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Insofar as a head coach can sound philosophical about a 4-1 humbling in his first game, Bert van Marwijk’s comments after the Socceroos loss against Norway suggested a man who was both concerned yet relatively sanguine.
“Sometimes these losses can be beneficial,” the Dutchman ruminated to The Guardian after the defeat in Oslo. “You see how the players react in these circumstances.”
But alongside the acceptance that this Australian team is a work in progress, Van Marwijk also knows there is limited time to find his best side and drill them in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. “I have to find the right combination,” he said to ABC. “We all need time to find it.”
With just one friendly – against Colombia on Wednesday – before the Dutchman names his preliminary squad for Russia, there are a few questions that Australia’s interim coach needs to solve. None are necessarily insurmountable but Van Marwijk needs to have an idea of the solutions by the the time the domestic seasons start to wind down.
How best to shore up a defence that has struggled through qualifying?
As poor as the Socceroos defenders were in Oslo, the good news, if it can be considered as such, is this isn’t just a problem that’s reared its head by Van Marwijk switching to a back four. The bad news is Australia have long been vulnerable to both long balls over the top and a high, quick press to defenders.
Van Marwijk has always been a coach who sets up an organised defence, so the lapses for the first three goals will have been particularly concerning. Bailey Wright belied the fact he’s been a regular at right-back for Bristol City this season and may well have made his new coach’s squad decisions a little easier, while Milos Degenek and Mark Milligan looked exactly like a centre half combination who had been thrown together for the first time.
Only Aziz Behich looked solid and is probably one of the Socceroos’ form players going into the World Cup.
Yet it’s also hard to read too much into the defensive performance as Van Marwijk has made it clear that Trent Sainsbury and Matt Jurman are the main contenders, while debutant Aleksandar Susnjar did his claim no harm indeed. In goal, Mat Ryan’s mistake for the third goal was out of keeping with his performances for Brighton this season but both Brad Jones and Danny Vukovic are solid alternatives.
(AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK)
However, the Dutchman needs time to drill his back four and needs a plan in case either Sainsbury or Jurman are unavailable come June. Building a solid defence is probably the most pressing issue in Van Marwijk’s in-tray.
Who fills the centre of the park?
In contrast to defence and attack, the centre of the park is one area where Australia are overstocked. Mile Jedinak, Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Mass Luongo, Mark Milligan and Josh Brillante are all in form or established members of the side, yet in the 4-2-3-1 there is only, at best, three spaces for the six of them.
On paper Mooy and captain Jedinak are the most obvious combination, and the pair Van Marwijk opted to start with. Yet in practice they combined like an Aussie version of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard: both talented players but with little cohesion as a pairing. It was notable when the more scurrying Luongo replaced Jedinak that Mooy started to find more space.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Yet Jedinak’s still remains one of the few players who is capable to hauling the Socceroos into a game: a huge presence both physically and as a leader, and the most vital player in the two-leg qualifying playoff against Honduras.
If Mooy and Jedinak are to be Van Marwijk’s starters against France, then they need to find a way to gel, as well as offer greater screening to the defence and a link to attack.
Can Bert get his creative players firing?
Jackson Irvine, starting in the number 10 role, didn’t disgrace himself with a goal and a lot of running and harrying. Yet for all Irvine’s all action performance, the Hull midfielder isn’t quite a natural in the support role, and frequently dropped back, leaving Andrew Nabbout isolated for periods of the game
The most natural fit for this position would be Tom Rogic. On his day, the Celtic midfielder is one of the most naturally gifted Socceroos and is capable of opening up defences with a weighted pass or, as he’s shown in his time in the SPL, scoring attractive goals. Yet when it’s come to the national side, Rogic has often flattered to deceive and Ange Postecoglou never quite got the best out of the former Mariners attacker.
Who will spearhead the attack?
In fairness to Van Marwijk, Australia’s lack of a world class striker has been a cause for concern for the best part of a decade, even since Mark Viduka hung up his boots and Tim Cahill hit the wrong side of 30. It was a problem the Dutchman’s predecessor never fully solved and appears to be no closer to a resolution as Russia approaches.
The emergence of Andrew Nabbout has given Van Marwijk another option but the former Jet is untested at international level and has the challenge of adjusting to a new league and culture as he starts the latest chapter of his career in Japan. Nabbout didn’t disgrace himself on his first Socceroos start and can justifiably point to a lack of service from his midfield colleagues, but equally his first appearance didn’t suggest he would be the answer to Australia’s striking problems.
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(AAP Image/Darren Pateman)
That leaves Tomi Juric, Nikita Rukavytsya and the 38-year-old Cahill as the alternatives. Juric is probably the most plausible candidate but still lacks the consistency in front of goal and has a respectable, if modest, eight goals from 32 caps. Van Marwijk’s system may bring out the best of the FC Lucerne striker but it also asks a lot of Juric to make the step up against France, Denmark and Peru.
Likewise, Rukavytsya’s international record and recent role as a late substitute doesn’t suggest the 30-year-old will be the main striker in Van Marwijk’s plans, while Cahill is Cahill: still capable of nicking important goals as he approaches 40 and attempts to fight off the effects of time as well as a lack of appearances for Millwall.
Few would bet against the veteran boarding the plane to Russia or even scoring in a fourth consecutive World Cup but it would be concerning if Australia are forced to rely on an ageing veteran who is struggling for game time in the English Championship.
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