Craig Foster and Scott McIntyre thoughts on the Australia team.
Australia's Number One Football Analyst Craig Foster and the man who knows more about Asian Football than any Aussie I've met on this trip, Scott McIntyre.
This article first appeared in the CANBERRA TIMES on Sunday 15 July.
How could it all go so wrong, so quickly for Australia?
The Socceroos crashed 3-1 to a war torn and poorly prepared Iraq on Friday in Bangkok. Australia fans could hardly believe what they saw just twelve months after The Socceroos triumphant World Cup campaign.
Australia were favourites not just for their group but for the whole tournament, but is now in real danger of coming bottom of their group!
SBS Football analyst and former Socceroo Craig Foster believes the responsibility lies with Football Federation Australia and Graham Arnold.
“Can you imagine any other top thirty countries in the World sending a team to a major tournament with a Coach who has no experience in Coaching in a major tournament; apart from six months under Guus Hiddink at a World Cup?
The guy is still learning how to solve major problems which only appear in such a tournament.”
“What was the FFA thinking, they must have been out of their minds?”
But surely Arnold would have learnt from Hiddink about meticulous planning and preparation.
“Yes but Hiddink understood Asia and its football and major tournaments,” points out Foster, “Arnold has changed training sessions, blamed players and lost the group I believe. How else do you explain Lucas Neill being allowed to criticise the Omani team. We are guests in Asia, for the first time. Hiddink would have understood this so much better.”
“Japan has only two or three players from the team which lost To Australia in the World Cup. A team full of J-League players. Look how Branko Culina’s Sydney FC did against J-League Champions Urawa Reds in the Asian Champions League. Culina would probably do a better job than Graham Arnold.”
SBS reporter in Bangkok Scott McIntyre, believes Australia seriously underestimated the quality of Asian football.
“Take Iraq. They beat Australia and Portugal in the Olympics. Portugal who had Ronaldo in their line-up! Oman had great success in the Gulf Cup and other Middle East games in recent years. Walking round Bangkok with Iraqi Number 5, Nashat Ali, we were stopped seven or eight times. Everybody knows him. He’s a fantastic player, a superstar across Asia but few Australian players, Coaches or fans would have heard of him. Why?”
“Because we look to Europe, to England. But was Mark Viduka better, faster than Iraq striker Younis Mahmoud just because Viduka plays for Newcastle United in England? Clearly he wasn’t, and Younis was carrying two broken ribs from the first game.”
So are the players just not good enough? Did Australia over perform at the World Cup?
Foster supports the players, “Of course the players are good enough. I believe they are. But Hiddink coached them so that any of the twenty three players can slot into the same spot. Hiddink would have sent an outspoken player home, because the team didn’t need individuals. Hiddink would ensure Lucas Neill played for the team. “
“I feel for Patrick Kisnorbo, it’s not the kids fault. If Kisnorbo had played under Hiddink he would have improved as a player. Now his International career could be destroyed. It is not the players fault.”
“The Coach needs to Coach. It’s a problem we have across Australian football. The FFA need to urgently address our coaching across all levels of the game. For the National team I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask (Dutch Coach and Australian Technical Director) Rob Baan to take over for the third game.”
Scott McIntyre, long time Asian football analyst from his days supporting FC Tokyo whilst living in Japan, believes Arnold should have introduced younger players like Sydney’s FC‘s Mark Milligan and Melbourne Victory’s Adrian Leijer.
“Other sides have players of 17 and 18 not just in their squads and playing. Do you think Nathan Burns (Adelaide United’s Olyroo) would stop running after half and hour. Of course not, players like him are young and desperate to play.”
Foster adds, “We have been given the gift of being allowed to play in Asia. Asia football is technically gifted and is full of intelligence. Our players are strong and fast. We need to learn and learn fast if we are to qualify for the next World Cup.”
The Socceroos crashed 3-1 to a war torn and poorly prepared Iraq on Friday in Bangkok. Australia fans could hardly believe what they saw just twelve months after The Socceroos triumphant World Cup campaign.
Australia were favourites not just for their group but for the whole tournament, but is now in real danger of coming bottom of their group!
SBS Football analyst and former Socceroo Craig Foster believes the responsibility lies with Football Federation Australia and Graham Arnold.
“Can you imagine any other top thirty countries in the World sending a team to a major tournament with a Coach who has no experience in Coaching in a major tournament; apart from six months under Guus Hiddink at a World Cup?
The guy is still learning how to solve major problems which only appear in such a tournament.”
“What was the FFA thinking, they must have been out of their minds?”
But surely Arnold would have learnt from Hiddink about meticulous planning and preparation.
“Yes but Hiddink understood Asia and its football and major tournaments,” points out Foster, “Arnold has changed training sessions, blamed players and lost the group I believe. How else do you explain Lucas Neill being allowed to criticise the Omani team. We are guests in Asia, for the first time. Hiddink would have understood this so much better.”
“Japan has only two or three players from the team which lost To Australia in the World Cup. A team full of J-League players. Look how Branko Culina’s Sydney FC did against J-League Champions Urawa Reds in the Asian Champions League. Culina would probably do a better job than Graham Arnold.”
SBS reporter in Bangkok Scott McIntyre, believes Australia seriously underestimated the quality of Asian football.
“Take Iraq. They beat Australia and Portugal in the Olympics. Portugal who had Ronaldo in their line-up! Oman had great success in the Gulf Cup and other Middle East games in recent years. Walking round Bangkok with Iraqi Number 5, Nashat Ali, we were stopped seven or eight times. Everybody knows him. He’s a fantastic player, a superstar across Asia but few Australian players, Coaches or fans would have heard of him. Why?”
“Because we look to Europe, to England. But was Mark Viduka better, faster than Iraq striker Younis Mahmoud just because Viduka plays for Newcastle United in England? Clearly he wasn’t, and Younis was carrying two broken ribs from the first game.”
So are the players just not good enough? Did Australia over perform at the World Cup?
Foster supports the players, “Of course the players are good enough. I believe they are. But Hiddink coached them so that any of the twenty three players can slot into the same spot. Hiddink would have sent an outspoken player home, because the team didn’t need individuals. Hiddink would ensure Lucas Neill played for the team. “
“I feel for Patrick Kisnorbo, it’s not the kids fault. If Kisnorbo had played under Hiddink he would have improved as a player. Now his International career could be destroyed. It is not the players fault.”
“The Coach needs to Coach. It’s a problem we have across Australian football. The FFA need to urgently address our coaching across all levels of the game. For the National team I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask (Dutch Coach and Australian Technical Director) Rob Baan to take over for the third game.”
Scott McIntyre, long time Asian football analyst from his days supporting FC Tokyo whilst living in Japan, believes Arnold should have introduced younger players like Sydney’s FC‘s Mark Milligan and Melbourne Victory’s Adrian Leijer.
“Other sides have players of 17 and 18 not just in their squads and playing. Do you think Nathan Burns (Adelaide United’s Olyroo) would stop running after half and hour. Of course not, players like him are young and desperate to play.”
Foster adds, “We have been given the gift of being allowed to play in Asia. Asia football is technically gifted and is full of intelligence. Our players are strong and fast. We need to learn and learn fast if we are to qualify for the next World Cup.”
1 comment:
jnr you rock
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