The Dutchman must surely regret not having a chance of one more hit out before his side faces France next Saturday.

While the first XI select might be nearing finalisation, it still looks far from a polished side ready to shine at Russia 2018.

There was one shining light of positivity in the side though. The Daniel Arzani fairytale just continues to grow. He does what everyone said he would - he runs at defences and makes things happen. 

Yes, it was a goalkeeper howler which ultimately gave the Socceroos their goal... but that howler would never have happened if it were not for Arzani backing himself, taking on the backline and unleashing a shot. That’s the attitude that can win games and glory.

The question now though is aimple but crucial: Does Arzani start, or come off the bench as an impact player to turn a game around in the final minutes?

Beyond that though, this was a side which apparently has yet to decide on a skipper. Is this the final curtain for veteran stalwart Mile Jedinak, or will Trent Sainsbury be usurped from his new-found role when the World Cup campaign kicks off?

It looks ever more likely that Jedi may be struggling to make the starting line up. Last week, against Czechia, Jedinak was excused duties on account of fatigue. Last night he was excused again.

He made it on for the final 45 but was largely anonymous, and while you should never write anyone off on the basis of friendlies – where experimentation should be encouraged – it’s not looking good for his WC campaign at this stage.

Coincidentally, it could be argued in the last year or so, Ange’s Socceroos also looked at their best when Jedinak was unavailable. For all the steel he delivers in defence and leadership (and from the spot), the cost in his frequently erratic distribution and pace can often be punishing.

If Bert did try to go through the group without him, would it really be the end of his Socceroos career, though? Personally I suspect not as he would almost certainly be the kind of player Graham Arnold would lean on for the Asian Cup campaign next year.

But Russia 2018 could see the skipper, who led us through qualifying, relegated to a bit part role on the bench.

That said, who replaces him in front of defence? BvM seems to favour Massimo Luongo, yet I still see him more as a 10 or an 8 than a 6, but to be fair he plays that role for his club and has performed well for the Roos there.

But for me, Jackson Irvine offers more in that role with the added bonus of ALSO being strong in attack, versus Luongo’s strong in attack who can also play a role in defence.

Luongo, Mooy, Rogic, Kruse, Leckie, Nabbout seem like too much of an aggressive selection, certainly for France and possibly only for a Hail Mary game against Peru where a win is vital.

Neither Milligan nor Risdon helped their case for a starting slot. They are still both probably the best for the role in the squad... but if I were BvM, I’d love another run out with Jurman in that defence and just to check Risdon is indeed the best option and that he simply had a poor night in Budapest.

Brad Jones also showed why he struggled to get caps. He may have shone in the Eredivisie but the miscommunication with Sainsbury which led to the own goal simply is unimaginable with Mat Ryan or Danny Vukovic between the green and gold sticks.

Finally, Tomi Juric may definitely be struggling to pin down a place in Bert’s line up. Given 34 minutes in the second half to show what he can do, he failed to deliver again. 

He may well be the tough target man who can hold up the ball and set up those around him, but if they are incapable of scoring (and the goals-to-game ratio of Leckie, Kruse, Rogic and Mooy suggest they generally are, at best, infrequent goalscorers) then he has to do the business himself... and a goal every four games is simply not good enough for that role.

But then Nabbout couldn’t find the net in 45 minutes either. One more friendly with Jamie Maclaren starting could have offered deeper insight into BvM’s squad depth and strength but the option is no longer there. 

There are big decisions to make, and an intense few days on the training ground in Kazan ahead.

If, as he says, van Marwijk is only thinking about the France game right now, then there is a helluva lot to think about in the next six days, starting the very second they arrive in Kazan later today.