Did arnie picked the olyroo squard or was it pim

[Googes]

After reading this what is your thoughts:

Does Arnold have it right?
By Murray Shaw
July 15, 2008 THE fallout from the announcement of the Australian Olympic team has been very predictable. The usual targets have come under the spotlight from the usual suspects but in a lot of cases the points put forward are very wide of the mark.

Graham Arnold could have chosen Pele, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Johann Cruyff and Cristiano Ronaldo in his team and he'd still be criticised for leaving out Romario and Jurgen Klinsmann. He's on a hiding to nothing no matter what he does.

Arnold's been extremely loyal to Football Federation Australia, and therefore Australian football over the last few years, and it's been very much to the detriment of his standing in this country.

A lot of the criticism is unnecessary and at times outrageous.

One respected pundit suggested Arnold should have his team picked for him by Pim Verbeek. If that was the case, whose head would roll if they failed?

Actually I know the answer to that one. If they did well it'd be because of Verbeek's expertise and if they failed it was a vital step in the development of key players.

We know following the Asian Cup that Arnold didn't get the team he wanted. He pleaded for an A-League based side and was told he had to pick his European stars. They failed and Arnold got the blame.

Arnold has been lambasted for his failure to pick Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite. Why? He's clearly followed the lead of the national coach.

Djite is a player that every expert wants to fast-track straight into the senior national side. He carries himself very well off the field and always gives his all on the field. He's scored a few goals in the A-League but has struggled for consistency with the Olyroos and his brief stints in the senior side.

Pim Verbeek clearly sees some weaknesses in Djite’s game because despite calls from all and sundry, he wasn't given much time during the vital matches in Super June.

Anyone who was in Dubai would remember a stinging attack Verbeek launched on Djite during a training session at the Jebel Ali shooting club.

After the recent match against China in Sydney, I received a text message from a former A-League coach who described Djite as one of the worst players he's seen represent our country. It appears not everyone sees Djite as the next big thing.

Nathan Burns raced onto the scene in season two of the Hyundai A-League. He was instantly labelled the new Mark Viduka.

He didn't handle the hype and had a very quiet season three. We started to see the best of him again in the AFC Champions League this year but clearly that wasn't enough to impress Verbeek. He was left out of a very big squad that travelled to the Middle East during Super June.

So Djite and Burns aren't high in the reckoning of the national coach. Why are we surprised therefore that they've been left out of the Olympic team? Why is Arnold being criticised for their omission? Why are we querying whether Arnold spoke to Verbeek about those players? Clearly he did and Verbeek's answer was obvious. "I don't rate them."

The fact that those two players won't be playing in the Olympics won't hamper their development. In fact leaving them out will certainly be beneficial for the start of their stints at new European clubs.

Arnold was also criticised for picking Jade North and David Carney because they were chosen in positions where we're already seemingly strong.

I sense that if Arnold had a Dutch surname, he would have been applauded for continuing to grow the careers of two players who'll be vital to the Australian side's development in the next few years. I'd say the three over-age selections have Verbeek's fingerprints all over them.

Now before I get instantly placed in the pro-Arnold camp, may I say I don't agree with a number of his selections.

Robbie Slater has quite rightly queried why James Holland wasn't included. Holland impressed during his stint with the national team in Super June and looks to have a big future.

Also why hasn't anyone questioned why James Troisi keeps getting selected?

I'd put him on a lesser rung than Burns, Djite and even Holland simply because Troisi hasn't played any senior club football. Extraordinarily at the age of 19, he's played more national team matches than club games.

Interestingly Troisi's played about as much club football in the last 12 months as Adrian Leijer. Clearly training in Europe is superior to playing in Australia. Now who said that again?

As many people have proclaimed, it's important for the growth of the game in this country to have healthy debate about a range of issues important to the code. It's also important to play the ball and not the man. It's also important not to argue the same points every time.

[Bomber]

Burns not being selected is only (major) problem.

[THE MITSOS]

i hope they dont, but i think the olyroos will get thumped....

[the_gun]

what is the deal with burns? he doesnt seem to have anything going for him at the moment. i dont think hes even played a game for aek.

[Googes]

2 games

[Lilly Whites]

beauty.