Postecoglou must be new Socceroo manager

Holger Osieck ended his association with Australian soccer an unpopular coach whose side capitulated 6-0 twice in succession.  If anything is liable to have a manager fired, it is a pitiful loss against reasonable opposition and the German was dismissed in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s match against France.

According to the normal chain of events, speculation is gathering as to the identity of his successor with the most high-profile names being Socceroo Swami Guus Hiddink, ex-Chile and Athletic Bilbao boss Marcelo Bielsa and – for some unknown reason – Roberto Di Matteo.  Were Australia focusing solely on the World and Asian Cups of 2014 and 15, an “impact signing” excelling at tournament football – and hopefully at pulling strings at European clubs – would seem a wise investment.

However, none of the three “names” above would be inclined to hang around to create a platform for future development; to an ambitious non-Aussie, the most appealing aspect of the Australia job is almost certainly its potential for a quick profit. 

Australia has lacked footballing identity since the 2010 World Cup. Until that time, the boys in Gold were a lineup of predictably loveable maulers: their backline boasted Craig Moore, Lucas Neill and Scott Chipperfield while the midfield was manned by uncompromising sorts Brett Emerton and Vince Grella.  The team’s only lightweight, Harry Kewell, flitted about behind man-mountain Mark Viduka and his unsettlingly-physical Boy Wonder, Tim Cahill. 

With the Green and Gold army clamouring for generational change and the press conferences of some of the Socceroo elite seemingly endorsing such claims, Football Federation of Australia Chairman and all-around-Daddy-Warbucks-figure Frank Lowy has narrowed the association’s focus and suggested the biggest hire in Australian soccer is likely to be from the FFA’s back room, the A-League. 

The Australian national team needs to be the pinnacle for any Australian footballer. While the A-League has strengthened, the player pathways that produced the Golden Generation that peaked in 2006 have become overgrown.  A strong Socceroo side with structures based around player development both at home and abroad is an absolute necessity for football to become more deeply rooted in the antipodean sporting consciousness.  The coach best able to implement such a program must be employed.

For the first time in a generation, an Australian is almost certainly the best person for the position.

Lowy has effectively narrowed the field to three candidates – Tony Popovic of nascent Western Sydney Wanderers; former interim Socceroo manager Graham Arnold, now of the Central Coast Mariners; and Melbourne Victory kingpin Ange Postecoglou.

All the candidates present convincing resumés despite high-profile failures.  Of the three, Arnold probably comes with the most baggage due to his underwhelming Asian Cup leadership of 2007; however, he has developed a consistently good Mariners outfit despite a tight budget even by A-League standards.  His appointment may be seen as a reward to a company man. Popovic has a jaw-dropping level of natural talent for management and served an impressive apprenticeship before taking a journeyman bunch of Wanderers into the league finals in their first season.  Questions remain, however, as to his experience.

Even with these negative aspects, were Arnold or Popovic to earn the position, Australia could feel confident about the Socceroos’ future. 

However, the most compelling choice is Ange Postecoglou.  After turning the Brisbane Roar from also-rans into dominant Premiers, he is currently re-shaping the A-League’s biggest club into a younger, more vital side; his modus operandi is to turn young footballers into disciplined and productive units.

This is based in part about his coaching philosophy: his teams hold the ball and use it rather than Osieck’s haphazard, “needs-must” approach.  In an age where Australian youngsters have struggled to claim positions for the National side, pragmatism has few uses even focusing solely upon next year’s Cup.  If a player – especially a youngster – knows ahead of time what is expected of a Socceroo, he is in far better position to prepare.

Despite the short lead-in to the World Cup, the FFA is in an enviable position.  They can finally choose a manager to mould a team with the future in mind rather than employing someone they hope is able to bring about short-term results.  The Round of Sixteen would of course be nice, but the Socceroos can no longer afford to focus on the twilights Schwarzer, Neill and Cahill.  The outlook must now be on the retirements of James Holland, Tom Rogic and Matthew Spiranovic.

Osieck not long for Socceroos' top job

With Australian football trying to regain its feet after a 6-0 pasting against Brazil last month, speculation has intensified over the future of Socceroo coach Holger Osieck. The German manager has appeared a man unable to take forward steps in the past twelve months, with his players effectively playing according to inconsistent tactics; even his greatest moment in 2013 was tarnished by a poorly-timed sexist joke. The only thing Osieck has definitively delivered for Australia has been PR calamity: perfunctory football run by a quasi-unlikable boss.

The only things in Osieck's favor - significant though they may be - include a truncated lead-in time for any new manager and the $1 million he's still owed by the Football Federation of Australia Frank Lowy. Although he remains unpopular, it still remains more likely than not that the manager incumbent will lead the likes of Brett Holman, Tommy Oar and Archie Thompson (!) to South America and, ultimately, disappointment.

Strangely, the single greatest reason for the appointment of a new boss might be a limited talent pool. With Australia's best 20 players almost set in stone, the only way a new gaffer might impact the side during the year-til-Brazil would be to engage players and encourage tactical buy-in. This is an aspect of management Osieck has found difficult, because his iteration of Australia simply hasn't had the identity of past sides. For years, Australia was a burly, physical outfit capable of controlling games through brute strength. As players like Oar and Tom Rogic replaced the Mark Vidukas and Scott Chipperfields of the world, the Socceroos lost some of that identity and therefore Osieck has settled for an inconsistent style.

A new manager - Leo Beenhakker, perhaps? Or Johan Neeskens? - might help develop a national team with an identity and a definite idea of how to play to type. However, with Lowy burnt twice by international bosses (neither Osieck nor his predecessor Pim Verbeek have been a real success), the inclination is that Osieck will retain his post for the Fiesta World Cup, but only that long.

Socceroos bound for Rio despite managerial misgivings

After cutting it far too fine for comfort, the Socceroos can finally begin to prepare for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. An eighty-third minute headed goal from Joshua Kennedy sealed a 1-0 victory against old rivals Iraq and progression from the final round of Asian Qualifying. While the display against essentially a second-string side was hardly awe-inspiring, it was enough and the antipodeans now take their place alongside Japan, South Korea and Iran as AFC representatives at the Big Dance.

Uzbekistan and Jordan will compete in a two-legged playoff in early September for the final available Asian qualifying position. Whichever squad that makes it to Brazil will certainly prove a fillip to their nation, but may not impact the makeup of the second round: of the Asian clubs bound for Rio, Betfair.com has Japan the shortest of the long-odds at 126:1.

While it's taken nearly three years, Australia coach Holger Osieck seems to have finally hit upon the best makeup for his side.  Over his tenure, Osieck has dithered through an extensive playing roster without ever tipping his hand towards pragmatism (and continued appearances by the likes of Sasa Ognenovski and Alex Brosque) or an attempt at an exciting future featuring Tomas Rogic, Tommy Oar and Robbie Kruse. This has hurt the team, as players both young and old never seem to know whether they had roles to play in attaining a World Cup berth. Had the Socceroos not won last night, this lack of clear vision - and a penchant for sexist jokes - would have thrust the German onto perilously thin ice.

The lineups deployed in these past two crucial qualifiers suggest Osieck believes - as do the majority of the Green and Gold Army - that success lies not in wholesale youth or experience, but somewhere firmly betwixt. The crucial players in Tuesday evening's win were Oar, Rogic and resurrected thirtysomethings Ognenovski, Neill, Kennedy and Mark Bresciano. Had the Socceroos been without Al-Gharafa's Bresciano over the past six months, they would be - at best - face a nerve-racking playoff to cement next summer's Samba Tour.

After two years of curious selections, it may be that Osieck has happened luckily upon his best lineup at the critical time.  The alternate viewpoint states that Australia's mixed results are a function of rarely having an entire squad available due to the travel involved in representing Australia.

Educated onlookers favour the former, especially based on the teams Osieck selected during turgid losses to Jordan and a draw with Oman: the Socceroos relied too heavily upon a square, lateral gameplan that lacked in fluidity and impetus. The re-emergence of Oar and the boost Rogic and Kruse obtained from transfers has thrust a more joyful approach upon the men in gold, resulting in a 4-0 thumping of Jordan (the nation's biggest win in a match that mattered since their 6-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan in the 2011 Asian Cup) and now, ultimately, acceptance not just as the Socceroos' future, but also their present.

To paraphrase Napoleon: it's better to be lucky than good, and Osieck appears to have stumbled upon his most fruitful combination.

Despite the pressure of expectation, Osieck has recently displayed a happy recognition of when to make the correct substitutions at the most important moments. Last night, he got it right again - removing Australia's most effective forwards this decade (Tim Cahill and Brett Holman) and inserting forgotten man Kennedy - a man built to dominate Asian football - who scored only minutes after arriving on the pitch for the 'Roos for the first time since 2011

That he has finally, finally, seemingly integrated the talented youth into the cadre of hard-bitten vets and finally exemplified his once-vaunted game-management skills, the future looks brighter for Australian football than it did only a fortnight ago.

With the pressure now off and Australia hoping for an improvement from Pim Verbeek's ill-begotten 2010 World Cup.

A new coach, a new beginning

Australia under Holger Osieck are proving a very different proposition than their time under the overly-watchful eye of Pim Verbeek. Where the Dutchman was cautious to a (large) fault, the German has endowed Australia with sensible selection policy, good play from his A-League complement and even the occasional 4-4-2 formation. He is the Anti-Pim and the players seem to be responding.

Of course the Socceroos have since the days of Terry Venables been able to compete - and sometimes win - against good opposition. Under Verbeek they managed several creditable results but it was obvious to fans that Verbeek's skill lay not in winning matches, but saving them. It seemed he thought success came not through craftsmanship but took the opposite, utilitarian direction. Perhaps, like Roy Hodgson's alleged Liverpool crimes, he is better at producing draws than either wins or losses.

As a manager, there isn't a better opportunity infuse your breed of football into a team than to prove it's efficacy against a bogey-side. Yesterday's win in Moenchengladbach was just that - further validation of Osieck's appointment and Australian management's insistence on a manger who could nurture growth in the Socceroo squad.

When Australia lined up against Germany in Durban for their first World Cup match, they fielded a 4-6-0 formation with the main intent being damage control. In that formation both Richard Garcia - in his first competitive international - and Tim Cahill played out of position and turned in almost career-worst nights. The Socceroos were soundly defeated 4-0 and any hopes of making the second round from the Group of Terminal Illness were quashed. The Green and Gold army scoffed at an obvious lack of trust - and received a performance, hamstrung by a complete absence of forwards, could be read one of two ways. The cautious would suggest the inoffensive formation actually prevented even more of a mauling; those favouring a more balanced lineup would just suggest players don't perform when they're not trusted.

Yesterday - in enemy, rather than neutral, territory - the Socceroos stayed with a 4-4-2 the entire match, having both the resilience and chutzpah to absorb German forays and then return the attack. The result was 2-1 and only the most miserly would deny Australia's achievement against a strong Teutonic team. Osieck's stock is rising after an impressive Asian Cup campaign and should he continue to drink from Guus Hiddink's "You can do anything" juice, the Socceroos will continue to remain challenging for a Top-20 berth in the FIFA World Rankings.

Asian Cup Semi Final Diary: Australia vs. Uzbekistan

The Asian Cup nears it's culmination this week as the Semi-Finals and Finals are played. Traditional powers contested one semi, Japan and South Korea; while two of the region's newer tyros are to fight out the second - still new-to-region Australia and the wealthy Uzbekistan, their FFA's pockets filled by natural resource money. This morning's first semi-final had the Blue Samurai progressing on penalties after a goal each in extra time - South Korea levelled right on 120 minutes. The shootout a bit anticlimactic as none of the first three South Koreans converted their spot-kicks.

The Uzbeks got here by defeating Jordan in the Quarter-Finals while Australia have been troubled only rarely in the tournament so far but needed extra time to beat Iraq in the round previous. While we talk about this year's Asian Cup, I'll intersperse it with what's happening in Qatar.

Kick off. No surprises in the Australia lineup. Honestly don't know enough about the Uzbeks to say if their team has any major changes.

There's no coincidence that it's these four in the Semi-Finals. The leagues in Japan, Korea and Australia, while unable to compete for cash with the excessively wealthy Arabic and Emirati leagues, so don't have necessarily the most high-end talent but rather deepest leagues from top team to bottom.

GOOAALLL! Harry Kewell, you little beauty! After only five minutes, what a way to start! Played in beautifully by David Carney, he slots it low to the left of the Uzbek goalie Juraev. Silky smooth, just as you'd expect of a player with his talents. He scored the winner in the quarter-final too - repaying the Australian nation's public with his performances.

The South Koreans have been led by the usual suspects - Park Ji-Sung and striker Koo Ja-Cheol who scored in all their group games. For Japan it's been Dortmund's Shiniji Kagawa and CSKA Moscow's Keisuke Honda fronting their attack. For the Uzbeks, well, who knows? Almost their entire squad plays at home in the petro-funded Uzbek league.

Like against Iraq in the 2007 Asian Cup Finals, Australia are bossing any physical encounters only to be outmanoeuvred by their lighter-footed opponents. Younis Mahmoud was just outstanding that day, today it seems to be the stupendously named Ulugbek Bakaev.

Australia have been led by another old stager - Harry Kewell. A figure who prompts both derision and admiration back home, the average Aussie is certain Kewell's our most gifted footballer ever. Sadly though, Harry's struggled to repay his country on the largest stages as injury robbed him of his physical gifts and a possible lack of desire means he's turned out for the 'Roos less than we'd like.

Unusually Wilkshire's been beaten for pace a few times on the right and has fouled his man in dangerous positions. It's Uzbek captain Server Djeparov and defender Viktor Kaprenko causing the problems.

Kewell's only turned it on for the Green and Gold army early on where he scored home and away against Iran in the World Cup Playoffs 1997. Then and his memorable goal in the 2006 World Cup. Aside from that, his time in the national setup has been largely disappointing and for the most part nonexistent. Since he joined Galatasary he's been somewhat revitalised . Perhaps Australia's most famous footballing export and his Golden Generation comrades may yet win a trophy to back up all the hype over the years.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!

Ognenovski, too. What a player, it's probably Pim Verbeek's largest legacy that he decided time and again against picking this guy. From a set piece, headed by Cahill (who else?) into the path of the big man who calmly finished it off. Kisses all round - teammates, wedding band alike. 35min in.

Uzbekistan's more famous footballing moments of late have been high-profile mistakes, really. Aside from the goal that wasn't at the Asian Games in November - their keeper was almost as palpably culpable as the immortal Khalfan Fahad - Uzbekistan football last hit the headlines when their largest club Bunyudkor, one of the Asian Champions' League's usual suspects employed Big Phil, Luis Felipe Scolari ...

Geez, that was close. Carney chests down to Schwarzer in the box with an Uzbek striker not far away. Carney going forward is a great threat for Australia. Carney defending is also a great threat for Australia, and not in a good way.

... As I was saying, Bunyudkor must've paid through the nose for Big Phil, who then promptly brought Rivaldo to the club. They played one Champions' League game in Adelaide and lost, Rivaldo was still there but Big Phil had gone back to Brazil by then. Rivaldo's back there now, too.

One minute of extra time in the first half. Uzbekistan creates down the left again - Wilkshire's man, strange, he's usually the best of our defenders - and the cross finds an open man at the top of the box. His drive goes well wide though.

Half Time.

Ready to go in the second half.

Oooh, that was a real cahnce for Harry. Long through ball from Matt McKay, right on the money and Kewell didn't control it to his satisfaction, cleared for a coner, which Australia wins the header and it goes wide. They've really got the best of the air.

Taking a glance through the stats at half time and you've got to feel for Walid Abbas of the UAE. He managed to score two own goals in one tournament which could be some sort of record. The UAE only managed three games too. The goalscorers are interesting, South Korea's Koo Ja-Cheol and Bahrain's Ismael Abdullatif have four, and Our Harry has three, crucial ones too.

Looks like a sub's going to come on for Australia, 22yo Robbie Kruse of the Melbourne Victory seems to be warming up. Maybe coach Holger Osieck wants to keep Cahill or Kewell fresh for the final if we make it. Neither have a card so it's not to ensure discipline. Turns out Harry Kewell's coming off for the in-form Victory striker.

The Asian Champions League and Asian Cup really seems to have benefited from Australia's involvement. I don't think the smaller nations are necessarily going to lose out by having anthoer top-30 ranked team ....

Really nice move by Kruse - wrong-foots a defender from the left and challenges the goalkeeper with a fizzing shot. Uzbekistan have made a substitution, with Hasanov coming off for Bikmaev.

Anyway, I think Australia involved in Asia adds to the lustre and considering this tournament was won by war-torn Iraq last time and Uzbekistan have made it to the semis this time around there shouldn't be too much of a debate about the detrimental effects to smaller nations. Both countries have good footballing traditions but lesser repute.

Holger Osieck is up off the bench now, chatting to the referee. There really have been some dubious calls go against Australia. A little bit too much razzle-dazzle attempted by the Uzbeks as their buildup work is shorted out by Australian defenders.

Another Uzbek substitution now as Tursinov is sent on by coach Vadim Abramov.

Abramov, who sports the archetypal Eastern European mullet and simply enormous 'tache which makes him look the spitting image of the Paddle Pop Lion.

Australia are doing better now, controlling possession well as Kruse and Cahill hold the ball up well. Emerton on now for Holman as Bikmaev's free kick deflects off the wall for a corner. The Uzbeks really are going down very easily - they're aware the Aussies have a reputation for physical play and as such may be trying to exploit any preconceived ideas the referees may have.

What is a strength for Australia in Asia can also be a weakness. Typically our defenders are big strong strapping types - Craig Moore and Ognenovski are perfect examples - who are able to mix it up in the box and also...

Good looking movement ... Carney SCORES!!!! 3-0 Australia, we're going to the Asian Cup Final!! Carney received it from Matt McKay - an A-League guy who's played extremely well today - down the left as he nutmegs the goalkeeper. Tim Cahill signalling to the bench, he may be done for the day. Great play by no. 9, going around four Australian defenders only to shoot straight at Schwarzer. Ognenovski and Bakaev get into it -

And Bakaev picks up his second yellow! He's off! Clattered Luke Wilkshire - horrible tackle. Coach Abramov looks distinctly unimpressed.

Yeah, Aussie defenders - and midfielders too, to be honest - tend to physically dominate Asian midfields because Indonesian and (great chance goes begging as Cahill beats three, crosses to a beautifully-positioned Kruse who takes one touch too many and scuffs his shot into the keeper) Thai squads don't have the muscle to compete in the contest. It also, however, means that when exposed to the low-centre-of-gravity dribblers of which Asian has a multitude, they can be wound in circles.

Karpamov off for Ibragimamov; Leeds United's Neil Kilkenny - the perpetual Next Big Thing of Australian football - on for Tim Cahill. Another forward thrust by the Socceroos, they're really starting to put the foot on the throat. Emerton gets the ball from Kruse and the Uzbek keeper saves.

Still on the size differential, that inability to deal with the tricksters could be the reason that a right-back, Lucas Neill, has been our most effective centre-half for half a decade. It's probably also that the former Soviet Republics are a much easier proposition for Australia because their lienups have a little more si ... -

GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL! Robbie Kruse finds Brett Emerton and surely Australia can't be stopped. Long ball from Wilkshire to Kruse who beat the last defender for pace, got inside the area and squared it for Emerton who finished under pressure. Kruse has looked really good)

... size. The Uzbeks are big, physically impressive players up front and down back, who, though while creative aren't of the same agility as a Honda or Kagawa of Japan.

Australia are starting to exploit a tired Uzbek side. Golden Chance as it's a 4 on 2 fast break and Kruse, searching for his first international goal, has his shot saved by the keeper. With quite a bit of time to go, this could get ugly for the Uzbeks. They're not at the races so far this half and have been sliced open time and again by Kruse, Kewell, Cahill and the like.

Australia's chief concern now has to be preserving discipline and ensuring they don't lose any players for a Japan side against whom the Socceroos have only a middling record. Since the 2006 World Cup match where we came back to win 3-1 in the last fifteen minutes, I've been hooked on football, so this game will have some special significance. We lost (on penalties I think) against them in the 2007 Asian Cup so there's a little bit of major tournament rivalry going on between the two. Add to that a few of Australia's best play in the J-League and we could have a real hum-dinger of a final on Sunday.

GOOOOAAAALL!! Valeri this time, after great build up and hustle from the Australians. Abramov has resigned himself to taking this pantsing as the Uzbeks couldn't clear the ball, Kruse flicks it on with delicious skills to Matt McKay, who crosses for Valeri in the centre of the penalty box who slams it home. Emphatic performance by the Socceroos.

ANOTHER ONE!!!!!! GOOOOALLL! Kruse this time, as he takes the ball from the kick off, skirts four defenders, proceeds to the edge of the area and fires it past the hapless Uzbek keeper Juraev. 6-0!!! He deserves that, he's been brilliant since coming on and his teammates tell him so. Mark Schwarzer has even come up from goal to congratulate him. Perhaps one of the most celebrated sixth goals ever, they're happy for the lad.

Abramov looks like he's been told he has only days to live. He's already at stage 5 of the seven stages of grief by now.

Uzbekistan muster one final attack and Tursunov's attempt is deflected over by Schwarzer. The corner and it's re-take is cleared. Uzbekistan has barely approached their penalty area this half, it's been a dominant Socceroo performance. Three minutes of added time and it can't go quickly enough for the luckless Uzbeks, who talk in defence about as often as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie do now.

As good as this performance has been by the Aussies, the Uzbeks really have dropped their heads here in the second half.

WHISTLE! Aurelio Vidmar congratulates Holger Osieck as the German makes the rounds of his players. Uzbekistan will have to regroup in the most startling way and cope without their best striker Bakaev on Saturday when they take on South Korea for third place. I'd back them to play much better than they did here today - after half time they were insipid.

Australia v. Japan? Well, a different story. Japan may have "played their final already" with today's penalty victory against their arch-rival, where Australia may have wanted a more thorough hit out before such a big match which easily rates as one of the largest in our history. No injuries, no suspensions it seems and only a fool would underestimate the Japanese on Sunday.

It was good to see that it was younger guys like Matt McKay and Robbie Kruse who led the team with Kewell rather than the guys we've relied on in the past like Luke Wilkshire, Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill. Bring on Sunday's final!

Too late a call-up, too short a season

The story of behemoth Aussie Central Defender Sasa Ognenovski is a curious one. The thirty-one year old epitome of the word "Colossus" was recently selected on the five-man shortlist for the Asian Footballer of the Year award due to his performances for Seongnam in the K-League and made his Full International debut.

After a career in the Australian NSL and it's associated minor leagues - and a cup of coffee with Panachaiki in Greece - Ognenovski was among the earliest players selected for the fledgling A-League's first season in 2006-07 and proved a rock in defence for the Queensland Roar. After eighteen months he moved to Adelaide to compete in the Asian Champions League where his star shone brightly. Given his gargantuan frame and above-average athleticism when compared to his opponents, the Big Fella excelled in Asia and suddenly became the hottest property in AFC football and was the subject of bids from two K-League squads.

He chose Seongnam over FC Seoul and has recently led that squad to the Asian Football Confederation Champions' League title. For some reason though he remained unable to crack the Australian international squad even when that team had to be comprised of only Asian-based players. Recent national managers - yes, Pim Verbeek, I mean you - ignored him despite dominant form and a paucity of other options while searching for a foil for Lucas Neill at the heart of the Australian defence. Given his excelling in Asia, it was puzzling to watch clubless and speedless Craig Moore partner captain Neill at this year's World Cup but by not calling the leviathan up sooner Verbeek had left himself no option. It's no coincidence that Australia was exposed for position in South Africa: without pace Moore couldn't get to the right spots and without the requisite size Neill struggled to deal with opponents in the air.

There's no question that Big Sasa's an Aussie but snub after snub despite his good form brought the 6'5 defender to despair and nearly to accepting a call-up from the Macedonian national team, the country in which his parents were born. Indeed, Macedonia wanted him and he was voted in 2008 that country's second best player behind Inter Milan's Goran Pandev. It took a nomination for AFC Player of the Year to secure his international bow and thankfully new coach Holger Osieck last week stopped the rot to give the 31-year old his first Cap in the Socceroo's 3-0 loss to Egypt.

A mistake, surely, and one that's now been rectified, at least in part. But given 33 year-old striker Kevin Davies made his debut for England last month and The Leviathan's relatively late start in the big-time, there remains hope that Ognenovski will prove as effective in International Competition as he has in Asia. His hope - and probably the Green and Gold Army's - should not be to just play in the 2011 Asian Cup but to to emulate Moore and partner Matthew Spiranovic or Rhys Williams at 35 years of age to the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

Holman adds another string to Australia's bow

When I first saw Brett Holman play for the Socceroos several years ago against Uruguay, I thought he was lucky to have made the team. If he and Carl Valeri represented the “new” generation of Australian footballers, the post “Golden Generation” Socceroos could well be in serious trouble. Touted as Australia's attacking hub for the the coming era, he ran around like a crazy person yet was ineffective off the ball, didn't threaten with either pass or dribble and it appeared he was taught his finishing skills by Gary Neville. What was evident however was his stamina and enthusiasm as he played off primary striker Scott McDonald, then of Celtic, another talented “skippy” yet to make his mark on the international stage.

But since that warm-up match for the 2007 Asian Cup in Sydney, Holman has moved clubs (to AZ Alkmaar) and through persistence achieved a solid international footing. One can argue that with Luke Wilkshire, the headless chicken of the past was one of Australia's best at the recent World Cup and provided the highlight of South Africa 2010 for the Green and Gold Army with his 25-yard goal against Serbia. His only drawback for the tournament was then-manager Pim Verbeek's reluctance to pair him and Tim Cahill together, fearing a duplicity of talent.

His record for Australia still isn't great statistically but Holman has scored in three of his last five matches – including against Poland in a startling cameo on Tuesday – bringing his international goal tally up to 5. Against Asian competition who won't have his combination of power, pace and stamina he looms alongside Cahill's aerial ability as Australia's trump card going into the 2011 Asian Cup. This in turn allows new coach Holger Osieck to add a second string to an Aussie bow which under Verbeek consisted only of high crosses into the box by the Socceroo “bomb squad”. Australia will for once have a creative dynamo with the ball on the floor as well as the dominant box presences of Cahill & Joshua Kennedy. The key now is to ensure that these three are suitably ready and meshed to provide that combination.

The re-retirement of old stager Scott Chipperfield robs Australia of a forward threat that replacements Tommy Oar & David Carney may initially struggle to match. This means a squad replete with staid midfielders may again need a spark – one which Holman is now perfectly capable of providing on a regular basis.

Holger Osieck: Who?

The Socceroos have a new coach in German Holger Osieck. He comes with experience, having managed both internationally and at club level and armed with a remit to develop youth throughout the country to encourage growth in the sport and replenish the ageing top-line talent in the Socceroo lineup.

In Austtralia not much is known about him and it certainly seems at first glance a bit of a step down considering the names bandied about as potential Australia managers; names like Ruud Gullit, Dick Advocaat and Leo Beehakker recently several of the high-profile coaches linked in the past. But on closer inspection, Osieck's background is impressive in itself – spells as Fenerbahce and Bochum boss in Europe intermingled with spells in charge of Canada and most notably as the guy at Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds and as assistant to Franz Beckenbauer during Germany's 1990 World Cup triumph. That he took a – and let's be fair – footballing backwater like Canada to a major trophy (the 2000 CONCAAF Gold Cup) is a significant achievement in itself.

It certainly appears as if the FFA has made several statements with their selection. The criteria laid down by the board were straighforward enough: the new man had to have experience at rebuilding, come with Asian experience, while being supportive to any move by players to depart the fledgling A-League into larger and better football competitions, be they European, Asian or American. In itself, these criteria ruled out perhaps the more high-profile choices but this may well be for the best. The FFA has practically announced their priorities for the next half decade, which is youth, youth and the potential World Cup hosting role in 2022. With an Asian Cup campaign in the offing and a roster chock-full of thirtysomethings, one can be quite confident that a Frank Rijkaard-type isn't the best fit for the position in which Australia finds itself. After billionaire property-developer Frank Lowy bankrolled the Guus Hiddink era and the treading water that defined Pim Verbeek's reign, that the FFA has decided to firmly place down what they are looking for in a manager rather than trying to eke out one last major tournament from the careers of Cahill, Moore and Chipperfield is a major positive.

All this is really encouraging for the grassroots supporter of Australian football and potentially a big win for the nation as a FIFA decision on the 2022 World Cup host looms. Hopefully the key performance indicators in Osieck's job for the next two years aren't results-based, but about having Australian talent in the most appropriate bigger leagues for that talent. Rather than finding Aussies in one of two locations – Britain or the A-League – Socceroo hopefuls have recently found more success and money in lesser-publicised leagues like the K-and-J Leagues in Asia, the highly-paid Emirati leagues in the Middle East and second-tier Euroleagues such as Turkey and Holland. The best example of this could come from any of Carl Valeri, Matthew Spiranovic or Joshua Kennedy: sitting on the bench at Inter, Nurnberg or Karlsruhe is no good for a player's club or international prospects, so a step sideways to Sassuolo. Suwon or Nagoya is a great step to secure regular, high-level first-team action. Growth in player pathways is the next big step in developing the nation as an Asian footballing power and the extent of that power will be measured as the 2011 Asian Cup warm-up campaign begins. Osieck's first matches in charge is against stiff opposition – Sweden, Poland and Paraguay – and will give the local football cognoscenti a chance to examine and hopefully embrace the players sliding into key roles within the team. A mass exodus of the old guard would be foolhardy and Osieck's first squad selections has confirmed he feels likewise, but with a gradual feeding in of youth and the start of a new regime, optimism and excitement should be the order of the day for the Green and Gold army.