Time for Durakovic to deliver the goods

The Anthony Di Pietro led Melbourne Victory board put everything on the line in its ultimately successful pursuit of Harry Kewell.

From initially compromising their ‘search’ for a new coach to further risking their credibility as each of Kewell's signing deadlines came and went.

Yet the Victory finally did get their man, indeed pulling off the greatest signing in Australian sports history.

Not only will Australia’s most vaunted Socceroo be playing in the A-League for the rest of his footballing days, but the Victory board have comprehensively exonerated themselves from a potential PR disaster.

That the board have done an exemplarary job in pulling off the Kewell deal is unquestionable. Yet the pressure will now be placed firmly on the shoulders of Mehmet Durakovic who’ll have his work cut out to accommodate Kewell amid the plethora of scoring options he inherited.

Durakovic won the Victory job because he was in the right place at precisely the right time. He promised to work cheap and importantly had Kevin Muscat on his ticket- a factor somehow regarded as essential for the future of the club’s brand.

Whether right or wrong, it’ll be with Durakovic where the buck stops regarding the Victory’s performance, with intense scrutiny expected all season upon what’s certainly now one of Asia’s biggest clubs.

To begin with Durakovic will need to demonstrate how he intends to utilise Kewell in a squad blessed with attacking options.

He’ll need to make harsh game to game decisions upon the likes of Archie Thomson and Danny Allsop as well as recent Roar signing Jean Carlos Solórzano.

Durakovic will also have to resolve the increasingly problematic Carlos Hernandez situation which continually finds the precociously talented Costa Rican in substandard physical shape.

Durakovic simply can’t afford to have his club’s second largest asset wasting away in the Victory doghouse and will need to make his mind up quickly about what role-if any- Hernandez has with the club.

Most importantly however Durakovic will need to reconcile a significant imbalance in the Victory squad. While their attacking prowess is without question, Melbourne lags behind their fiercest A-League rivals where defensive depth and midfield grit are concerned.

While Kewell’s capture indeed provides the impression of a slick Ferrari, the reality is that the Victory host an engine underneath which is suspect at best, derelict at worst.

Brisbane launched their rampant season last year not on the back of dynamic strike options, but by an industrious and highly skilled midfield driven by the likes of Eric Paartalu and Matt McKay, complimented by the polish of Thomas Broich, Mitch Nichols and Henrique.

The Central Coast’s biggest off-season recruit Stuart Musialik speaks volumes for Graham Arnold’s commitment to the centre of the park, while Adelaide and Sydney have both focused their player recruitment drives around further developing their respective midfields.

Meanwhile the Victory runs the risk of serious exposure to far more robust, faster and diligent A-League outfits, especially if they’re to rely upon the ageing Grant Brebner and consistently maligned Leigh Broxham.

Billy Celeski is a contender to pick up some of the midfield slack, though his reconstructed knee remains a query. Diogo Ferreira has shown promise but may still be a bit raw where the rigours of midfield combat are concerned.

The Victory is crying out for a midfield enforcer and help for Roddy Vargas and Adrian Leijer in the centre of defence if they are to justify their recent elevation to competition favoritism.

As it stands they have forward options the envy of any team, but a midfield which simply doesn’t look likely to propel them to the top of the table and a potential return to Champions League football.

Melbourne’s pursuit of Kewell was long and drawn-out, however with the start of the A-League just six weeks away, they’ll have to work much quicker to secure areas of the park which really must be addressed.

As comprehensively brilliant as the Kewell capture was, his arrival in Melbourne won’t have the same lustre without a winning team to compliment the celebration.

Arsenal's chance to regain some lost pride

It might not be a long bow to suggest that Arsenal’s first leg Champions League qualifier tonight against Udinese represents one of the biggest games for the club in recent years.

Though not something you’d expect from a fixture in mid-August, Arsenal have a lot to prove to both themselves and the greater football world against the Italians.

With the Cesc Fabregas saga finally culminating and with Manchester City ever closer to stealing away Samir Nasri, Arsenal is effectively having the heart ripped out of their organisation, day by day.

It’s a combination of factors which is resulting in the Arsenal exodus.

However, it’s a phenomenon which isn’t entirely new to the Londoners, with a litany of stars having left in the last decade to pursue better deals elsewhere.

However, Fabregas’ and Nasri’s probable departures are unquestionably the most significant, based on the club simply not being in a position to replace either of the dynamic midfielders.

It’s also most painful as both are at an age where their very best football is well and truly in front of them, which wasn’t the case when the likes of Viera or Henry left Highbury.

What is, however, most concerning is that the defections have left them with a perception that they’re now nothing more than a feeder club for larger European powers, in spite of the highly attractive football they’ve displayed under Arsene Wegner.

It’s a similar agony the A-League is facing, where for all the improvements on the field, there’s an undeniable reality that it will never be big enough to maintain the enormous talent they’ve so prudently sourced.

In Arsenal’s case, it’s particularly tragic as just five years ago they were playing off in a Champions League final against Barcelona, in addition to having only two years earlier blitzed the English Premier League in undefeated fashion.

These days, Arsenal are considered little chance to win the Premier League with European qualification and domestic cups glory being their most achievable goals – goals not dissimilar to much smaller English clubs such as Tottenham, Everton or even Fulham.

It’s ironic that tonight Arsenal will be facing Udinese, themselves painfully fully aware of their contemporary status having recently lost their brightest star Alexis Sanchez – also to Barcelona.

It’s an extremely difficult situation Arsenal have found themselves in, but one which perhaps would have been prevented by winning trophies, an issue Fabregas and recent defector Gael Clichy sighted in justifying their departures.

Thankfully, Wegner can perhaps start things off tonight and rectify precisely what they were unable to do on the weekend against Newcastle.

A victory over Udinese certainly won’t make up for the pain of Fabregas’ departure, however it will go a long way in allaying fans’ fears that where Europe is concerned, Arsenal’s still a club that’s highly relevant.

I’d hate, however, to think what reaction a failure will produce.

A-League set to lose the nose from its face

If for a moment we close our eyes and pretend the A-League has a fully functioning and vibrant marketing department, we have to acknowledge that it’s about to lose the face of its campaign.

By the end of the week Brisbane Roar captain and Socceroo mainstay Matt McKay is expected to sign a deal with Scottish champions, Glasgow Rangers.

It’s a surprise move from a player so steadfast in his loyalty to Brisbane and so integral to their recent success.

It’s a move that doesn’t exactly bode well for the A-League either, though it’s one that is understandable.

At 28, and playing the finest football of his career, Matt McKay has every right to pursue the biggest contract he can get his hands on.

Though he’ll receive some criticism for leaving the A-League at one of its most delicate times, the fact is McKay owes nothing to the league as he more than anyone else has helped build the brand’s identity over the years.

McKay is a shining example for the A-League and an embodiment of all that’s great about the league and all that can be gained by staying to play in Australia.

For six seasons he toiled away in a variety of good, bad and exceptional Brisbane teams, slowly developing himself into the elite player he is today.

Renowned for his exceptional fitness, McKay added a number of layers to his game over the years, developing his left foot into a more potent weapon and utilising his footballing nous to be of immense value in a variety of positions.

His development earned him a surprise call up to Holger Osieck’s Asian Cup squad earlier in the year, which at the time was seen as somewhat of a token gesture – a symbolic offering that the A-League had a role to play where the Socceroos were concerned.

However when Brett Emerton succumbed to an injury in the group stage of the tournament, McKay proved just why Osieck had selected him, instantly demonstrating his versatility at both left back and as a key midfield cog.

McKay’s memorable cross to Harry Kewell deep in stoppage time of their quarter-final against Iraq became the most indelible moment of the tournament for the Australians.

So with less than two months away from the A-League’s start it does come as some surprise to learn that McKay will be joining Rangers imminently.

Ange Postecoglou’s decree that he and his club won’t stand in the way of one of its players taking advantage of a better deal overseas is now undergoing its sternest test.

The Roar already lost Milan Susak to the Indonesian Premier League as well as Jean Carlos Solórzano to the Melbourne Victory earlier in the year.

The team’s top scorer last season, Kosta Barbarouses, recently departed as well, taking up an offer in second division Russia of all places.

With Postecoglou now about to lose his captain, perhaps cracks are starting to appear in Ange’s nascent empire?

However the most puzzling question to emerge concerning McKay’s departure is why Scotland, in a league surely not profoundly better than our own, and a climate substantially worse?

And while McKay doesn’t seem to be a player particularly motivated by oversized pay-cheques and endorsements, one would think he could have found a similar deal in second tier Italy or Spain, or perhaps somewhere in Germany, as a host of equally accomplished Australians have recently.

My guess is the Scottish move is more motivated by a part of McKay’s game which he feels needs particular development in, and which he’s determined the Scottish Premier League is best equipped to fulfil.

It is a mystery, though not of the sordid variety, and one which McKay’s accumulated credits should exempt from being investigated with any degree of malice.

But still, why Rangers?

More than one way to skin a cat

It should be regarded as a great sign for soccer in this country that both the direction and formation used by the national youth teams are so hotly debated.

These days not only is the notion of playing, say one or two strikers cause for heart burn, however so too are the nuances that comprise the ever-popular 4-3-3 formation.

Australia has indeed come a long way where the world game is concerned. So quickly that hearing such debate concerning tactics is akin to suddenly discussing the virtues of Chekhov or Borges having previously relied on a reading diet confined to Twitter Feeds and Facebook posts.

Where Australian soccer is concerned no issue gets tongues wagging more than the direction of Australia’s youth teams and particular what tactical formation they adopt.

The national mandate established by the FFA and endorsed by technical director Han Berger is that all representative youth teams in this country make use of the 4-3-3 template.

The rationale is that this formation -most popular in the Netherlands in the 70’s, but employed so brilliantly by Barcelona in recent years- is the most sophisticated and reliable where maintenance of possession is concerned.

It’s the formation which allows the greatest degree of midfield flexibility and interchange, while also being the system most conducive to playing with width.

Defence plays arguably the most important role in such a formation, called upon to set up attacks through precise ball movement from the back, rather than panicked clearances which inevitably finds the ball returned moments later.

Doubtlessly the biggest criticism of the formation is when the opposition is dominating possession. At such times a team’s wingers are required do their fair share of defending leaving the sole striker quite isolated, when and if possession is won back. When things aren’t going right in the 4-3-3, a striker’s life can be hopelessly lonely and terrifically frustrating.

Throughout both youth World Cups this year Coach Jan Verselijen has been loyal to the formation, though not always to the letter based on personal and the prevailing match situation. After all the man is a coach, not a robot.

In the Young Socceroos final match at the Under 20 World Cup in Colombia and needing nothing less than a win against the all conquering Spaniards, Versleijen threw the 4-3-3 out the window. He selected the most attacking team he had at his disposal along with a formation incorporating two strikers.

With Australia’s hopes of salvaging some pride from a tournament gone wrong, Versleijen's move was both brave and commendable. Ultimately however he’ll lose his job for it.

The young Australians were crushed 5-1 by Spain, having shipped all five within the first half hour of play. It made for a dismal end to a poor tournament.

The convenient excuse for Versleijen's chop will be the radical deviation of a tactics and ignorance of the FFA mandate.

One wonders however what would have happened had Versleijen actually pulled it off? What if Verselijen showed the FFA that there’s a much bigger world outside of the indisputably admirable 4-3-3?

The ripple effect would have indeed been enormous. Instead of Versleijen being made to look like the incompetent rebel, questions may have been asked of a system steadfast in its unwavering faith in a formation which frankly failed both teams in Mexico and Colombia.

And it failed because in Colombia particularly, with this crop of players, the 4-3-3 wasn’t the most ideal for them. And it’s a genuine shame as this group was perhaps a once-in-a generation type squad, despite the results suggesting otherwise.

To commit to a 4-3-3 and put so much strain on the defence-clearly the team’s Achilles heel throughout- was foolish. To not utilise the brilliance of Mustafa Amini in a meaningful and consistent role, and to starve Kerem Bulut of opportunities to shine were highly regretful.

To select a team with virtually no defensive midfield cover for Ben Kantarovski was particularly harmful.

To be sure, Football Federation Australia will have every right to look elsewhere regarding its next youth coaching appointment. However I sincerely hope the move is based on how unacceptable the results were along with the squad’s composition, rather than a very brief deviation away from the vaunted 4-3-3.

In the same way the next coach of the Melbourne Football Club should identify just how integrated the ‘demon legends’ are at the club, the future Australian youth coach should know precisely how much his coaching will be dictated and determined by a fixed formation from the sport’s governing body.

For coaches throughout the world and in any sport to be forced to do their job under a prescribed mandate is akin to telling a chef there’s only one way to make chicken soup or a comedian that there’s only one way to tell a joke.

The beauty of sport is that each game is vastly different to the previous with a plethora of different factors prevailing.

To be married to one fixed idea or formation is simply wrong.

Young Socceroos must take their game up to the Spaniards

In tonight’s match against Spain, the Young Socceroos have little to lose in what’s likely to be their final game at the Under 20 World Cup in Colombia.

It’s been a largely forgettable tournament for the young Australians characterised by a nervous back four, an unsettled midfield and an attack which has been hung out to dry by coach Jan Versleijen.

The Australians enter tonight’s game on a nine match winless streak at Under 20 World Cup level which stretches back to 2003 and against a team, who like their men’s counterpart, are at the very top of their game.

An unlikely victory over the dominant Spaniards and the Australians might not only restore some wounded pride, but perhaps even collect one of the ‘lucky loser’ wildcards these youth tournaments kindly and routinely dispense.

However dreaming about beating Spain and actually doing so are two very different propositions.

For starters the Australians have looked a long way from decent, despite Thursday’s loss to Costa Rica producing a better effort than the drivel served up against Ecuador.

Crucially however it’s a team working for a coach who’s simply failed to maximise the team’s abundant individual talent.

Versleijen’s Young Socceroos haven’t been restrained in Colombia as much as they’ve been bogged down by technicalities and conservative football theory.

The coach seems intent on a philosophy driven by a patient, possession orientated game that begins at the back, which professes to work the ball gently through the midfield and which relies on that killer pass to the sole striker.

In theory, Versleijen’s plan is commendable however in practise it’s been chopped apart by the Central and South Americans who’ve based their outfits around optimising the strengths of youthful exuberance and instinct, rather than textbook theory.

When Verselijen hasn’t been so dogmatic and been left with no choice but to attack, the results have inevitably been better.

When Bernie Ibini entered on the hour in the opener against Ecuador he provided much needed support to an increasingly alienated and frustrated Kerem Bulut. The Australians scored fifteen minutes later.

Against Costa Rica, Ibini was again belatedly introduced, as was Mustafa Amini, and despite trailing, the Australians found a certain bounce and pep which before too long was good enough to tie the scores at two-all.

If not for yet another defensive lapse minutes later, the Australians may have gone on to win.

It’s that same kind of improvisation and commitment to attack, witnessed so far only through desperation, which must be employed from the outset against Spain.

Coaches motivated more toward conservatism in any sport need to appreciate that an attacking mindset needn’t necessarily be viewed as working to the detriment of defence. Instead it can actually be of great assistance and relief to a defence and midfield constantly at work.

With that in mind, and as far as I’m concerned, both Kerem Bulut and Bernie Ibini must start up front together from the opening whistle against Spain.

It’s a combination in Colombia which has operated together for a total of one hour but produced two goals. In the two hours of play when Belut’s been isolated, just one goal has been scored, thanks only to an instinctual tap in by Tommy Oar following a hail-Mary type throw in.

In order to play Bulut and Ibini together however, a savvier approach to the midfield needs to be adopted.

It needs to function both as the source of supply for the strikers while providing cover for what’s been a shaky defence all tournament.

Most importantly it’ll need to find some grit and energy to compensate for the loss of captain Ben Kantarovski who’ll be unavailable through suspension.

If Versleijen had the temerity to drop Amini against Costa Rica, then he surely has the pride to be so brash as to play two strikers tonight.

His contract is already hanging by a thread and I doubt clinging to a game plan which does little to maximise the team’s strengths will likely get him a new one.

Leaving the tournament with one point from three games, but with a message of teaching the fundamentals is an overly worthless exercise in a major tournament.

Serving it up to the Spaniards from the opening whistle however, regardless of the end result, would be something else.

Harry's Wake Up Call

I don’t fancy it will, but Harry Kewell’s omission from Holger Osiek’s 18-man squad to face Wales should act as a reality check for the Socceroos star.

Next week’s assignment, despite being against an opposition ranked almost 100 places below the Australians, looms as a crucial tune-up for World Cup qualifying which begins just weeks later.

For Osiek to not include Kewell speaks volumes, not only regarding his stance on a less than glamorous fixture, but as a value judgement upon the Socceroo’s most famous name.

Plain and simply Kewell and his management have been playing an increasingly alienating game of funny buggers for the best part of the last three months. Far too long where Osiek and the Socceroos are concerned.

Internationally, Kewell’s been linked with Queens Park Rangers and Fulham in the Premier League as well as various MLS clubs in the States.

The saga regarding his possible playing in the A-League has been well documented with Sydney FC, but most consistently Melbourne Victory, speculated to be ever so close to securing his services.

However for a variety of reasons, mostly wage related, Kewell remains clubless and with all major European leagues set to get underway in the next couple of weeks, Osiek was left with no other choice but to leave the perennial Socceroo out of his short term plans.

And thankfully so, as Harry’s in desperate need of a reality check, with a temporary absence from the national team perhaps working as the tonic.

For Osiek, now shapes as an ideal time to send Kewell such a message as he attempts to perform a face lift of sorts in the area of the park the Socceroos are in most need of generational change.

Osiek needs to make-over an ageing attack and identify reliable sources of goal outside of Kewell and Tim Cahill. Its’ why Robbie Kruse has been a regular since the Asian Cup, why James Troisi continues to feature and why Scott McDonald is on the kitchen bench de-frosting.

In fact Osiek’s currently in Colombia watching the Under 20 World Cup, closely monitoring the progress of the likes of Bernie Ibini, Kerem Bulut and anybody else capable of causing some headaches up front.

Meanwhile, the coach has decided that for now- and possibly beyond- he can live without Kewell, regardless of the legacy and skill set he still brings.

Unfortunately for Kewell it's a stance most European and A-League clubs might start adopting too. Melbourne Victory in fact has given the thirty-three year old until close of business tomorrow to make up his mind.

Time is indeed running out for Kewell. For the sake of him, his reputation and perhaps future role with the Socceroos, he sincerely needs to sort out his club status.

Thankfully Osiek’s sent him that particular message in the form of a Socceroos squad which for a rare time neither requires, nor includes him.

Poor start to the Young Socceroos World Cup campaign

If this Young Socceroo team is the most talented in years, then I’d hate to see one perceived as run of the mill.

The Australians opening game at the Under 20 World Cup against Ecuador made for poor viewing with the team escaping with a 1-1 draw thanks only to one of the most outrageously brilliant goals in Socceroo history.

Tommy Oar’s late free kick saved what was in reality a deplorable evening for the Australians who were outplayed from the start and created few opportunities.

It was Ecuador’s game to win and it was a genuine mystery how they weren’t up by a couple of goals by the time Oar struck his free kick with a minute to go in regulation.

The names that comprise this edition of the young Socceroos are individually impressive, however based on this morning’s performance, look collectively a look a long way off the requisite international standard.

For all the talk of the Australians playing a more sophisticated, possession orientated game, the truth is Australia’s youth teams appear incapable of living up to the rhetoric.

Instead of bringing the ball out of defence competently and with structure, the Young Socceroos appeared petrified of coughing the ball up, which they inevitably and repeatedly did.

Far from advocating a long ball approach, one wonders whether they would have been better served with anything other than the panicked delegation which prevailed in defence throughout the opener.

To be fair, Australia’s injured Captain Ben Kantarovski seemed calm, composed and committed to a more responsible role prior to being subsituted. Beside him, Dimitri Petratos got better and more influential as the game progressed.

Mustafa Amini on the other hand seemed out of position and lifeless. He was subbed off in just the 55th minute having hardly touched the ball. Kofi Danning drifted in and out of the game while if Tommy Oar hadn’t scored the equaliser and covered himself in so much glory, his game could have been interpreted as poor and scattered as well.

Up front Kerem Bulut looked sharp, though starved of opportunities. When Bernie Ibini joined him in attack, a buoyancy and unpredictability emerged.

Coach Jan Versleijen's second substitute, Sydney FC’s Terry Atonis looked good, and in combination with club teammate Petratos, provided the impression the Australians still had a pulse where the middle of the park was concerned.

These youth World Cup and continental tournaments are of serious importance to soccer in Australia. They’re the product of a lot of planning, the result of a lot of money and the recipient of an enormous allocation of intellectual resources.

Indeed it's these tournaments which work as the sport's debutant ball showcasing to both the soccer and wider sporting world just what the youth ranks have to offer.

In Colombia, our darling stumbled onto to the dance floor, seemingly drunk and with lipstick smudged all over her face.

Again, if not for Oar’s sublime goal, the embarrassment would have been total, rather than partial.

If there is a consolation, apart from salvaging an improbable draw, it’s that the Australians have two more games to make up for the poor showing against Ecuador.

That opportunity will arrive Thursday against Costa Rica, themselves reeling from a 4-1 rout at the hands of Spain.

A win by the Australians would indeed have them back on course, however a game played in the same manner as their debut will surely result in an early exit.

When and if this young team sobers up, they’ll have some serious questions to ask of their performance and overall philosophy.

Hopefully Oar’s freakish goal won’t mask some of the serious questions that must be addressed.