Well, India was bad enough, but if we thought the attacking cobwebs had been blown away, we thought wrong.

We called for changes after the Indian debacle, insisting that McGree had to start, and Bos and Atkinson would be a good idea also.

We got Bos, but he should have been on for Behich – not Goodwin! What are you thinking Arnie? Goodwin had a lousy dead ball game against India but he’s usually one of our better players! We wanted to see how he’d combine with Bos as an attacking duet.

We didn’t get Atkinson either. Arnie persisted with Gethin Jones who continues to underwhelm and at times against Syria looked shaky.

Worst of all, we didn’t get McGree (as a starter). He has been one of our best before and since the World Cup and it beggars belief that Arnie didn’t start him after he changed the game against India.

Baccus also has been one of our better players in recent times so replacing him with O’Neill was odd, although it was, at least, like for like. The trio of Baccus, Irvine and McGree was effective at the World Cup and I’d like to see us get back to that.

So Arnie made a number of changes – but not the ones the fans wanted. We needed creativity and instead we got stolidity. Bos gave us a little bit of spark (at first) but the whole thing fell into a slough of despond. We were flat, and fell into Syria’s spoiling trap. The longer that happened, the more they grew in confidence.

While Arnie’s selections are uninspiring, I am utterly bewildered by the lack of urgency and adventure in our play. We’re all so timid… so passive… so scared to try anything. We need players confident in what they’re doing – not players terrified of losing their places.

Even worse was the constant inability to trap and pass – to draw a defender in before passing – it did my head in. These are professional players!

We finally scored, more through accident than design after Boyle’s bumping run somehow dropped the ball at Irvine’s feet and his air swing / toe poke somehow got the ball under the onrushing keeper.

Phew.

McGree, Baccus and Silvera came on and we started to look dangerous. We even switched to a 442 when Yengi entered the fray but we continued to stutter, never quite making the good chances we needed to put the game beyond doubt. The likes of Japan, South Korea and Iran will not be losing sleep at the prospect of facing us. Neither will most of the (so-called) lesser teams.

Yet another concern (I know… I’m a broken record) is Maty Ryan. He’s been great for a really long time but it was a mistake to play him against India and probably Syria. That was a great chance to blood Gauci in tournament conditions against teams we expected to beat. Ryan hasn’t been needed a lot but it looks like his timing is out. He took another of those needless runs off his line when an attacker was already being closed – a loose ball could have ended up anywhere. Then there was the swirling shot that momentarily evaded him. I’ll put it down to the weird ball rather than the weird mask which might be affecting his judgment.

So what next?

Uzbekistan will be desperate for a win, or at least a point to guarantee second. They beat India by more than we did so can be expected to pose a threat. Does Arnie go more defensive – Rowles to left back?

Or, having already qualified for the next phase, does he try to find an answer to our misfiring attack?

At the very least I want to see McGree, Irvine and Baccus reunited as the midfield trio. I don’t think Goodwin deserved to lose his spot but I’d like to retain Bos also. He can beat a man. Boyle could do with a rest also.

Finally, is it time to try someone else up front?

Duke is the quintessential Arnie striker but we’re just not using him. I can’t remember him getting a single touch in the final third but that’s the team’s fault more than his – he does work hard.

Maybe Fornaroli’s clever running and ability to hold the ball is what we need but we must start getting the ball into dangerous positions.

That’s kinda the whole point.

 

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.