By Sebastian Hassett
As Holger Osieck heads into what could prove to be the defining game of his tenure as Socceroos coach, the German has opened up on the biggest criticism of his reign – his refusal to blood more young players.
Osieck again largely selected a squad of veterans for this month's three World Cup qualifiers and drew an outpouring of public scorn for the decision.
Not ready: Holger Osieck cited Mustafa Amini - now warming the bench for Borussia Dortmund's reserve team - as one player with potential not yet ready to make the step up to the Socceroos.Credit: Getty Images
However, he remains unperturbed by the backlash, and insists he's made the decision for the right reasons.
“I know there's always some voices calling for radical change and that we must go with more younger players. That's fine, I have no problem with that,” he said. “But my assessment as I'm very close to the team indicates that sometimes what people think in public doesn't really meet reality. You have to consider one thing: football is not just a game of talent.
“Talent is one basic element but in order to play to your potential you require experience as well you have to be on the top level for a number of games to experience the ups and downs of that business, and that makes you grow and then your talent can be fully exploited.”
When it was put to Osieck that his country of berth was leading the world in promoting junior players to the national team, he explained German players were already playing at a far superior level of club football.
“Experience is not a matter of age, experience is a matter of exposure,” he said. “When you have the opportunity even at a young age to play already on a very high and challenging level then you are already experienced when you are 20.”
The 64-year -ld highlighted Mustafa Amini as the kind of player who was predicted for big things but had shown he wasn't ready to make the step up.
“We have an example Mustafa Amini, he was highly rated, what happened to him? He sits on the bench for Borussia Dortmund reserves in the third division,” Osieck said. “So you think that's the right level to step up and make it to the international standard? That is more a rhetorical question, the answer is implied already.”
However, Osieck might opt to starting one of Australia's young stars with Tommy Oar an option to start in attacking left-midfield role after Alex Brosque's failure to train this past week.
“'Brosquey' has not taken part in our normal training routine so far, so that already gives you a hint,” Osieck said, adding he had already finalised his starting side.
He declined to speculate on the fitness of Mile Jedinak, who has also scarcely trained. While Oseick said Jedinak was in “consideration” – the same phrase he used to describe Josh Kennedy's chances of starting – he was concerned about revealing his whole hand.
“I'm very much aware of how we're going to start but there's some issues that should be kept internal because the Japanese read newspapers as well,” he said.
Although Lucas Neill is without a club and Brett Holman has been frozen out at Aston Villa, Osieck said the pair's fitness levels weren't a concern.
“Training-wise, they look good. I had Lucas in camp for almost four weeks now. I had him in Sydney and again here in Japan and I think he looks very strong – and so does Brett Holman,” he said. “He came from his club but he was in full training. I know he didn't have too much playing time but physically he was fit and he always blossomed when he is in our group.”
Rumours have swirled this week that Osieck could be sacked if the Socceroos were soundly beaten in Saitama but the coach isn't buying into the speculation that surrounds his position.
“I don't occupy too much [thinking] with all that because if I read too much into that, I would definitely get distracted and couldn't focus on my job,” he said. “Secondly, I am under pressure in each and every game because I put myself under pressure in each and every game and want to get the most out of it. I want to have a good performance from the team. I want good results, so the pressure is intrinsic.”
Osieck is also riled by the accusation that his side is a long-ball team, saying it's anything but his coaching style.
“That is a cliche which is definitely inaccurate. So when somebody says, 'Oh yeah, they like the long balls,' there are so many people who buy into that,” he said. “They pick it up and then they carry it on. That is definitely not my game plan and not my style of play, but that would never prevent us from just hitting some crosses. But it is not the long balls like the old English style – [where] high balls are good balls – no, that's not the case.”
MATCH DETAILS
World Cup qualifier: Japan v Australia, 8:30pm (EST) Tuesday, Saitama Stadium 2002, Tokyo.
Television: Fox Sports 2 and 2HD.
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)
LIKELY TEAMS
Australia: 4-2-3-1 - Schwarzer; McKay, Neill, Ognenovski, Wilkshire; Bresciano, Jedinak; Oar, Cahill, Kruse; Kennedy.
Japan: 4-2-3-1 - Kawashima; Nagatomo, Konno, Yoshida, Uchida; Endo, Hasebe; Kagawa, Honda, Okazaki; Maeda
PAST FIVE MEETINGS:
2012 - World Cup qualifier: Australia 1-1 Japan, Brisbane.
2011 - Asian Cup final: Japan 1-0 Australia (after extra-time), Doha.
2009 - World Cup qualifier: Australia 2-1 Japan, Melbourne.
2008 - World Cup qualifier: Japan 0-0 Australia, Yokohama.
2007 - Asian Cup quarter-final: Japan 1-1 Australia (Japan won 4-3 on penalties), Hanoi.
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Keisuke Honda (JPA) – All the talk from the Japanese press has been about the late arrival of the CSKA Moscow star into camp, having played in Saturday night’s Russian Cup final. The brilliant midfielder is expected to start but fatigue could be an issue.
2. Josh Kennedy (AUS) – Finally back after not appearing in an Australian shirt since November 2011, Kennedy offers a point of difference with his towering height. Whether it’s attractive or not, Kennedy’s aerial efficiency makes him an eternal threat.
3. Yuto Nagatomo (JPA) – Asian football’s best left-back is reviving the tradition of Japanese players heading to the Serie A. That he plays for Inter Milan, and already has over 50 national caps at the age of 26, reflects his immense ability.
4. Robbie Kruse (AUS) – Though Tim Cahill remains Australia’s heart and soul in attack, Kruse’s quality has seen him shine in the Bundesliga and he needs to replicate that form for the national team. A big performance from him is vital to the visitors’ chances.
5. Eiji Kawashima (JPA) – The Japanese goalkeeper put in a howler in the midweek friendly against Bulgaria and the Socceroos are privately hoping his confidence will be in tatters. Expect Australia to test him with plenty of crosses and aerial challenges.
THE KEY MATCH-UP
Luke Wilkshire (AUS) v Shinji Kagawa (JPA)
The rise and rise of Shinji Kagawa seems limitless and he’s arguably the biggest sports star in Japanese football since the mythological Hidetoshi Nakata retired. The Manchester United forward is likely to play on the left side of attacking midfield and, from there, he’ll look to create chances for others and possibly finish a few himself. Luke Wilkshire is an experienced campaigner but he’ll need to be at his very best here.
IN THE DUGOUT:
Holger Osieck (AUS): With his job on the line, Osieck’s task here is to try and get at least a draw. A bad loss could see a swift meeting at FFA headquarters, where the axe could fall if the result is embarrassing. He knows the players have to give him more than what they have so far.
Alberto Zaccheroni (JPA): His experimental 3-4-3 against Bulgaria backfired but the Italian is too smart to try that again. He’s got a squad dripping with quality and his only task is to make sure the players aren’t drawn into a physical scrap, one which would suit Australia.