Verbeek jumps out of the pack

Dutchman Pim Verbeek has held preliminary talks with Football Federation Australia (FFA), after Guus Hiddink personally anointed him for the vacant Socceroos coaching job.

:: VIDEO - [epl1415|28|TWG Stoppage Timeepl]

:: LES MURRAY - Roos - let's stay Dutch!

:: HALF-TIME ORANGE - Memo to FFA: forget the lawyers, get on with the job

:: PHILIP MICALLEF - Dick's trick leaves FFA in a spin

Verbeek - Hiddink's deputy as the Korea Republic stormed to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup - made his availability clear earlier this week.

And, along with Jurgen Klinsmann and Gerard Houllier, he is among the front-runners to fill the chasm left by the treachery of serial turncoat Dick Advocaat.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley and high performance manager John Boultbee turned to Russia boss Hiddink for advice when it became obvious that Advocaat was staying with Zenit St Petersburg.

And with Johan Neeskens - Hiddink's former Socceroos sidekick - in no hurry to leave the Nou Camp, where his is assistant to Barcelona boss Frank Riijkard, there was only one name on Hiddink's lips.

Without confirming a meeting had taken place with Verbeek, Buckley said: "We've had discussions with a few candidates...it's a small number we're focusing on at the moment."

Verbeek, currently employed as a consultant to Dinamo Moscow after quitting Korea nearly four months ago, ticks a lot of boxes, having also assisted Advocaat during Korea's short-lived 2006 World Cup campaign and then guiding them to third place at this year's Asian Cup Finals.

In all, he has spent seven years in the region and is better credentialed than any of the candidates to navigate the perilous terrain of a possible 20-month qualification campaign for South Africa 2010.

While Verbeek suits Buckley's criteria, he may lack the star qualify of which FFA chairman Frank Lowy is so enamoured.

Which means that Frenchman Houllier, the former Liverpool and Lyon boss, remains in the frame - despite just becoming the French FA's technical director.

Houllier has flirted outrageously with the FFA since 2004 but has remained tightly tethered to his chastity belt thus far.

However, he is thought to have expressed his interest - yet again - in discussions with the FFA this week.

When contacted by TWG Thursday, the owl-featured Frenchman was typically coy, saying: "This is a sensitive issue and I don't want to say too much."

"I have just taken on a role with the French FA – and I can't confirm whether I have spoken with any Australian officials or not."

Any hopes of landing Klinsmann may have been placed in doubt by the predicament of England - now in the hunt for a new saviour themselves following the sacking of stumbling Steve McClaren.

Their budget of $8million a year makes the $2.5million on offer from the FFA look like small change.

Buckley remains convinced, however, that the right man will be found - preferably before Australia's first World Cup qualifier in the first week of February.

The preliminary draw for South Africa 2010 takes place in Durban on Monday morning (Australian time).

:: VIDEO - [epl1506|29|South American qualifiers highlights + EXCLUSIVE Desailly & Parreira interviewsepl]

"That's the priority but it’s not a necessity," said Buckley from Paris - the city that has became the nerve centre for his manhunt over the past week.

"We're hopeful we will have somebody in place by then, but let's see what happens."

The rancour over the conduct of Advocaat and Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg runs deep with Buckley determined to press ahead for compensation - no matter how long it takes.

"We've had discussions and so far they have not given us the outcome we're looking for," he explained. "But I can tell Zenit that we are not going to simply go away."

Buckley also took a verbal swing at Advocaat, who has failed to offer any semblance of regret for walking away from his Socceroos contract.

"It's very disappointing that he chose to take that path after we expended so much energy and effort in planning for his arrival."

"We've spent the past five months putting things in to place and it's very disappointing the way it all unfolded."

Buckley, who heads back to Sydney on Sunday for the AFC Gala Awards, added: "There is no sense of panic about this."

"We want the right person...somebody who will help the game grow in Australia, who will mentor coaches and spend a lot of time there."

"If that person has experience in Asia, then that's a bonus but it's not an absolute necessity."

Don't miss THE WORLD GAME this Sunday afternoon from 3.30 for an extended interview with AFC President Mohamed Bin Hamman

top