After a very promising showing at the World Cup that even surprised our own fans, the Socceroos seem to have fallen into a hole that is getting deeper and deeper with each step. The nightmare for the Socceroos worsened in recent weeks when poor performances led to disappointing results in the recent round of friendlies against opposition that we were expected to beat comfortably. This resulted in Australia falling to its lowest FIFA ranking (94) of all time. To top it all off, the Young Socceroos failed to qualify for next year's U-20 World Cup. With just a few months until the start of the Asian Cup and only one friendly match left before then, can Ange Postecoglou resurrect the squad and get the Socceroos ready in time?
Lackluster Friendlies
Everything seemed to be going in the right direction, Ange Postecoglou took over as coach, the team started playing an attractive style of football, young exciting players were brought into the squad and the Socceroos were able to impress at the World Cup. However since then, performances have been poor and results disappointing to say the least. In the four friendlies played since the World Cup, Australia have managed to win only once, a lucky one at that. The players just don't seem to have the quality to execute the style of play and the defense has been weak. Last but not least, the over reliance on Tim Cahill for goals seems like a never ending problem. The worrying thing is that there is only one friendly match left before the Asian Cup so Ange has extremely limited time to sort out the issues plaguing the squad at the moment. At the end of the day, friendlies are just that, a chance for teams to try out new tactics and players. Australia always seems to rise in the big occasions and I expect the same to happen at the Asian Cup.
All Time Low in the FIFA Rankings
Now I know that a lot of fans and football pundits don't take the FIFA Rankings very seriously but it still stands as some sort of measuring stick. The fact is that the Socceroos have officially hit rock bottom, Australia's ranking of 94 in the latest list is the all time lowest for Australia since FIFA introduced the controversial ranking system in 1992. Our highest ranking of all time was 14th in September 2009 after a great World Cup and continued success afterwards. Although I don't take the FIFA Rankings too seriously either, it does confirm that the players from the 'golden generation' were truly a cut above our current crop. I think it's time to look at ourselves and admit that we're just not as good as we were a few years ago. In saying that, I still have faith in Ange Postecoglou and have enjoyed the way the Socceroos are trying to play football. In my opinion the FIFA Rankings do not reflect the true quality and potential of a squad.
Failure for the Young Socceroos
Failure for the Young Socceroos
The Australian U-20 squad has always had a proud tradition in Australian football, a squad which has brought much success in the past. The Young Socceroos have qualified for the U-20 World Cup fifteen times since the tournament was established, finishing 4th on two occasions. Producing young talent is one thing Australia is better known for in world football, Harry Kewell being the most famous example. Unfortunately even the younger squads seem to be struggling at the moment. This month the Young Socceroos were knocked out at the group stage in the AFC U-19 Championship and therefore missed out on qualifying for next year's U-20 World Cup, to be held in New Zealand. Two draws and one win in the championship were not enough to qualify and their uninspiring performances reflected the senior squad's recent exploits. The long term future for the Socceroos doesn't look bright at the moment. With players like Terry Antonis, Brad Smith and Daniel De Silva coming through, this of course has the potential to change quickly.
Is Ange Postecoglou too Stubborn?
Ange Postecoglou has done a lot of things right since taking charge of the Socceroos, his appointment presented a long term plan that so many fans were craving for. The problem about focusing too much on the future however is that you forget about the present. The 2015 Asian Cup is the tournament that is meant to be the great catalyst for Australian football, the national squad is still without a major trophy. After the latest performances it's difficult to see how Australia will manage to reach the final, let alone win the whole thing. Ange's prefered style of football is pleasing to the eye and exciting but players need to be tactically aware and very technically gifted, two things that our current players seem to lack. Ange seems to have the right idea in the way football should be played but the problem is that it's not being very effective with the players we have to choose from at the moment. With the Asian Cup looming should Ange Postecoglou try to be more flexible and get the Socceroos to play more direct when the going gets tough? We will have to wait and see but Ange absolutely must consider having a true plan 'B' and possibly bring in a few more experienced players for the Asian Cup. Being more adaptable and playing a bit more to our strengths will ensure that Australia has a strong showing at the tournament.
Interesting times ahead for the national squad, one thing is for sure, the 2015 Asian Cup is a tournament where anything less than first place will be seen as a failure. Ange Postecoglou knows there is a huge amount of pressure on the team to succeed and he needs to fix a lot of issues otherwise the Socceroos might find themselves in a hole that is impossible to escape from. As I stated earlier though, I have no doubt that the Socceroos will rise to the occasion and the players will give it their all on the field. We'll go into the tournament as favourites and it won't come as a surprise seeing Mile Jedinak lifting the trophy above his head at a packed Stadium Australia come January 31st.
Ange Postecoglou has done a lot of things right since taking charge of the Socceroos, his appointment presented a long term plan that so many fans were craving for. The problem about focusing too much on the future however is that you forget about the present. The 2015 Asian Cup is the tournament that is meant to be the great catalyst for Australian football, the national squad is still without a major trophy. After the latest performances it's difficult to see how Australia will manage to reach the final, let alone win the whole thing. Ange's prefered style of football is pleasing to the eye and exciting but players need to be tactically aware and very technically gifted, two things that our current players seem to lack. Ange seems to have the right idea in the way football should be played but the problem is that it's not being very effective with the players we have to choose from at the moment. With the Asian Cup looming should Ange Postecoglou try to be more flexible and get the Socceroos to play more direct when the going gets tough? We will have to wait and see but Ange absolutely must consider having a true plan 'B' and possibly bring in a few more experienced players for the Asian Cup. Being more adaptable and playing a bit more to our strengths will ensure that Australia has a strong showing at the tournament.
Interesting times ahead for the national squad, one thing is for sure, the 2015 Asian Cup is a tournament where anything less than first place will be seen as a failure. Ange Postecoglou knows there is a huge amount of pressure on the team to succeed and he needs to fix a lot of issues otherwise the Socceroos might find themselves in a hole that is impossible to escape from. As I stated earlier though, I have no doubt that the Socceroos will rise to the occasion and the players will give it their all on the field. We'll go into the tournament as favourites and it won't come as a surprise seeing Mile Jedinak lifting the trophy above his head at a packed Stadium Australia come January 31st.
Australia vs. Japan is LIVE and exclusive on Fox Sports - Tuesday 18 November
The 2015 Asian Cup kicks off on January 9th
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