Dilemma, Dilemma

May 18th, 2009 | by: Pat | Comments(9)

Sorry for the recent inaction of this blog, but with no major Socceroos news of late (I don’t even want to go any near the Seb Ryall thing), I’ll keep everyone thinking today by posing the question that has been on every Socceroo fans’ lips the past two years – do the Socceroos need Mark Viduka? I know I’ve touched on the subject recently, but here’s a more in-depth look at our prized striker and the possible role he can (or cannot) play in the future of the Socceroos.

The V Bomber has recovered from bouts of injuries, poor form and unbelieving coaches to start the past few games for the Magpies. With new boss Alan Shearer in place, the big Aussie marksman has produced several quality outings, keeping the Tyneside club’s chances of survival alive. While visibly slower and no doubt still to regain full match fitness, he has still shown glimpses of the brilliant target man which Guus built the 2006 attack on. There are rumours of him now re-signing for Newcastle next year, provided they stay up.

So this obviously has Pim Verbeek thinking, should the former captain be coming back into the national set-up? The benefits of having a player like Viduka are obvious. He has a proven record at club and international level, he still is one of the best in the world at what he does, he has bagfuls of experience, and he’s playing regularly (finally) in one of the top leagues in the world. However, if we look a little deeper into the complications of a Mark Viduka return, we can uncover several things which mightn’t make it look so peachy.

Firstly, there have been complains from all corners about the lack of goals we’re scoring and the seemingly defensive play Pim has implemented. So does that mean including a striker of Duke’s quality is a no-brainer? Not really. Pim’s team is different from that of Guus’s (and Shearer’s), with a high stress on defence and counter attacking with speed, meaning there is a possibility that the sluggish Viduka could be a hindrance to the team’s flow. Pim’s team defends as a whole, starting from the up-field pressing by the nimble Scott MCDonald (or Archie, or Kennedy, or whoever’s up there), and it’s hard to see a 33 year old Viduka doing that. Changing the whole mentality of the team just to suit one player is not ideal, especially since the team has been together for so long already and this most likely the style that Pim will play at the World Cup. Pragmatic Pim has spent the past two years moulding the Socceroos into what they are now, and I just can’t see him bringing any drastic change.

Secondly, do we already have a younger, fitter, faster successor in Josh Kennedy? Of course, Jesus is no-where near Viduka in terms of achievements, but essentially they will both be playing the same role of the big man. Will the inclusion of Viduka hinder the progression of Jesus? Jesus is 26 now and reaching the prime of his career, so the more he plays for the Socceroos the better he will be for our future. But with Viduka in his way, this might force him back a step or two.

Thirdly, is his mindset still there? In his younger days, he has always been one of those guys who were willing to represent the Socceroos regardless of what his club boss said. But with the whole retirement saga of 2007, has he lost his mental edge as an international striker? How will he cope with not wearing the arm band? There had reportedly been tension in the dressing rooms for the 2007 Asian Cup, with several of the other experienced players being upset at Viduka’s inclusion in the squad and his role as the captain, so will this manifest itself into something troublesome again if Duke’s comes back into the team?

Fourthly, where will Duke’s be playing in a year’s time? His contract is up at the end of the current season, and even though he’s playing well again, if Newcastle should be relegated, will Dukes follow them into the Championship? If he does, does that mean that one of his main trump cards – playing regularly in a world class league – will be nullified?

Lastly, and most importantly, will Viduka be fit when June 2010 rolls around? It’s all good to welcome him back into the Socceroos family, but the truth is that he does have an unenviable track record of injuries, and are we taking a risk by working him into the Socceroos for the remaining qualifiers and warm up matches, only to have him break down and miss the flight to South Africa?

There you go, some of the arguments which I could think of about the issue. To be honest, it’s one of the rare things which I am actually indifferent about. Duke’s has had a great run, and I’ll always respect him for leading us in Germany, but I actually don’t mind whether he comes back or not. I guess I see the benefits of both sides of the argument, and in my mind whether Pim picks him or not will both be a correct decision.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the things I’ve pointed out about Dukes? Do you think he offers more (or less) than what I’ve pointed out? Take part in the poll below and have your say!

Should Mark Viduka be back in the Socceroos?(ning polls)