There’s been a bit of a reaction from the Socceroos regarding criticism at home about the way they’re playing.

I’m not (quite) so egotistical as to think I’m one of the people they’re referring to, but I have been critical. I rejoice in their success but am I happy with how they’re playing?

No.

Does that mean I’m being unfair to the (so far) all-conquering Socceroos?

That’s for the reader to decide.

When questioned about some negative press back in Australia, Socceroos captain Mat Ryan said (words to the effect of): “International football isn’t easy. People might say we ought to be doing this or winning by that… but football at this level in Asia is really hard.”

No-one disagrees with that.

None of the critics (that I’ve read) are suggesting that the Asian Cup ought to be easy for the Socceroos.

If Ryan’s comments seem a tad defensive, Robbie Slater takes it a fair bit further and tells the critics to lay off because they’ve done well. “If the Matildas had won 4-0 in a quarter final,” he goes on to say, “everyone would be eulogising their achievement.”

I’m sure that’s true, but it’s not the point.

Everyone knows the Asian Cup is hard.

Everyone agrees that the Socceroos have done well (so far) to reach the quarter finals.

Neither of those matters have anything to do with what those, who are less than sanguine about our performances so far, are complaining about…

We are not playing well.

Message to Mat Ryan and Robbie Slater…

Everyone wants the Socceroos to do well.

But no amount of soul searching or excuse making can make any sort of dent on the sad reality…

We are not playing well.

Do you get that, Arnie, Maty and Robbie?

We understand the difficulties of Asia and fully appreciate the fact that all teams in Asia are playing at a higher level than previously. That’s not at all the issue.

The issue is that we are rated 25 by FIFA and yet we can’t trap and pass and have no coherent system. Our biggest problem so far (against teams rated far lower) is that we can’t hold possession. The likes of Uzbekistan and Indonesia swarmed around our highly pedigreed players and forced them into error.

Yes, we won, but we were lucky. How many times did we string four or more passes together in the enemy half?

One of my biggest issues is Arnie’s recent use of inverted fullbacks. Ange Postecoglou has made an art form from the use of inverted fullbacks but not during his Socceroos days. This strategy requires constant drilling – day after day – and it’s really hard for NTs to get the requisite time.

The Socceroos have been trying it and getting it sadly wrong.

The idea is that fullbacks, instead of going wide, move up through the middle to keep creating extra options through the lines. Done well, this can be profoundly overwhelming. Done badly, it just means that people get in each other’s way.

If you re-watch the last few games you’ll see frequent examples of Gethin Jones, Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos and Martin Boyle running into each other’s space. Riley McGee and Jackson Irvine were equally confused about where they were supposed to be with the result that the ball was consistently lost by players utterly confused by their instructions.

Australia has always done well when we’ve gone wide to use our pace but we’re denying ourselves our main creative outlets by not going wide in the first place.

Arnie’s insistence on certain players, like Aziz Behich and Gethin Jones, simply isn’t working. Jones did play a good cross for Boyle’s goal but has not looked safe in defence and has not been (otherwise) strong in attack. Ryan Strain is our best Right Back, for the future, but for now we need someone capable of taking on the opposition. That means Atkinson (or Miller).

It also means either cutting Aziz loose and going with the new (Bos) or getting Goodwin back in from the start. Jordy Bos doesn’t know what he’s doing at Left Wing. He’s great at attacking from deep but he runs up blind alleys when he’s supposed to make the running up front.

As for Martin Boyle, we’ve hardly seen him. That’s because he almost never gets the ball in the new confused inverted FB system.

Go back to what we’re good at Arnie!

Go back to what the team understands.

As for you Robbie Slater… we all love the Socceroos. That doesn’t mean we have to applaud them when we feel they should be doing better.

We all just want the best for them.

 

Adrian's books can be purchased at any good bookstore or through ebook alchemy. His first sci-fi novel (Asparagus Grass) was published by Hague Publishing in July 2023. The ebook can be purchased here and the paperback can be ordered here or at your local store.