Holger Osieck - Come on down !

[Dirko]

He's the new coach of the Soccerroos.

Never heard of the dude

[mickey]

BREAKING NEWS: German Holger Osieck is the shock choice as the new coach of the Socceroos.

Football Federation Australia chairman announced Osieck's appointment as Pim Verbeek's replacement from Ljubljana where the Socceroos are due to face Slovenia in a friendly match tomorrow morning (WA time).

Osieck, 61, was assistant to Franz Beckenbauer when Germany won the 1990 World Cup.

He has coached Fenerbahce in Turkey and also has experience in Asia with Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds where he won the 2007 Asian Champions League.

And he led Canada to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title in 2000.

Speaking from Ljubljana, where the Socceroos are preparing for their clash with Slovenia, Osieck said he would be based in Australia throughout his stint in charge.

And he said he was confident he could lead the Socceroos successfully despite the generational change expected ahead of the 2011 Asian Cup and 2014 World Cup campaigns.

“I feel very much honoured to be your choice,” Osieck said in a teleconference on Wednesday.

“It’s a very big challenge for me, it’s a great challenge.

“We’re not starting from scratch. Australia has done very well in recent years and made the past two World Cups and our first target should be to establish our team on that level on a permanent basis.”

Osieck has also spent several years serving on FIFA’s coaching technical study committee.

Osieck said his system and tactics would be determined by the players at his disposal, saying he would not get locked into a rigid system.

“It depends on the situation, it depends on the players available for a particular game, it depends on the opponent,” he said.

“Your game must be based on a certain structure where everybody knows what to do.

“Based on the basic structure everybody has to follow, then there’s a freedom of expression.”

Osieck is expected to take charge of the Socceroos for the first time for the September 3 away friendly against Switzerland.

[The Riddler]

Osi, Osi, Osi.....Oi, Oi, Oi

[Dogwatcher]

[MatteeG]

Another big name signing....

Bring back Terry Venables

[devilsadvocate]

there was a very funny Wikipedia update after the announcement. It's since been removed, but it went something like:

"only hours after his appointment as national coach of Australia, forums went into overdrive criticising the FFA for the appointment, but were later forced to withdraw the comments after Holger guided Australia to win the Asian Cup and a 6-0 victory over favourites Brazil in the 2014 World Cup"

LMAO!!

It made no sense at all, but some people are pretty damn funny really.

[Il Duce]

The ffa have done it again some big names linked with the job one even said he wants to manage Australia and again they pick the unknown. Seriously Jose Peckerman was linked with the job and he has developed so many of Argentinas youth players (Messi being one, in which even Messi says its cause of peckerman he is what he is today) and won Under 20's world cups in which the Argies have won the most, he says he wants to manage in Australia and they pick Osieck, I feel they will regret that choice and after Osiecks time in charge people will begging for pim to come back.