I’ve said nothing for a few days – just let my rage simmer.
Australia’s performance against Saudi was so inept. So toothless. So lacking in any kind of spirit, passion or footballing ability. I’m shaking my head in despair.
I can’t blame the players, they didn’t select themselves nor send themselves out to play with such shapeless, limp disinterest.
I would have assumed when we picked a new Socceroos coach, that we would be bringing in fresh ideas – fresh players – and putting a thousand volts through those old players who survived the cusp.
Instead, we’ve gone backwards.
Popa is still playing the tired old hands who saw Arnie forced to resign. Even worse, he’s sacked some of the only players capable of scoring (or making) goals and made some utterly bizarre selections.
Luke Brattan? Anthony Caceres? Milos Degenek?
Are we still picking Martin Boyle, Aziz Behich, Mitch Duke and Jackson Irvine?
Irvine gets a pass as he should be in the squad for transition and impact purposes but he should not be starting.
No way. Ajdin Hrustic never gets out of a trot so I’ve no idea why he continues to be selected.
Popa showed he has some nous by picking Max Balard – one of the form players of the Eredivisie – but didn’t play him.
The longer the game went on I was shouting at my telly: “Get Balard on, Popa”.
But no. Popa’s years of experience and access to the very best football tech and data insisted that Duke and Irvine stay on as long as possible, and when we were desperate for a goal towards the end. Let’s bring on Behich.
Take that Saudis.
Seriously. I am shaking my head not just at the pathetic ineptitude of our team and its leadership, but also at the fact that pretty much no one has called Popa out for this disaster.
Because disaster is what we’re looking at. We are hanging on to second place by the skin of our teeth and not looking at all convincing.
Nestory Irankunda of Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
We have some tough games coming up but we are not remotely prepared for them. With the current squad, I don’t feel confident against anyone in our group.
We need pace, purpose and technical ability, Popa – and we need to unleash it now.
It’ll be hard enough against Bahrain because the squad has been picked, but we could at least start with Balard at #6 and Velupillay on the right.
McGree at #10 with Yengi up front and Goodwin on the left. That would help.
But for the next window, we’ve got to get our best players back in the squad and fighting for places. I’ve already written about my disbelief that Josh Nisbet has not made two Popovic squads.
He is – simply – our best player in the final third. His foot speed, vision and passing range are exceptional. He makes things happen – and how the Mariners are missing him.
That’s bad enough but to drop Irankunda.
This is, frankly, a failure of management. Popa played him out of position against China and he got no service. Then he got hooked at halftime and has not featured since.
In what bizarre universe are we not even selecting our best player?
Get over yourself Popa and make it up with Irankunda. He’s a teenager.
You’re the responsible adult with the football fortune of the country in your hands. Pick him, play him in his right position and build the team around him.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Plan A – get Nestory in behind the defence. It’s not rocket science.
While you’re at it, let’s have a look at some of the other attacking options at our disposal.
We all want to see Alex Robertson in the green and gold but maybe that’s not entirely in Popa’s hands.
I’m hoping Ryan Strain will be fit enough to come back in. He’s head and shoulders our best RB and a pretty good attacker also.
Nectarios Triantis is having a great season for Hibs and is worth a look – a very versatile player who can cover CB, or just about anywhere in the midfield. Big strong player who always wins his duels.
We desperately need a striker so I’ll be watching closely how Mo Toure and John Iredale go over the next couple of months.
Anthony Kalik also is doing well in Croatia. An attacking midfield group of Josh Nisbet, Riley McGree and Kalik offers so much more threat than what we have at the moment.
And a left fielder? Reno Piscopo is in career-best form right now and terrorising A League defences. We could do far worse than bring him into the fold for the next campaign.
Hopefully, we’ll still have something to play for.
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