“Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win” Gary Lineker.

It’s difficult to write anything positive about the game in Durban. Our Socceroos were outclassed and outplayed by a much superior team. The Germans ability to slow the game down in the middle, wait for the exact moment to drive forward and then create chance after chance was sublime, as much as it was agonising to watch. The movement of Podolski, Klose and Schweinstieger combined with the link up play of Ozeil was arguably the best I have seen live. Crisp passing, speed, deadly finishing; The Germans had it all. Australia never looked comfortable and I dare say that if Pim Verbeek had his time again then he may opt for a structural change. Tim Cahill cannot play as a lone striker, he never has. Playing Valeri and Grella together did what Verbeek intended. It closed the centre channel in the midfield but in doing so allowed the wide players for Germany to expose the flanks. Phillip Lahm only required a split second to win his battles with Culina. When Timmy was given his marching orders, albeit incorrectly, the Socceroos should have put up the gates and consolidated. We couldn’t penetrate with eleven men so there was a very unlikely chance we were going to score with ten. The question lingers as to whether Germany were really that good, or we were that bad? Defensively, we were sub international standard and I can’t remember an Australian team playing an offside trap, especially against a quality opposition. We were eaten up and it’s lucky that we only conceded four.

What’s certain is that Pim will have to earn his keep this week. What he does now is anyone’s guess but we do have time up our sleeve to not have to panic. Let’s go for broke. Tim is out, throw Harry and Bresc in and let’s see how the Ghanaians stand up to an onslaught.