Well, that's our World Cup over for another four years. It started badly but ended better although our inability to make it out of the group stage despite only being beaten once reinforces how damn hard the World Cup can be, and how well we did in 2006.

But what else did we learn this time round?

10. Pim Verbeek is a one trick pony.

That's not to say it's a bad thing - many managers don't even have that many tricks and still make a career for themselves. Pim did 4-2-3-1 (and qualifying as a result) very well. He just couldn't do anything else, and against Germany, he picked the wrong game, the wrong stage and the wrong team to prove his utter lack of versatility. Here's a tip for any aspiring managers: if you're playing players out of position, you've either got the wrong squad or the wrong formation. Or both, as in Pim's case (and Fabio Capello's too). Farewell Pim. I greeted your arrival as Socceroos coach by saying this was the best job for the man, not the best man for the job. For a while there, you actually convinced me I was wrong. But I wasn't. See ya.

9. Stop living in the past

You know what? We're not the rank outsiders any more. We're not the underdogs. We're not the battlers trying hard in the face of apparently invincible might. The rest of the world and our own media like to portray us that way - even those who should know better - and even Pim thought of us that way. (He was genuinely scared of Germany). We're not. We're a top 25 ranked team in the world and have been for a long time now. It's not just a blip, it's a fact. We shouldn't be scared of playing anyone. Not just because we're Australian, but because we've earned that right with a series of excellent results against excellent opposition. No, we're not world-beaters yet. We don't have the depth of talent and skill in the squad to go all the way through a competition like the World Cup. But - and this is the important part - on our day, we DO have the depth of talent and skill that can beat ANY team. There is no reason why a Top 20 team cannot take on a top five team with a realistic expectation of pulling off a win. It would be an upset, of course. But it would not be a HUGE upset. We have moved on. We're not the little minnow on the world stage anymore. it's time to stop selling ourselves short by pretending (or worse still, believing) we are.

8. Time for retirals

Some are taking care of themselves - Craig Moore isn't coming back again (he says) and Scott Chipperfield is also said to be bowing out. There is a damning stat that says Australia has consistently better results when Vinnie Grella doesn't play, than when he does. Although I felt we missed the mongrel of the good Grella of old in the Serbia game, the current Grella we can do without. And this may be blasphemy in certain circles but I think Mark Bresciano's place can be better filled by young blood. Harry Kewell still has six months left in him at the very least and deserves a place at the Asian Cup - but after that we probably have to face up to a life without him and begin building for the future. We don't need wholesale changes, but it is time to blend in some more new young faces.

7. Offside trap is bad

Worse than Pim's ridiculous 4-4-2/4-6-0 formation against Germany was his nonsense attempt to play an offside with an ageing backline against a swift, young, mobile attack. It failed on at least two counts. One was the obvious danger of not being able to get back to cover if it was breached. But the second one was that it was played so high that it forced Germany to be compact in midfield and defence, denying US anywhere to run freely if we were to try to break. We were already trying to flood the midfield with Pim's formation, but combined with his high offside line, it meant the middle of the park was just saturated with players...and theirs were younger and faster. There are optimistically niave tactics - like Guus's desperate attempts to throw attackers at Japan and hope they buckle (as they did) before they realised we had no defence - and there is just plain stupid. Pim's strategy was just plain stupid.

6. That strip.

This may appear trivial and superficial, but I will forever now associate that new away strip with the Germany thrashing. I hated the home strip anyway. Let's dump them both as soon as possible and bring out a new one for the Asian Cup that's closer to the 2006 effort. It's good for Nike as they get to milk the punters even more and we can all just pretend that was some other team that stuffed up so badly, not us.

5. Brett Holman - a nation apologises.

Dear Brett, You really weren't very good and everyone quite rightly asked why you were in the team. You did get better, but not many of your critics noticed. Now you're actually quite good. You deserve your place in the first XI. You're not Kewell or Cahill yet - but you might very well be one day. I hope so. Sorry for all the rude jokes and that. Love, Kev xx

4. Run at them, something will happen.

It's a lesson that gets played out time after time, and not just at the World Cup. Have a go. Run at them. Stats do not win games, goals do. Goals will only come if you take a chance, create opportunities. Retaining possession MIGHT mean you don't lose, but the only way to win a game is to take them on. North Korea did it against Brazil, we did it against Brazil in 2006. It IS in our nature to take the fight to the opposition. Not unwisely, not foolishly, not optimistic long balls that just give away possession. But careful considered play that pushes the ball forward not backwards...that's the starting point for a win. We must never forget it.

3. Germany really are very VERY good.

That shame we felt at our 4-0 drubbing almost vanished overnight. Not that England are an ultimate benchmark, but Germany's 4-1 demolition of their virtually full-strength best XI puts our 4-0 humiliation of our injury-hit 10 man side into a new perspective. The Argentina-Germany quarter final will be an absolute blockbuster.

2. There just aren't that many good national team managers out there.

We're in the market for a new coach - and you know what? I doubt I'll be pleased with anyone we are likely to sign up for the job. Paul Le Guen is a non-starter for me that shouldn't even be considered. Pim has a better national record than him and we should be looking for someone better than Verbeek. I do have a lot of time for Sven-Goran Eriksson - but as a club coach rather than a national team boss. Sven can grind out results that will propel you to the top of a league, but he will not create the kind of passionate driving football we need in the Socceroos to get the nation behind them. But then you look at the other World Cup coaches, and there are just so many journeymen who will do creditable jobs - but just not enough to really make a mark on the competition. Even past giants like Lippi and Capello can fail disastrously. And in the inevitable absence of the true managerial giants of the game, whoever we do sign will inevitably be to some extent an anti-climax and a letdown rather than the inspirational leader we all crave. I hope that by preparing myself - and you - for that, it may lessen the inevitable sense of disappointment that's looming...but I doubt it. The era of Verbeek is over but even his World Cup results have not tainted an overall solid record in terms of wins, draws and losses. Another coach could do much, much worse - we need one that will do much better though.

1. Are we there yet?

It seems like only a heartbeat ago since 2006, but jeez, Brazil 2014 feels like a lifetime away. Going forward, we need to integrate new talent into the side, develop an attacking formation the suits our best players (hello Scott McDonald!) , up the fitness levels of the A-League (Sydney's Dr Craig Duncan recently revealed A-League Roos were 15 to 20 percent poorer in fitness tests than the Euroroos) and explore all options for creating the best squad (*cough*bosnarogmonsterjoel *cough*). There's still a lot to do, but there's time to do it...and we've got a lot to work with.The future's bright if we learn our lessons of 2010.