Maclaren “on the radar” – but needs to find the net
Jamie Maclaren will only return to the Socceroos fold once he starts finding the back of the net in the A-League with regularity again, coach Ange Postecoglou has warned.
Maclaren at a Socceroos training session in Sydney in June. Photo: Paul Miller / AAP
The Brisbane Roar striker – who was the highest-scoring Australian player in the competition last season with 20 goals – is yet to score three rounds into the new season and was left out of Australia’s extended 30-man squad for their World Cup qualifier next month in Thailand.
Postecoglou has made it clear to the 23-year-old what he has to do to get his green and gold jersey back, after handing him his international debut with a start in a friendly against England in May.
“He had a fantastic year last year and the challenge for Jamie is to back that up this year,” Postecoglou said.
“He hasn’t been far off it – particularly on the weekend he was probably a bit unlucky to (not) get on the scoresheet – but he’s certainly on the radar and if he has a similar season to last year and bangs in the goals, as he did last year, he’ll be rewarded for that.”
The in-form Tomi Juric, Apo Giannou and Tim Cahill were the three central strikers selected in Postecoglou’s latest squad.
“There’s a little bit of competition there but if Jamie bangs in some goals this year and has a similar season, he’ll be in the reckoning, as will someone like Adam Taggart,” Postecoglou said.
“There are others, between now and the next (Socceroos) game in March, they’ll all have the opportunity to show what they can do.”
Juric has emerged as Australia’s first-choice frontman in recent months and is in sensational form for club and country but had one of his finest moments yet at the weekend for Swiss club FC Luzern.
The 25-year-old made light work of a St Gallen defender with a dazzling turn-and-shoot goal so sublime Postecoglou believes it will rightly add to his increasing confidence.
“It was a fantastic goal, he probably could have had another couple. It doesn’t surprise me,” he said.
“He’s been really strong for us and contributing in just about every game, whether that’s scoring a goal, or he won the penalty against Japan.
“We’ve all been waiting for Tomi to find some consistency, as much in his body as his performance. He looks strong and fit, I’ve been really pleased with him.”
-AAP
