Plus/minus: Aston Villa, Cardiff City, Man United, Southampton, Tottenham - 31st January 2014

Aston Villa

Player	G	Min	GS	GA	+/-	Scored/90	Conc/90	Team GD
Guzan	23	2070	26	32	-6	1.130	1.391	-6
Westwood	20	1793	21	29	-8	1.054	1.456	-6
Delph	20	1743	24	27	-3	1.239	1.394	-6
Clark	20	1665	24	26	-2	1.297	1.405	-6
Weimann	22	1588	21	22	-1	1.190	1.247	-6
Vlaar	18	1555	22	21	1	1.273	1.215	-6
Bacuna	21	1527	20	22	-2	1.179	1.297	-6
Agbonlahor	18	1482	16	22	-6	0.972	1.336	-6
El Ahmadi	20	1473	19	26	-7	1.161	1.589	-6
Benteke	18	1458	18	24	-6	1.111	1.481	-6
Luna	17	1381	15	18	-3	0.978	1.173	-6
Baker	16	1214	13	19	-6	0.964	1.409	-6
Lowton	15	1210	17	20	-3	1.264	1.488	-6
Kozak	14	781	10	9	1	1.152	1.037	-6
Tonev	14	550	5	6	-1	0.818	0.982	-6
Sylla	9	462	5	7	-2	0.974	1.364	-6
Albrighton	7	320	2	6	-4	0.563	1.688	-6
Herd	2	171	1	4	-3	0.526	2.105	-6
Bertrand	2	171	6	5	1	3.158	2.632	-6
Okore	3	167	1	3	-2	0.539	1.617	-6
Holt	2	66	0	1	-1	0.000	1.364	-6
Bowery	5	63	0	2	-2	0.000	2.857	-6
Helenius	3	49	0	1	-1	0.000	1.837	-6

Kruse and Williams to miss World Cup; Socceroos further taunted by Satan

Australians are used to the heat, but even those enduring eternal damnation in the fires of Hades might posit that this January has been atypically warm. While the Australian wilderness bakes, new Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglu must be sadly regarding his kitchen’s increasing temperature: first, he was dealt a truly petrifying group and in the past ten days, he has lost two key players for the onrushing World Cup.

en.wikipedia.org

Striker Robbie Kruse and midfielder/defender Rhys Williams have both suffered with season-ending injuries, blows which may perhaps define the World Cup for their countrymen.

The pair, Australia’s most eligible leaders, were the fresh faces of Postecoglu’s new Socceroos. The manager’s initial remit was to overhaul a staid national setup, with the two players most liable to benefit most from a divestment of “leadership” were Kruse and Williams. Mainstream Australia could identify with the pair – good players in excellent competitions, with the bonus of representing the Socceroos for long enough to be recognizable while not being members of the burnished Golden Generation.

The enforced withdrawals remove a vast element of class from any potential World Cup squad. While the A-League – and, indeed, most Asian football leagues – are improving in quality, there’s little question that the cream of Australian footballers ply their trade in Europe, and are regarded by Skippies with a certain amount of expectation. With Kruse and Williams sidelined, more of that responsibility sits awkwardly on the shoulders of unproven midfielders Tommy Oar, Tom Rogic and James Holland.

There is likely one silver lining from a dark week in Australian football: the squad that Postecoglu will select for Brazil will likely be comprised of very familiar names – old ones yukking up proto-retirement in the Emirati leagues (you’re excluded, Mark Bresciano), and younger players who appear in local competitions. That group includes interesting names such as left-back Ivan Franjic, Robbie Cornthwaite, Aaron Mooy and “Viduka-lite” Tomi Juric.

The post-World Cup boost Australian soccer received in 2006 was palpable around the then-nascent A-League, even though only one local made the squad. With half the squad in the general vicinity and a more unified outlook brought about by Postecoglu’s share-the-wealth game plan, Australian football can look upon the past week’s terror as an opportunity – albeit a sad one – to expand its brand and showcase the talent on display at home.