Ed Aarons from the Guardian wouldn't have a clue.
Anyone that has watched the journey with the Socceroos would have noticed a big difference lately with the players slotting into the formation that Ange has built the team around. We may not have any real stand out superstars. However, that does not mean we can't give other teams a run for their money. The journey that the Socceroos have endured over the last 18 months is second to none.
They have become more battle hardened, more cohesive as a team and will continue to be fine tuned. One of the players that I have only recently taken notice of is Behich. He is short and quick. His work rate over the last few games has been excellent. Rogic, Luongo, Mooy are improving all the time. One of the commentators has said which I agree with him, that the team we saw the other night more than likely won't be the full team that heads to Russia. Injuries, not getting enough match fitness and new players being blooded coming into contention are all part of the journey we will be witnessing over the next seven months.
I want to see Ange stay and persist with the team, as I believe he is the one who can get the best out of the squad heading to Russia. Obviously a decent striker is our biggest hurdle at the moment. This is where we have been shown to be let down. We have a couple of young ones that could come through. Not necessarily strikers but are good at making play. Attacking Midfielder De Silva could come into the spotlight. Many others as well.
What Aarons from the Guardian fails to grasp is that Ange has built a young squad, a fair few that were first blooded from the A League and then into the International arena. Certainly a work in progress and will continue in development. I would most certainly not write the Socceroos of as the worst team of the 32 in the World Cup. With some luck of the draw, this is a prime opportunity where a few of the heavy weights did not make the cut and has opened the door for a few bolters to make their mark on a grand scale.
