There’s a trend in Australian football right now to want to be seen as a contrarian, so it’s no surprise that so many fans are bagging Tim Cahill.
Let no one suggest the former Millwall man can no longer create a headline.
There were howls of disbelief from certain sections of the Socceroos fan-base when Cahill was named in Australia’s provisional 26-man World Cup squad – supposedly at the expense of in-form Hibernian striker Jamie Maclaren.
And Football Federation Australia didn’t help things when, in typically ham-fisted fashion, they launched a promotional campaign with naming rights sponsor Caltex to rebrand five petrol stations as ‘CAHILLTEX’ on the same day.
It lead to suggestions that Cahill’s selection was nothing more than a commercial arrangement, with interim coach Bert van Marwijk said to have had his hand forced by a need to include arguably the Socceroos’ only genuine household name.
Couple that with the fact that Cahill played just 65 minutes in total for Millwall and there’s a basis for legitimate concern.
However, as is becoming the norm in debates around Australian football, many fans chose to focus on only one side of the story.
Want the simplest explanation of why van Marwijk will take Cahill to Russia? Because he thinks he can score goals.
Tim Cahill (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
There was plenty of sympathy for dropped defender Bailey Wright – who had an outstanding campaign as captain of Championship side Bristol City – but a more instructive comparison can be made with surprise selection Brad Jones.
Why did van Marwijk prefer Jones over incumbent second choice goalkeeper Mitch Langerak? Because he knows him.
Faced with having to choose between a goalkeeper who van Marwijk would have seen play for Feyenoord and one currently playing in Japan for Nagoya Grampus, the Dutchman picked the player he knows.
So why pick Cahill? Because he’s scored 50 times for Australia, including goals in each of the past three World Cups.
He scored the two goals that saw off Syria in the Asian playoff, and prior to that came off the bench to score the only goal in a vital 1-0 win over the United Arab Emirates as well.
In fact, Cahill scored an astonishing 11 goals on the road to Russia, making him the equal-third top goal scorer in Asian qualifying.
How many international goals did Jamie Maclaren score during that time?
The outcry over Maclaren’s omission is perhaps made more understandable by the fact the Socceroos don’t exactly possess a surplus of attacking talent.
Along with Tomi Juric – who struggled for form and fitness over the back end of the European club season – Cahill is the only attacking player who regularly finds the net.
And given that he’s unlikely to play a full 90 minutes in Russia, he looms large as Australia’s entirely predictable Plan B.
Meanwhile, van Marwijk will run his eye over the rest of the squad at a training camp in Turkey, and with three more players set to be cut, he’ll no doubt take a closer look at Nikita Rukavytsya.
Bert van Marwijk (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The Maccabi Haifa flyer undoubtedly has pace, but plenty feel he was fortunate to be named in the provisional squad – particularly given Maclaren’s omission.
Yet as others have pointed out, Maclaren didn’t exactly take his chance in his five Socceroos outings to date.
More importantly, it’s questionable whether a pure goal poacher would fit into the type of system van Marwijk intends to play.
And those spitting venom across their keyboards about the choice to pick a player who has scored 50 goals for the national team over a player who has scored none, could do with a dose of perspective too.
It’s all well and good to plan for the future, but the World Cup is not a development league.
It’s the here and now. And right here and right now, the coach of Australia thinks selecting the nation’s record top goal scorer is a safe choice.
So do I.
Lance
Guest
If it’s a commercial decision that was made months ago by Caltex and The FFA, it’s a bloody stupid one. ’Cahilltex’. It corny, means nothing, and will mean even less if Cahill doesn’t get any time on the ground, which is what it’s looking like. Soccer is a team sport, it’s always bigger than one player. While I hope the Socceroos go well, a lot of people think they’re going to cop a ‘shellacking’.,.Ooooh, I wonder if that word could be the basis of a clever advertising campaign for one of their competitors. Surely no one is that stupid, apart from the marketing people at Caltex, and the advertising agency they’ve appointed to work with them.
hogdriller
Roar Rookie
Yeh I know, wishful thinking is all. At this moment in time we just gotta have faith in Bert, cant argue with the man judging by his experience and accolades.
realfootball
Guest
I've posted on another thread, Fad, but to briefly repeat here, in a previous life I was involved as a key creative in several major international brand launches and ongoing branding campaigns. It is, from my perspective, impossible to believe that Caltex put this campaign in place without an assurance that Cahill was going to be in the squad. Is this why he was selected? No, I'm not saying that, but obviously the decision on Cahill was made early enough for the team sponsors to put in place a major marketing campaign. I think he should be going - I would take him over McClaren any day, even as a 38 year old non playing mascot, but the part of me that has been in these kinds of strategy meetings can't help but that suspect that he was always going, if only for commercial reasons. I am sure that there were some discussions with BVM about the problems that would arise from leaving out the only widely recognisable (in this country) footballer from the squad, an action which would destroy the only Australian World Cup narrative with any traction in the Australian marketplace. FFA would have been irresponsible to allow this to happen. This isn't a conspiracy theory. It's simply logical.
shirtpants
Roar Guru
What makes you think MacLaren would get a call back in? He wouldn't have been cut
Evan askew
Guest
Lustig is a regular swedish international to?
j binnie
Guest
Evan - This is a good point but to be honest there isn't a player in today's Socceroos who can match Tim Cahill in the public eye. Of course this is not just the fault of players but marketing a personage today requires lots of know-how, not to mention money, two attributes that don't appear to be in excess at FFA headquarters. or for that matter in the managements of our HAL franchises. Mike has mentioned an article written over a year ago and to the author's credit he did mention two men who lately since have been performing, and performing well ,in environments that puts them in the Cahill,Kewell,and Viduca standards of "marketability". Rogic and Mooy will probably play in the upcoming World Cup,and it is to be hoped they "star" in the competition, but even if that does happen, the question still remains ,who is going to put together a marketing plan to utilise and maximise the personalities of the 2 players? .Don't hold your breath. Cheers jb.
chris
Guest
Apologies Swampy. Maybe construct your sentences a little clearer in future : ) I thought you were referring to Ronaldo as a "crock". Maybe a comma after Ronaldo would have helped convey what you were trying to say.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
I will be too Mike. I will get excited, as usual, staying up for each game, as usual, dreaming the Footballroos will cause an upset against all odds, as usual. At this point in time I can't yet tell if I'm dreaming or not, but I will always support them no matter the odds, as usual.
stu
Guest
not again...and oh dear....rogic extends his contract with celtic and a ranger defender is named in the portugal wc squad. i forgot, we in australia know it all.
pacman
Guest
It's like Lillee and Thompson isn't it? Morecombe & Wise (I think it was Morecombe) commenting "Lilian Thompson? Never heard of her!"
pacman
Guest
Yes, without his two goals we would not be having this discussion.
pacman
Guest
So should have Bratten a couple of years ago. A phone call to the ATO would have ensured his overdue superannuation payments were quickly brought up to date. Nothing like a good football player manager!
Matt
Guest
That is just about perfect from an Ozzy marketing perspective.
fadida
Guest
Suffering a conspiracy over and over doesn't suddenly give the theory validation Rolly
hogdriller
Roar Rookie
"I’ll support the Socceroos no matter who they select"..........exactly! Thing is, who will be left out of the final 23? Ruka out for Maclaren. Brilliante Kruse Troisi If Maclaren absolutely does not get a call back, then Ruka out and Brilliante in.
Kangajets
Guest
Rolly Who has really earnt a place and isn’t going .?? . I don’t mcclaren has earned his place at all If petratos or arzani we’re to miss out to Troisi , now that would be a travesty
Kangajets
Guest
Have you heard of a horse called Winx Doesn’t know how to lose .. Put Cahilltex in a scoring position, he scores.
Swampy
Guest
I think you don't know what crock means. It means bulls#? t. Comment above me refers to Messi and Ronaldo never performing for their country for which I say is bulls$@t.
shirtpants
Roar Guru
There are no recognisable names outside of the football community. What's marketing Rogic or Mooy going to do? Nothing. You may not think Tim has earned his place but I'd argue for numerous reasons he has including his history on the big stage, experience attitude and influence and his performance against Syria. I also don't think anyone missing out really has been hard done by.
rolly
Guest
No one deserves a place everyone earns their place .in this case they have made one exception .its not right .world cup only comes once every four years . I hate to see someone who has earned their place mis out because of greedy sponsor deals that may have interfered with team selection .it wasnt coincidental caltex adds with Timmy came out same day as announcement of team was made .ill be cheering them on but FFA really should be creating and marketing new names as the face of the socceroos at this world cup not keep flogging an old horse .