Back from Hiatus

Ok granted that no one has posted on this blog since August last year but I feel like I need a place to start spreading shit about SBS on the internet. And considering that they delete my abusive comments that I leave on everyone of Les Murray's articles I figured that this would be the best place.

The game against Kuwait last week was cringeworthy. Everytime we gave up possession cheaply or punted a long ball up forward was excruciatingly painful to watch. But the one thought that was in the forefront of my mind after Kuwait scored was "shit, now we have to listen to all of the crap paying out on the A League players being garbage". The reason why this pisses me off is because of the duality. In the Asian Cup we had an absolutely rancid tournament and players like Grella and Neill were shielded from the criticism because of TWG's (The World Game, SBS's football mouthpiece) vendetta against current Australian coach Graham Arnold. They blasted Arnold for being tactically naive and not ready for the job.

All I want now is for SBS to treat Pim Verbeek in exactly the same manner. His team gets well beaten by poor oposition and there are two ways this can be seen: the first that players who led Adelaide to the Asian Champions League final have suddenly become shit or the second which is that the manager has failed to adequately articulate what they have to do to win the game. I am of the latter opinion. I work on the premise that the vast majority of footballers are dumb, and if you left it to them they'd be hoofing balls forward and trying to score from 30 yards out all of the time. It is the coaches role to curb this instinct and instill a style of play which may not be as direct but is infinitely more efficient. This is what Pim has failed to do.

On top of this the squad he put together indicates that he must have been sleeping during some of the A League games he has been watching. The problem is not with A League players, but the A League players that Pim selects.

Australia: Eugene Galekovic (gk), Craig Moore, Archie Thompson, Matt McKay, Paul Reid, Matt Simon, Rod Vargas, Tom Pondeljak, Matt Thompson, Michael Zullo, Daniel Mullen Subs: 111. Fabian Barbiero, 35. Robert Cornthwaite, 68. Tarek Elrich, 72. Dean Heffernan, 109. Mitch Nichols, 99. Michael Theoklitos (GK), 49. Nikolai Topor-Stanley

The players who do not belong in the squad are:

Matt Simon - the epitomy of everything that is wrong with Australian football. Hard work + no skill = Socceroo. He's a poor man's Danny Allsop, and if you're a poor man's Danny then you must be like Somalian poor.

Daniel Mullen - why?

Matt McKay - amazing what a wrap this guy gets for the work that Massimo Murdocca does. He goes missing more than Olivia Newton Johns boyfriend.

Fabian Barbiero - acording to Mark Bosnich "a swallow doesn't make a summer" but for this guy it seems that a flukey goal makes a international appearance. How he is in front of Nicky Ward or Celeski is beyond me.

Dean Heffernan - Two words, Matthew Kemp. Kemp has pretty much run the left flank for the Victory by himself all season. While Heffernan's greatest acheivement is growing a Shannon Noll goatie.
Mitch Nichols - This is the kind of guy who makes Chook look proficient in front of goal. Having him start in front of Charlie Miller is the reason why Queensland are not going to play Asian Champions League next season.

Topor Stanley - And finally Mr Topor Stanley. In a way I love this guy. He gives me hope that one day i'll become an international level footballer. He turns slower than milk and he seems to play a game where he can see how many times in a game he can turn the ball over. Have a look at the Newcastle game last night. Fuck I feel sorry for Van Egmond.

Anyone who wants to defend Pim, I put to you the argument that his idea of a Plan B is to put Robbie Cornthwaite on as a striker in the second half. Suck on that one Les.