HOLGER Osieck breathed new life into the Socceroos after the Pim Verbeek experiment.

A dour and direct Dutchman, Pim was a guy the Australian public didn't warm to.

After keeping sweet with the players for the duration of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, many of the players sensationally fell out with Pim in South Africa – namely Mark Bresciano, Harry Kewell and Vince Grella.

In the end he got the same number of points from the group stage as Guus Hiddink four years earlier but the pair will never be mentioned in the same sentence.

After a glorious beginning to his Socceroos post, Holger is running the risk of finishing more like Pim than Guus.

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Appointed in August 2010, Osieck's brief was to regenerate whilst keeping the Brazil 2014 train on track.

The 2011 Asian Cup was an outstanding success and saw Australia fall back in love with the Socceroos.

It was a mini regeneration, with Matt McKay (albeit mature-age) plucked from obscurity while Robbie Kruse,

Nathan Burns and Tommy Oar (a late replacement for injured Richard Garcia) were blooded while receiving minimal minutes.

Holger told us that our kids were overrated and it was hard to argue considering few, if any, were playing regularly for their European clubs.

Since then his selection policy has been confusing, ad-hoc and hugely conservative - underlined by the recent friendly away to Korea and the East-Asian Games qualifiers in Hong Kong.

Holger and FFA have missed a golden chance to connect the entertaining German to the public.

While he spends far more time here than Pim did, FFA's media department keeps him at arm's length of the media – and by extension the Australian public.

Holger works a room of journalists well and throws in some humorous analogies, but the missed opportunity means the public will turn on Holger far quicker than they otherwise would have.

And observing Holger on the sidelines and at press conferences, he smacks of a man under pressure – a world away from the cool and assured man that was introduced to us over two years ago.

Holger's contract expires at the end of the 2014 World Cup qualification cycle – that could be June 2013 if the Socceroos are eliminated in the Asian group stage, November 2013 if eliminated via the playoffs, or June/July 2014 should they advance to Brazil.

If the Socceroos fail to qualify for Brazil, he is gone.

But presuming he qualifies, should he stay on and lead Australia into the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil six months later?

It will be a high profile tournament for the code and FFA must think carefully about its appointment.

My view is that Holger should be moved on and the door opened for a new coach to commence Russia 2018 preparations.

Local or overseas? This is the big question.

There are hundreds of viable options abroad, but they'll also be more costly.

Ange Postecoglou is currently the standout local candidate, but is he capable of making the transition?

By 2015 he will be. Does he want to coach the national team? His heart appears set on clubland.

Guus Hiddink juggled the Socceroos with PSV Eindhoven. Could Postecoglou do it with Melbourne Victory?

Ahead of such a prestigious tournament on home soil the split roles could be a PR disaster so it would have to be one or the other.

Graham Arnold is a conservative option, having spent a decade in the national team setup, including a year as interim coach.

Then there is the next generation: Aurelio Vidmar, Tony Popovic, Gary van Egmond and John Aloisi.

Vidmar is doing an apprenticeship under Holger after a reasonable stint with Adelaide United and will have sufficient experience – it will come down to whether FFA believes he is up to it or not.

If they were to get the job in the next few years, the challenge for Popovic, Muscat and Aloisi would be how to handle their former teammates.

For them it will be far easier when the Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer and Mark Bresciano retire, not to mention Harry Kewell.

BRAVO LIONEL

The freakish talent that is Lionel Messi has broken Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year by scoring a double for Barcelona against Real Betis this morning.

The German achieved the feat in 60 games back in 1972. It has taken Messi 66 games to get there.

I've got a fair idea of who is aiming to break the record next. In fact, he's probably working on his set pieces as we speak.

His initials: CR.

UNITED RED HOT FAVOURITES

Robin van Persie's last-gasp winner opens up a six-point gap at the top of the table between Man United and City.

Wayne Rooney scored a brilliant double before Roberto Mancini’s side fought back from two-goals down but van Persie's late deflected free kick was the difference.

GOAL OF THE WEEK

A few rippers at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday, including Marcelo Carrusca's, but Golgol Mebrahtu's 89th-minute winner was outstanding.

Josip Tadic expertly held the ball up and drew three Perth Glory players before releasing Mebrahtu through the middle.

Originally published as STUDS UP: Is Holger our man?