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http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,25611380-5014539,00.html
Only the best will play: Pim
By Liam Fitzgibbon
June 09, 2009
Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek will ask his weakened Australian side to do the impossible - forget about the World Cup - when they return to face Bahrain at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Socceroos come into the qualifier having already booked a spot at next year's tournament in South Africa after a scoreless draw with Qatar in Doha on Saturday.
After a short celebration, a tough three-day turnaround and hectic travel schedule, they come into the match with essentially nothing to play for while Bahrain have plenty on the line, needing a point to seal third place in the group.
But Verbeek said he wanted his players to forget the fact they are already going to South Africa and switch their focus fully to beating Bahrain.
“It's not a friendly match, it's a serious World Cup match and we want to be No.1 in the group,'' Verbeek said.
“Until now, most of the players were still thinking and dreaming of the Qatar game about the World Cup, which is normal.
“But the moment they are on the field, they have to start concentrating on the game ... forget about tiredness, forget about trips, forget about the World Cup. Just think about the game.''
Verbeek will be forced to field a weakened side after striker Josh Kennedy (muscle soreness) and Richard Garcia (knee) were ruled out on Tuesday.
They join several other absentees including suspended captain Lucas Neill, injured Scott Chipperfield (foot) as well as Mark Bresciano and Carl Valeri, who were allowed to go home after the Qatar match.
It means Verbeek will bring in five new players who did not start against Qatar, most likely Scott McDonald, Mile Sterjovski, David Carney, Jade North and Luke Wilkshire, who returns from suspension.
Defender Chris Coyne is also in doubt, but completed training on Tuesday night and should be fit to play.
Verbeek said he would field the best possible team from his players who were fit enough to play 90 minutes, opting not to use the match as a chance to give some of his inexperienced players some valuable game time.
“We still have some friendly matches in the coming months so maybe I am going to use them at that time,'' Verbeek said.
“The players want to win the game.
“We are desperate, so I don't give favours, I just bring in the best 11.''
The Dutchman justified that decision by recalling the Socceroos' 1-0 loss to China in Sydney a year ago, when he was criticised for fielding an inexperienced team in what was a dead rubber after Australia had already booked a passage to the final stage of qualifying.
“Everybody said ‘fantastic' before (the match),'' Verbeek said.
“Then when we lost 1-0 and half the country was killing me, saying 'How can you play a young team in such an important game?
“So what are we talking about? I'm looking at you all (the media), because it was you who said that.''
Verbeek said he was undecided as to who would replace Neill as captain but said it would be either Vince Grella, Harry Kewell or Mark Schwarzer.
AAP
Possible Australia team
Mark Schwarzer (gk), Luke Wilkshire, Chris Coyne, Jade North, David Carney, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, Tim Cahill, Mile Sterjovski, Harry Kewell, Scott McDonald.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The arrogance of this man knows no bounds.
Sterjovski, Coyne, North? Are these players honestly better choices to be grooming for the squad when we have youngsters like Spiranovic, Jedinak, Vidosic, Williams and Djite available who are going to be playing in top European leagues next season. The best? How is Coyne 'the best', when he plays in bloody league one, and Rhys Williams was a standout player for a team that just got promoted to the Premier League, and Spiranovic has already played a few seasons in the Bundesliga. Come on.
Fair enough if he wants to stick with dad's army for the first 11, considering most of the first choice players do play in the strongest leagues and have gone through the ride at the last world cup. But is it really a good idea to be relying on an older guard of backups as well, when there are younger players playing at a higher level week in, week out? I mean ffs, if we stick with the likes of Coyne and Sterjovski to be our first choice substitutes all the way through to next year, then when we start aiming for 2014 we're gonna have to refresh the entire squad with players that have hardly ever played for the Socceroos.
He doesn't wanna pick youngsters because of what happened against China. Well, gosh, that was pretty much a whole team of inexperienced players plus Kewell. This time we have a chance of playing mostly first choice players with one or two developing talents, and instead he's gonna give a chance to players who are unlikely to ever improve on their current level and are just going to be one step closer to the geriatric ward once South Africa 2010 rolls around.
Only the best will play: Pim
By Liam Fitzgibbon
June 09, 2009
Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek will ask his weakened Australian side to do the impossible - forget about the World Cup - when they return to face Bahrain at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Socceroos come into the qualifier having already booked a spot at next year's tournament in South Africa after a scoreless draw with Qatar in Doha on Saturday.
After a short celebration, a tough three-day turnaround and hectic travel schedule, they come into the match with essentially nothing to play for while Bahrain have plenty on the line, needing a point to seal third place in the group.
But Verbeek said he wanted his players to forget the fact they are already going to South Africa and switch their focus fully to beating Bahrain.
“It's not a friendly match, it's a serious World Cup match and we want to be No.1 in the group,'' Verbeek said.
“Until now, most of the players were still thinking and dreaming of the Qatar game about the World Cup, which is normal.
“But the moment they are on the field, they have to start concentrating on the game ... forget about tiredness, forget about trips, forget about the World Cup. Just think about the game.''
Verbeek will be forced to field a weakened side after striker Josh Kennedy (muscle soreness) and Richard Garcia (knee) were ruled out on Tuesday.
They join several other absentees including suspended captain Lucas Neill, injured Scott Chipperfield (foot) as well as Mark Bresciano and Carl Valeri, who were allowed to go home after the Qatar match.
It means Verbeek will bring in five new players who did not start against Qatar, most likely Scott McDonald, Mile Sterjovski, David Carney, Jade North and Luke Wilkshire, who returns from suspension.
Defender Chris Coyne is also in doubt, but completed training on Tuesday night and should be fit to play.
Verbeek said he would field the best possible team from his players who were fit enough to play 90 minutes, opting not to use the match as a chance to give some of his inexperienced players some valuable game time.
“We still have some friendly matches in the coming months so maybe I am going to use them at that time,'' Verbeek said.
“The players want to win the game.
“We are desperate, so I don't give favours, I just bring in the best 11.''
The Dutchman justified that decision by recalling the Socceroos' 1-0 loss to China in Sydney a year ago, when he was criticised for fielding an inexperienced team in what was a dead rubber after Australia had already booked a passage to the final stage of qualifying.
“Everybody said ‘fantastic' before (the match),'' Verbeek said.
“Then when we lost 1-0 and half the country was killing me, saying 'How can you play a young team in such an important game?
“So what are we talking about? I'm looking at you all (the media), because it was you who said that.''
Verbeek said he was undecided as to who would replace Neill as captain but said it would be either Vince Grella, Harry Kewell or Mark Schwarzer.
AAP
Possible Australia team
Mark Schwarzer (gk), Luke Wilkshire, Chris Coyne, Jade North, David Carney, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, Tim Cahill, Mile Sterjovski, Harry Kewell, Scott McDonald.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The arrogance of this man knows no bounds.
Sterjovski, Coyne, North? Are these players honestly better choices to be grooming for the squad when we have youngsters like Spiranovic, Jedinak, Vidosic, Williams and Djite available who are going to be playing in top European leagues next season. The best? How is Coyne 'the best', when he plays in bloody league one, and Rhys Williams was a standout player for a team that just got promoted to the Premier League, and Spiranovic has already played a few seasons in the Bundesliga. Come on.
Fair enough if he wants to stick with dad's army for the first 11, considering most of the first choice players do play in the strongest leagues and have gone through the ride at the last world cup. But is it really a good idea to be relying on an older guard of backups as well, when there are younger players playing at a higher level week in, week out? I mean ffs, if we stick with the likes of Coyne and Sterjovski to be our first choice substitutes all the way through to next year, then when we start aiming for 2014 we're gonna have to refresh the entire squad with players that have hardly ever played for the Socceroos.
He doesn't wanna pick youngsters because of what happened against China. Well, gosh, that was pretty much a whole team of inexperienced players plus Kewell. This time we have a chance of playing mostly first choice players with one or two developing talents, and instead he's gonna give a chance to players who are unlikely to ever improve on their current level and are just going to be one step closer to the geriatric ward once South Africa 2010 rolls around.
