Pim Verbeek Is Not Justified In Dropping Scott McDonald

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For any doubters of Scott McDonald’s ability, direct yourself toward Youtube and search for a link of the diminutive striker’s goal against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League.

To the untrained eye, it shows a raw instinct and composure within the 18-yard box.

It is though, so much more than that.

The strike alludes to an X-Factor, if not only for its quality and ingenuity then also for the fact that it was produced at the highest level, within a level of pressure that we mere mortals can only begin to gauge.

Yet for Socceroos boss Pim Verbeek, this is seemingly not enough to even include the 26 year-old on the bench for his national team, a national team that is yet to unearth a striker who can score goals regularly at international level at the top level in recent years.

One can look at McDonald’s surprising omission from the squad to face Oman in a crunch Asian Cup Qualifier on November 14 in two ways.

15 Games, 0 Goals | Has Verbeek lost patience?

The first is that the Dutch boss has run out of patience with a striker who has failed to open his international account in 15 attempts.

It is – hopefully – not the logic behind the move, seeing as how McDonald has made a substantial number of those appearances off the bench or for only part of the match.

Even the world’s best strikers can play consecutive games without scoring a goal but the key to unearthing form is allowing such a leniency so that front-men can build rhythm and comfort in front of goal.

Verbeek is an astute tactician and no doubt knows this, which makes the second explanation for McDonald’s omission much more plausible.

Instead of forcing the Celtic striker to jeopardize his club duties and travel around the world to simply sit on the bench for 90 – or 180 – minutes, he might best be left to focusing on his club career for the moment.

Perhaps the Australia boss simply doesn’t want to waste McDonald’s time anymore, in the knowledge that he doesn’t and likely never will suit the system or style of football being employed by the Socceroos.

It’s a logical argument and one that most of McDonald’s supporter’s have used to explain his conspicuous shift in form between the domestic and global stage.

Celtic Legend | Socceroos enigma...

So prolific for whichever club side he has played for during his career, his comparative lack of form for Australia has been the greatest point of frustration for fans and analysts alike over the past 18 months.

Seemingly the nation has a potentially world class striker – and I don’t use the term loosely, as he has proven himself in world’s best club competition – that it can’t utilize.

McDonald is the type of player the country has been longing for, given the conspicuous absence of someone to bear on his own the responsibility of being the goal-scorer for the Socceroos in recent years.

Mark Viduka, despite all of his technical quality and the various dimensions to his game, failed to score consistently enough, while John Aloisi remained something of a journeyman despite his impressive record; hardly someone to strike fear into the world’s best back-lines.

Assuming Verbeek is somewhat familiar with the history of the Australian national team, one begins to wonder whether his decision to cast away the country’s best chance of a top striker in quite some time is rash.

The Dutchman is entitled to play to what he perceives to be his side’s strengths – namely, supplying and running off a target man – but to omit McDonald completely is something quite different to benching him.

His comments with regards to the Celtic man suggest that the decision to leave him out of the national team are indeed more to do with his preferred tactical framework than the player's abilities.

Yet, to suggest that McDonald is unable to fulfil the lone striker’s role if required is inaccurate.

Indeed, there have been times during his Celtic career where he has played the role of target man, albeit in a slightly different formation and with the likes of Shaun Maloney operating as a supporting striker in-behind him.

But even when he has been asked to slot into a 4-2-3-1 system for the Socceroos, McDonald has worked tirelessly.

In fact, he was outstanding in the recent 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, combining particularly well with Tim Cahill in a set-up that perhaps mirrored closest the aforementioned one at Celtic.

Is Verbeek justified then, in leaving McDonald out and replacing him with Bruce Djite, a relatively inexperienced striker who has struggled for game time in Turkey this season?

No.

Too Small? | Kennedy's strengths are more obvious

McDonald’s problem though is that he has no conspicuous advantage or dimension that he offers to the Socceroos attack, other than goal scoring.

Whilst Josh Kennedy offers the obvious aerial prowess, Djite offers strength and Dario Vidosic offers pace, McDonald’s qualities are far harder to identify.

It would go some way to explaining why he has been unable to replicate his club form whilst wearing a green and gold jersey.

The 26 year-old is at his best when operating off the shoulder of the last man or making space for himself within the penalty area to receive service from out wide; he is equally adept at heading the ball as he is at finishing on the ground, despite his stature.

Which would suggest that the service he receives for the Socceroos is of a completely different quality and nature to that which he receives on the European club scene.

Where at club level he is used to receiving the ball higher up the pitch and being part of a system that is far more aggressive both on and off the ball, Verbeek’s tactics certainly aren’t geared toward goal-scoring in open play.

His are more calculated gambles, which has allowed players of the ilk of Tim Cahill to thrive, given that his style is essentially built around split-second decisions and movements that ‘gamble’ on the direction or bounce of the ball.

That McDonald has been punished simply because no one of his attributes as a footballer stand out is a mistake.

It is also Australia’s loss.

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If ever there was a football club that embodied the cliché 'Money doesn’t buy happiness' then Gold Coast United would be it.

Perhaps 'Money is the root of all evil' would be a step too far though for Clive Palmer’s suddenly embattled franchise, though it is clear that finance has been at the heart of the problems engulfing the new-boys.

It’s not that the Gold Coast don’t have money – they are, after all, backed by one of the richest men in Australia.

The problem instead appears to be that Palmer sees football as a business rather than a passion, an avenue through which he can increase his already sizeable wealth rather than satisfy some boyhood dream or romance with the sport.

He has admitted as much with the decision to cap crowds at 5,000 at Skilled Park in an attempt to save around $100,000 a game; a savvy business move perhaps but hardly the actions of a man motivated by a passion for the sport.

It is a situation not uncommon to even the world’s biggest football clubs.

Finding the balance between financial weight and genuine feeling within football’s powerbrokers is a fine line, one that has most recently been tread unsuccessfully by Liverpool and which will become more prevalent as clubs around the world seek to build empires overnight.

The A-League is no longer an exception to this rule; unfortunately for the competition’s latest victim of the global trend, the balance has not been struck.

One can excuse Palmer for not having fallen in love with the game within a matter of months; it is no secret that he had never previously shown a passion for the sport or contributed to its development.

This was a new frontier for the billionaire and perhaps it was expected that he would take time to find his feet in running a football club.

In order to do that though, he needed to in fact attempt to run it like a football club.

In many respects the line between football clubs and corporate entities have been blurred in recent years with the ridiculous amounts of money flowing into the sport but at their heart, even Chelsea and Manchester City must operate on a foundation of community relationships and programs.

Given the relative youth of the Gold Coast that task is made all the more difficult, given that club culture and identity must be built from scratch – it is a challenge though, that is faced by all A-League clubs.

After all, no matter how much is invested in players and private jets, it is the fans who will provide a return on the investment, whether they are considered as consumers of the club or its lifeblood.

In this respect, Palmer has failed in both a business and football sense.

Having spent a few weeks in the Gold Coast at the beginning of the year on holiday, the lack of advertising and engagement with the local community was, upon reflection, conspicuous.

The term arrogance has been widely used by analysts and fans regarding the attitude of the club’s hierarchy, who appear to have simply relied upon the return of Jason Culina and grandiose pre-season claims to build a fan-base.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that Culina is nowhere near a big enough name to attract such an interest on his own, particularly in a non-traditional football area.

Nor is the average fan discerning enough to distinguish between football styles and tactics, which would serve to explain the relative lack of interest despite the success of the side and the aesthetics of their play.

The battle for hearts and minds must be won off the field.

Arrogance is not the word to describe the actions and attitudes of the Gold Coast hierarchy, who clear expected the mere success and star value of the eleven men on the park to build a loyal fan-base.

Inexperience is a far more appropriate one.

Where in the business world the quality of a product might be enough to entice consumers to become loyal to a company, it is simply not the case in football.

It appears as though Palmer has simply failed to identify the ingredients required to build a club, namely the establishment of identity and community.

The decision to cap crowds if anything is an attempt to shift the blame onto locals for failing to follow the club.

What is required is an admittance of a lack of knowledge about the sport and the intricacies of fan-club relationships.

From there Palmer must surround himself with football people; those with experience in the game both on and off the pitch to lend their advice.

As it currently stands, there seems to be an absence of such influence at United.

It is only a matter of time before the same lack of experience in dealing with fans begins to translate its way into the dressing room, where there are already whispers about dissatisfaction at the club’s actions amongst the playing staff.

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10 Ugly Truths About The Socceroos

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1. Mark Viduka Has Retired – Finished. Finito. Gone. Left. Departed. Moved on. Australia’s classiest striker has left a huge void in the final third that people are going to have to simply accept will never be filled in the same way. The national team was built around Viduka under Hiddink and now has had to be rebuilt around the hole that he has left under Verbeek. He didn’t score very often but boy was his presence important.

2. Scott McDonald Hasn’t Scored – 15 games. 0 goals. It’s a striking statistic (no pun intended) that best reflects the plight of a national team who will struggle to find the back of the net in South Africa. All of his goals for Celtic, including strikes against AC Milan and Manchester United, will mean nothing to Australia fans if he can’t find the net with the same regularity for the Socceroos. One of those players who arguably isn’t of much use if he’s not scoring...

3. Lucas Neill Is Australia’s Best Defender – Unspectacular but effective, the fact that Neill is our best defender highlights a lack of quality at the back. It’s no attack on Neill, who I’ve been quick to point out remains an outstanding performer whenever he dons a green and gold jersey, but the fact remains that he is slow and lacking in ball-playing skills and technical quality. Don’t expect to see Australia play their way out of the back against the world’s top sides...

4. Tim Cahill Is The Only World Class Socceroo – Don’t get me wrong, Mark Schwarzer is an outstanding goalkeeper. His exploits though are more down to an incredible level of consistency and professionalism, rather than any X-Factor. That’s what Tim Cahill has in spades and that’s why he continues to be the man to rescue Australia from the most dire of situations. What does truth #4 mean for Australia? It means that once he’s marked out by the world’s top defenders in South Africa – and believe me, they’ll know to come for him – the Socceroos lose their most potent goal-scoring threat.

5. Harry Kewell Is Not The Player He Was – The hunger, level of performance and competitiveness are all still there but the pace and ability to beat players is not. The latter characteristics were, after all, what made him so valuable to the Socceroos in the first place; who can forget the way he waltzed around Ferdinand at Upton Park in that famous 3-1 victory? These days though, Harry resorts to more subtle means of influence, leaving the Socceroos without a single player capable of beating the world’s best defenders. Tends to score from the penalty spot more than from open play these days...

6. Australia Has One Proven Goalkeeper – Mark Schwarzer is, at his best, unbeatable. He’s proven on the biggest stages of international football and at pressure-cooker moments (see, spot-kick saves vs Uruguay, 2005). He’s also 37 years old. That means that he’s potentially susceptible to injury and misfortune, despite the fact that he has kept himself in pristine condition courtesy of an ultra-professional lifestyle. Assuming he were to miss the World Cup for whatever reason, would Australia fans be confident in the candidates to replace him? When was the last time Ante Covic, Michael Petkovic, Brad Jones or Adam Federici put in a confident performance for the senior men’s national team?

7. Australia Lack Pace – List Pim Verbeek’s starting XI in your head and see if you can pick out even one player whom you would be able to deem ‘fast’ by international standards. Anyone capable of tearing down the wing or through midfield at full-speed, breezing past opponents with or without the ball? Scott McDonald isn’t particularly quick and grabs most of his goals by virtue of his positioning and movement rather than raw pace. The same applies to Tim Cahill. At the back, the lack of speed is conspicuous in veterans Moore, Neill and Chipperfield...

8. Australia Lack Depth – For every first-choice Pim Verbeek player, pick someone outside of that line-up who plays in the same position. Compare experience, ability and level of performance for the Socceroos. Here are a few examples: Patrick Kisnorbo to replace Lucas Neill, Mile Jedinak to replace Jason Culina, Carl Valeri to replace Vince Grella, Brett Holman to replace Tim Cahill, Dario Vidosic to replace Mark Bresciano. Catch my drift?

9. Italy Outclassed Australia In Kaiserslauten – Remember that “dive” by Fabio Grosso? Forget about it. Instead cast your minds back to the opening stages of that mach before Materazzi’s sending off for a two-footed lunge on his own player. Mark Schwarzer and some particularly poor finishing were responsible for Australia not being 3-0 down. The Socceroos were shown to be a long, long, long way away from the best in the world and not much has changed since then – as an understrength and disinterested Dutch side showed in Sydney.

10. Pim Verbeek Won’t Change – Hoping to see a cavalier, “three points or no points” approach in South Africa? Don’t. Pim Verbeek knows the limitations of his squad and will stick to his tried, trusted and ultra-conservative methods, both with regards to player selection and tactical set-up. Expect the Socceroos to try to scrape their way into the knockout stages courtesy of fortune, set-pieces and stalemates.

Australia Have Not Yet Adapted To Asia

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They might have successfully negotiated their qualifying campaign with relative ease at the first time of asking but the Socceroos are yet to master Asia.

Ironically, it is the lesser known outfits and not the more continental-styled and more quality-laden opponents that are presenting Australia with its biggest challenges in the region.

The delicate contours of the Asian football landscape will take some more adapting.

This was evident when last night Tim Cahill was again required to spare Autsralian blushes, again arriving at centre-stage late in the game to break Omani hearts, just as he had done at the 2007 Asian Cup.

Yesterday’s performance was all too familiar, with shades of the directionless performances that saw the Socceroos crash out of that tournament evident in Melbourne.

Again the Socceroos were surprised – as much as they perhaps don’t want to admit it – by the technical quality and tactical savvy of their opponents.

Assuming that they were aware of the abilities of Claude Le Roy’s men, questions must then be asked about the decision to have a deep-lying back-line and defensive midfielders acting as auxiliary centre-backs.

It was the sort of game plan that proved Australia’s undoing in Vietnam two years ago.

Australia’s continuing struggle against Asia’s more humble opponents is surprising, given that they now don’t have the excuse of surprise or lack of knowledge of the reason.

This – combined with a questionable confidence heading into the tournament – was ultimately their undoing at the Asian Cup, where they were lead by the inexperienced Graham Arnold.

The man himself has spoken in the aftermath about the fact that he and his Socceroos squad largely didn’t know what they were walking into in Thailand, having taken up the role as assistant manager since.

His superior is none other than Dutchman Pim Verbeek, who lead the Korea Republic in that very same tournament.

Indeed, Verbeek in the past has hinted at an over-confidence that plagued Australia’s first Asian Cup campaign, having witnessed it first-hand.

The 53 year-old boasts vast experience both at domestic and international level on the continent, so would know of the relative strengths, weaknesses and styles of most nations.

Why then, did the Socceroos seem so out of ideas against Oman at times yesterday evening?

Too often were innocuous balls floated toward the head of the isolated Josh Kennedy – a reasonable tactic to employ but alternatives were required by virtue of a superb performance by Ali Al Habsi in the Oman goal.

Similarly, it seemed as though Australia’s back-line didn’t know whether to press or contain the likes of Fawzi Basheer as Oman too easily kept possession in the Socceroos’ half, Lucas Neill and his men bizarrely hesitant at times to close them down.

Ultimately, credit has to go to Oman and Le Roy for surprising their opponents with their willingness to push forward in numbers rather than succumb to pre-match predictions about a negative game plan.

Despite their undoubted abilities though, Australia still have much adapting to do to the contours of Asia, European-based players being exposed to a style of football unlike that to which they have become accustomed on a weekly basis with their club side.

Part of that process of adapting is the sort of humility that is now starting to dominate pre-match and post-match press dealings, rather than bold predictions about winning tournaments.

The Socceroos now know that results and respect are entwined within the Asian Football Confederation, where Australia remain guests of more established powers and commoners.

And both will be difficult to come by.

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For many, Brett Holman has had more than enough chances for the Socceroos.

With just one goal for the national team since making his debut three years ago, the attacking midfielder has represented the quintessential football enigma with his relentless effort but questionable product for the national team, failing to reproduce the same precision in the final third that he has done at club level.

Indeed, the fact that he has established himself in the AZ Alkmaar first-team this season as they look to defend their Eridivise crown and compete in the UEFA Champions League would seem to suggest that Holman is doing something right in the Netherlands.

But why does it all seem to go so awry in the final third when he dons a green and gold jersey?

Goal.com caught up with the 25 year-old following another missed opportunity against the Netherlands...

Goal: I suppose sometimes, like against the Netherlands, it just doesn’t seem to click for you in the final third?

BH: Yeah definitely. I think it wasn’t the best of games, it wasn’t the prettiest. We virtually had to fight for 90 minutes and it was a good result in the end but you work so hard for that one chance and you finally get it and you can’t put it away and that’s very frustrating. You always think you’re going to get one of those chances in the game and you actually finally do and it doesn’t go in the back of the net. Disappointing but a good result I suppose.

Goal: Watching some highlights of you in action for AZ Alkmaar, you seem to finish so well both in front of goal and in terms of assists. Why is that final product lacking for the Socceroos?

BH: I’m asking myself the same question I think. You know that you’re always getting chances there [at Alkmaar] every week and I suppose that might be the difference - with the Socceroos it’s once in a while. But there shouldn’t be any difference; it’s still the same sized goal and still the same ball so sometimes you need a bit of luck going your way to have a good shot and see it go in.

Goal: You started on the wing against the Netherlands and then pushed into a more central role and looked more comfortable in the second half. Are you still settling in to the Australian side and finding your niche?

BH: I think so. I’m doing the player role where I’m playing on the outside for AZ. I think you get used to certain players as well, how they think and how they feel, what their strong points and weaknesses are and I think I’m always used to that middle role. I always like playing with Harry [Kewell] to be fair because we’ve got a good click. It’s always searching and finding sometimes when you’re trying out a new role but it’s getting better and you’ve just got to look at the positives of course.

Goal: You seem to be criticized for your lack of finishing and final ball for the Socceroos but perhaps people simply don’t realize the hard work you do off the ball, creating space for others?

BH: You try and leave everything out there on the pitch. I’m not the prettiest footballer, I’m not there to score the scissor kicks and do the back-heels. Sometimes the hard work involves doing the dirty work and letting the other good players – Timmy Cahills, Harry Kewells – score all the goals. It’s always nice to pop up like today and maybe finish one and I wish I could have scored today but I’m still working on those things and hopefully it keeps getting better.

Goal: Tim Cahill and Pim Verbeek gave you a huge endorsement the other day at a press conference. Does it help to have the support of your teammates?

BH: I suppose. I don’t know what they said, I didn’t read anything but it’s a good group and I get along well with everybody. I always love coming into camp and every time I get picked I’m excited so I’m always going to work hard at AZ and hopefully keep getting picked.

Goal: You’ve also broken into the AZ Alkmaar staring line-up this season and are playing UEFA Champions League football. Does that give you more confidence when you put on a green and gold jersey?

BH: I think it does in a way. When your playing bigger games then you get more used to playing with bigger players and bigger teams. That definitely helps.

Australia's Dutch Performance A Taste Of The World Cup

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The general consensus amongst the Socceroos as they emerged through the narrow passageway of the media mixed zone was that they had been outplayed by one of the best football sides in the world.

Certainly, there is no shame in holding even an under strength Netherlands outfit to a scoreless draw.

Humility is perhaps the best word to describe the reaction of Pim Verbeek’s men – including the coach himself – after a result that they could have played up as something more than it actually was.

Instead though of claiming that the Socceroos had matched the Dutch, the former Korea Republic boss spoke of his side being taught a lesson in football by the visiting Oranje.

Indeed, the sentiment tied in nicely with the general view amongst the playing group that there was still a long way to go before Australia could truly match a team like the Netherlands on the world stage.

For the moment, qualities such as organization, discipline and work ethic would need to suffice against the world’s best.

Importantly though, there remains an ambition amongst the current crop of Socceroos to continue to scale the heights of world football and achieve a level that two decades ago it appeared almost offensive to consider.

Senior squad members Jason Culina and Lucas Neill both maintained that, whilst there was a satisfaction with the result within the change rooms after the match, there was a hunger to one day be able to force a team like the Netherlands on to the back foot.

The Australia captain even went as far as to say that the aim was to break into the top ten circle of the world’s best football outfits, a claim that is perhaps more admirable than realistic.

“We’ve taken the team from 50th in the world to 14th,” Neill told reporters after the game.

“We’re going to drop a few now that other teams are playing tonight but the idea is to break into the top ten in the world and who would have thought that a couple of years ago.

“We just need to make sure that we keep winning games and most importantly don’t lose games, like tonight and that’s the dogged mentality that this team has now.

“Clean sheets and not losing has become a good habit for this national team and long may that continue.

“Every time you keep a clean sheet you know you’ve got a chance of winning and that’s the mentality now.”

South Africa 2010 will of course provide the most legitimate stage for the Socceroos to test out their newly acquired ranking and standing in the international arena.

It is highly doubtful though – in fact, impossible – that they will be able to make such strides as a squad soas to match the Netherlands on a technical, tactical and stylistic level during a period of eight or nine months.

“It’s difficult. The Dutch team wasn’t made overnight, the way they play wasn’t thought about overnight, it’s been the way they’ve played for many years and obviously a lot of great players have come from Holland, and that helps,” Culina told Goal.com after the match.

“They’re all playing at the biggest clubs in the world and it helps them with their level.

“It’s going to be hard; we’re a long way behind them in terms of the way they play but we’re slowly getting there.

“If we were to play them at the World Cup and get a draw like we did tonight, it would be a great point.”

Both sets of comments – combined with the nature of the performance - are particularly revealing just a few months out from the World Cup.

National team boss Pim Verbeek might have been coy about whether the pragmatic and cautious mentality taken against the Dutch in Sydney was a pre-cursor to the type of performance one could expect from Australia against a similarly superior opposition at the World Cup but the reality is that it a dress rehearsal for such a scenario.

Fans should brace themselves for a cautious Australia in South Africa, particularly against technically superior opposition.

It is the reality brought about by having a playing squad whose best traits lie in their cohesion and discipline, rather than any stylistic qualities.

The Socceroos will not have the luxury of being able to play a fluid and cavalier style of football at the World Cup, as much as the purists and most fans would like to see them do so; quite simply, it would not bring success.

Instead, the sort of battling performance that was produced against Bert van Marwijk’s men – relying on set pieces and looking to out-muscle rather than out-pass in midfield and wide areas – will be their best chance of success.

Clearly, the Australian players don’t see any shame in such an approach – and neither should their fans.