FOOTBALL Federation Australia are caught in a Catch 22 situation with the new Socceroos coach.
On one hand, to qualify for the World Cup, they need someone with Asian experience. But on the other hand, to command the respect of the Euro Socceroos, they need a big name.
Sadly, it seems almost impossible to square the circle.
All the candidates put forward with the necessary Asian experience just don’t make the grade in terms of worldwide respect.
Some of our top stars are quite simply prima donnas. The Asian Cup showed that up, as does every pull-out in the lead up to a friendly.
They need someone they respect to pull them into line, to make them do as they’re told, and to turn up for games when they’re required.
Good coaches they might be, but names like Troussier, Vieira and Verbeek just don’t have the authority that’s required for that task.
Let’s also look closely at this Asian experience claim too. Okay, the Asian game is different, it is softer and it is played in completely different climates from what our players are used to.
But let’s be honest – we’re facing China (ranked 85th), Iraq (ranked 70th) and Qatar (are they even ranked?). If we can’t get past them, then quite frankly we don’t deserve to be in the World Cup.
This is not a group of death. These teams aren’t even close to being the best ranked teams in Asia. Any European nation would be delighted if this was what stood between them and the World Cup.
And what happens if or when we do qualify? We’re tied into a contract for a coach with specialist Asian knowledge...for a tournament against European, South American and African opposition. Can you see the problem?
We should forget just targeting coaches ‘with Asian experience’. We should go back to Plan A and simply aim for the best available coach we can get - ideally a big, respected name that can pull our stars into line and be tactically aware and flexible.
We’re basing our so-called need for a coach with Asian experience on Graham Arnold’s efforts in the Asian Cup. Arnie’s a nice guy, but he’s just not one of the best coaches in the world and it showed.
As a nation, we now have Asian experience. We now know we can’t take it as an easy ride. We now have backroom staff like Arnie and others who can identify the problems of playing in Asia to a new coach.
An experienced big name coach will be able to properly research opposition like China and Iraq and identify their weaknesses, have the clout to demand the FFA supply training facilities that will allow players acclimatise properly and the personal charisma to ensure our best first XI turn out when we need them.
And more importantly, he’ll make damn sure we have a fighting chance at the World Cup if we actually qualify.
Anything less and we’ll just be a cannon-fodder minnow at South Africa 2010...and we’re better than that. Or, at least, we can be.
On one hand, to qualify for the World Cup, they need someone with Asian experience. But on the other hand, to command the respect of the Euro Socceroos, they need a big name.
Sadly, it seems almost impossible to square the circle.
All the candidates put forward with the necessary Asian experience just don’t make the grade in terms of worldwide respect.
Some of our top stars are quite simply prima donnas. The Asian Cup showed that up, as does every pull-out in the lead up to a friendly.
They need someone they respect to pull them into line, to make them do as they’re told, and to turn up for games when they’re required.
Good coaches they might be, but names like Troussier, Vieira and Verbeek just don’t have the authority that’s required for that task.
Let’s also look closely at this Asian experience claim too. Okay, the Asian game is different, it is softer and it is played in completely different climates from what our players are used to.
But let’s be honest – we’re facing China (ranked 85th), Iraq (ranked 70th) and Qatar (are they even ranked?). If we can’t get past them, then quite frankly we don’t deserve to be in the World Cup.
This is not a group of death. These teams aren’t even close to being the best ranked teams in Asia. Any European nation would be delighted if this was what stood between them and the World Cup.
And what happens if or when we do qualify? We’re tied into a contract for a coach with specialist Asian knowledge...for a tournament against European, South American and African opposition. Can you see the problem?
We should forget just targeting coaches ‘with Asian experience’. We should go back to Plan A and simply aim for the best available coach we can get - ideally a big, respected name that can pull our stars into line and be tactically aware and flexible.
We’re basing our so-called need for a coach with Asian experience on Graham Arnold’s efforts in the Asian Cup. Arnie’s a nice guy, but he’s just not one of the best coaches in the world and it showed.
As a nation, we now have Asian experience. We now know we can’t take it as an easy ride. We now have backroom staff like Arnie and others who can identify the problems of playing in Asia to a new coach.
An experienced big name coach will be able to properly research opposition like China and Iraq and identify their weaknesses, have the clout to demand the FFA supply training facilities that will allow players acclimatise properly and the personal charisma to ensure our best first XI turn out when we need them.
And more importantly, he’ll make damn sure we have a fighting chance at the World Cup if we actually qualify.
Anything less and we’ll just be a cannon-fodder minnow at South Africa 2010...and we’re better than that. Or, at least, we can be.
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