“There are teams that look well coached and there are those that look poorly coached and you’d have to say Australia look like the latter” – those were the words of the local commentator on Star Sports here in Thailand - someone with no Australian agenda. Just calling the game as they saw it. As I sat in my room watching late last night watching the replay of the game unfortunately it didn’t get any better than when I was watching it from the stands a few hours previously.
Australia were outclassed, out played and for the last 15 minutes out on their feet powerless to win the ball back from an Iraqi team who, like Oman before them, could have easily scored 3 more goals than they ended the game with.
Arnold made just one change to the starting line up bringing in Holman but he struggled to get into the game at all and was withdrawn at half time in favour of Tim Cahill who sparked a mini revival in the first 15 minutes of the second half when Australia equalized and for the first time played the sort of football we all know they can. Unfortunately they couldn’t step up from this position and their fragile defence was systematically torn apart by the superior movement, control and passing of the Iraqi team. No better was this demonstrated than for the second goal when a neat passing interplay, a smart run and a well timed reverse pass left Kisnorbo hopelessly out of position and Mulla Mohammed a clear one on one with Schwarzer from which he made no mistake with a smartly taken finish. From that point it was game over and the Aussies struggled as they had done against Oman to first get the ball and then to keep it.
The third goal was again a direct result of defensive lapses with Lucas Neill at fault twice before the Iraq player was left with the simplest of tap ins. The fact that the Iraqis could, and should, have added at least 2 more goals after that meant the score-line again flattered the Socceroos.
Arnold’s response in the second half had been to throw on Archie Thompson and John Aloisi but again there appeared no plan for this…just a desire to get bodies up front and hit the ball long into them. Brett Emerton worked tireless down the right flank but with little end product apart from the goal whilst on the other flank Harry Kewell by his own admission was largely ineffectual.
At the press conference before the game Lucas Neill had predicted the team would bounce back and make a different kind of statement. Unfortunately they didn’t and Lucas compounded a very poor day at the office personally by getting needlessly sent off in injury time making him ineligible for the do-or-die game against Thailand on Monday.
Although we didn’t see the interview having read reports of Graham Arnold questioning whether certain players wanted to be here surely it’s his job to read those signs in training and not pick those players or better yet… not have taken them at all.
There was understandable frustration from the thousands of Aussies who had made the trip and the “Arnold Out” chants were again gaining momentum. Personally I don’t agree with boo-ing players whilst they are still playing as it really doesn’t achieve anything or worse yet when they are coming over to thank you for you support so to see that happen was disappointing, if understandable. There is plenty of time to pick the bones out of the performance after the game and let’s not forget these players (and the supporters) have to lift themselves to win against Thailand to progress to the quarter finals. There is an open training session planned for this afternoon with coaches ferrying in much of the Aussie support to attend…it will interesting to see the response from players and fans if the session goes ahead as planned.
Where to go from here for the Socceroos? Well Arnold certainly needs to replace those he believes don’t want to be here and that will be interesting and revealing exercise in itself and I’d like to see players with something to prove given their chance to prove they can step up. That said, the game against Thailand is absolutely critical to the Socceroos so it’s not the time for wholesale changes…unless Graham Arnold already considers his fate sealed based on the first two performances. Surely following Holman’s ineffective half yesterday there has to be a spot for either Tim Cahill to start and perhaps Nicky Carle as he would offer something different to the Australian attack with the ability to put his foot on the ball in the opposition half and pick the sort of through balls that tore apart the Socceoos defence…certainly it’s baffling given the way the first two games have gone that Carle has not seen one minute of action yet. Neill’s enforced absence leaves an already threadbare defence looking very vulnerable…does he go for a Kisnorbo/Beauchamp pairing or maybe look to the more mobile Mark Milligan.
In the pre game press conference Graham Arnold had pointed to Japan as proof that some of the other fancied teams had struggled in their opening game…well in the game immediately following the Socceroos the Japanese team brushed aside the UAE 3-1 to put one foot in the quarter finals while the Socceroos edged closer to an early flight home.
Monday’s clash with hosts Thailand is now do-or-die for Australia in front of what is likely to be the first sell out crowd and having seen Thailand dismantle Oman on Thursday it’s the Thais that will go into this game full of confidence and will have seen nothing yesterday to suggest they can’t get the draw they need to progress at the expense of the Socceroos.
The clock is ticking and Graham Arnold has 72 hours to find some answers, get a response from his players and save his job… although it may well already be too late for that.
Australia were outclassed, out played and for the last 15 minutes out on their feet powerless to win the ball back from an Iraqi team who, like Oman before them, could have easily scored 3 more goals than they ended the game with.
Arnold made just one change to the starting line up bringing in Holman but he struggled to get into the game at all and was withdrawn at half time in favour of Tim Cahill who sparked a mini revival in the first 15 minutes of the second half when Australia equalized and for the first time played the sort of football we all know they can. Unfortunately they couldn’t step up from this position and their fragile defence was systematically torn apart by the superior movement, control and passing of the Iraqi team. No better was this demonstrated than for the second goal when a neat passing interplay, a smart run and a well timed reverse pass left Kisnorbo hopelessly out of position and Mulla Mohammed a clear one on one with Schwarzer from which he made no mistake with a smartly taken finish. From that point it was game over and the Aussies struggled as they had done against Oman to first get the ball and then to keep it.
The third goal was again a direct result of defensive lapses with Lucas Neill at fault twice before the Iraq player was left with the simplest of tap ins. The fact that the Iraqis could, and should, have added at least 2 more goals after that meant the score-line again flattered the Socceroos.
Arnold’s response in the second half had been to throw on Archie Thompson and John Aloisi but again there appeared no plan for this…just a desire to get bodies up front and hit the ball long into them. Brett Emerton worked tireless down the right flank but with little end product apart from the goal whilst on the other flank Harry Kewell by his own admission was largely ineffectual.
At the press conference before the game Lucas Neill had predicted the team would bounce back and make a different kind of statement. Unfortunately they didn’t and Lucas compounded a very poor day at the office personally by getting needlessly sent off in injury time making him ineligible for the do-or-die game against Thailand on Monday.
Although we didn’t see the interview having read reports of Graham Arnold questioning whether certain players wanted to be here surely it’s his job to read those signs in training and not pick those players or better yet… not have taken them at all.
There was understandable frustration from the thousands of Aussies who had made the trip and the “Arnold Out” chants were again gaining momentum. Personally I don’t agree with boo-ing players whilst they are still playing as it really doesn’t achieve anything or worse yet when they are coming over to thank you for you support so to see that happen was disappointing, if understandable. There is plenty of time to pick the bones out of the performance after the game and let’s not forget these players (and the supporters) have to lift themselves to win against Thailand to progress to the quarter finals. There is an open training session planned for this afternoon with coaches ferrying in much of the Aussie support to attend…it will interesting to see the response from players and fans if the session goes ahead as planned.
Where to go from here for the Socceroos? Well Arnold certainly needs to replace those he believes don’t want to be here and that will be interesting and revealing exercise in itself and I’d like to see players with something to prove given their chance to prove they can step up. That said, the game against Thailand is absolutely critical to the Socceroos so it’s not the time for wholesale changes…unless Graham Arnold already considers his fate sealed based on the first two performances. Surely following Holman’s ineffective half yesterday there has to be a spot for either Tim Cahill to start and perhaps Nicky Carle as he would offer something different to the Australian attack with the ability to put his foot on the ball in the opposition half and pick the sort of through balls that tore apart the Socceoos defence…certainly it’s baffling given the way the first two games have gone that Carle has not seen one minute of action yet. Neill’s enforced absence leaves an already threadbare defence looking very vulnerable…does he go for a Kisnorbo/Beauchamp pairing or maybe look to the more mobile Mark Milligan.
In the pre game press conference Graham Arnold had pointed to Japan as proof that some of the other fancied teams had struggled in their opening game…well in the game immediately following the Socceroos the Japanese team brushed aside the UAE 3-1 to put one foot in the quarter finals while the Socceroos edged closer to an early flight home.
Monday’s clash with hosts Thailand is now do-or-die for Australia in front of what is likely to be the first sell out crowd and having seen Thailand dismantle Oman on Thursday it’s the Thais that will go into this game full of confidence and will have seen nothing yesterday to suggest they can’t get the draw they need to progress at the expense of the Socceroos.
The clock is ticking and Graham Arnold has 72 hours to find some answers, get a response from his players and save his job… although it may well already be too late for that.
