This week’s episode of The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast features David Davutovic, Nick D’Urbano and Sacha Pisani. Read on below for a taste, and listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Former Socceroo and Isuzu UTE A-League veteran Robbie Kruse is on the cusp of a return to Brisbane Roar, where his career began more than 15 years ago.
KEEPUP’s David Davutovic broke the news on this week’s episode of The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast, revealing confirmation of his Roar return was imminent, as one of “as many as four signings” the club could announce between now and the end of the transfer window, including a striker to fill one of their visa slots.
Kruse, 34, hasn’t played since March of 2022, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Melbourne Victory’s AFC Asian Champions League tie with Vissel Kobe.
Capped 75 times by the Socceroos, Kruse spent a significant portion of his career plying his trade in Germany at Fortuna Dusseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart and VfL Bochum.
He has 105 A-League Men appearances to his name, breaking out at the Roar before spending four-and-a-half seasons split across two stints at Victory.
“We’ve got some breaking news: it’s our understanding Socceroos great Robbie Kruse looks set to sign with his first A-League club Brisbane Roar, pending a medical,” Davutovic said.
“Now, my understanding is that deal will be wrapped up in the coming days, and there is a chance Kruse could debut this weekend for Brisbane Roar.
“That’s a huge signing for Brisbane, great to see Robbie Kruse back, especially when you consider he did his knee for Melbourne Victory last season in that Asian Champions League game over in Japan, and a lot of people, I guess, thought his career was over.
“We all know he’s been somewhat of a Socceroos whipping boy, absolutely unfairly in my eyes when you consider he’s had a couple of knee reconstructions and had a really shocking foot injury which was misdiagnosed, and he missed about nine months of football.
“The career he’s had, (including playing) Champions League football and in the Bundesliga, has been sensational. I think he’s a huge signing, great to see him back at his hometown club, assuming that all goes ahead. Big signing for the Brisbane Roar.”
Kruse burst onto the scene at the formerly-named Queensland Roar, scoring the winning goal on his Isuzu UTE A-League debut – on his 19th birthday, no less – to sink Wellington Phoenix in a 2-1 win on October 5, 2007.
He’s scored 23 league goals in 105 appearances for both Roar and Victory combined, winning the Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup) with the latter in 2021.
At international level, Kruse started in the Socceroos’ 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final triumph over South Korea, and represented the nation at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Brisbane have scored just 10 goals in 14 games this season, by far the worst total of any team in the league.
“That attack needs a bit of excitement, a bit of imagination up there,” KEEPUP journalist Nick D’Urbano said on the podcast.
“Brisbane still need to get themselves a number nine, this doesn’t solve that issue for them – but it adds a bit of leadership. He’s 34, he’s been around the joint, he’s had 75 Socceroos caps, he’s played all over the world; that’s invaluable for the youngsters.
“I think it’s great he gets to end on his own terms, that this last knee injury wasn’t the injury that ends his career.
“He gets the chance to go back home and finish the story.”
All eyes on Asian Cup as Arnold backed to lead Socceroos into next generation
It’s official: after a remarkable 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Football Australia has backed head coach Graham Arnold to guide the national team through its next four-year cycle.
A contract extension, signed on Monday morning, was just reward for the much-maligned Arnold who answered every single one of his critics in Qatar, guiding the Socceroos to the Round of 16 and to within a kick of extra-time with eventual champions Argentina.
Now, he’s been rewarded with a new contract, and entrusted with taking the Socceroos to the next World Cup.
“He deserves a lot of credit for the World Cup,” KEEPUP journalist Sacha Pisani said.
“I’ve been quite vocal of my thoughts on him and the way we play football, but the biggest thing now should be going into the (2024) Asian Cup… the Socceroos are going to be the hunted. People are going to want to take them down after the World Cup, with more eyes on them.
“The onus is going to be on Australia to dictate play. How is he going to approach that, being a more pragmatic kind of coach?
“It’s a different kind of pressure, and they definitely need to make an impact at the next Asian Cup.”
READ: ARNOLD STATES HIS SOCCEROOS AMBITIONS AND THEY GO BEYOND THE WORLD CUP
With the 2024 Asian Cup the next major landmark on the road to the World Cup, D’Urbano pondered whether the fresh contract should have taken Arnold all the way to 2026, or if Football Australia perhaps should have used the Asian Cup as the next point to review the group’s progression after the highs of Qatar 2022.
“Not surprising,” D’Urbano said of the contract extension. “Especially after our greatest ever World Cup result, making it as deep as we did and coming within inches of at least sending the World Champions to extra time. Who knows what could have happened after that?
“I’m a little bit, if I’m being honest, a bit surprised they’ve gone the full cycle. I thought maybe they would have given him (untiL the Asian Cup to see how he goes there.”
“One year at a time?” Davutovic asked.
D’Urbano continued: “Yeah, because you can’t help but think about where the Socceroos were pre-World Cup, their performances pre-World Cup and where Arnie was at that point, and the performances that led to the World Cup.
“But the players are onside with him, they obviously love working with him. It seems like a no-brainer from that point of view.
“If he wanted to go on, they had to put the offer to him and ask the question… he went, and I think it was a good decision nonetheless. We’ll see what happens from here. There’s going to be a lot of questions going forward – but I think there’ll be a lot of heat going into that Asian Cup and the expectations – rightfully so – will be high to do quite well in this tournament.
