The A-League winning coach believes Australia will be best served with Leckie returning to his natural position in the band and his Melbourne City teammate Jamie Maclaren deployed as a striker.
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“Looking at it from a distance, I wouldn’t start Leckie at number 9. I’d go with a full number 9, either Jamie Maclaren or Mitchell Duke,” Aloisi said.
It was a feeling echoed by his former Socceroo teammate Luke Wilkshire.
“I think Jamie Maclaren made a difference when he started with his little throwing races behind him,” Wilkshire said.
The right side of the defense For the most part, the Socceroos were not too concerned about the UAE, except for one weak point that was easily and frequently exposed: the right side of the defense. “They caught us a little on our right side. I’m sure Arnie would have seen it and tried to work on it in the short time she has,” Aloisi said.
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Young winger Nathaniel Atkinson had his first outing in an international competition and the Hearts man received a torrid moment for United Arab Emirates winger Hartib Al-Maazmi. Against Peru, Australia would probably have been punished with more than one goal.
“I really like Nathaniel Atkinson, he has a bright future. His biggest strength is moving forward, but he was thrown down the reins against the UAE. He sat down and found out. It’s a concern,” Wilkshire said.
According to Wilkshire, however, mentality is more important than staff.
“We were too passive for my liking,” he said. “I know Arnie is talking about Australian DNA and aggression. I don’t know if he’s gone slowly, but I don’t remember any of the last four against the UAE making an entry.”
The neutral spot will benefit Australia. It will be his fourth competitive match in Qatar in less than a year and the record has been perfect in the Gulf state.
The Socceroos are formidable on set pieces and have a coach who has overseen more than their fair share of penalty kicks. But if they want to get to the Qatar World Cup, Wilkshire have to see how far the players really want it.
“It’s doing or dying,” he said. “They will do whatever it takes and we have to match that desire and despair. No matter how it is done, we have to find a way.”
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