I died inside! DOES THAT FUCKING COUNT!!!!

None of those comments are pathetic they are actually quite reasonable comments.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing.

Except for the COMPLETE lack of passion.

Millions of Aussies were watching that game with hope and love for the sport, only to watch guys like Grella, Moore and Neill play with obscene negativity and no desire to win.

The number of times I saw Neill fuck up and instantly look for someone to blame was disgusting. First he looks to the linesman, then he looks to the ref, and then he looks to his own team. It was always you Neill, you just can't help fucking up and taking responsibility for shit you get wrong.

In fact, this is a major problem in the Australian team. After watching the Algerians play, always giving thumbs up to creative passes that failed, encouraging their teammates, and putting their hand up to apologise when they made a mistake, you realise just how poor the Socceroo mentality is. Only half of the guys on the pitch looked like they truly wanted to be there.

So much for picking experience over potential.

I'm hoping the next coach will decide to reconstruct the Aussie team with new, young players, rather than running the same old fucking circus that hasn't looked good since the Guus era.

Agree with Bill Murray
I reckon something is crook in Tullarook in the Socceroos camp!! Neill in particular as captain did NOT set a good example as Captain and was a complete whinger. I am sure all will be revealed after the WC exit. And as for Grella's statement F#$k something did die last nite mate!! The self belief ya all had under Huus that almost took us to the quarter finals in 2006 has gone out the door. Last nite was the day that music died!!

Hmm ironically I was not feeling well so missed/could not watch some of the match, but from what I did see and then what I saw in SBS's hour of highlights/lowlights from the match this arvo, I suppose I'm kind of glad I missed most of it.

Interesting, I'm just watching the Netherlands-Denmark match now and I suppose, whether its fair to or not, given our prep match against the Danes, one 'could' draw some comparison, given the strength of the Netherlands side they face.

For some inexplicable reason we DID NOT sit back and limit the German's space in the final third. time and time again it APPEARED as if we were organised to play for the off side trap, which the Germans, time and time again, broke.

The Danes against the Netherlands on the other hand, from the get go, had all/most of their men back behind the ball, with a good six men on the edge of the box, soaking up that space and packing the box, when it came to the crosses from deep, as you'd expect from such an approach. The Socceroos on the other hand, as I suggested (And as many of us saw), only had 3-4 players back there at most, attempt to hold that line and guys like Lahm, Ozil and Podolski were being far too much time and space in that area between the box and the half way line, we didn't have enough bodies, weren't tight enough, in that area. Ozil and co were just playing one-twos, interplaying with Podolski and Klose, at will. I really don't understand why we weren't soo much tighter, didn't have more bodies, in this space. We were constantly stretched in most areas of that final third, especialyl when Ozil and co were then feeding out to the overlapping Lahm - there's was just far too much space for all of them.

But as I said, I never saw the match in full, so can't properly analyse what happened, but apparently we had enough midfielders on the park, but people have suggested we were playing 4-4-2, which sounds ludicrous to me, given our history under Pim and that we were facing Germany - I don't know whether it's a case of tactical approach, the competency of our midfielders like Grella (Who has really been ordinary right through preparation and who's starting spot really should've been under threat), Valeri and Culina or both, but our defensive organisation, we just weren't set out to keep them out, as we should've been.

This was the kind of big match, our first up match, which sets out your tournament. It's the kind of match against the group favourites where you'd think our mentality would be to grind out a desperate point or 0-1 loss if possible. Ten behind the ball this game (two dozen plus fouls on Lahm and co far from the box) and go all out against Ghana and Serbia. Soak up the space and be as BORING as possible.

But for some reason, it just did not play out that way. Really baffling.

And in regards to the comments - one must bare in mind that comments like Grella's were in the heat of the moment, a reaction to the immediate circumstances - it hurts to lose like that and players in the immediate moment will not always respond soo sensibly, despite the years of refinement in communication with the media some of them may've received through their experience as professional footballers.

But yeah, Grella's form on the pitch has been dead ordinary and it's been too long now that he's started ahead of guys like Valeri (Who albeit DID start alongside him) and Jedinak who have outperformed him, performed solidly in most of the matches they've featured for us, past six months.

And in regards to Emerton, he certainly seemed IMPRESSIVE in those highlights and I suppose you could tell he had some 'fresh legs' about him, but also his performance seem to evoke what WAS possible of this Australian side, or certainly of Aussie sides in the past (Which he was apart of). He really seemed to RISE to the occasion (Especially in tight scenarios on the ball, he rarely gave the ball up and managed to complete a meaningful pass/cross from a number of times he was in possession, even in tight scenarios, he was just 'Cryff turning' two Germans), where others just fell desperately short.

And Cahill was certainly unlucky. And to be fair again, that red card certainly made the bad far worse. As many have said, we were struggling already, but it was perhaps that which made the scoreline that little worse. But again, that's not true to say either, as the score easily could've been 10-0 Germany with all the clear chances around the six yard box we gave Klose, Podolski, Ozil and co.

But fair point on the Cup Fever program by Santo, Ukraine ofcourse copped a the same 4-0 hiding from Spain first match up, but still 'surprisingly' progressed to the quarter finals of Germany 06. But unfortunately, we aren't facing a Tunisia next up, we're facing who I consider to be the strongest and perhaps most capable of the African nations at this WC, in Ghana, who will be even tougher on their high after defeating Serbia and a Serbia who will be keen to bounce back from their loss to the Ghanians. That result was a double blow to us, because now Ghana is in the box seat to be second qualifier, slimming our chances of that second place much further, especially if they can secure a better result against Germany, than we did.

Cahill being out is quite a bummer too, but may've as a positive that may force Pim's hand into some more positive selections, like bringing in both Kennedy AND Kewell!

Edited by GloryPerth: 14/6/2010 11:37:13 PM

Grella should be sent home immediately with that kind of attitude. You don't want it infecting the other players.

His head and his heart aren't in it. They were humiliated on the field and we have been humiliated as supporters.

The man who is retiring from the Socceroos after the World Cup, has no respect for the A-League and plans never to return to live in Australia but move to Italy can get stuffed.

I feel for Schwarzer, what a huge ask from him, with the team Pim Put on the park, He should be holding his head high, no easy task for any goalie. I am a goalie for hockey and I must say it has to go through 10 other players to make it in the back of the net.yes we need to build a bridge and get over it. 2 games to go and 6 points to obtain