Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek to play Scott McDonald as lone striker
From correspondents in Limerick, Ireland
August 12, 2009
Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek does not intend to change his lone-striker strategy any time soon.
With Josh Kennedy left out of Australia's European-based squad to face Republic of Ireland in a friendly on Thursday morning EST, Verbeek plans to start with Scott McDonald as the only man up front.
"If you don't have Josh, then you have to find other players in that position or change your strategy a little bit," Verbeek said.
"I think you should not change too many things that are good ... sometimes probably I will change, but I'm not going to use too many friendly matches for changing the system because I think we're doing well with the system we are playing.
"We have the players to play 4-2-3-1, so why should I change that? It's up to Scotty and all the other players to to pick up a spot in that selection."
McDonald has thrived in a two-striker formation for Celtic, but with Kennedy spared the travel from Japan, the diminutive 25-year-old led the attack on his own in an 11-versus-11 hit-out at Limerick's Thomond Park on Tuesday.
The practice match indicated Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell will start the game behind McDonald, with Luke Wilkshire and Mile Jedinak in midfield in front of an inexperienced defence of Rhys Williams, Jade North, Patrick Kisnorbo and David Carney, and veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
Despite a heavy bandage round his head, Kisnorbo trained apparently unaffected by a wound requiring 12 stitches sustained in Leeds United's win over Exeter on Saturday.
Captain Lucas Neill,
who is still without a club after his contract with West Ham expired, appeared likely to come off the bench.
Verbeek said he and Neill had discussed his club prospects, but would not be drawn on which way his player was leaning and the defender has said he remains undecided.
"He's a fantastic player," Verbeek said.
"I am not worried at all. I would be worried if it was two months before the World Cup.
"Lucas, I am 100 per cent sure he will find an interesting club for himself and for his career and if you see that even without having a club he looks so fit, he is ready and has trained very hard for himself."
Midfielder Danny Invincibile, a late inclusion in the squad, was ruled out because of an injury picked up playing for Kilmarnock at the weekend, although he was expected to be fit for the Scottish club's next fixture on Saturday.
Tottenham captain Robbie Keane, who will lead a full-strength Ireland side in an important match ahead of next month's World Cup qualifier against Cyprus expected Australia to be "a good test for us".
"By no means is it going to be an easy game," he said.
AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25918422-5014539,00.html
