Robbie Slater selects his Socceroos team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia
THE World Cup is just five months away and the Socceroos still don’t have a head coach. But ROBBIE SLATER has picked his 23 players that should be on the plane to Russia.
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GAME time.
That’s the focus for every player with the World Cup just five months away, and crucial warm-up matches against Norway and Colombia next month.
It’s a concern, however, that we don’t have the most important man, the national coach, keeping tabs on how our Socceroos are playing, or how much game time they’re getting, especially the ones abroad.
We’ve got Maty Ryan and Aaron Mooy in the English Premier League, while Jackson Irvine and Massimo Luongo are in the Championship.
Those four are playing regularly, but we have players in trouble at other clubs, like Brad Smith and Alex Gersbach, because they’re not getting enough game time.
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These are the issues a national coach needs to have a finger on with the World Cup just around the corner.
Not even Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic has been able to check on the welfare of the national players because he’s been with the Olyroos, and failed, at the AFC U23 Championship. But that’s a topic for another day.
Here is my breakdown of players who should be on the plane to Russia, and those who are knocking on the door to make the final squad of 23.
I’ve also included where they’re currently playing.
ON THE PLANE
GOALKEEPERS: Mathew Ryan (Brighton & Hove Albion — Premier League), Mitch Langerak (Nagoya Grampus — J1 League), Danny Vukovic (Genk — Belgian Pro League),
DEFENDERS: Trent Sainsbury (Jiangsu Suning — Chinese Super League), Bailey Wright (Bristol City — Championship), Aziz Behich (Bursaspor — Turkish Super Lig), Matt Jurman (Suwon Bluewings — K League), Alex Gersbach (Rosenborg — Norway), Dylan McGowan (Gangwon — K League)
MIDFIELDERS: Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa — Championship), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town — Premier League), Tom Rogic (Celtic — Scottish Premier League), Massimo Luongo (Queens Park Rangers — Championship), Jackson Irvine (Hull City — Championship), James Troisi (Melbourne Victory)
FORWARDS: Tim Cahill (no club), Tomi Juric (Luzern — Swiss Super League), Robbie Kruse (Bochum — 2 Bundesliga), Mathew Leckie (Hertha Berlin — Bundesliga)
Even though we can lock these in, there are concerns.
They are:
Langerak: The goalkeeper has moved to Nagoya Grampus in Japan to get more regular game time, but moving from Europe to the J-League is certainly a step down in career ambition.
Sainsbury: Without doubt one of the most crucial players, but Sainsbury is still recovering from groin surgery. He is also looking for a move away from his Chinese Super League club and though there’s still plenty of time, he needs to come back from injury and then get enough game time.
Rogic: Rogic has been sidelined with a knee injury and recently suffered a setback after making a return for Celtic. He could be out of action for another six to eight weeks and this is a major concern.
Cahill: We’re more than halfway through the January transfer window and there’s been nothing concrete since Cahill left Melbourne City. It’s hard to imagine he doesn’t have something lined up, but it’s dragging on. As a Socceroos legend, Cahill has a seat reserved on the plane, but he’s got to be playing. Surely something will come up.
CONTENDERS
GOALKEEPERS: Paul Izzo (Adelaide United), Adam Federici (Bournemouth — Premier League)
Unless there are injuries, it’s unlikely either of these goalkeepers will make the squad.
DEFENDERS: Brad Smith (Bournemouth — Premier League), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos — J1 League), Rhys Williams (Melbourne Victory), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney Wanderers), Matthew Spiranovic (Hangzhou Greentown — China League One)
Milos Degenek and Josh Risdon look best placed in this group to make the squad because of the lack of cover in the right-back position.
MIDFIELDERS: Josh Brillante (Sydney FC), Daniel De Silva (Central Coast Mariners), Brandon O’Neill (Sydney FC), James Jeggo (Sturm Graz — Austrian Bundesliga), Dimitri Petratos (Newcastle Jets)
We’re fortunate to have an abundance of players in the midfield, but cover for Milligan and Jedinak is important and Josh Brillante could be a bolter given his outstanding form for Sydney FC over the last two seasons.
FORWARDS: Jamie Maclaren (Hibernian — Scottish Premiership), Nikita Rukavytsya (Maccabi Haifa — Israeli Premier League), Craig Goodwin (Sparta Rotterdam — Eredivisie)
This is the department we have a genuine lack of depth in.
We’re now in the run in to the World Cup and the players who stay injury free and are playing regularly will be on the plane