Respraying the national team atmosphere with that perfume of the new, Graham Arnold has continued picking along bold, fresh lines in his latest squad.
Some members of the squad announced yesterday Arnold had picked for the Turkey training camp back in September. Denis Genreau and Awer Mabil are the two most notable new faces among those happily recalled, both ready to face Kuwait on October 15.
Those that missed out will have to wait until next time: John Iredale, Mitch Duke and Ajdin Hrustic, among others.
There are some players present for whom pulling on even the Socceroos training jersey will be an entirely novel experience, and for one of them perhaps a completely uncontemplated act. Thomas Deng, Melbourne Victory’s starting centre back, will have dreamt of this for some time and will be relishing the call-up.
Martin Boyle, on the other hand, has probably only consciously considered playing for Australia fairly recently; he is Scottish-born, has played his entire career in Scotland – he started out in Albion Boys Club in Aberdeen – but is eligible, pending approval, to represent Australia thanks to his father.
He is no youngster in football terms, and one wonders how many of his 25 years were spent daydreaming about following in the footsteps of Johnny Warren, Ned Zelic, Ray Baartz or Mark Viduka when fantasies of Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law or Graeme Souness were as available.
Still, he’s evidently keen to become an adopted son of sorts, so welcome him we will. Boyle plays alongside Jamie Maclaren and Mark Milligan – the former unavailable for this squad through injury, the latter very much included and rightly so – at Hibernian.
Boyle has two goals and five assists through 13 appearances so far this season, a handsome return indeed.
But the real vein of intrigue in this squad is how many untested – and as a result somewhat exciting – players are here; 12 of the 25 players available have less than ten caps to their names. Some have just arrived on the scene – Daniel Arzani and Denis Genreau, for instance – others have made late-career bursts to seize a spot – Matt Jurman, or Danny Vukovic – but all are to a certain extent unknown qualities.
And under a new regime, there is no reason to fear the unknown. In fact, we should walk with a whistle into it.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Graham Arnold, having had two of the nation’s most senior footballers retire from international duty, is now in need of new lieutenants, and must liberally sow the buds he has in a way so that they might grow to fill the open leadership vacancies. Who will be captain?
We’re not England, so there’s no need to descend into frizzy hysterics about the armband, but it is nonetheless a question to answer. Will Mass Luongo, now no longer competing with Mile Jedinak for a starting XI position, be made captain? That would be a thrilling promotion, having not played a single minute at the World Cup.
Will Trent Sainsbury, our most important defender, be given the armband? Will Matt Ryan, perhaps the most-first-choice of all the nailed-on starters?
More importantly, Graham Arnold must also use these friendlies not just to pick new players, but to play new players. The attacking unit that starts against Kuwait must include at least one of Arzani, Awer Mabil or Genreau, if not all three.
We already know exactly what Aaron Mooy provides, so why not try Mustafa Amini in the midfield, for this game if not the next, or the one after that, or indeed the Asian Cup?
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Mark Milligan was Sainsbury’s centre-back partner in Russia but has been excelling in his natural defensive midfield position for Hibs, so there seems no reason to reconvert him for Kuwait.
Milos Degenek has been playing regularly and well as a centre back for Belgrade, but has occasionally played right back for Australia. Deng’s place in the squad shouldn’t be token, and with more friendlies to come there is time later on to reward Degenek for his recent form – besides, he’s a cert for the Asian Cup anyway.
For all of the Arnie-ball pessimism, this is actually an exciting time to be a Socceroos supporter. Just as I had expressly hoped, the A-League released another, much better – almost perfect, even, in both tone and execution – advertisement hyping up the coming A-League and W-League seasons today.
Continuing the theme, with no Tim Cahill and no Jedinak, there are some openings in the Socceroos’ hero department, and the recruitment drive must be conducted thoroughly and widely. Boyle’s presence is, if nothing else, evidence surely that that mindset has already been adopted.
There will be inflamed discussions about Arnold’s ability to make grand tactical flourishes, on his improvisational mid-game adjustments, on his strengths and his flaws, on his football philosophy, and they will be contested with gusto, no doubt on this very forum.
“Players make systems,” Arnold said in his first press conference as manager. We now need a sign that he can use these new players he’s plucked from these unlikely places not just as pine-warming paperweights, but as useful, functional, viable Socceroos.
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.
Nestory Irankunda has sensationally rejected the chance to play at the Paris Olympics this June after a late bid from the Olyroos to include…
Mathew Ryan's tenure at AZ Alkmaar appears to be over, as the Eredivisie side are seemingly moving on from the 93-time Socceroo. The decision…
One down 49 to go. Socceroos striker Kusini Yengi raised some eyebrows this week when he declared himself to be the talisman striker the…
