Hiddink's agent has stoked the flames this week, suggesting that the Dutchman would be open to any inquiries. Why wouldn't he? He's out of work, having quit a highly paid post at big-spending Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in July, and always has an eye for a bumper payday. For all his success with South Korea in 2002 and relative achievements with Australia in 2006, he failed to get Turkey or Russia qualified for the major tournaments - the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championships - that he was charged with doing.

Whether Hiddink, or anyone else, replaces the beleaguered Holger Osieck probably depends on the answer to one question.

Does Football Federation Australia see the 2014 World Cup as an important tournament - now that it can bank the $12.5 million qualifying money for having got there - or does it regard the 2015 Asian Cup as its biggest priority, especially as it will be played on home soil?

If the former, then sacking Osieck and bringing in a heavy-hitting ''super coach'', someone who can apply shock treatment to a bunch of players who are either past it, not good enough or are playing with a sense of entitlement, might have some short-term impact. But would there be any real, lasting impact? It was put to me this week by one of the A-League's most experienced people that ''not even Merlin the magician could come in and make this team competitive in Brazil next year''.

If it's the latter - which I think should be the option taken - then the decision becomes more straightforward. Identify who you want as a long-term coach, tell him that it's all about rebuilding, and use the World Cup, and the lead-up games, as a testing ground for the younger players who will form the bedrock of the squad for the next five years.