Good article Kevin.

I do notice the socceroos shirts are on sale now and one store in Canberra has a buy one get one free sale at the moment.

Maybe a new shirt is coming !!


What do you think about the FourFourTwo blog 10 Things We've Learned At This World Cup?
Well, that's our World Cup over for another four years. It started badly but ended better although our inability to make it out of the group stage despite only being beaten once reinforces how damn ha...

Have your say.

Ah... Beat me to it. What he said...

10. So, the England mauling by Germany puts our performance in perspective, yet Verbeek doesnt get the same leave pass? Surely Capello was equally bad in that context, but I'm sure a lot of people would be carwtheeling in the streets if he was announced as manager...

7. That was the real problem against the Germs not the formation.

6. Didnt like it at first but now think its pretty darn good. Keep it for the Asian cup.

Agree for the most part with most of the rest.

Bring back that really weird Socceroos shirt that looked like a haiwaian shirt gone horribly wrong!

11. We Are (One Of) The Best In Asia

The qualification through Asia was daunting, but we came through with flying colours. There are other excellent teams like Japan and South Korea who will be re-meeting regularly, but we should expect to be able to qualify for future WCs (as long as we can maintain a decent squad). The 2010 Asian Cup will be a potential watershed moment.

12. Where Are The Kids?

The lack of depth in our squad was a major problem. Verbeek might (??!!) have experimented more if he had more players to choose from. Fair enough, his A-league choices didn't perform when given the chance. But where is the next generation of stars? Is the FFA really doing everything they can to develop young talent across the country? I don't think so. Considering that today's 10-year-olds might be the stars of an Australian 2022 home WC squad, we need to be urgently reassess our junior programs.

Sorry to disagree with all the KA-love, but this is a weasel article. Point (10) continues the merciless Pim-bagging, but Point (2) effectively concedes that we could have done - and still might do - a lot worse. If you were so right about Pim, KA, why don't you put your balls on the line and tell us who (among the managers we can afford) will definitely do a better job than Pim?

13. Retiral is a word. Who knew.

brett holman: a nation apologises hahahaha
kudos. my bad brett!

I agree with Stiofan. This article is negative and I actually detect cynicism in the way this article is written. Surely we've learnt something more constructive than continued Pim bashing. And how does this make any sense? - "our inability to make it out of the group stage despite only being beaten once reinforces how damn hard the World Cup can be" - how many games do you think we should be able to loose and it not be a suprise we didn't make it out of the groups???

Good article, nicely stated, all good points.

@stiofan - it's called "Things we're learned..." not "Things I can teach you..."

Pim made a massive tactical blunder at the worst possible time. If Wilkshire or Kennedy had popped that goal in against Ghana, the story would be totally different.

I think you should replace 6. Kit with "Luck". Tim sent off, Harry sent off, Germany doesn't thrash Ghana. Things just didn't fall for us....

Besides Brett Holman's revival I could have told you all this before the cup. And I'm sure ppl who followed the team closely would have been the same. And to Stiofan: I would argue that any number of managers will play a better brand before getting good results. This idea that its all about scrapping through and jagging a result is missing the point. Football needs a shot in the arm in this country after 2 1/2 years of dire, dire football. We need crowds, we need excitement, we need goals, we need a positive coach. Enjoy Morocco Pim. Sorry Morocco

14- Argentina doesn't need a coach, these guys coach themselves.

Lucky, that! :lol:

How about this one:

15. Aussies Are Not Dutch.

Reality says that the A League is still developing...player standard & fitness currently well below european levels. So, work on local stuff whilst utilizing our overseas assets!

National coach approach: give us attacking football where we question (all over the pitch) whether the opposition CAN ply...even though best deloyment of player resources may dictate a defensive style of play.

thought the Pim one was a tad harsh remember he got you there unscathed and undefeated. And the shirts point was shite!! but true, very true most of the starters are wrong side of 30 but some good youngs un's are coming through im just a bit worried about the defence in the next world cup...

Regarding Holman, I am still not convince he's top notch. But he's certainly improved... a lot. The lesson?

16. Coaches need to show faith in younger players and give them time to develop at the top level.

interesting points but I LIKE THE KIT and to change it again come the asian would be the stupidest thing ever. Just imagine them changing it every 6 months. Maybe if the shirt was 50 dollars.

I don't know if I'll be happy with any new manager too :)

Tidied for you, in accordance with long term FFA plans.

17. We are better than at least one team in the last 8.

Good read Kev
Im still clinging on to the hope Rijkaard will be appointed.

18. Scott McDonald...... hasn't scored for Australia yet, but play football the way he likes (and for that fact the way it should) and bang in goes one.... bang goes 2 bang bang bang... Australia 5 Germany 4. :D

Good article
Very well written

Plenty of good coaches available for hire but I don't think any of them were at teh World Cup unfotunately. Pim made 3 mistakes - writing us off before the first match(unforgivable), the high line (foolish, especially with ball-watcher Neill, who I hope retires very soon in favour of our better, younger defenders like Kisnorbo etc) and the 442 gamble when his 451 would have been safer against Germany - but actually Australia was one of the better also-rans. We did as well as England against Germany with only 10 men; we held the best African team and quarter finalists Ghana with only 10; we beat Serbia, supposedly a much better team and one who topped their European group. I still don't rate Holman although it's nice that he's stopped trying to pass directly to the opposition. I think we do have young talent coming through but like most teams we only get a Cahill or Kewell every once in a while. Oh, and 11. Mark Schwarzer saved our bacon many times and was far and away our most important player. If our defence had managed to discombobulate Germany enough for him to make the saves he's capable of, we'd be playing Uruguay in our next match.

I stopped reading after:

10. Pim Verbeek is...

To play Grella was ludicrous. Our best games - Nigeria, Ireland - have been without him. The last WC he was good, the Asian cup far too stodgy and slow. Don't agree about Bresc - you need a player who can hold the ball like him. (Or Carle) Lucky for us, and thanks to Japan and SK, Asia should have at least one more place in the next WC at the expense of Europe.

ALSO,we need to exploit companies wanting to jump on the bandwagon and advertise their brands.....we should also BAN CH9,CH7 and Ch10 from showing any news highlights,as they just are bandwagoners....unless they PAY BIG$$$$$ to get BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP TV rights.....

2013 is coming up very fasy and football needs big money for both the Socceroos and the A-League on prime time Free to Air TV.....football is too big to not be on FTA TV....do they still play NRL and Cricket in this country?

Why are we apolagising to holman? He WAS shit and people rightly called it before, however he has gotten better and has grown into quite a handy player, and kevin bosnar, oggmonster and griffiths arent that good, certainly not better than players in their respective positions in the soccroos xi.

Got to say KA, you don't always have a lot to say but when you do you say it well and I have to agree with every thing you've said here.

Australia prides itself at being at the forefront of sports science so I am surprised at the lack of fitness claim made about the A-League. This term needs to be defined more specifically. Is it general aerobic fitness expressed as a VO2 Max if so I would be very surprised. If it is match fitness due to lack of games I am not so surprised!!