New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down by LCD Soundsystem is vocalist James Murphy’s ode to his city in transition. It’s about his love for NYC’s shadows of danger and grunge, but as those in charge begin reforming it for the better, the city he adored changed and even though he wanted its addictive and alluring charm to stay, it wasn’t what was right for the city itself.
Tim Cahill and the Socceroos tell a similar story – Tim Cahill, We Love You But You’ll Start Bringing Us Down is how the song would go, or at least be titled. You’re here, you’re still amazing and we all love you, but for the greater good we need a change.
In the midst of Asian Cup glory the squad and supporters are dealing with transition and while we all ferociously pine over Cahill and are tempted to keep him a Socceroo forever the right thing to do now is to say goodbye.
The new Shanghai Shenhua jack-in-the-box Cahill, said that along with his move to China he wants to stay part of the national team as long as Ange Postecoglou will have him there. (Also don’t forget Cahill said pre-Asian Cup he could play on until age 39 for Russia 2018.) But the day before on a Melbourne sports radio station Postecoglou said that the choice of international retirement was up to Cahill.
Of course Postecoglou’s was a diplomatic answer – giving the exclusive of Cahill’s Socceroo swansong to “The Ox and Marko Allen” on SEN 1116 is not exactly respectful to the magnitude of such a decision – however the difference of response from the pair shows how complicated the issue could become in the lead up to the start of qualifying for Russia 2018.
It would be foolish to think that Postecoglou wouldn’t impose judicial weight onto the situation if need be, just as he has in similar decisions at Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory and when taking the Socceroos job.
Ask Craig Moore, Charlie Miller, Danny Tiatto, Liam Reddy, Harry Kewell, Carlos Hernandez, Lucas Neill, Brett Holman, Mark Schwarzer, Luke Wilkshire and Ante Covic about Postecoglou’s strength of conviction when deciding between appeasing the wishes of a long-serving stalwart against what’s best for the team’s future.
Those decisions were not as big as a decision on Cahill would be, but Postecoglou knows the heartbreak retirement can bring. Postecoglou’s playing career ended due to a knee injury, aged 28, so he is more than capable of empathising with a star who has to move on when they might not think it necessary.
But how does Cahill hold the Socceroos back by playing on for the green and gold? Well, yes, his three Asian Cup goals were vital, his knack for saving Australia is lucrative and if he still has a club he could possibly play through 2018 World Cup qualification and lead the line adequately.
Let’s remember though that the make-up of the Socceroos has now changed with a new found depth, optimism and damaging attacking weaponry. To be blunt Cahill offers very little in general play, which was seen clearly at the Asian Cup.
In the final it was his replacement Tomi Juric whose superb piece of dribbling set up James Troisi’s winning goal while Nathan Burns’s cameos (restricted to such due to Cahill’s presence) were frantic displays of the A-League top scorer’s ability.
If it wasn’t for his remarkable heading ability and penchant for a show-stopping volley or bicycle kick, Cahill would be of much less value to the Socceroos. Are these the kinds of qualities we want the team’s attacking game to be based on?
I’d rather allow another quick, technical and young attacker like Adam Taggart, Burns or Juric join Robbie Kruse, Massimo Luongo and Matthew Leckie in the XI to take our stiflingly skilled offensive abilities to another level.
That summation may seem harsh on Cahill, who has been the embodiment of a legend, a monolith and a father-figure to the national team of late, but if supporters are happy to trumpet the future of the Socceroos in the wake of the Asian Cup win they should feel comfortable about going forward without Cahill.
He has dominated media coverage of the Socceroos for too long, and it is time to see more of the squad’s other players in the limelight. Even his next career choice (explained exclusively LeBron James-style live on Fox Sports News), puff-pieces with commercial TV stations, kicking of a match ball to his son after a warm-up and failure to produce ‘big-game magic in the final’ stole the limelight from the real starlet of the team at the Asian Cup, Luongo.
Say it quietly, but in the most respectful way, it’s getting to be a cult of personality.
So Tim, we love you, you’re simply a once-in-a-generation footballer. But let the team transition properly now, let youth take over the mantle of Socceroos pin-up boys and holders of national representative responsibility completely.
Because until that emotional and celebratory day of nostalgia when you do walk away, the team will never truly move on. But don’t worry, it will be impossible to forget you.
