Following the Socceroos is about winning, right?

By Paul Frederickson       September 11, 2014

As the Ange Postecoglou led Socceroos strive to find the right combination in the lead up to the home based 2015 Asia Cup are supporters struggling to know the right position to take?

Do we believe in a long-term coach who can deliver not only a vision for the Australian game but can deliver on that vision? This is presuming that supporters need to understand what Ange Postecoglou's vision and belief for our team actually is.

Whilst many people, including players who he has coached and mentored espouse his virtues it is the words and actions of the man himself that are the proof in the pudding.

In an ABC story by David Mark, Published June 10, 2014. Ange made statements that sum up what many people have articulated about his footballing philospohies.

"My job is to make sure the players are well prepared, that if an opportunity exists that they can take it.

"I think there's no secret, I love playing attacking football and I love playing proactive football. But it's all very, very well structured and everyone understands their roles within that."

These statements are simple and can be repeated ad nauseum to the footballing public, but the footballing public also want results that inspire their passion for the national football team.

Besides living up to Ange's belief in attacking football we still ended up losing all three of our group matches in the 2014 World Cup. A recent, mistake ridden, win over Saudi Arabia did little to allay fears that our team is not progressing as we would have liked under Ange's tutelage. There is no doubt that he can coach, his stints as coach at South Melbourne and the Brisbane Roar yielding 4 national Championships. Yet his time in charge of the National under-20's team and, currently, with the Socceroos have been largely unsuccessful in terms of the aim of the game - winning games.

That brings up the conundrum, is it the coach or the cattle? The 'golden generation' of Australian football is finished. It was bookmarked by the first World Cup appearance in 24 years but has been punctuated by comparisons to ensuing teams that consist of well travelled players combined with up and coming players still striving for footholds in the football world. We have fallen for the oldest footballing mistake in the world, we held on to too many older players at the expense of developing the following generation.

Entering the tenth year of the A-League it's success is no longer inextricably linked with the success of the national team, and that is a good thing! The Socceroos and the A-League can be seen as separate entities and be successful or not in their own rights.

Separating the national team from the national competition should we lower our footballing expectations for our national team or is that too much for the Australian sporting ethos? Will a successful 2015, home-based, Asia Cup satisfy the Australian football public? Is a successful Asia Cup and World Cup qualification the best we can hope for? And if we can be satisfied with these goals will future generations be inspired by those deeds?

What I do know is that I will still get up in the early hours of the morning to watch our national team, and I hope that more and more people over the years will join me!

What are your thoughts?