Despite only managing a 0-0 draw at home against a notably underrated Saudi Arabian team, Socceroos fans can find some positives from Thursday night's outcome. Australia was expected to have less possession for much of the match. However, head coach Tony Popovic would be pleased his side had several dominant phases of play, during which the Saudis were under significant pressure, from just over 40% possession. But in this analysis, we look at one lingering issue that persists, even with the Socceroos' leadership change: their struggle to score goals.
The Socceroos line-up that started against Saudi Arabia. (Image: Aleksandar Jason/Subway Socceroos)
The World Cup qualifier started promisingly for the Socceroos when striker Mitch Duke won a free-kick on the edge of the Saudi Arabian box. This set-piece led to a chance for Harry Souttar, who unfortunately shot over the crossbar. In the final minute of the first half, Australia's intense pressure resulted in Aiden O'Neill winning the ball high up the pitch. But Ajdin Hrustic failed to capitalize on the opportunity, scuffing his shot and making it an easy save for the Saudi Arabian goalkeeper.
Throughout his managerial career, Tony Popovic has been known for making it difficult to break down his teams, but they often struggle to score goals, an issue that reared its ugly head against the Saudis. During his recent season at Melbourne Victory, Popovic's team fell short of winning the A-League Men premiership, finishing 13 points behind primarily due to 12 draws. Notably, eight of those draws finished 1-1, highlighting his teams' challenges in converting chances into goals.
Popovic's predecessor, Graham Arnold, shared similar flaws in his inability to mould the Socceroos into an attacking threat towards the end of his tenure, which is why many fans were perplexed about Football Australia's decision to hire Popovic in hopes of revitalizing the national team.
But so far, so good for the ex-Victory boss, who has achieved five points from a possible nine across his first three games. In his first as boss against China, the Socceroos fought back from being 1-0 down to claim a gutsy 3-1 victory. In the second match, the Socceroos were able to battle for a 1-1 draw against Asian powerhouse Japan. Hajime Moriyasu's side has now scored 19 goals in qualifying and conceded only once, against Australia.
Tony Popovic had made a solid start to life as Socceroos head coach. (Image: Aleksandar Jason/Subway Socceroos)
Under Arnold, fans always felt nervous about the team's ability to defend against the higher-ranked nations, especially when Australia had less of the ball. But Popovic has brought much-needed stability and defensive solidity to the national team with a much more evident style of play, a sentiment midfielder Jackson Irvine echoed post-match on Thursday.
“You can feel that the structure of the team is clearer,” Irvine said.
“I think that we can feel on the pitch that we can see exactly what it is we are trying to do. We know it's going to be a totally different game on Tuesday night (against Bahrain), but we are working in a framework that allows us to play against a very deep block, like against China, or a man-against-man style of game against the Saudis.”
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In international football, it is crucial to develop a clear and easy-to-understand style of play, as head coaches lack the required time to train their team. This aspect was something Arnold seemed to struggle with toward the end of his tenure and was something he often bemoaned during his time in charge. When observing the players on the pitch, it became apparent that they needed clarification about their roles. This uncertainty led to the Socceroos being outplayed by lower-quality opponents, such as Bahrain on the Gold Coast. By the end of his time as head coach, Arnold seemed frustrated, which was evident when he spoke to the media following the 0-0 draw against Indonesia.
"I can only do so much. I can't play the game for them,” Arnold said.
“At the end of the day, as I said, we should've beaten Bahrain, we missed chances, and today we should've won comfortably, and we missed chances. So, I'm as disappointed as probably every other Australian is.”
While having a clear philosophy and a solid defensive structure is vital in football, the ultimate challenge remains scoring goals. Mitch Duke has not scored for Australia in a competitive fixture since November 2023 in the 7-0 win over Bangladesh. Socceroos fans and critics have often made him a scapegoat for his lack of goals in the green and gold. However, Duke's presence and energy in leading the press are crucial, as he consistently contributes to creating goal-scoring opportunities for the team, even if those actions do not appear in the statistics.
A successful team does not always require a striker who scores many goals. But if the players around him are also not finding the net, it may be necessary to consider changes to rejuvenate the team's attack.
If Popovic wants to explore other options for the number nine position, Mohamed Toure should be the next choice. Currently playing for Randers in the Danish top flight, Toure has already scored five goals and provided four assists in all competitions in 2024/25. In a recent Wyscout list of the most goals and assists per 90 minutes from U21 players across 66 leagues, Toure ranked ninth among future superstars, including Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. So long as such output is maintained, Popovic must include Toure in future Socceroos squads. An early call-up will help Toure fully integrate into the set-up and the required style of play. If Popovic can effectively nurture Toure’s development, he may have a future superstar who could lead the line for the Australian national team for many years.
As the Socceroos now prepare for their match against Bahrain, they are eager to bounce back from their unexpected loss in September, which marked a turning point in Arnold's tenure. Bahrain is a significantly lesser opponent than Saudi Arabia, and the Socceroos need to dominate possession and execute with quality through the midfield with greater precision and effectiveness to break down what will be a very low block.
When Irvine was asked about the upcoming fixture, he emphasized that establishing tighter combinations and getting more players into the box would be crucial to overcoming Bahrain.
“There will have to be things we do differently against what we expect to be a deeper block,” Irvine said.
“In that final third, we have to find tighter combinations [and] get more numbers in the box, rather than the open style game we had tonight.”
Making changes in the midfield is easier said than done, especially considering Popovic's selection choices in this area throughout his tenure thus far. He has opted for Irvine alongside Aiden O'Neill as his first-choice pivot. However, the Socceroos have had difficulty playing through the centre of the pitch due to both players' limited creative and technical abilities.
Socceroos midfielder Aiden O'Neill (right) in action against Saudi Arabia. (Image: Aleksandar Jason/Subway Socceroos)
While Irvine is a valued member of the squad and a strong spokesperson for the team and the sport, he is technically limited. To be used in a midfield duo, he needs a partner who can confidently play line-breaking passes through the lines.
It was encouraging to see Max Balard receive his first call-up to the Socceroos during this window, as he could be considered a future heir to Irvine. Balard has been receiving high praise at his new club, NAC Breda in the Netherlands, with fans even dubbing him the 'Aussie Kanté.'
Popovic should make the tough decision to break up the Irvine-O'Neill duo in some form to make way for Balard, as it will help Australia effectively break down Bahrain's defence.
He may hesitate to make such changes this early into his Socceroos tenure, but in this game, Popovic needs to demonstrate brave leadership to truly make his mark on this new era for the national team.
The clash between Bahrain and Australia kicks off at 5:15 am AEDT early Wednesday morning, live on Paramount+.
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