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Opinion
One of the hallmarks of Graham Arnold’s time in charge of the Socceroos has been the puzzling squad selections that have confounded pundits, ex-players and supporters of the national side.
The recent announcement for the friendly against Jordan and World Cup play-off match against UAE has thrown up yet more questions rather than answers.
Jason Cummings was a player many people were hesitant to even have in the discussion of national team duty. I even wrote a piece on him late last year.
However, after arriving on Australian shores in January 2022 and showcasing his talent, it appeared unthinkable that Cummings would not be selected.
Coach Graham Arnold shared some insight into his decision, during a recent press conference.
“Jason Cummings, I look at him as a player and he’s very similar to Jamie Maclaren,” he said.
“He’s very different to Tag (Adam Taggart) and (Mitch) Duke and (Nick) D’Agostino, but I look at him as very similar to Jamie and Jamie is the leading scorer in the A-League.”
Arnold’s response was stunning, and a more confident journalist may have followed up and disputed this claim with the coach, who has become well known for outrageous remarks to the press during his time in charge of the national team.
To put it plain and simple, Jamie Maclaren and Jason Cummings are two completely different kinds of strikers.
Maclaren is your prototypical ‘fox in the box’ striker who will stay level with the last defender before making a darting run across the area or anticipating a defensive error in the hope of being in the right place at the right time for an easy tap in
Cummings is equally adept in the box and is also capable of hitting the target from long range, but it’s his work rate that separates him from Maclaren.
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Besides being comfortable and having the strength to hold the ball up with his back to goal, Cummings is very underrated out of possession, chasing down defenders and making an absolute nuisance of himself while still adhering to the rigid Mariners defensive structure this past season.
There is no disputing Jamie Maclaren is the best local striker in the A-League, regularly winning the golden boot, including this past season, but his 2021-22 stats compare very favorably with the Cummings campaign.
Maclaren played 27 games and finished with 16 goals at an average of a goal every 154 minutes.
He took 85 shots, with 38 on target for an overall conversion rate of 18.82 per cent.
Cummings played fewer games (21), finished with fewer goals (10) and took nearly 20 minutes extra to score, at a goal every 172 minutes.
However, he took far fewer shots (43) and had a higher number on target (29) for a better overall conversion rate of 23.26 per cent.
Both players showed ill-discipline throughout the season, with Cummings leading the stakes in fouls conceded as well as won, but that ledger evens up when it comes to the card count
Cummings also leads the pass percentage completion category at 81 per cent to Maclaren’s 71 per cent.
The Edinburgh-born hitman’s off-field behavior regularly made the tabloids in his native Scotland, but in the family-like culture that the Mariners are known for he’s matured into a role model for the team’s young up-and-coming strikers.
Graham Arnold played it safe with his squad selection in preparation for a World Cup qualification match that could require some X factor.
Jamie Maclaren has had enough opportunities and chances to become Australia’s No. 9. It’s a position that still hasn’t been adequately filled since the days of Mark Viduka
Jason Cummings might not be good enough for that position either, but his stats alone this season deserved a call up to be part of the camp at the very least
It looks like we will never know if he’s the answer to the problematic No. 9 position due to an archaic national team coach sticking to his tried and tested methods, which have Australia on the cusp of elimination from World Cup qualifying.
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