact the system as used by the Dutch resembled more a system used before the second world war by the Austrian National side . Re your further statement about "players playing anywhere", that in fact is based on a "theory" put forward in the 1930's by a football manager called Miesl who theorised, (note the word) that if 11 players of the same physical.mental and skill standards could be brought together they could interchange at any time. The theory was based on a human movements study that in fact it would reduce the amount of work to be done by a player simply by restricting the amount of running he had to do during a game. The Russians are thought to have been the first national team to try this out as early as 1945 by the famous Moscow Dynamos, who toured Britain undefeated, and of whom it was noted, their forwards constantly changed positions during a game. Cheers jb ps Meisl stressed that his theory was just that, a theory, for he admitted getting 11 players with the necessary perfect applications for playing the game was almost impossible, but it is a theory that has affected coach "thinking" for decades now. jb.
punter
Guest
But Brazil was at home when Germany won, Germany was at home when Italy won. Why didn't they win when so easy to play at home?
Cool N Cold
Guest
Yeah! Germany barely won in extra time? But, it is not. Germany was not in home soil. The same is for Spain and Italy as they played outside home too. Thank a lot for reminding and reinforcing the point. Thank. ps Didn't I say "This time, not like before, view in a negative way" on top?
Hubris
Guest
Way to lay into someone who gives every impression of speaking English as a second language. Stay classy.
Nemesis
Guest
"As for the Asian Cup, just barely won. Maybe, the home advantage had made up one more little bit of strength." Yeah. And Germany "barely won" the 2014 World Cup. Spain barely won the 2010 World Cup. Italy barely won the 2006 World Cup. Why do football discussions attract so many ignorant people who don't understand The Game? Why don't you go & discuss the exciting world of Teenage Draft Picks?
punter
Guest
More cold then cool with that analysis.
chris
Guest
Some people are just desperate to make a point regardless of whats put in front of them. What does "barely won the Asian Cup" even mean?
apaway
Roar Guru
"Barely won the Asian Cup." That's one of the most hilarious statements I've ever read.
Cool N Cold
Guest
There are many ways to see a thing. This time, not like before, view in a negative way. Ange had only been very successful in Brisbane Roar. Despite great ambition, his international results have not been really very good, just alright. Once out of A-league, his performance is not as good. He talked about winning ACL, Confederation Cup, and even World Cup. However, the result is just very mild. He gave up in the middle of ACL when he was in Brisbane Roar. He has never won a Japanese side, club or national level. His World Cup Finals result in Brazil is the worst comparing to the two previous one. As for the Asian Cup, just barely won. Maybe, the home advantage had made up one more little bit of strength. Speaking of Russian World Cup qualifying result, Socceroos is just above some minnows like Thailand, Iraq (war torn country), UAE, Syria (another war torn country) and the miserable Honduras (which had very bad results in the last two World Cup appearance). Socceroos have yet being match-able with the top Asian football nations like South Korea and Japan. Is this saying too harsh. None of the teams from highly rated Asian football country that Socceroos can be confident to win. Even struggled playing Thailand. As for the friendlies, the results are poor. 2014: Australia 3–4 Ecuador [show]London, England 26 May 2014 Australia 1–1 South Africa [show]Sydney, Australia 6 June 2014 Australia 0–1 Croatia [show]Salvador, Brazil 4 September 2014 Belgium 2–0 Australia [show]Liège, Belgium 8 September 2014 Saudi Arabia 2–3 Australia [show]London, United Kingdom 10 October 2014 United Arab Emirates 0–0 Australia [show]Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 14 October 2014 Qatar 1–0 Australia [show]Doha, Qatar 18 November 2014Kirin Challenge Cup Japan 2–1 Australia Just 1 of 8 was a win over Saudi Arabia, with 7 losses. That loss to Ecuador was ................you say it.............. 2015: 25 March 2015 Germany 2–2 Australia [show]Kaiserslautern, Germany 30 March 2015 Macedonia 0–0 Australia No win. 2016: 27 May 2016 England 2–1 Australia [show]Sunderland, England 4 June 2016Dodoni Series Australia 1–0 Greece [show]Sydney, Australia 7 June 2016Dodoni Series Australia 1–2 Greece Just one win over Greece (a country of his origin). It is like Osieck Holger leading Socceroos winning his native country's B-national team of Germany and he showed his delighted mood. 2017: 13 June 2017 Australia 0–4 Brazil Under his coaching, how many national teams outside Asia Socceroos have won? One. One over Greece. He has earned the privilege of going to the Russian World Cup. He should go. However, he has given up. He should also lead a B-grade (or Under 21) to qualify and play in Qatar for the sake of boycotting this World Cup to a certain degree. Doing so will further changing the landscape of Australian soccer. Conclusion: He was the leading coach in changing the way Australian football players play. The Socceroos under his guidance has yet won any non-Asian-Confederation-team apart from Greece. PS It is better to focus on the new coach now.
apaway
Roar Guru
"We have never outplayed our opponents." Except for Thailand (44 shots to 5), Syria twice and Honduras twice, which just happen to be the last 5 WCQ games we've played. if you want to go back further there was a 5-1 win over Bahrain at the SFS, a comfortable 2-0 victory over Oman at the same venue, and to be honest, out of the 22 qualifying games we've played, we've created more chances and had more balls into the box on probably 80% of those games. I agree Ange could be stubborn but it's due to having a firm belief - in himself and his players. As to not being adaptive - what on earth have we been debating since his formation change??
apaway
Roar Guru
Who would you give that accolade to, Claudio?
apaway
Roar Guru
Fadida, Ange owned his mistakes. He took the blame for the defeat to Japan, he didn't try to blame the players. Note, this was the only loss the Socceroos suffered in the last phase of qualifying. He wasn't "repeating mistakes" in my opinion - what he was doing was asking the players to believe in themselves and the process, even if there was a slip-up along the way.
apaway
Roar Guru
Claudio, the system worked pretty well against Germany, Chile and Cameroon and I wouldn't call those sides "inferior." Ange's was not a rigid 3-4-3 either. He sometimes deployed 2 holding midfielders, and sometimes only one. He sometimes selected attacking players to act as wing backs, and sometimes he selected more defensive players for those roles. There were times when he played with three rotating central midfielders, and times when he played with two.
Cool N Cold
Guest
You have been active recently. Who should be the next Socceroos main coaching manager?
Cool N Cold
Guest
Ange got Broich, then Broich introduced Berisha
punter
Guest
Exactly PH, if anyone wants an example, get a copy of the Ireland v Denmark game. Ireland got an early goal, by 'putting the ball into the mixer', their more direct route & then put the ball into the mixer kept giving the ball to Denmark & with this possession & add the class of Eriksen, there was only going to be one outcome. They were shot by the 70th min mark with all the chasing they did.