Bert van Marwijk made a solid first impression as Socceroos coach last week. He lobbied persuasively for his career to be appraised without such laser beam focus on the notorious 2010 World Cup final. He spoke knowledgeably about tactics and trends, using specific examples from his stint in Saudi Arabia to illustrate the courage and flexibility of his decision making. But amongst the technical proficiency, Van Marwijk’s visit crystallised the flaws in Football Federation Australia’s appointment.
The most obvious flaw is Van Marwijk’s nationality. The coach of Australia’s national team should be Australian, and some of the consequences of that not being the case can already be felt.
There’s the jarring realisation the fly-in Dutchman’s recent sojourn could well be the only time he spends in Australia during his tenure. No pretence of assimilation, no lip-service to the A-League, no cascade of IP into the local system. It appears FFA has not only outsourced stewardship of the national team, but sent the whole operation offshore.
It means the national coach will likely have only seen three A-League matches in the flesh during a World Cup year (and those coming after the post was vacant for a major chunk of the season). A well-functioning domestic pyramid should be abuzz at a time like this with the coach visible in the stands, commenting favourably about players in form, raising expectations and pump-priming a virtuous cycle. Instead, Australia’s coach will be in a different continent while the moribund A-League drifts further towards irrelevance.
The traditional World Cup farewell fixture seems set to be another casualty of the Socceroos’ relocation. To a Europe-based coach it’s an obvious inconvenience but for FFA it should be embraced as a much-needed opportunity to cement bonds between the national team and its fans. The symbolism matters, the shared memories can be powerful and visibility is essential.
It will be fully seven months after they were last in action on Australian soil when the Socceroos begin their World Cup campaign, and they’ll be doing so led by a man who was barely visible beforehand and won’t be seen afterwards. In the battle for hearts and minds – especially of the occasional supporters who jumpstart the game’s popularity every four years – it’s one fewer reason to care. Support should never be taken for granted, especially during a World Cup hosted in an awkward time-zone during peak AFL and NRL season.
Such a short-term appointment brings into question the long-term direction of the Australian game. Van Marwijk told reporters his sole objective as coach is to get out of the group stage in Russia. His predecessor told reporters his job was to win the World Cup. Ange Postecoglou probably didn’t expect to deliver on those sentiments this year but voicing them was important nonetheless, seeding the notion that making up the numbers is no longer an acceptable ambition.
Postecoglou’s vision was a beacon for Australia’s potential. He was working towards a playing style that could elevate the Socceroos beyond the sum of its parts. It was a noble goal and one if replicated further down the pyramid could have been shaped into a production line of Australian footballers and coaches working in concert to provide a competitive point of difference. Van Marwijk is unencumbered by such medium or long-term strategic thinking.
Such a departure reveals a worrying absence of succession planning, as well as a lack of faith in the keenly-managed elite coaching pathway. Instead of being in a position to replace one cog in a well-oiled machine, FFA felt compelled to implement a convoluted recruitment process that landed on a man outside the domestic system on a short-term basis with an unfettered remit.
What message does that send to aspiring coaches? Pay thousands of dollars to be indoctrinated into the national curriculum, progress into a precarious career, compete for a tiny handful of professional jobs, and then see the biggest prize gifted to an outsider with seemingly no concern given to the national technical direction. It’s little wonder pro license holders like Mark Rudan and Craig Foster are so confused and frustrated.
FFA has effectively outsourced its most prestigious role to a temp. For the few months Van Marwijk is in post he will barely set foot in Australia. His employment comes with no incentive to invest in the country or the future of the Australian game, yet he will have the honour of becoming only the fifth person to lead the Socceroos at a World Cup finals.
Not for the first time in the history of Australian football it’s hard not to feel something’s gone awry.
