CAHILLTEX FFAIL
Tim Cahill is one of the greatest footballers this country has ever produced; some will say the best, others have him amongst the greats but not quite at the summit. Whatever your opinion of Tim Cahill the footballer, one thing we can all agree on is that he has scored some vital goals in his much treasured Socceroos shirt.
There is no debate about what Cahill has achieved for the national team over his last 105 appearances, Cahill has scored when his country has needed him and there is no denying the love and commitment Cahill has towards our biggest national team. Passion, respect and commitment isn’t up for debate, but does Cahill deserve his place in the Australian squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia?
On the pitch Cahill has played a less than convincing cameo role for his club in Millwall, over the last few months Cahill has barely mustered up an hour of playing time and his time with the Championship club ended in frustration as he could only watch his beloved team narrowly miss out on playoff contention whilst serving a three-game ban for an act of violent conduct. During his sixty-five minutes of game time Cahill was unconvincing and showed no indication of the type of form to justify selection for Russia.
Cahill packed his bags for Millwall after leaving Melbourne City after failing to secure adequate game time under head coach Warren Joyce. The departure seemed amicable but was not the fairytale finish Cahill was looking for in Australia after the FFA had invested in him heavily the season before. On loan Scotsman Ross McCormack was exceptional during his time at Melbourne City and was one of the main reasons Cahill was frozen out from the staring XI but given his loan expired shortly after Cahill’s departure you’d have to think Cahill would’ve received significantly more game time at Melbourne City than Millwall.
The standard of football in the Championship is far superior to that of the A-League and one would assume the training ground would also hold significant benefit to Cahill’s chances to make the final twenty-three-man squad. The standard of training facilities would be far superior at Melbourne City but the quality of training would be better conducted at a team competing in the second tier of English football.
Form on the pitch alone would not be enough to justify his place in the squad but it’s his affect around the squad that makes his case unique. Tim Cahill is an iconic figure and when he would approach the Australian dressing room you can only imagine the positive effect it would have on the entirety of the squad. Just to have Cahill on the training ground would bring a motivating factor to the remainder of the squad.
His efforts against Syria last October reminded us of his superhero like abilities in a Socceroos shirt but this was almost a full domestic season ago.
Cahill is a very marketable personality and appeals to the masses but his selection should never have been about marketability. The FFA has gone down the wrong path involving corporate partners and the use of Cahill’s image, only pouring increased pressure on his selection. The CAHILLTEX saga represents everything wrong about Australian football in its current state. This could work if Cahill was a guaranteed starter and genuine poster boy of the sport. This time has passes and Cahill is a long time past his prime.
The FFA should either be using the image of a guaranteed starter or the squad as an entirety, not an individual whose inclusion in a twenty-six-man (soon to be cut to twenty-three) squad remains in the balance after a poor domestic season. Using Cahill as the face of the World Cup campaign only opens the FFA and head coach Bert van Marwijk to criticism and skepticism regarding one individual’s selection.
Cahill in a Socceroos shirt is a revered figure and will only improve this Socceroos squad. This World Cup isn’t a testimonial tour for Cahill, nor a marketing exercise. Even at the ripe old age of thirty-eight Tim Cahill still has something to offer this squad. He will be selected in the final squad so it’s time for all Australians to get behind this Socceroos squad and shelve any conspiracy theories.
The 2018 World Cup will be a huge challenge for this Socceroos squad, even getting out of the group stage will be a monumental achievement. As a nation we need to get behind this squad and start enjoying these moments some more. Football fans need to remember to celebrate these moments more, who knows when we will be involved again next.
No matter how many minutes Cahill plays in Russia he will go down as one of the greatest Socceroos to pull on the shirt, let’s not forget this.
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