An all too familiar combination of ego, infighting and mismanagement within Australian football is tarnishing this year’s World Cup before a ball is kicked.
For so long the unobtainable holy grail of Australian football, this county’s participation in football’s showpiece event in Russia has been reduced to an afterthought less than three months out from kick-off.
The underwhelming Socceroos qualifying campaign, and sobering reality of a national team desperately light on stars, was one thing.
There was of course also the increasingly isolated and tetchy figure being cut by Socceroos coach, Ange Postecoglou.
Yet, many assumed that the Socceroos’ ultimately securing a place at the World Cup would be the panacea for Australian football’s ills.
If nothing else, it was thought qualification would provide Postecoglou – whose tactical nous and team selections had been subjected to a media blowtorch throughout the campaign – with a mandate to lead the team in clean air for the foreseeable future.
But then when has Australian football ever been predictable.
No sooner had the dust settled on the Honduras win, Postecoglou exited stage left leaving his national football audience in stunned silence.
(AAP Image/Matt Roberts)
While media scrutiny shapes as the clear favourite, the exact reason for Postecoglou’s departure remains clouded.
Yet, it’s safe to assume that it lies somewhere within Australian football and, given the timing of his exit before the World Cup, that it was informed by a healthy dose of spite.
Needless to say this isn’t the first time that long-time bedmates, “Australian football” and “spite” have appeared in the same sentence.
Then came the hugely uninspired FFA appointment of Dutchman, Bert Van Marwijk as Socceroos coach.
After his initial (and quite possibly only) visit to Australia did little to capture this country’s hearts and minds, we recently learned that he has yet to reach out to Socceroos captain, Mile Jedinak which is surprising to say the least.
Given a relatively pedestrian, no-name Socceroos squad with little chance of making it past the group stage, surely a local coach possessing a cult of personality capable of fuelling local fan engagement and creating a headline or two was the order of the day before Graham Arnold ultimately assumes the reins.
Throw in Socceroos talisman and World Cup flag-bearer, Timmy Cahill’s rather undignified (and seemingly increasingly misguided) departure from Melbourne City to his old club, Millwall.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
A thinly veiled dig at the relative professionalism of the A-League on his way out the door appeared petty for a man that was welcomed to the competition with open arms despite having previously (and very publicly) expressed his misgivings about the national league.
Then consider all this against a backdrop of the bloody civil war raging around who gets a seat at Australian football’s biggest table which has awoken ghosts of Australian football crises past.
This ongoing feud between the FFA and the A-League clubs (among others), which at one stage even appeared to threaten the Socceroos’ place at the World Cup itself, has revived fears that we are still no closer to a cohesive unifying football administration in this country.
While looking back is always a fraught exercise, it’s difficult to fathom how we have arrived at this point after the heady days of 2005.
Then, the launch of the A-League and that magical night in Sydney ending Australia’s tortuous World Cup wait appeared to represent a permanent break from the factionalism and divisiveness that had for so long dogged the round ball game in this country.
There is of course still time for the Australian public to be swept up in World Cup fervour, it will just be in spite of the minefield of distractions provided by Australian football.
Blanecoach
Guest
Guru Pip - think you better turn your head and take a look back at the ol’ Socceroos. I’m sure they’ll be fine against Columbia though [giggle]. Nah - everything’s fine. Nothing to see here.
Blanecoach
Guest
Gday Chris! Where are we on this one now - following a 4-1 ahole kicking at the hands of that powerhouse Norway. Have to say I’m convinced - feel silly for ever arguing with you.
Johnno
Guest
Oh yes you want a socceroo coach who plays exciting beautiful football even if it loses.. You prefer a coach who would coach like the Brazil 82 losing side as opposed to the dull grinding but effective winning style of the 82 team. I don't like ange exicitng football. I would prefer winning a world cup and boring everyone to death to the point that tv ratings drop than losing by playing exciting football and being entertaining.. I'm glad Blanecoach you didn't pick the next socceroos coach as you would promote exciting football that might end up losing but at least capture attention than boring football that would give a better result overall and less people watch. I'd rather win a world cup in front of no one than lose but actually generating interest in football.. Give me 5-days of a snooze fest in test cricket where defence is good but no one watches than the excitment of T-20 cricket. .long live dour 0-0 draws and scoring goals on the counter attack than losing 5-4 by actually capturing the attention of football fans..
chris
Guest
How about a world cup final under his belt?
reuster75
Roar Rookie
They finsihed above us on goal difference only, and by only the solitary goal at that, so very long bow to draw to say on that basis he's an upgrade on the current coach.
Kris
Guest
Indeed they do, but I am not the one complaining that there is no excitement or enthusiasm or hype for the upcoming WC. Merely pointing out that the days of expecting that sort of marketing hype are long gone because no one has that reach anymore - particularly an internet broadcaster like Optus.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
CC even bigger than a magpies giants netball game? that is big!
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
You can't afford SBS? They have an extensive coverage of the biggest sporting tournament in the world ever, including all Australia's games, Ro16 and finals games live, plus a daily highlights package of every country's matches' highlights and goals. Its the biggest sports coverage ever. Even bigger than the magpies giants game maaate.
Kangajets
Guest
Must be talking about Wayne Bennett, the cult of personality. Very media savvy too is Bennett.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
fadida they have plenty in common, and I ain't just talking about the fact that allemaal kunnen het nederlands praten,
Fadida
Guest
Agree Waz
shirtpants
Roar Guru
Optus gained 201,000 new post paid contracts between July and December, 2016 after it was announced. Throw in the amount of people's contracts who didn't expire within that 6 month period and would in the next 12 - 18 months, and the number is pretty high. It's cool to rag on Optus but at least get your facts right.
Kangajets
Guest
Sanctimony
Nemesis
Guest
Optus has more customers than Foxtel. SBS is broadcasting all the Aussie matches & has the pick of the best other match every day.
Kris
Guest
Hard to get amped about a tournament that is still 3 months away, and has more than half its games broadcast on a platform almost no one has. I am sure Optus is pumping it up pretty hard - just no one notices.
Waz
Roar Rookie
@NJR it wasn’t meant to be a spiteful comment, just resignation that yet someone else who has no real knowledge of football sets out to write an article that has to be all negative. The coaching appointment is actually a master stroke from the ffa, a highly credentialed coaching appointment that de-risks the Ange transition. By all means the author can have a differing opinion but make no mistake (in my opinion) the only point of this article is to have a beat up on the sok-ha and nothing in the content changes my view. There was a time football fans looked forward to the once in four years World Cup but that’s now complemented by the A League, W League, FFA Cup, Asian Champions League, Asian Cup, Women’s World Cup, NPL, Algarve Cup, Olympics and the Women’s Asian Cup ... there’s just soooo much to look forward too now. The title accuses football of “relapsing” but in reality it’s the author that has relapsed - this is not the 1990’s where the WC was the be-all and end-all of football in this country; football is so much more than that and the author needs to keep up.
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
I have faith in the current Socceroos Coach. He has been to a World Cup Final as a Coach so he must know something. I have found him to be endearing when he has been in the media.
fadida
Guest
First of all congrats on thrashing the poms. That can never happen enough. On the need to call someone, it is a matter of opinion as to whether this is needed. I wouldn't call, not would I expect one. A face to face meeting in the first co would be fine. I suspect BVM is a man of an age where people didn't call for the sake of "touching base". Thankfully Jediank is mature enough and not so fragile of ego that he'd be upset by the lack of call.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Hey look over there! Isn't there some Melbourne sporting competition about to kick off this weekend. Lots to talk about over there on the Australian Fabricated Lies (AFL) tab..
Wolf of Ball Street
Roar Rookie
Not true fads. I was player coach of the 6v6 2006 Byron bay international (coaching the Aussie side), where we wiped the floor with a bunch of poms on the beach in a 2 hour instant classic. The highlights video sold out very smartly. You probably already know this but you can speak to people on the phone AND in person. It’s not one of those either/or dealios.