Socceroos great Robbie Slater says too much is expected of Australia’s current team
The Socceroos can still qualify for a fifth successive World Cup, but if Australia fails to reach Qatar 2022, it should be anything but a surprise.
That’s the opinion of Socceroos great Robbie Slater, who says the Australians are where they deserve to be in the battle for World Cup qualification.
The Socceroos’ 2-2 draw with Oman in Muscat on Wednesday morning leaves them three points behind second-placed Japan in Group B of the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Only the top two teams from Groups A and B automatically qualify for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Finishing third will mean the Socceroos must survive two sudden-death qualifiers, one against South American opposition, to qualify for a fifth successive World Cup.
Australia has two remaining Group B matches. One is against Japan in Sydney on March 24, with the other the following week away against leaders Saudi Arabia, who despite being beaten 2-0 by Japan on Tuesday night are four points ahead of the Socceroos.
Jackson Irvine is shattered after Australia’s 2-2 daw with Oman. Picture: Adil Al Naimi/Getty Images
“We need a dose of reality and realise that our expectations of this team are very high,” Slater said.
“I get that. We’ve made four World Cups in a row and people see that and think that there’s no reason why we shouldn’t make it five, and I’m not saying we’re not going to make it five because we’re still in it … but we’re probably the third best team in the group.
“I don’t know why anyone would think that we’re better than Japan or Saudi Arabia.
“That’s no disrespect to the players that we have at the moment, but … it’s a fact of where we’re at with the decline in player development over the last 15 years.
“We are a team that’s weaker than we were four years ago – that’s painfully obvious.
“There are a lot of things that have happened in Australian football that people refuse to accept.
“Football has lost its way, and this is the direct result of 15 years of decline.
“Generations have been lost and that’s seen now through the quality of our national team.”
Disappointed Socceroos coach Graham Arnold lamented his side’s lack of aggression against Oman.
The Socceroos led early via Jamie Maclaren and again late in proceedings through Aaron Mooy.
However, on both occasions, they failed to maintain their advantage, with Abdullah Fawaz scoring twice in the second half, one a screamer and the other an 89th-minute penalty after fullback Fran Karacic fouled Oman substitute Muhsen Al-Ghassani.
“We did some good things in the game but at the same time we went ahead 1-0 and then ahead 2-1 and we should have held on to the win and the three points,” Arnold said.
“The intention was after the first goal to get the second goal, after we got the second goal to get the third goal.
“We took our foot off the pedal and we should have been more aggressive. That was disappointing.”
However, Arnold remained positive about the Socceroos’ hopes of a top-two finish and automatic World Cup qualification.
“(If) we beat Japan and we go to 18 points with them we have a superior goal difference … and then we have to beat Saudi Arabia, who have maybe already qualified,” he said.
“We still have everything in our own hands. We now need to win both games.”