Holger Osieck goes into Tuesday night’s crunch World Cup
qualifier against Japan, needing a result, not only for the Socceroos ailing
World Cup campaign, but with talk around in the press this week that his future
may hang in the balance, it will be an important 90 minutes in Saitama.
Holger had had his critics, but he is not helped largely by
the players at his disposal. The Socceroos are an ageing list that was one of
the oldest at the last World Cup. Four years on and many of those names from
2010 remain, coupled with a younger generation whose development has been
hindered by poor career moves, which have stalled their development.
Holger goes into the three biggest games of his tenure
plagued with problems; let’s get into some of them.
Formation
Whilst Pim Verbeek wasn’t exactly popular with everyone in
his time as Socceroos manager, he is fastly gaining more and more respect,
given how easily in retrospect the Socceroos qualified for the last World Cup.
Whilst the style of football he played was well known for
being largely unattractive, it did manage results.
It wasn’t the most attacking style and didn’t conjure tons
of goals, but his “anchor” system ensured the Socceroos not only held their
shape but were hard to break down.
Verbeek’s use of two midfield screeners was effective, and I
would like to see Holger adopt the same approach, especially if he is going to
go in with a central pairing of Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski.
The Socceroos have had a tendency to be caught on the break
in this campaign due to a lack of pace in our back four and the adoption of
this formation will provide more cover for this. We have to remember we are
playing tournament football and it is all about results at this point.
The use of Brett
Holman -
The Socceroos can no longer afford to continue playing Brett
Holman out of position. Holman is generally being used as a wide player, at
times on the left, given the preference to play Tim Cahill in his more natural
No.10 role. Sure Cahill is the first name on the Socceroo team sheet but I feel
Holman’s performances in recent times should see him claim that position.
Cahill will still have a role to play, and that is leading the line.
The Socceroos are currently bereft of a quality striker and
although Alex Brosque and Archie Thompson have been used by Oseick as a foil for
Cahill, I feel a Cahill-Holman pairing could work.
There is no one else in the Socceroo line-up that can
guarantee goals like Cahill and he will make it hard on any defence playing on
the last man. I don’t feel the Socceroos will lose any of his potency in making
the shift, and if anything the move may even prove to prolong his career, as
Holman becomes the terrier chasing down everything, when playing in between the
lines.
We all know Cahill’s aerial prowess and he has the ability
to hold the ball up well. The move is more designed though to accommodate both
better in the same team. It is worthless playing Holman wide as he is simply
not a natural wide player and has a tendency to drift centrally, which causes
the side to lose its shape.
There is no question both need to be in the side, but Holman
is not the answer out wide. I would much prefer Holger turn to Tommy Oar or
Matt McKay, who can cause damage in wide areas.
The Age Old Question
–
Holger has faced criticism in recent weeks for turning to
the older players for the final three matches of this campaign.
But this is certainly no time for risks and of course he is
going to go with what’s proven.
Whilst I have long been a critic of Lucas Neill and his lack
of speed, no one has really stood up and done the job in his absence and his
partnership with Sasa Ognenovski has been relatively solid.
I would be pushing for
the inclusion of Mark Milligan, who always seems to lift when pulling on the Socceroo
jersey, and can be deployed in either a holding midfield or further defensive
role.
Holger’s job security relies on results and this is not the
time to roll the dice. Sure I would have loved to have seen more youth involved
in the last four years, but you get the sense that Holger just doesn’t think
the younger players are up to it.
You have to agree that the next generation aren’t exactly
doing themselves any favours. Most have made silly career moves which have
hindered their development as they make moves to Europe that has seen them
confined to the reserves team or the bench. Instead of playing each week in the
A-League, many have decided to chase the riches on offer in Europe, which
frankly across the board have not transpired.
Matthew Leckie and Mustafa Amini are two examples, who were
in the frame for selection before their moves overseas, only for both to slip
off the radar in recent times. James Holland is another who has slipped well
back following years wasted in the reserves in the Netherlands, but is starting
to get his act together in recent times playing regularly in Austria, where his
side won the league.
Dario Vidosic is
another who showed so much promise, and finds himself back in the A-League, whilst
names like Matthew Spiranovic, Nathan Burns, Nikita Rukavysta, and others have
simply failed to kick on.
Tommy Oar, Tom Rogic and Robbie Kruse are perhaps the
exception, but even Rogic has been a bit part player since moving to Celtic,
which may prevent Holger from using him here. I expect him to feature more regularly next
season.
Players on the pine
–
Holger Osieck looks at his squad and finds many players who
are not playing regularly for their clubs.
Brett Holman has been seeing very limited game time at Aston
Villa, whilst Captain Lucas Neill doesn’t have a club. Some of the A-League
players haven’t played a competitive game for months and many others are bit
part players at best.
Harry Kewell –
One thing Holger has done right in recent weeks is not
include Harry Kewell in the squad for these qualifiers. If Harry believes three
games in the space of twelve months gives him any hope of playing some part in
these qualifiers then he is sadly mistaken. Gone are the days when Kewell’s name
found its way into the side simply on reputation.
Kewell has been on a steady decline since his move to
Galatasaray and although he showed glimpses in his time in the A-League with
Melbourne Victory, his form was underwhelming.
Whilst admirably Kewell had to make the move back to England
to care for his wife’s mother, I find it hard to believe that he was unable to
secure a club for the past twelve months. Now sure, Kewell may not quite have
the ability to go with the best in the English Premier League anymore, but I
feel he would have proven a handy signing for a club in the English
Championship or League One.
Edgar Davids is still trotting around in League Two with
Barnet, so I’m confident he could have found a place at some club, however
reports of Kewell not being able to agree on wage demands and not wanting to
drop down to the English Championship, prove either Kewell has been seriously
misadvised or his ego is again getting in the way.
If Kewell really did want to play a part in the next World
Cup then he would have found a way. Spending 12 months out of the game isn’t exactly
going to help your fitness, sharpness or attractiveness at transfer time now is
it.
Whilst Kewell seems to have come around and decided to join
the Melbourne Heart for next A-League season, at minimal wage, you have to ask
the question what was stopping Kewell from making a similar move at the back end
of last season, like Lucas Neill.
I’m not prepared to say Kewell has no place in the Socceroos
squad, all I’m saying is he must earn it. If he can recapture the form he
showed at the last Asian Cup, then he should be considered, but until then he
needs to prove to everyone he is worthy.
Japan
Japan is one of the most improved sides in world football
and I have them as genuine dark horses for the World Cup. Now, a long shot at
lifting the trophy, they will certainly be in the mix come quarter finals stage
for mine. They are the stand out team in Asia at the moment and have had some
big wins over some of the World best in the last twelve months.
Whilst Australia are looking for three points in Saitama, I
would happily take one, which sets the Socceroos up for two must win games
against Jordan and Iraq in Australia, and really if you cannot beat either then
you do not deserve to go to the World Cup.
SANTAROSSA’s SOCCEROOS (if all available) – Schwarzer, Wilshere, Neill, Sasa,
McKay, Oar, Valeri, Jedinak, Kruse, Holman, Cahill ADAM SANTAROSSA
Follow Adam on Twitter - @adamsantarossa
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