I've pretty well finished reading Tim Cahill's recent book.

He seems a nice sort of bloke, but there are some very interesting omissions in it. Given it is the first autobiography/biography I've read from a Socceroo who has been part of the game from pre 2005 onwards, it makes it more interesting.

The glaring omissions were:

1. There was never any mention of the regime of FFA taking over in 2005. There was absolutely nothing about this. However, I've skipped over a few bits.

2. There is never any reference to the HAL, or for that matter, the NSL. Nothing about the HAL as a playing option for Australian players. All he talks about is his time playing at Milwall, Everton, the MSL and the C League. He never once considers the HAL as a viable playing option for himself.

3. There is absolutely no acknowledgment of the FFA's NC. There is nothing about the playing style of the national teams since the take over, of Guus, Pim, Holger and Ange.

4. Cahill's major aim when he talks about putting back into the Aussie game is to run his money making football school. He also expresses frustration that it should be under the auspices of FFA using accredited coaches. Cahill brings some guy out of from Everton as a supposed paragon of football knowledge to coach the kids in his money making football school.

Cahill seems to give no consideration for a decided change in training from different coach education in Australia.

5. For the South African World Cup Qualifying campaign from 2007 - 2009 under Pim, he sums the entire two years in one sentence - that it was difficult. Given Australia had never, ever undergone a campaign through Asia over a few years this is perplexing.


6. On his World Cup coaches these comments are not as bemusing:

Hiddink - Cahill talked a lot about Guus being unapproachable and distant.

Verbeek - not one word about Pim in the entire book.

Holger - in two sentences or so described him as a good tactician and was disappointed he was sacked.

Ange - a bit like Guus, Cahill talked a lot about Ange watching his every move in camp and that he has never felt secure about his starting position or continued selection. In one comment he described playing in triangles a lot in Socceroo training under Ange.

7. On some of his teammates:

Kevin Muscat - only mentioned him once - because he was injured in a FA Cup semi. Given Muscy was an Aussie who captained the same club, Milwall, I'm gobsmacked he warranted so little coverage.

Cahill went on and on about Rhino Stevens and Paul Ifill at MiIwall, and Phil Neville and a Spanish guy at Everton - Artega?

Lucas Neill - also a former Milwall and Socceroo teammate and supposed friend, Neill warranted barely a sentence.

Most of his Golden Generation Socceroo teammates in defensive positions were labelled as having little skill, compared to the forwards and attacking players in the same team. Many key Socceroos barely warranted a mention.

I'm only upto your second point, and I'll just say that it's his biography... You're reading it with completely the wrong lense.
The FFC NC has NOTHING to do with Cahill and the HAL has almost nothing to do with him.

Cahill was overlooked for Sydney United as a player. He then trialled successfully at Milwall , through his father's contacts.

Through the ball he reiterates that he was told he was, " Too slow, too small and not strong enough," to play pro football for a living. Why any coach would put limitations on any player is surprising?

I'm not sure if this has created some sort of inadvertent hostility in Cahill for a lot of Australian football below Socceroo level? He loves playing for the Socceroos, but mentions little about Australian football below that level, apart from his career in Sydney until he was 16 before he went to Milwall.

Cahill talks a lot about David Moyes as a very good player manager. It seems that most of the tactics utilised by Mooy were to stifle the other team, rather than creating a Proactive, circulation football team.

Everton spent hours practising stopping the other team playing though good defensive organisation and structure and working very hard for each other. I thought Everton were dross under Moyes and have improved markedly under Martinez.


One thing that struck me throughout the book, that many Euroroos, who went to Europe in their teens and haven't played here during their career, have a very nebulous concept of what football in Australia is.



Edited by Decentric: 23/12/2015 02:37:30 PM

I would have though that it warranted some discussion. It has been an integral part of so many footballers' careers, even if they went to Europe before circa 2007.

The training ground practice adopted by Guus and Pim, and probably Ange is so different from what he had before under the likes of Frank Farina.

Yep, it's an autobiography, not a broad commentary on the state of Aussie football.

Because that was the only time in his career he's played in Australia below Socceroos level...

I think Cahill's approach to running his own football school is a reflection of his own career. He was overlooked by the NSL and as such took things into his own hands and headed overseas to make his career. He probably believe's, and rightly so that he is providing another avenue to the young kids coming through now. Admittedly this is at a price. Cahill would have contacts in England and elsewhere that he can use to get kids looked at. If parents believe little johnny is being hard done by in NPL or HAL and want to pay for him to have a chance through Cahill then so be it.

There are plenty of other people about that offer a similar service

Late in the book Cahill briefly refers to the HAL. He says it is now a very good league and many fans were disappointed he hasn't played in it, but China was where he made his decision to finish his career.

He is rather vague about why China is his preferred destination.:?

Another point that Cahill makes late in the book is he would like to be a HAL club owner one day. He would implement an Evertonian type system from juniors up to senior level.

The coach he lauds as a paragon of junior football development knowledge at Everton is Robbie Anderson. I think he is is an Aussie.

Watching Everton play under Moyes I was underwhelmed. I think Martinez has improved them immeasurably. From what Cahill says, Moyes is basically a very Reactive coach. Reactive coaching is the antithesis of FFA football methodology.

So much training Moyes did at Everton was to negate the other team in set pieces, working hard for each other as a unit when the other team has the ball and physically dominating other teams by rugged tackling. Moyes appeared to concede the opposition would usually be technically superior. When Mikel Arteta played at Everton with Cahill, he claimed they finally had a technician.

This is only an opinion, but if Moyes took over most mid ranked clubs in the HAL, or even the Socceroos, I think fans would be very disappointed with the football they would play. His great strength appears to be as a player manager.

One common theme is that Cahill seems to be a nice bloke and gets on well with teammates. He certainly gives more detail than most footballers in autobiographies. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Edited by Decentric: 27/12/2015 09:15:28 AM

The coach who Cahill lauds as critical in his development was Johnny Doyle in Sydney. He did a lot of extra training with him in a small group on technique . He worked a lot on shooting and positioning from crosses, looking to hit small targets in goals.

Cahill also did a lot of work trying to run into the box with late runs with Doyle.

I think Cahill's two footedness and decent first touch was probably a product of Doyle, who was a former NSL player ( I think), originally from Ireland. Doyle was also a school teacher.

A League : John Stensholt & Shaun Mooney


Certainly interesting reading for anyone who follows the HAL.

There was something so funny in this book, I think it needs its own thread in Australian football. One could never guess who put himself forward as FFA's Technical Director.:lol: :roll:

Edited by Decentric: 6/5/2016 12:48:18 AM

I own it but haven't read it. Same with Soccernomics

Pep Confidential is a fantastic read and I'd highly recommend it to anyone, a great insight into how he operates and what his character is like.

Haven't read too many local football books though.

Both are must reads.

I'll look out for it.

Das Reboot: Ralph Honigstein


This is a book about the recent overhaul of the German football system. From 1998 to 2000, they were really concerned about the poor quality of German players. They undertook a metamorphosis. 

More Is More  the chapter from pp 131 - 155, describes how their development system has been overhauled.

It is mind blowing!

The books by the "Secret Footballer" are must reads and a brief glimpse into the incredibly strange world of being a professional football. 

Tony Adams' book Addicted is fantastic.

Dennis Bergkamp's book is incredible and I recommend to any fan. He absolutely blasts the hell out of Italian Football :lol:

Patrick Vieira's autobiography is not worth reading.

Sir Alex Ferguson's book was incredibly underwhelming. It is IMO poorly written and way, way too filtered. 

Craig Johnston's autobiography was an outstanding look on a player with very little natural ability but just sheer determination & hard work. Craig grew up in an area very close to where I live and I've talked to so many people involved with the Booragul High School boys and it's almost unanimous that there were at least 4 players in that team that were just miles and miles above the talent that Craig had but just didn't have to motivation that Craig did. 

I found Craig Johnston's autobiography very interesting. He only just survived as a pro in England. Jack Charlton wanted to sack him, so he disappeared to Everton with a mate to hide while this mate did a trial. They decided to trial Jognston too. Everton tried to sign him, so then Middlesbrough signed him to stop Everton! 

He was quite modest.

On TV he seems almost full of himself. I expected he would be more circumspect, like Josh Kennedy is.

I found this a bit boring towards the end and had trouble  finishing it.

Thanks for the appraisals.

I'll seek out Bergkamp's book.

Why was Tony Adams' book good?

Won't surprise me of Bergkamps comments of SerieA at the time - he coped heaps from the press which was typical how they treated some foreigner signings.
He confirms he learnt alot during those 2yrs though.

Craig Johnston post-career turned into an absolute arsehat. Abandoned his family, which he talks so nicely of in his book, and just went into all these weird & wonderful business ventures. Luckily for him, he has now married into wealth so is now smooth sailing.

Tony Adams' book is a fantastic look at the "Tuesday Club" culture at Arsenal & England before modern football took over. It is also extremely powerful in hearing about his struggles with drugs & alcohol, and the efforts he went to in order to stay fit enough to compete at such a high level. It was refreshing to hear that footballers aren't just cardboard cutouts. 

Bergkamps books is available as a free PDF download.

I also liked le tissier and harry redknaps books. Again both available via PDF download

 Thanks, NS.

I'm a dinosaur and love the old book format.

I've just been lent Redknapp's book, but I'll look out for Le Tissier's biography or autobiography.

I've just been lent Pep's too.

My Turn : Johan Cruyff

Easily the most compelling football autobiography I've read so far.

Given Cruyff proclaims himself to be have been a very average scholar at  school, this guy is a genuine football intellectual who puts theory into practice.

It is very informative, analytical and illuminating.

Given Cruyff was such an amazing player, he was very much a team person according to his own self-perceptions as a player. Compared to guys like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ange and Cahill, he is far less self - focused.

Very much so re Cruyff.
I have read My Turn as well last year.....
A pioneer from pure passion and to making his club strong and onward journeys.
Other books I have read last 12mths or so.....
Messi by Luca Caioli, he had previously wrote the Torres biography.
Ofcourse, My Story Stevi Gerrard being a Pool supporter since the mid '70's.
Suarez's Crossing the Line - My Story.
I'm sure I have others - have to check out the cupboards.
They are my air travel time killers that I love getting into - and then try and get my 2 playing lads to read.

I think I've read this one, but it was a run of the mill sports biography/autobiography and not that interesting.

agree.

I don't know what you thought of My Turn, but as a trained coach, I'm finding it fascinating.