It's not often I'll find myself considering the problems of the English national team. The questionable mentality behind the consistent underachievement, the influx of foreigners strangling the Premier League, even Wayne Rooney's temper tantrums; none of it is enough to engage my mind for fear of madness. However, there is one small but ultimately crucial dynamic that I don't mind exploring if I'm ever feeling low about our own national team. A dynamic which, once broken, helped fuel England's latest failure.
The all important aspect of leadership is what I'm referring to here.
While the Three Lions' latest World Cup meltdown wasn't merely a breakdown in communication - they have far more deep-seated problems than we need to worry about - a disciplined framework of player leadership can be identified as key instigator. Without trying to infuriate any English readers, this is one of our biggest strengths.
It's indicative of Australia's rich captaincy options that we probably won't ever get to see Tim Cahill wear the armband on a permanent basis despite being such a model professional and influential on-field presence.
Australian football has long been blessed with these types of great leaders. Names like Wilson, Wade, Tobin and even Muscat stand out as prominent figures in past generations. The contemporary crop is no exception to the tradition.
Mark Schwarzer, Luke Wilkshire, Vince Grella, Brett Emerton, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell are the current support staff to Lucas Neill's head position. Unlike John Terry, those in the Australian leadership group know and respect their role. It's a well oiled and properly functioning cog of the national team setup.
Unfortunately, the ageing process is beginning to take its toll and a new generation of personalities will need to be integrated into the inner sanctum. Of the names mentioned above, only Luke Wilkshire is under the age of thirty.
The new Socceroos gaffer can at least be comforted by the fact that Lucas Neill still has a few years left in him yet but, in saying that, it would be sensible to promote players sooner rather than later.
Carl Valeri and Brett Holman stood out as mature performers during the World Cup and would be obvious candidates. Looking further down the road, James Holland and Ben Kantarovski are two that have recently cut their teeth leading the Young Socceroos; a terrific learning experience. They also have a few high quality mentors to assist their transition.
I think even Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott would benefit from contacting Neill and co. for advice on guiding a successful team. Better yet, how about a Socceroos Party? It would have my vote.
