THE PAINS OF POSTECOGLOU

After a World Cup tournament that saw the Socceroos exceed expectations, the mood around the national team was notably positive. But there are plenty of questions to be answered. Manager Ange Postecoglou was elected under a banner of 'better football', but with no concrete sign of that in Brazil, the Victorian has a limited time to implement his patented 'Roarcelona' style, if at all. After a fifth successive defeat and seven matches without a victory, the managerial honeymoon is about to end.

Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou

While some hailed a brand new style in Brazil under the new gaffer, there were others including myself who failed to see any significant change. In the World Cup, Ange put his tactical ideologies aside in order to preserve national pride. The crossing and fewer passes completed provide evidence of that. But three losses from three didn't ring alarm bells for some pundits. Hence the familiar commiserative sentiments from overly positive types. Craig Foster's blog summarised the performance as, ". . . two close and competitive matches where Australia surprised many and gained a high level of respect and one football lesson." It's the phrase 'high level of respect' that has a familiar sound of satisfaction in defeat, that concerns me. As Robbie Slater's column in the Sunday Telegraph outlined today, punching above your weight and earning respect means nothing, unless combined with victory.  

The Socceroos have a limited time in preparation for the Asian Cup in January, and if Ange plans to implement the 'Roarcelona' style in that short period, he puts Australia's hopes in peril. Most alarming about a style revamp, is the timeline and ability to implement a football philosophy when your playing staff return to club outfits, that play in contrasting styles. Australia has a match against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning (5am AEST), and two listed for October against UAE and Qatar. These fixtures will provide evidence of the manager's intentions. With Australia expected to win all of those matches, Ange could be tempted to take the style over substance approach.

Public expectation is high, and the Asian Cup presents a situation diametrically opposed to the 2014 World Cup. The pressure is on, and players shouldn't feel compelled to play the ball out from the back if they're not capable. Fortunately, Postecoglou's Aussies have not mirrored his Brisbane Roar outfit. However, it's quite likely that the Roarcelona style is part of the 'Ange agenda'. With teams like Iran, whose style of pragmatism partnered with technical ability await, I'm crossing my fingers the manager puts style aside for now, and chooses trophies over ideology.  

HARRY'S HOPES FOR BRAZIL GET A BOOST

Harry Kewell - Melbourne Heart 2013/14

He's Australia's most celebrated soccer player, and though many wouldn't have believed it in 2001 it looks as though Harry Kewell will play in three World Cups. With Robbie Kruse's heart breaking ACL tear virtually ruling the 25 year old out of Brazil, Kewell's stocks took a boost. Now back from his own injury woes, there is a groundswell of support for the talisman. But he needs to convince one more man; Ange Postecoglou.

After failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, it seemed Harry Kewell would suffer the fate of so many great Aussie soccer players. The World Cup looked the impossible dream after Uruguay gave the Socceroos another taste of, 'so close yet so far'. However, Australia went on to reach the 2006 World Cup and 2010 World Cup with Harry Kewell playing a role on both occasions. Harry's late goal against Croatia sent Australia through to the knockout stage in Germany but his experience in South Africa was nightmarish. Brought down in the box against Ghana and ignored, he was later red carded for handball. Good and bad, Harry has seen it all, and the wealth of knowledge at his disposal can only benefit the youth around him.

Harry's chances of travelling to Brazil looked slim just over a month ago, when he had yet to complete 90 minutes for Melbourne Heart. But gradually Kewell has built up match fitness, and it's no coincidence that Melbourne Heart's on-field fortunes have taken a turn for the better since the return of Harry. Coinciding with Kewell's lift in form and game time was the devastating news of Robbie Kruse's ACL injury. The 25 year old attacker will need to perform a miracle to be ready by May 13th, when the preliminary 30 man squad is announced. The standard recovery time for ACL injuries is a minimum of six months before the individual can return to high impact activity that soccer involves, and Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou is a staunch advocate of players with game time under their belt. This fact virtually rules Kruse out.

So it all comes down to Postecoglou. Is there some lingering discontent between Kewell and Postecoglou after Harry's departure from Melbourne Victory in 2012? Will the manager dig in stubbornly against the tide of momentum being built by Kewell's form, and advocates such as Slater and Harper? The two were heard in pre and post match discussions on Friday night (31st January), building the case for Harry, and with Australia's slated friendly with Ecuador set for March 5th, we will soon know if there are any skeletons in the closet.