Sean
Well-Known Member
A-League must expand - Verbeek
Michael Lynch
December 17, 2007
NEW Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has backed plans for A-League expansion, arguing that domestically based players need as much football as they can get if they are to lift local standards and improve the national team.
Football Federation Australia is considering introducing two new Queensland sides next year - from the Gold Coast and Townsville.
Verbeek, who coached at club level in Holland and Japan and also was in charge of the South Korean national team, said the players could only benefit from greater opportunities, and long-term the national team and the game as a whole would gain significant impetus.
"The Korean league is bigger, spread out over 10 or 11 months. I cannot imagine that the league here is only for six months. I saw the schedule for the A-League and I thought, 'What are we going to do between March and June?'
"The leagues in Asia start in March and finish in November and December - they have a lot of games and a lot of training sessions, and that makes it a lot easier for a national team coach.
"But it's not only the national team, the whole league in the end will gain. What I have noticed also in Japan and Korea is that people start to get bored to see the Mariners play Sydney again. I think everyone knows that, of course, you have to create a bigger competition."
Verbeek was in the crowd at Telstra Dome yesterday for Melbourne's game against Newcastle where he was casting an eye over several candidates for an A-League squad for the opening World Cup clash with Qatar on February 6.
He also took in the Adelaide-Central Coast game on Friday night and Sydney's shock 4-2 home loss to Perth Glory a day later.
Verbeek said it was too early to make any definitive judgments, and he would not make calls on individual players on the evidence of a solitary sighting - which is probably good news for Olyroos skipper Mark Milligan. He is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the country, but did not have an enjoyable night against Perth, making two errors that led to the Glory's two opening goals.
"I saw a lot of surprises in the games. There were individual mistakes that changed the game, quite early, but that's part of football," he said. "I don't get too dramatic about things like that. It's part of football. I have seen the best players in the world make mistakes, it just should not be too often.
"I thought the stadiums were very nice, there were a lot of fans, more than I expected as the league is only three years old yet.
"The football is different to Europe, of course. I expected it to be more physical, to be very honest, but they tried to play football, they tried to attack, and so far I feel quite a good impression about the A-League. In the games in Europe, the teams are more compact. Here they give more space away, the lines between strikers and defenders are bigger than in Europe, there's more space to play football."
Verbeek said he would not decide until he had seen more of the A-League whether to try and persuade several Europe-based players to return home for the Qatar match. He said that all save Mark Viduka - whom he still wants to play a role in the World Cup qualifying campaign even if he doesn't play against Qatar - have said they are prepared to return. The coach's problem is that those players would not get back until Monday, just 48 hours before the crucial game, and almost certainly would not be in condition to play to their peak.
"All the European-based players have told me they are desperate to come. That's good, whether it's realistic is another question. Starting with a complete A-League team is still a reality. I have four weeks to see the players, that's why I am here and I can see enough games.
"We all know what the advantages and disadvantages are of taking A-League players, and I speak of international experience, the pressure of the situation I don't know yet whether we have enough players who can play to top form in that sort of pressure If you play Italian Serie A, English Premiership or the Bundesliga, we know they can handle that pressure."
Michael Lynch
December 17, 2007
NEW Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has backed plans for A-League expansion, arguing that domestically based players need as much football as they can get if they are to lift local standards and improve the national team.
Football Federation Australia is considering introducing two new Queensland sides next year - from the Gold Coast and Townsville.
Verbeek, who coached at club level in Holland and Japan and also was in charge of the South Korean national team, said the players could only benefit from greater opportunities, and long-term the national team and the game as a whole would gain significant impetus.
"The Korean league is bigger, spread out over 10 or 11 months. I cannot imagine that the league here is only for six months. I saw the schedule for the A-League and I thought, 'What are we going to do between March and June?'
"The leagues in Asia start in March and finish in November and December - they have a lot of games and a lot of training sessions, and that makes it a lot easier for a national team coach.
"But it's not only the national team, the whole league in the end will gain. What I have noticed also in Japan and Korea is that people start to get bored to see the Mariners play Sydney again. I think everyone knows that, of course, you have to create a bigger competition."
Verbeek was in the crowd at Telstra Dome yesterday for Melbourne's game against Newcastle where he was casting an eye over several candidates for an A-League squad for the opening World Cup clash with Qatar on February 6.
He also took in the Adelaide-Central Coast game on Friday night and Sydney's shock 4-2 home loss to Perth Glory a day later.
Verbeek said it was too early to make any definitive judgments, and he would not make calls on individual players on the evidence of a solitary sighting - which is probably good news for Olyroos skipper Mark Milligan. He is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the country, but did not have an enjoyable night against Perth, making two errors that led to the Glory's two opening goals.
"I saw a lot of surprises in the games. There were individual mistakes that changed the game, quite early, but that's part of football," he said. "I don't get too dramatic about things like that. It's part of football. I have seen the best players in the world make mistakes, it just should not be too often.
"I thought the stadiums were very nice, there were a lot of fans, more than I expected as the league is only three years old yet.
"The football is different to Europe, of course. I expected it to be more physical, to be very honest, but they tried to play football, they tried to attack, and so far I feel quite a good impression about the A-League. In the games in Europe, the teams are more compact. Here they give more space away, the lines between strikers and defenders are bigger than in Europe, there's more space to play football."
Verbeek said he would not decide until he had seen more of the A-League whether to try and persuade several Europe-based players to return home for the Qatar match. He said that all save Mark Viduka - whom he still wants to play a role in the World Cup qualifying campaign even if he doesn't play against Qatar - have said they are prepared to return. The coach's problem is that those players would not get back until Monday, just 48 hours before the crucial game, and almost certainly would not be in condition to play to their peak.
"All the European-based players have told me they are desperate to come. That's good, whether it's realistic is another question. Starting with a complete A-League team is still a reality. I have four weeks to see the players, that's why I am here and I can see enough games.
"We all know what the advantages and disadvantages are of taking A-League players, and I speak of international experience, the pressure of the situation I don't know yet whether we have enough players who can play to top form in that sort of pressure If you play Italian Serie A, English Premiership or the Bundesliga, we know they can handle that pressure."
