Leader of Men, Best by a Mile
Whilst Lucas Neill was signing a new contract with yet another new club Shaun Ryan was watching the next potential Socceroos captain lead his men in the opening round of the Premier League.
It takes determination, aggressiveness, mental strength and courage to be a true leader of men. This is what the Socceroos have been lacking for far too long.
Don’t get me wrong, Lucas Neill has done an good job as captain of the Socceroos, but many (including myself) feel that it is time for change if we are to go that one step further and start realizing our true potential as a football powerhouse in Asia.
Who should replace him I hear you asking? Milligan? Schwarzer? Cahill?
Whilst I believe all three would make great captains, we need to start looking at the bigger picture, a picture of the future, a picture that focuses on our current crop of youth and future stars. If the FFA are to truly start looking towards the future, they must find a new captain.
A 35 year old that struggles to find a club let-alone game time wouldn’t make the national team in any other country, so why do we allow it to happen here?
Now obviously this isn’t something that would happen overnight, but I do truly believe it needs to start happening soon or we will continue to slip further and further down the world rankings. What I truly believe we need is a Leader of Men. Someone strong, confident and disciplined that can hold their own when competing against the best in the world.
At the end of this season we may just have a new leader ready made in the Premier League, captaining his side towards what will hopefully be a successful and prolonged stay, whether it be with Crystal Palace or another Premier League team. I wholeheartedly believe Mile Jedinak can, should and will be our next Socceroos captain. He has the talent, presence and ability to match it with the best in the world which he will prove this season.
Now all that is left is for the FFA to realize that it is time to move on and start focusing on some of the exceptionally talented players rising through the ranks to help us start climbing back up the world ranking and cementing our place as number one in Asia. FFA came to Asia for one reason, to improve our football. We can’t do that if we don’t change our team to match the higher quality of football that we see in Asia.
It’s time to show the world what the Socceroos are truly capable of.
It’s time for change, it’s time
Google+
The only problem is that Jedinak is not currently good enough to get in the team! If you look at his last 4 performances for the national team, he was directly at fault for a goal in 3 out of those 4 matches. He needs to get his form back, and by that I mean, he needs to actually make the effort to get goal side and mark a man when he’s in his own penalty box. Until then, he’s a defensive liability. Having said that, he is good in the middle of the park, and tracking back (until he reaches the box and ‘switches off’). At this stage, i can’t see him coming back in front of Milligan.