Aussie media, ex-players savage Socceroos

Australian pundits and former Socceroos lined up Monday to sink the boot into the national team following their 4-0 humiliation by Germany in Durban.

Former Blackburn Rovers and Australia midfielder Robbie Slater, now a television pundit with Fox Sports, slammed the tactics of coach Pim Verbeek and said the Socceroos never showed any desire to win Sunday’s game.

“We played with six midfielders and no recognised striker. You at least have to go out and try and win the game and we never did that,” Slater said.

“You don’t mind losing if you give it a shot, but we never did.

“Verbeek has done a great job getting us here and the Asia Cup, but he has to take much of the blame for this result.”

Former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich attacked captain Lucas Neill for being too negative before the match.

“This game was lost before a ball was kicked,” he told Fox Sports.

“To go out before the game and make out your opposition is superior at a pretty big press conference is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Tonight was an embarrassing defeat.”

Respected commentator Mike Cockerill wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald that the national players had passed their use-by date.

Cockerill said that while Germany had regenerated its team from four years ago, Australia had stayed with almost the same squad from 2006, pointing out that only four of the German team were older than Australia’s youngest player.

“A German team on the way up at times humiliated an Australian team on the way down,” he wrote.

“More like a training game than a World Cup game. Too much pace, too much mobility, too big, too strong, too skilful. Too damn good.”

Under the headline “Our Wurst Game Ever”, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph pulled no punches in its appraisal.

“The team was tactically undisciplined and horribly exposed defensively, while going forward there was an alarming lack of creativity or ideas.”