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So here it is, the first real, tangible intimation from the new Socceroos manager.
Weeks of hypothesising can be tapered down, at least a little, now that Bert van Marwijk has announced his first preliminary Socceroos squad, a 29-man assembly that will be shorn before the friendlies against Colombia and Norway later this month.
Firstly, and most encouragingly, there is no overt sense that van Marwijk is undervaluing the A-League as a pool of talent; Josh Brillante, Dimi Petratos, Josh Risdon and James Troisi – as well as Andrew Nabbout, now with Urawa Red Diamonds, but whose entire pitch to be included was made in the 2017-18 A-League season – have all been included.
Although some of these players might be whittled off by the time the games roll around, their presence proves the A-League is still a good way to make a case for national selection.
One suspects there’s a mixture of reasoning at work here. Brillante, Nabbout and Petratos – all of whom have little recent history of national team involvement, including zero call-ups at any level for Nabbout – are clearly being rewarded for their fine domestic league form. All three are vital tentpoles, propping up both Sydney and Newcastle’s excellent seasons.
Dimitri Petratos of the Jets (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)
Risdon and Troisi, on the other hand, have had their cases bolstered somewhat by the fact they were both involved in last year’s World Cup qualifying campaign; neither have been especially good in the A-League this season.
So, a cocktail of reputation and current form has been served up here, and it has settled pleasingly on the palate.
Speaking of reputation, to Tim Cahill. Obviously this is not a form pick, as the striker has played 18 minutes of Championship football since moving to Millwall in late January. But, naturally, the coach is aware of how important Cahill has been for the Roos, even during these few years of national team dotage, and has made his decision accordingly.
Leaving out the rather bitter and disappointing end Cahill made out of his Melbourne City sojourn, there is no on-field reason – as far as his recent Socceroos performances go, still a key piece of criteria for any potential candidate – that would make an inarguable case against Cahill being included.
His two vital goals, plundered during 120 minutes of vigorous effort against Syria in the second leg of last year’s crunch World Cup qualifying playoff, are a compelling a case for Cahill’s enduring viability, as relevant and fresh as any recent example for any of the other call-ups.
I will add, though, that if his minimal involvement at Millwall persists, this case will be much harder to make by the time the World Cup rolls around in mid-June.
Tim Cahill (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
So, who else should we mention? Well, van Marwijk is using these friendlies as an opportunity to blood fresh talent, which is always a productive practice.
Aleksandar Susnjar, the 22-year-old centre back currently at FK Mladá Boleslav in the Czech league, is a player many are only just hearing about now. He is, nevertheless, appearing regularly in the HET Liga – playing the full 90 in 15 of Bolesav’s 19 league games this season – and is evidence that the national scouting team aren’t just looking in the usual places.
Additionally, while not nearly as young as Susnjar, James Meredith – no Roos caps since the two he earned in 2015 – has also been named. He has appeared in every single one of Millwall’s league games this year, a gruelling 35 matches, and he will be eager to please under the new regime.
These two centre backs join Trent Sainsbury, Bailey Wright, Milos Degenek and Matt Jurman in the squad – at least one of these central defenders will be cut, unless a three-centre-back formation is continued, and three back-ups are needed. Of note too, Rhys Williams, Matt Spiranovic and Ryan McGowan were all omitted.
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There are some continuity picks; Robbie Kruse was selected – he has started the last nine league for his Bundesliga 2 side VfL Bochum. I tried to avoid mentioning it, but there is probably a group of you who are disappointed Kruse – or perhaps Troisi – was selected when Daniel Arzani was not, which will no doubt be discussed below the line.
Brad Smith, something of a puzzling stalwart under Ange Postecoglou, was left out. He apparently recovered from a lengthy hip injury in early February, but has not been included in the Bournemouth playing squad since then. Mark Milligan, whose versatility I maintain is still a clear asset, has been called up, despite a mediocre half-season with the Melbourne Victory, which was bookended by a move to Al-Ahli Jeddah in the Saudi first division.
Van Marwijk may allow Jamie Maclaren another chance to impress – having largely failed to do so at national team level under Postecoglou – in these friendlies, with the former Brisbane striker now relatively stable, on loan at Hibs in Scotland.
The must-pick bulk of the squad – Sainsbury, Matt Leckie, Mass Luongo, Mile Jedinak, Aaron Mooy, Tomi Juric, Tom Rogic, and some others – are all there too, with every onlooker keen to see how van Marwijk will use them, and in particular how he will synthesise the midfield.
Will an energetic, burly tackler’s midfield of Jedinak, Luongo and Jackson Irvine – or, indeed Brillante – be van Marwijk’s preferred arrangement? Will a set-up based around the rakish talent of Rogic be constructed? How will Mooy – arguably our best player, playing in arguably the best league of the lot – be utilised? Does the presence of six centre backs indicate a back-three system? And, perhaps most importantly, how slavishly will van Marwijk keep to any particular system – in other words, how pragmatic will be?
The mind wanders into gleaming new arenas of thought, but we must reign it in and wipe away the shine from our eyes. This is only the beginning of a new era; there’s still plenty to get wrong from here.
But, for now, Bert van Marwijk’s first action as Socceroos manager has hit all the right spots.