It seems a bit of an overreaction for everyone to be going on about this after just the FIRST selection. It doesn’t seem like many in the media have really sat down to look at the decision properly, as if the next World Cup is only two weeks away instead of a whole four years.

While I’m far from being Osieck’s biggest fan, I can actually understand and I appreciate the selection.
If you were new to coaching a senior national team and that federation had given you the assignment to develop a future for the youngsters, would your first squad (and every other from therein) consist solely of those you expect to be playing for the next four years and onwards, or would you want to ensure that each new player gets individual attention, the correct development and each player continues to have a desire to work as hard as they can to play for their country?
After all, it’s something that should be earned, not given away.

If we played against Poland, Slovenia or whoever else we play against with a team of 18-23-year-olds, at their current experience, they’ll be walked over every time. And the experience won’t harden them; they’ll lose confidence. By the time the World Cup rolls around, we’ll be fielding this new side – 22-27-years-old by then – still running around like headless chooks.
Put it in perspective; give them individual attention, mix in age and experience to help them along on and off the pitch and the experience will turn out to be so much more fruitful.

If we focus on slowly bringing in these young players – from a long-term perspective – it will be much more beneficial.

Also, why are the media downplaying the importance of the Asian Cup? It’s a ridiculous notion that we shouldn’t be taking it seriously. Not only is it important for our stature in Asia and “the pride of a nation,” but winning it delivers us more games via the Confederations Cup and other (European) nations more willing to play serious friendly matches, instead of using them just to “give a few of their youngsters a run,” something our media doesn’t like to see. (Bit hypocritical, that.)

There’s a problem with stadium rights and ownerships. If the A-League were to change its start and finish dates, each club would be required to have their own stadium to ensure these agreements are not violated.

This is the same reason for the quality of NSL grounds you mentioned (which weren’t exactly great, anyway); they played at their own stadiums (see: also smaller and, in most cases, lacking facilities) and therefore didn’t exactly have to worry about clashes with other codes, or only had minimal clashes at best.

At the moment, changing dates is far from being a viable option.

How is everyone forgetting the young Brad Inman, who’s set to play a part in the Newcastle first team this season? Surely he can still be considered Australian until he plays for Scotland.

There won’t be anymore Australians until we give the A-League players enough international experience, thanks to the visa rules in the UK. There are much better options for our young players in Germany, anyway.

God knows what he was. Far too vague for my liking.

Yeah, because Troussier is really a respected choice. Please.

If anything, people like Mike and myself would have been even harsher if he had been appointed. And I don’t even like Osieck, despite Urawa (the club I support) winning the ACL under his eye, which says a lot about Troussier.

Mike, if you know me well enough (or read my posts elsewhere), you’ll probably be able to tell how I’m feeling right now.

It’s a pretty empty feeling, mixed in with a lot of frustration. A lot (all) of that comes from my personal bias over his Urawa tenure, naturally.

I can’t say I’ve got high hopes for him – I actually already stated that by the end of his tenure, people will be begging for the return of Verbeek – but I hope for the best. I still believe his run in the Champions League, along with the nearly-successful league defence, was largely due to the team left for him by Guido. He ultimately (over just three transfer windows) tore that team apart, and we’ve been left in his wake ever since… that still hurts. But hey, this isn’t meant to be about Urawa.

Onwards and upwards, one hopes. What worries me right now is that he’s been sitting around on the couch doing nothing since his cut from the Reds, so what on Earth has actually happened in those two years?

A lot of people – author included – seem to be forgetting, or at least unaware of the fact that the FFA have already been through this subject at length, and decided to continue with the Socceroos name, honouring both its history and marketing value.

The argument is tired and really should just be put to bed.

How is that fair to say, Gibbo?

Adelaide face the reigning champions of the tournament, one of the most successful Chinese teams (especially in recent years), and a team with a striker like Hisato Sato is always a cause for concern.
Melbourne face the runners up of the K-League, runners up of the J. League who have an injured captain/playmaker for the rest of the group stage, and the current Chinese champions, who have yet to start their season.

If anything, it’s evenly matched.

Most big Asian nations will have a different-looking squad for Asian Cup Qualifiers.

“Do you think Japanese, Chinese or Korean fans can name their national teams without their overseas based players. I bet they can!”
Not very often.

As for how many of the players from those nations play overseas; sure, there are quite a few, but there aren’t many that actually play for their national teams. I can think of… two regulars for Japan, maybe three of real note for China. Korea is the only one that has a reasonable amount of overseas regulars. Australia has an ENTIRE first team squad playing overseas, and then some. We don’t share the same luxuries as these other Asian nations.

Not only this, but the players we have who are capable of earning a regular spot will jump at the chance of playing overseas, and many have since faded into obscurity. Doesn’t help our chances of finding A-League players worthy of consistent callups to an Asian-based squad. We thus have to rely on form, and hope it carries over to International Level.

Also, a correction on one of your earlier comments, Eamonn; Shunsuke Nakamura no longer plays in Europe. He just moved back to Japan.

While I’m usually the first to bang heads with David V., I’m finding it hard to agree with your reply. Which of the best players in the J. League went from Japan to the SPL? The only Japanese players I can think of are Nakamura and Mizuno – and Nakamura was already playing in Europe, while Mizuno is hardly in favour at either country or club levels, nor was he the most spectacular player in his home country.

It’s not that the SPL is rated highly in Japan – it’s that Europe is rated highly in Japan, so any player that goes from Japan to any somewhat recognisable league in Europe will be considered a fantastic player.

That’s not to say I agree with David V., but I felt the urge to respond to this comment.

I really don’t think Ognenovski, North, and Bosnar are worth mentioning in this argument.

Ognenovski had his chance to represent Australia before moving to Korea, but all the “um-ing and ah-ing” about declaring for a national team blew it for him, and Pim essentially gave up. Sasa later declared for Macedonia, which is why Pim hasn’t looked any further. Funnily enough, he’s yet to earn a cap for Macedonia, despite nearly being named the country’s best player of 2008.

North was given several caps for the Socceroos, but having fallen out of favour at his club and given very little playing time over the last year, it doesn’t take quantum physics to understand why he hasn’t been called up for so long.

Bosnar’s issue has been previously discussed to some length on the Roar, and I remember discussing with Mike the pros and cons of his time at JEF. He was a regular starter, obviously, but his temperament and concentration caused plenty of fouls and slip-ups in defence. That’s not to say he was the cause for JEF’s relegation – that was inevitable, and S-Pulse wouldn’t have signed him if it were the case – but it was not the performance of a national team member. We can’t really question why he hasn’t been called up if he’s playing for Shimizu, either, because he’s only just made the move and isn’t currently in season.

Spiranovic’s move clearly is to benefit Urawa more than himself, but I can see him also getting a valuable return so long as Finke continues to run the show. Volker Finke’s focus is on player development, and being able to play against the likes of Lucas, Okazaki, and Sato – all extremely talented forwards – should help him learn and grow as a player.

Milligan will benefit from the huge load of games he’ll be playing in J2, along with all the cup games that are involved. It’s also quite different from a technical perspective, and proving he can successfully adapt to another pace will prove his worth even further.

I see you got a mention on his blog.

http://www.naocastle.com/blog/2010/01/toc_13.html

I completely agree with you. There are qualities of Japanese football that need a place in Australia, just like the Japanese could do with some of Australia’s footballing qualities. Imaya’s idea to have a football camp in Sydney is absolutely a step in the right direction, from first-hand knowledge of youth training techniques in both countries. The fact that he actuallly has experience with Australian football makes these camps even more valuable.

I’m actually quite happy we got Sanfrecce, despite it meaning Gamba retain the Emperor’s Cup. Not just because they’ve since lost Kashiwagi, but also because Nagoya now have an even stronger teaem, with the likes of Tulio having signed for them. I doubt Adelaide could have salvaged anything from a game against them.
Would have been nice to be against S-Pa, though… and I’m sure you would’ve made the trip to watch that, too.

You’re forgetting one point: Our key Socceroos all play in the major leagues of Europe, and they developed and refined their skills in those leagues. When a National Team coach says that players in the country’s top flight will not get much of a look in, their best bet – if they haven’t already received an offer in Europe – is to go to Asia, and develop their technical ability (something that is still lacking in Australia to a certain degree) further. This doesn’t mean they’re stuck in Asia for life. It probably gives them a better chance of European offers; playing in a better league will give you better chances of playing for the national team, and if you don’t have an EU or UK passport, extra Socceroos/Joeys games will give you the much-elusive requirements for a visa in those European countries.

I saw the title and author and thought to myself, “Tulio! No, wait, it’s Mike. Probably not Tulio. But maybe he would… actually, probably not.”

Imagine my delight.

I’ve heard all sorts of rumours about Tulio’s departure, but I can’t recall one involving Wigan. Perhaps my age is rapidly increasing to the point of having minor dementia.

I’m somewhat surprised you didn’t include Okazaki, though. I would have thought you, of all people, would include the Shimizu and Japan hitman.

On top of this, Hindmarsh Stadium doesn’t actually have the ability to upgrade, contrary to somehow-popular belief.

It has been said, in the past, that if Hindmarsh could reach or near capacity on a regular basis throughout a season or two, the State Government (who lease the stadium) would “consider” an upgrade – which would be similar to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where the corners were filled to reach a 20-22,000-ish capacity.
Would be an improvement in some ways, sure, but it wouldn’t make the stadium any better. Great place to watch football, in terms of seating arrangements, but the facilities just aren’t there.

Wolfsburg is hardly a top team in Germany. They were only recently trying to achieve promotion from the depths of the second division, and one league title does not make a powerhouse. Only in the last two or three years have they really become a team worth discussing by the masses, and that’s mainly thanks to the coaching nous of Felix Magath, who is now at Schalke 04 (who have also buckets of quality).

I’d easily put Werder Bremen before Wolfsburg – as would most of the world’s population, most of whom have a better chance of knowing who Bremen are – and the current season’s results would say the same. Hell, it would even say that six teams are currently better than Bayern and Wolfsburg… and they’d probably be true.

Germany haven’t really had a “top team” for years, and yet so many people (whether they actually watch the league or not) still consider it one of the world’s top leagues. Goes to show that there are always exceptions to what people think should be the case, and why a constant one or two horse race isn’t necessarily the answer to the A-League’s woes. Even Turkey doesn’t have that problem (how many of you had heard of Besiktas, the current champions, before they’d played against Manchester United). Popular isn’t necessarily the same as powerful.

I fear the discussion of A-League salary caps is nearing the status of “done to death,” if it’s not already at that point, too. We’re aware that it keeps getting lifted little by little, and that it isn’t a permanent situation (until expansion is at a certain point, and the league/clubs can appropriately sustain the cap’s abolishment), so I’m not sure why this dead horse keeps being beaten.

You’re right. Gallas scored a beautiful header for Man United, earlier this season.

I think the statement tries to explain that, for example, 1, 4, or 8% of a Japanese population is much greater than 1, 4, or 8% of an Australian population, therefore it’s harder to generate the interest required in a league, with a small population (one that doesn’t even double that of Tokyo).

I can’t help but think, whenever I see the badge and club colours, that Sydney Rovers is the lovechild of Sao Paulo and St. Kilda.

Sets itself apart from the rest of the clubs, though, and the aim of the board (to produce a world-class club by their inaugral season) is perhaps almost as pie-in-the-sky, but not as arrogant as Clive Palmer’s, “We will go the whole season without losing.” Wishing them all the best in that endeavour.

My bad for the double-post. Computers don’t like me.

AndyRoo, I know a Gibbo that’s from New Zealand. Guess it’s a Southern Hemisphere thing!

I’ve not put my two cents in, regarding “match tampering” in the J. League, and that’s mostly because I haven’t watched many non-Urawa games, lately, and the majority of my impressions have come from those on the other forum, opposed to my own individual thoughts.

Kashima also had a stoop in form, let’s not forget. Everyone has, at some point in the season.
Everyone thinks Inukai is a Reds fan… wouldn’t that mean if match tampering were in place, it would give Urawa at least a slight upper-hand?

The A-League clubs are run as franchises, which means it could never be at a high standard, until the FFA releases their death grip on each club. And we know that won’t happen until all the clubs are foolproof from financial trouble (or at least as far from it as possible). That’s a long way away.

I think the aim is to make the A-League as strong as the J. League, in terms of AFC ranking/pulling power.
The closer we are to individuality for each club, the more power the league holds. The more money, the more power. Et cetera, et cetera. We know how it works.

Refereeing isn’t at the best standard, here, but it’s getting better as time goes along. So long as the FFA and clubs work on referee and coaching education respectively, we should be on the steady rise to great heights. One hopes.

By the way, looks like we were both pretty wrong, about the ACL. I won’t have my Nagoya v Bunyodkor final, and Kawasaki didn’t make it through… and Pohang? What a story that’s become.

Some interesting decisions.

Not sure what you meant by, “Every team has strengthened in this area, and there have been some brilliant defensive displays so far.”
Adelaide’s defence has been shaky at best, conceding more this season than the last, after the same amount of games (and there were some big losses, last season). The start of yesterday’s game is enough proof. Scoring less goals, as well, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish.

A good selection of formation and players, though, and kudos for that, with my only real concern being Thwaite in that right back position. He probably is the best for that position, though there have been better, if only non-regular players in that position. Alemao and Kaimoto immediately come to mind, and it’s a shame that Kaimoto, in particular, didn’t receive much attention for his time at the Fury (despite his age), and has seemingly disappeared without a trace. Alemao has once again fallen out of favour with Vidmar, for Iain Fyfe (and it will be interesting to see what happens to the “staying with the same XI” mentality, when Daniel Mullen returns from Young Socceroos duty, if he’s fit and ready).

Adelaide United has involved itself in grassroots football for some time, and players regularly make appearances at schools.

Kids are also regularly invited to school holiday training camps, beach soccer tournaments, and earlier in the year, a couple of refugee training sessions invited New Australians to play and learn from the players and coaches.
Several players have also made hospital visits to children.

This also includes several appearances from W-League players, and some of the youth.

It’s obviously worked, considering there has yet to be a single home game, in the season, that has fallen below an attendance of 10,000. I’ve noticed a lot more children are coming along, and a lot more people are wearing red (with even more starting to wear Adelaide gear, rather than their Liverpool/Manchester United shirts). Crowd participation is also said to be at its highest, with more noise coming from the stands, even though the results haven’t necessarily gone the team’s way.

Freud, as I mentioned earlier, in another of the articles where you mentioned this, Aleks isn’t a spokesperson. No point in carrying on the way you are.

“Quality” is a mixed bag. Doesn’t really have a finite definition.

We’ve seen quality players in the game (Yorke, Qu, Culina), we’ve seen quality games (Melbourne – Brisbane, Newcastle – Sydney), quality off-season signings (Perth Glory, Gold Coast United), we’ve seen quality tacticians (Culina, Lavicka, Littbarski), and we’ve seen quality goals (Miura, Fowler, Smeltz).
At least one of each has been seen in this season, so far.

Not a single league or club in the world can produce the same quality with every game. There are no highlights shows in the world that go for five hours, just to fit in all the goodness that the week has provided.

There are, indeed, some aspects that could be improved. A lot of that, however, is about the money flowing into the clubs, than anything else. The same money is required to make signings, to have elite training, and to develop better community interaction.
There aren’t enough people coming through the gates, because there isn’t enough quality. There isn’t enough quality, because there aren’t enough people coming through the gates. It’s a two-way street, and one can’t improve, without the other.

The main clubs in financial trouble (Brisbane, Adeladie, North Queensland) all need to work on this. The FFA will do the best they can – and are moving ahead with Adelaide, by creating a new board, and are currently in talks with potential local and overseas investors – and the people need to work hard to convince players, clubs, and investors that it’s worth building the best team possible.

Finding that balance should be the main objective.