http://www.goal.com/en/news/808/australia/2009/06/11/1318037/aussie-analysis-pim-verbeek-has-sent-out-a-clear-message
It was dull, uninspiring and opportunistic in a word, it was Verbeek.
Yet there was something meticulous, deliberate even, about the way he set out his Socceroos side during their 2-0 victory over Bahrain.
The familiar lone man up front in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the absence of playmaker Nicky Carle until he was introduced for an insulting last eight minutes of the match and the presence of two holding midfielders against a visiting side who might have been expected to play for a draw anyway.
Pim Verbeek has sent out a clear message to Australias football media: there is only one man in charge of the Socceroos.
Since he first took over from Graham Arnold, the Dutchman has been criticized, questioned and scrutinized by quarters of a football media who were spoiled by the genius of Guus Hiddink four years ago.
For many, Hiddinks high tempo, highly tactical and highly physical style of play was the anti-thesis of the stereotypically unsophisticated and brutish Australian teams that had so often failed in the past.
Exacerbating the impression he had left on commentators and pundits in Australia was the disastrous reign of Graham Arnold his successor and former assistant at the 2007 Asian Cup, where the Socceroos regressed under him to a level of naivety not seen since Frank Farinas unsuccessfully campaign to qualify for South Korea and Japan.
Football Federation Australia immediately reacted, with names such as enigmatic Frenchman Philippe Troussier, fellow countryman Gerard Houllier and Dutchman Dick Advocaat all linked with the role the latter had reportedly agreed terms with FFA before deciding to head instead to a cashed-up Zenit St Petersburg.
Perhaps memories have been blurred by consecutive qualification for a World Cup final but at one stage on the quest for a place in South Africa, Australia was in crisis.
It wasnt so long ago that the Socceroos were heading into a World Cup Qualification path for the first time in the Asian Football Confederation without a manager.
Enter, Pim Verbeek.
Before the former South Korea boss had even had a chance to take his new team into camp, there was a collective groan at the absence of a big name to follow in the footsteps of Hiddink, with whos presence the nation had been spoiled on the path to Germany.
Even Australia captain Lucas Neill went as far as to quip that he had to Google search Verbeeks name in order to find out who he was despite the fact that he had guided Korea to a third place finish at the same Asian Cup where Neill missed a decisive penalty in a Quarter Final against Japan while former international Robbie Slater was openly critical of the appointment during his punditry work.
Since then of course, Neill has reproduced the sort of form that allowed him to rise to prominence under Hiddink at the World Cup in Germany, though self-proclaimed analysts have found new ways in which to justify their criticism of Verbeek.
From complaints about a conservative selection policy and the decision not to utilize Nick Carle to grumblings about a pragmatic style of football and his open criticism of the A-League, Verbeek has been unapologetic about both his managerial style and media dealings.
It has resulted in what could almost be classified as a power struggle between himself and Australias football contingent, with qualification for South Africa confirming there was only ever going to be one winner.
Verbeek has been meticulous in his tactical approach to matches, his dealings with the media and squad building.
Here is a man who was appointed for one reason: to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and ensure financial windfall for the FFA, both from immediate qualification and in the long-term, growth of the game at a domestic level.
Unlike Troussier before him, who would likely have taken on a more developmental and long-term role, Verbeek has been hired as a mercenary whos target has so effectively been achieved.
It is a rhetoric that has been repeated by the Dutchman throughout the campaign; wherever he has been criticized or questioned for his approach, he has smugly pointed to an impressive record that shows qualification for footballs showpiece event with two games spared and no goals conceded in seven games.
Essentially, Verbeek took the opportunity presented by the Bahrain match to send out a clear message to his critics.
If anything, the campaign to promote players such as Carle have had a negative impact on their chances of being favoured by Verbeek what better way than to underline the balance of power than by electing not to use the playmaker in a dead-rubber clash?
The conservative approach taken by the Socceroos on Wednesday evening will have defied logic for many; what did Australia and Verbeek have to lose by taking a more cavalier approach to the game?
For the latter, the approach to the Bahrain clash cannot be considered within the context of 90 minutes of football or the manner in which his team have played throughout the qualifying campaign but instead need to be given context.
In his previous role as Head Coach of the South Korean national team, Verbeek had to field questions about his resignation from a fierce South Korean media who, like their Australian counterparts, had been spoiled by the magic of Guus Hiddink some years earlier.
That difficult spell in charge of Korea, whose football media is far larger and more sophisticated than Australias, appears to have shaped Verbeek into the manager he is today.
From the outset of his Socceroos reign, the Dutchman has dictated on his own terms every direction the national team have taken, with no regard for outside influences and opinions there was to be no repeat of the situation in his previous coaching role.
It is a strategy that has been highly successful and brought back the sort of professionalism and ruthlessness that, whether people choose to recognize it or not, characterized the Hiddink reign.
Perhaps Verbeeks biggest problem is that he is not and never will be Hiddink though he doesnt seem to mind at all, as he so eagerly reminded everyone with one of his characteristic coaching displays on Wednesday evening.
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com