Resting Socceroos in Sydney

[Engine]

As you all know, Pimp Verbeek rested all of his key plays except for Harry Kewell in the clash against China on Sunday.
I know that it was a dead rubber and we had nothing to gain or lose points-wise for the clash. But, my concern is that over 70 000 people paid their hard earned cash to see the superstars of Australian soccer. What they got was an Olyroos game with Harry Kewell put in as a token gesture. To me, this is unacceptable.

People will argue that our players risk injury by playing in a dead rubber. My argument to that is that soccer is a business. Soccer needs to gain every advantage they can get in order to win the hearts and minds of the australian public. Criticise the wallabies and australian cricket team all you like, but at least they play to full houses and never put out a 2nd string side. The general australian public loves them for that.

I believe that the australian public have still not fully embraced soccer but I think they are on their way. By playing only Harry Kewell, socceroo management are playing the public for fools. They seem to think that the aussie public will be thrilled just to see Harry play. Aussies may be new to soccer, but they are not fools. They know a rort when they see one.

Barring our rep players was a disasterous PR move. A great percentage of the crowd will think twice before they buy another ticket for a socceroos game. Aust soccer cannot afford that doubt in the minds of soccer fans.

Im not sure about Pimp's coaching creditiantals, but he sure is pisspoor with public relations. If Aust were playing overseas, I'd understand and agree with Pimp playing a 2nd string team. But, ripping off the Australia public is an entirely different proposition. A totally selfish decision from Pimp.

What do you think? Did Pimp make the right decision?

 

[Tom Shines]

Exactly.

 

[Misanthrope]

I'd say 'Yes, but...'

Resting key players is no crime. It happens all of the time in the game. But, he did the game no favours by resting all but one regular Socceroo. Kewell's a drawcard, for sure, but he can't win us games on his own. Even two/three other regular starters would have made a world of difference. They needn't be superstars. Even David Carney, Brett Emerton, and Nick Carle would have meant something.

 

[Tyler Durden]

absolutely the right decision was made.

some of these kiddies will be needed in future games in the world cup campaign - with injuries, suspensions and retirements some of these kiddies could well be needed in the next stage of the campaign

better to get their experience and make their mistakes in a game that has no bearing on the results rather than a crunch game in south africa

and all those people that bought their ticket knew full well that it could be likely that australia would have already qualified for the the next stage.

 

[fish eel]

I voted Yes.

I note the first post in this thread says it is a business.

The best thing for the business is to make the world cup.

To cover all bases, it is essential we have as many players as possible we know we can call up. It is not every day an international coach gets to call rookies up for a dead rubber. Take the chance while you can. Beside which, I have heard many of them did want to be left out...

 

[Engine]

absolutely the right decision was made.

some of these kiddies will be needed in future games in the world cup campaign - with injuries, suspensions and retirements some of these kiddies could well be needed in the next stage of the campaign

better to get their experience and make their mistakes in a game that has no bearing on the results rather than a crunch game in south africa

and all those people that bought their ticket knew full well that it could be likely that australia would have already qualified for the the next stage.

Good to see you paid for a ticket to see the China game.

 

[fish eel]

Good to see you paid for a ticket to see the China game.

I did, and I have no qualms with the squad.

I'd also like to think nowdays, the Socceroos are entrenched in the marketplace.

Gone are the days when people wait until a week before the game to see who turned up to buy their tickets, nowdays, people pay to see the shirt not so much the names.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Good to see you paid for a ticket to see the China game.

not really - i get paid to stand in the players tunnel.

 

[Misanthrope]

Gone are the days when people wait until a week before the game to see who turned up to buy their tickets, nowdays, people pay to see the shirt not so much the names.

I've read, on various forums and such, that people looked at the experience as a negative thing. One of my friends/fellow forummers went to his first Socceroo game and was largely pissed off at it.

 

[fish eel]

I've read, on various forums and such, that people looked at the experience as a negative thing. One of my friends/fellow forummers went to his first Socceroo game and was largely pissed off at it.

You could have had the first 11 play, and got an even more dire match though. No guarantee of a better spectacle just because the names on the shirt were bigger

 

[Engine]

It is good to see that you like to see reserve graders playing around a star. You must like watching the North Qld Cowboys as well.

 

[Misanthrope]

You could have had the first 11 play, and got an even more dire match though. No guarantee of a better spectacle just because the names on the shirt were bigger

Spectacle is only half of it. A lot of people would have bought tickets well before the squad of nobodies was named. Myself, as a football fan, looked forward to seeing the likes of David Williams and Spiranovic finally get caps - but Joe Average probably had no idea who they had shelled out money to see.

 

[Engine]

I wouldn't have taken out 5c to see the squad that ran out last night.

 

[fish eel]

Spectacle is only half of it. A lot of people would have bought tickets well before the squad of nobodies was named. Myself, as a football fan, looked forward to seeing the likes of David Williams and Spiranovic finally get caps - but Joe Average probably had no idea who they had shelled out money to see.

which comes back to the point I made about the brand. Back in the bad old days, nobody would buy a ticket until the teams were named and players started arriving.

In any case, he did it, and I'd love him to have the chance to do it for the last home game in the next phase ;-)

 

[hybrid_tiger]

absolutely the right decision was made.

some of these kiddies will be needed in future games in the world cup campaign - with injuries, suspensions and retirements some of these kiddies could well be needed in the next stage of the campaign

better to get their experience and make their mistakes in a game that has no bearing on the results rather than a crunch game in south africa

and all those people that bought their ticket knew full well that it could be likely that australia would have already qualified for the the next stage.

Heaven forbid if we have to rely on last nights players.

The only ones that will be ever up to this level are Valeri and Spiranovic and the thing is, most people who have watched players like Zadkovich and Topor-Stanley could have told you this long before last nights game.

 

[Misanthrope]

The only ones that will be ever up to this level are Valeri and Spiranovic and the thing is

I'd add Djite and Williams to that without hesitation.

 

[Twizzle]

he probably did, but the replacements were pretty ordinary

 

[B-dos]

the right decision beyond doubt.

a dead rubber is a dead rubber and pim took the chance to give the younger players experience and the older players a rest.

the 70,000 people may have been a little disappointed but as has been rightly said, theyll be paid back in kind if/when we make the WC and they also knew full well that we could have been qualified by the time this game came around.

 

[Jimbo]

We are through to the next stage, and none of our big guns are injured or suspended

Of course it was the right move

Joe Public knows enough about football to recognise that a team without Cahill, Bresciano, Emerton, Grella, Kennedy, etc is not going to put five goals past a full-strength China

If people want entertainment, they'll come back in September

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Scoring goals is one thing, but not even trying to get forward is another.

Verbleak is weak. He only got the job because of his passport. He had a mediocre CV and it was a rushed appointment.