Graham Arnold’s 2019 Asian Cup squad was released earlier today, and the overwhelming sense it gave was one of brisk, unified hope.
Arnold hopes his team will score as a group, sharing around the goals between a clutch of attackers. He hopes Aaron Mooy – injured at the moment, but picked nevertheless – will be fit for camp. He hopes to rotate the team liberally, and that each player will be fresh should they be needed. He hopes – well, expects, as he repeatedly put it – to win every game.
Hopeful positivity is always a good air to carry into a tournament, as long as it’s not used to paper over glaring issues in the squad. Really, though, there is a lot to be hopeful about.
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Firstly, to Mooy. For all of his limitations as a playmaker and ability to set a quick tempo, Mooy is still one of our best No.6s, whose absence would only harm our chances. The knee injury he picked up playing for Huddersfield was at first deemed serious enough to rule him out of the tournament, but Mooy’s desperation to help defend this Asian Cup was such that further investigation has been made.
“He’s asked for a second opinion, he’s asked for our medical staff to go over and have a look at him … the kid wants to go to the Asian Cup,” Arnold said.
“Phil Coles [Australia’s senior physiotherapist] is flying there as we speak.”
So, when will the verdict on his health be returned?
“It’s probably a matter of days; we don’t need to be dwelling on this, and be a player short going into camp,” Arnold said.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
It was touted by many that, if Mooy was to be ruled out, Terry Antonis – enjoying a sparkling run of form this season – might be brought in to add to the midfield ranks. He has, however, not been included.
“Terry’s doing exceptionally well at Melbourne Victory,” Arnold said.
“It’s no secret the Victory are doing very well, but I can only look at what we have; the pool is getting deeper and the kids are coming through … I expect to have sleepless nights, a difficult job in selecting those players,” Arnold added.
So, although he wasn’t named on Thursday, there is a chance Antonis is being left in the pool of standby players.
“We’ve got 12 standby players, but I don’t want to announce the standby players because that seems to become the headline more than the 23 that were selected,” Arnold said.
Tomi Juric has been dropped, after a protracted period of under-performance for the national team. He has also played just six games for his club FC Luzern this season.
“I had a great conversation with Tomi on the phone yesterday … Tomi understands that he needs to be playing club football, and at the end of the day of course he’s disappointed,” Arnold said about Juric. “But I’d rather focus on the ones that are there.”
Well, as far as the attacking stocks go, Jamie Maclaren is the only recognised out-and-out striker picked. Andrew Nabbout is also there, and of course was the starting striker at the World Cup, but he sort of settles more into that group of talented-but-formless coagulation of slightly vague attackers alongside Matthew Leckie, Robbie Kruse, Awer Mabil, Martin Boyle, and Perth’s Chris Ikonomidis, rewarded for his fine form in the A-League this season.
Andrew Nabbout: not really a striker, but also not really not a striker. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Arnold sees the lack of distinct roles among these players more as a strength than a weakness; versatility.
“If you look across that front line, all of them can play 7,11,9,10, so we will be flexible across the front half of the field,” Arnold said.
When we won the Asian Cup under Ange Postecoglou, the team successfully shared the goal burden, with ten different Australian goalscorers in that tournament. If we are to believe Arnold’s assertion that the same can happen again, it’s not entirely without justification; the system he has developed, and deployed against Lebanon and South Korea in the two recent friendlies, can flash out moments of potency and rhythm.
The fact Arnold arranges for at least three – and against Korea, Tom Rogic’s advanced positioning almost made it four – players to fill what would normally be the zone held by a striker, means that interplay, enthusiasm and the willingness to commit is boosted by the feeling that the attackers are all working in close concert, bouncing ideas off each other, unbridled by normal positional strictures.
“Three No.9s with a lot of energy, a lot of speed, a lot of individual quality… in the three games I’ve been in charge we’ve scored eight goals, okay, against different opposition, but I’ve had six different goalscorers… it’s an exciting attacking team; they have their job to do structurally, but flexibility is the key,” Arnold said of his attack.
“The need for speed is up front, and as I said, I’m very excited about that front line.”
Tom Rogic, another player a little hampered by recent injuries, is a cert to make the tournament, Arnold assured.
Don’t fear, Australian fans. Arnie’s sure Tom Rogic will be at the Asian Cup. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
“The Wizard of Oz will be there,” he said without hesitation.
Ikonomidis, Rhyan Grant and Josh Risdon mean that the squad has at least a small portion of current A-League players. Mustafa Amini, Alex Gersbach and Mabil’s inclusion also show the less prominent European leagues are not being overlooked either. Boyle’s selection is another exciting factor.
But the players whose starting roles are not locked-down – and, really, only Mat Ryan, Trent Sainsbury and Aziz Behich could be considered completely undroppable – should not fret about a lack of involvement, according to the manager.
“We play a game every four-and-a-half days, and rotation will be very important,” Arnold said.
“Yes, players are great athletes these days, they can recover very quickly from games, but freshness and using the whole squad will be key to playing seven games in those 30 days.
“I believe we’ve got great depth in the squad … I have the utmost belief in every player and trust that when I put them across that white line, I expect them to perform to a high standard and a high level,” Arnold said.
It’s only been six months since the World Cup, and yet Arnold has successfully turned the national team soils, churning up new loamy clods and planting new seeds. Daniel Arzani’s absence, which could easily have been a dark cloud hanging over this announcement, went completely unmentioned, such is the sense of rousing anticipation.
The new year will see a fresh Socceroos manager take his fresh team into a fight we’ve won before, and he’s leading them in with a spirited step.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
I don’t think isias Aussie citizenship has come through yet
That A-League Fan
Roar Guru
Well, not a huge fan of the squad. Attackers Kruse and Maclaren don't deserve to go, especially Maclaren, who struggles for game time in Scotland and neither played well against South Korea. And we have Mooy and Rogic who are not fully fit yet. Only five central midfielders (including those two) are in the squad. Worst case scenario, Mooy and Rogic can't play, Irvine, Luongo and/or Amini get extremely tired in midfield and get overrun. Of course, we can put Milligan in midfield as well if necessary. But then the defence is vulnerable. And speaking of which, not a fan of Rhyan Grant. Sainsbury, Gersbach, Behich and to a lesser extent Milligan, has not had a lot of game time. Deng over Grant for versatility. Antonis/Jeggo/Isaias/Kilkenny for Mooy/Rogic if unavailable. Kruse to be replaced by a central midfielder. Enough wingers in the squad. Maclaren out for idk any striker. Hardly touches the ball at international level. Hardly gets any game time in Scotland. Even Juric could do better!
Chen Yang
Roar Pro
Noo isaias and petratos shouldve been in
Sydneysideliner
Roar Rookie
It's all hypothetical as they've had minimal time for the NT, but these other players have all tried and failed to nail down a spot at European clubs, and then came back to the A-league and were immediately successful. If Kruse played against A-league quality defence, instead of determined and deep-lying Asian teams he usually plays against in the NT, we'd probably see different results for him as well.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Disagree. He'd look an average A-league player, which has been his performance level for the last 3 years at NT level.
Sydneysideliner
Roar Rookie
I agree he doesn't warrant a starting spot anymore, but the level of Kruse bashing generally is over the top IMO. A lot of his problems are down to confidence, the type of opposition we frequently play in Asia and perhaps the way the national team plays. Fact is he walked back into a 2nd division German team which, although not the highest standard in Europe, is something the likes of Goodwin, Troisi, Ikonomidis and Antonis would be happy to do at the drop of a hat. I'll go out on a limb and say if Kruse came back to the A-league today he'd be one of the best in the league
Sydneysideliner
Roar Rookie
Not sure who Troisi thinks has kept him out of the team on an unmerited basis. The central midfield group are all getting regular minutes in tough European leagues. If there's a victory player who could feel aggrieved by Arnie preferencing 'Sydney FC players', it's Corey Brown. Alex Gersbach made the squad mostly on Sydney FC reputation as he's barely played for his current Norwegian club and not at all for 2 months now
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Absolutely agree. He's been lazy, poor first touch, shooting 30 metres over the bar. He's improved slightly this season, but expect he'll return to baseline now there's no carrot
Fadida
Roar Rookie
McGree was perhaps a little unlucky. Najjarine? Great YouTube highlights but wouldn't have 100 first team minutes
Kangas
Roar Rookie
I thought Antonis deserved to go
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Good news
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
and there's the women's tournament of nations being played here early next year as a warmer for France 2019.
Nick Symonds
Guest
No Riley McGree and no Ramy Najjarine. I hoped they each could of been included in the squad as Arzani was in Russia. Mind you Najjarine's absence is more understandable. Good to see Awer Mabil in there but Robbie Kruse, not so sure about that. - Ramy Najjarine: https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/melbourne-city-s-wonderkid-happy-to-start-slowly
Nick Symonds
Guest
NEWS: Usain Bolt challenges Lewis Hamilton to go-kart race - Thank goodness neither of them are Socceroos players
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I thought Troisi was disappointing against Roar last week. Antonis too, but I do think he's a decent player and will get another chance for the NT.
Stu
Roar Rookie
I hope Mooy misses out. He's been woeful for a long time, and the side needs more than his slow sideways distribution and constant negative backpassing habits. That backpassing cancer that Ange drilled into the team has them so far off the pace at international level, they'll never compete until they split the lines again with direct centre passing. Our forward line is about the only international forward line that never sees the ball!
Punter
Roar Rookie
Very Salty by Troisi, he's a decent player, but no consistency & very overrated, I think his MV colleague Terry Antonis was more unlucky then Troisi.
AGO74
Guest
It's interesting to read James Troisi's sense of entitlement: https://www.goal.com/en-au/news/not-picked-on-merit-or-performance-troisi-slams-arnolds/yy18x4lqg0px1ajgfr60fvtb1 James - you did the most beautiful tap-in in Australian football history against South Korea almost 4 years ago and you were a good player but your form has gone off a cliff the last year or two. So, sorry bud you are on your own with your opinion on this. Instructive in where James Troisi is in the pecking order that Tomi Juric got a phone call but Troisi didn't. It's a good squad and one which for Arnold - like most recent Socceroos managers - the secret is to make a team the sum of its parts rather than relying on individual talent.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
A good read Evan. I must say my optimism will be crushed if the name R.Kruse features in the starting XI though; a)receive the ball, run down the line, turn back, get muscled off the ball, appeal to the ref looking like a child forgotten by Santa b) receive ball in an offside position c) receive ball, get muscled off it and appeal to the ref, look like a child forgotten by Santa d) receive ball in behind the full back, hit the first man with a shanked cross, look like a child forgotten by Santa e) receive the bsll, heavy first touch, lose possession.
Nemesis
Guest
Terrific squad picked by Arnold. Most players are playing at higher level than they were 4 years ago when we were Champions of Asia. We may not have the individual technical talent in attack as other Asian nations, but the collective wins games and, in Asian Cups, the Aussie collective has been strong. In fact, the 2007 Asian Cup when we had the technically most gifted players, we performed the worst. Full faith in Graham Arnold & the lads. The great thing about being a football fan is the variety of football content to consume. Not just the 1 competition every year for the rest of your life. The next 12 months, in addition to all the club competitions - domestic & international - I'm looking forward to watching Australia playing: - Men's Asian Cup - Women's World Cup - u17 Men's World Cup