Time For The Real Questions To Begin

Australia last night wrapped up qualification through to the next round of World Cup qualifying last night with a 1:0 win over Thailand in Bangkok.  It secured top spot in the group, but it was a performance that posed far more questions than it answered.  And with our remaining match a dead rubber it's time for those questions to be asked loudly.

I've long expressed doubts about Holger Osieck as a coach and after a series of abject performances by Australia through quaification I'm amazed more aren't screaming for questions to be answered.  Our two matches against Thailand were woeful as was our recent performance against Oman.  We are now a team devoid of structure and cohesion, and one which cannot keep the football anymore.  We struggle to create real chances and our defence is looking increasingly shaky.  Most worryingly it is one that continues to cling to over the hill players who have little chance of making the tournament in 2014.  Our national team has been reduced to nothing more than 11 guys running around kicking a football.

We shouldn't be surprised by what we are now seeing under Osieck.  From the outset he spurned any sense of having a 'system' publicly claiming it made football sound overly complicated.  He proposed attacking football which has sadly equated to aimless early crosses that are easily defended.  Our players currently have no idea what each other is doing.  Under Pim Verbeek Australia were not exciting, but they were organised, resilient and could at least keep the football.  All that has been lost under Osieck and replaced by what?  On recent performances our players are struggling to even string together more than two passes.  It's pathetic.

Verbeek, despite Australia cruising through qualification, was lambasted all the way.  Osieck has turned us into a team that battles to victory over Thailand and gets called a breath of fresh air.

Our next match is the dead rubber against Saudi Arabia and rather than experiment and explore options, Osieck has already stated that it will be the big names all over again for this one.  I slapped my forehead in disgust when I read that.

I honestly believe Osieck should be sacked, he is clearly out of his depth.  We need a coach who is a shrewd tactician and one who will get us playing in a system which will suit the best players that we have.  On top of this we need a coach who will select players on form rather than reputation.  Time needs to be called on certain players and Osieck clearly lacks the bollocks to do it.  If Australia stays on the road it is currently on we will struggle to make Brazil in 2014.  I've said that since he first came on board, and as this campaign has continued I have not lost that opinion.