PIM Verbeek ticks all the boxes for the FFA – the boxes marked “CHEAP”, “AVAILABLE” and “INTERESTED”.
He also ticks the box marked “Asian experience”...but glib jibes aside, that really is it.
Pim seems like a nice bloke. His very first question at the press conference asked if being second choice would undermine his authority, and he dealt with it with humility and dignity (although Frank Lowy stepped in to bail him out first).
He made the right noises about qualifying for the World Cup, guaranteeing success. He told us to be confident but not over-confident about our so-called ‘Group of Death’. He admitted it wasn’t going to be easy, but we shouldn’t be fearful.
He even said he could bring in some youngsters at the expense of more established names if they were worthy of a place in the team.
All good stuff – but it looks much better on paper than it was delivered in person. There was no passion. There was no presence, no charisma. Maybe it was just the blurry, faded videolink from Singapore…
But it’s hard to believe he could walk into a dressing room and command instant respect from the players.
And it’s impossible to see him turning up in Premier League boardrooms to demand clubs release players for international duty.
This wasn’t the best man for the job. This was the best job for the man.
Pim has won a watch landing the Socceroos gig. His CV is that of a journeyman who, at 51, has never quite cracked the big time. Until now.
It could be that this will be his moment, his chance to shine at the helm of a high profile team.
But he could also be Australia’s own version of England’s second-choice manager, Steve McClaren. They even both boast matching dodgy hairstyles.
The FFA were rushed into making a snap decision after Dirty Dick Advocaat reneged on his deal. With our first World Cup qualifier match two months away, we needed someone fast.
Given the circumstances we had two choices – pay over the odds for a big-name manager or pick someone cheap, available and interested.
We could have had both with Zico, but the FFA panicked into signing Verbeek without, so far as we know, even contacting Zico who could have fulfilled all the requirements (apart from being Dutch, obviously).
Zico wasn’t perfect but he ticked just as many boxes as Verbeek and then some.
Lowy defended the FFA’s choice saying Verbeek was the “most compatible” with the players. That thought terrifies me.
Graham Arnold was very compatible with the players – he tried to be their best mate – but that didn’t make him a good manager.
Lowy was also delighted that Verbeek was prepared to move to Australia, but that should be a minimum requirement (although one, admittedly, some potential candidates weren’t prepared to do).
Good though that is, it was also a taster of the emphasis Lowy and Verbeek now put on our A-League Socceroos. They are destined to play a much greater part in the Socceroos’ future, it seems.
Now, we have some great talent in the A-League but let’s be realistic. Almost all our very best players are currently overseas.
I’ve been accused of underestimating Asia, but I’ll tell you this: An A-League Socceroo team WILL struggle to qualify for the World Cup. An A-League Socceroo team is not the Asian powerhouse a full-strength Socceroos should be.
This is the World Cup. This is important. We need our best team fielded each game, every game. You can be sure every other team in the competition will be doing just that.
Verbeek said it was vital to start our campaign on February 6 with a win. He wants to start with a win and carry on winning. Well, don’t we all?
But despite that, he’s as good as run up the white flag on trying to field our very best team for the tie.
He meekly conceded there was no chance of bringing the Euro Socceroos on board because of the tight schedule between club league games and the international window.
That’s. Not. Good. Enough. Yup, the first game is vital. The first priority should be to get in the ears of the club managers and beg some flexibility for players’ release.
It’s early days yet but even if we do qualify for the World Cup, can anyone really see Pim Verbeek leading us to anything more than a “spirited” campaign “against the odds”?
No-one will be happier than me to be proved wrong, but the FFA have just condemned us to being a football minnow again. We’ve got Frank Farina with a Dutch accent.
He also ticks the box marked “Asian experience”...but glib jibes aside, that really is it.
Pim seems like a nice bloke. His very first question at the press conference asked if being second choice would undermine his authority, and he dealt with it with humility and dignity (although Frank Lowy stepped in to bail him out first).
He made the right noises about qualifying for the World Cup, guaranteeing success. He told us to be confident but not over-confident about our so-called ‘Group of Death’. He admitted it wasn’t going to be easy, but we shouldn’t be fearful.
He even said he could bring in some youngsters at the expense of more established names if they were worthy of a place in the team.
All good stuff – but it looks much better on paper than it was delivered in person. There was no passion. There was no presence, no charisma. Maybe it was just the blurry, faded videolink from Singapore…
But it’s hard to believe he could walk into a dressing room and command instant respect from the players.
And it’s impossible to see him turning up in Premier League boardrooms to demand clubs release players for international duty.
This wasn’t the best man for the job. This was the best job for the man.
Pim has won a watch landing the Socceroos gig. His CV is that of a journeyman who, at 51, has never quite cracked the big time. Until now.
It could be that this will be his moment, his chance to shine at the helm of a high profile team.
But he could also be Australia’s own version of England’s second-choice manager, Steve McClaren. They even both boast matching dodgy hairstyles.
The FFA were rushed into making a snap decision after Dirty Dick Advocaat reneged on his deal. With our first World Cup qualifier match two months away, we needed someone fast.
Given the circumstances we had two choices – pay over the odds for a big-name manager or pick someone cheap, available and interested.
We could have had both with Zico, but the FFA panicked into signing Verbeek without, so far as we know, even contacting Zico who could have fulfilled all the requirements (apart from being Dutch, obviously).
Zico wasn’t perfect but he ticked just as many boxes as Verbeek and then some.
Lowy defended the FFA’s choice saying Verbeek was the “most compatible” with the players. That thought terrifies me.
Graham Arnold was very compatible with the players – he tried to be their best mate – but that didn’t make him a good manager.
Lowy was also delighted that Verbeek was prepared to move to Australia, but that should be a minimum requirement (although one, admittedly, some potential candidates weren’t prepared to do).
Good though that is, it was also a taster of the emphasis Lowy and Verbeek now put on our A-League Socceroos. They are destined to play a much greater part in the Socceroos’ future, it seems.
Now, we have some great talent in the A-League but let’s be realistic. Almost all our very best players are currently overseas.
I’ve been accused of underestimating Asia, but I’ll tell you this: An A-League Socceroo team WILL struggle to qualify for the World Cup. An A-League Socceroo team is not the Asian powerhouse a full-strength Socceroos should be.
This is the World Cup. This is important. We need our best team fielded each game, every game. You can be sure every other team in the competition will be doing just that.
Verbeek said it was vital to start our campaign on February 6 with a win. He wants to start with a win and carry on winning. Well, don’t we all?
But despite that, he’s as good as run up the white flag on trying to field our very best team for the tie.
He meekly conceded there was no chance of bringing the Euro Socceroos on board because of the tight schedule between club league games and the international window.
That’s. Not. Good. Enough. Yup, the first game is vital. The first priority should be to get in the ears of the club managers and beg some flexibility for players’ release.
It’s early days yet but even if we do qualify for the World Cup, can anyone really see Pim Verbeek leading us to anything more than a “spirited” campaign “against the odds”?
No-one will be happier than me to be proved wrong, but the FFA have just condemned us to being a football minnow again. We’ve got Frank Farina with a Dutch accent.
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