Too late for Alex Brosque and the Socceroos? Depends. Ange Postecoglou has rarely been about expediency, but after the wake-up call against Thailand, maybe things could change for the next round of World Cup qualifiers in March. That being the case, the Sydney FC skipper is over-qualified for the role.

Watching Brosque's movement, energy, and speed during Saturday night's torrid test in Brisbane, he's rarely looked sharper, fitter, or more enthusiastic. Truth is, if there's been a question mark over a player whose ability has never been questioned, it's that he hasn't cared enough, often enough. Now, it seems, he's desperate to make up for lost time.

A close confidante of the player once told me, maybe a decade ago, that Brosque was destined to squander his potential because he wasn't driven enough to succeed. Sadly, he might have had a case. Brosque has had a decent career - he's won a championship with the Sky Blues, been voted Player of the Year by the club three times, played in Belgium, Japan and the UAE, and tallied 21 caps for his country. But when you ponder what might have been, perhaps what should have been, that's where the frustration lies.

Brosque is not an ordinary player, never has been. There's a balance, an intuition, a touch, a vision, an acceleration, and an execution which has always stood him out from the pack. The good left-footers tend to have the X-factor, and he's always had it. Just like his idols, Harry Kewell and Alvaro Recoba. They're the players you happily pay to see. The big players. Brosque suffers little in comparison.