Golden Soft Sombrero Moment with Eddie Thomson

Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Eddie Thomson

Thomson on quitting the Karaoke…

Diegos: “You recently announced that you will be ending your four year association with J-League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the end of this season.

What was it that prompted this decision? Was the dam Karaoke version of the club song that finally got you?”

Thomson: “Yes I think it was the Karaoke that finally tipped the scales on me.

I’ve been here four years and our club is one of the poorer clubs in Japan as far as buying players.

Year by year we have improved but there comes a time were you want to finish higher than just the middle of the table and we really need to start buying some players instead of selling them.

I think it was getting a bit tougher and tougher and after so much time you’ve got to change the coach or change the players and I decided that it was time for me to move on.”

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000

Thomson on Japan as a stopover for Aussie footballers…

Diegos: “In your time at Sanfrecce you managed to resurrect a few Aussie careers - the previously injury plagued pair of Hayden Foxe and Steve Corica are two that come to mind.

You didn't quite revive Aurelio Vidmar's career but I guess you came close.

Would you recommend Japan as a place for young Aussies to go to kick start their professional career outside Australia?”

Thomson: “Yes definitely. Its really well organised in Japan.

We’ve got four or five physios and a $18 million training ground so it’s a perfect stage for anybody.

The standard is good. The Japanese players and the conditions are good. If you can’t make it in Japan you’re not going to make if you go to Europe.

I think the teams in Australia would struggle in Japan. The best Aussie teams would be mid-table standard over here. Teams like Antlers and S-Pulse have imported a lot of good players and the as I said a lot of the Japanese player are good as well.” 

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000

Thomson on Foxey… 

Diegos: “Hayden Foxe has been signed by English Premier league team West Ham.

If it wasn't for work permit problems he probably would've already played in the senior team.

The Diegos love Hayden because he is a big strong, ball-playing central defender with a bit of mongrel.

How highly do you rate him?”

Thomson: “He is what the Diego think he is.

He is a super passer of the ball and an intelligent player as far as positional sense goes.

The best thing that happen to Foxey is coming to Japan because being a player who like to dribble inside his own 18 yard box he was never going to reach his top potential and play regularly in Europe. So we had to knock a lot of silly things out of Foxey’s head.

Without taking away his flair and his skill we had to knock him into shape.

If you’re a defender there’s a time to defend and there’s times to attack. Everyday at training I gave him a hard time because as the Diegos say his got heaps of ability and potential galore but his got to channel that and make appropriate decisions on the park.”

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000

Thomson on being offered the Aussie job again…

Diegos: “The Diegos research department tells us that you were actually offered the Socceroo job before Frank Farina's appointment.

How true was this report and if true, did you ever seriously think about taking it on for a second time?”

Thomson: “It wasn’t really offered to me. I had a couple of Soccer Australia commissioners phone me up and ask me whether I’d be interested in it.

One of them actually said that it was mine if I really wanted it. I said that I’ve no interest in it at all because I’ve had my go and Frankie Farina will do a good job and I’ll support him 100%.

I’m not interested in the job at all.”

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000

Thomson on training in a Kimono…

Diegos: “The Diegos Research Department also tells us that Japan seems to have relaxed you and that you are doing your training sessions in a Kimono these days.

Is that true?”

Thomson: “Yes but its an Adidas one.”

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000

Thomson on the Farina – Zelic feud…

Diegos: “The impasse between Socceroo coach, Frank Farina and Ned Zelic has been well documented.

Can Australia afford not to resolve the Zelic issue and what would you do if you were in Frank's shoes?”

 Thomson: “No they can’t afford not to solve it. We need every world rated player that we’ve got.

Ned (Zelic), Paul (Okon), Harry (Kewell) and Mark (Viduka) are all world-class players and we can’t do without any of them.

This is probably a little bit of inexperience on behalf of Frankie and Soccer Australia for that matter. They should sit down with Ned, speak to him and get him back in the fold again.

He is a great player and it doesn’t matter that he is a loner. He is a different type from the others in the team but he is a great player and good fun.

You’ve got to get to know the guy and you’ll realize that. What a player. He is a champion.”   

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000

Thomson on keeping the English away from Harry…

Diegos: “It's a little known fact but you gave Harry Kewell his first chance at international level many years ago.

Your move effectively tied Harry to Australia forever and in doing so succeeded in keeping England's dirty mitts off our young star.

You played him at an incredibly young age.

Did you have this 'Country versus Country' issue on your mind at the time you selected him?”

Thomson: “To be honest with Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka I gave them caps so that they would be tied to Australia. They were certainly ready to play at the time that I selected them but I just wanted to make sure that they were ours forever.

Harry was selected for his first game in Chile at the age of 17 but I’d been with Harry at the Under 17 World Cup in Ecuador so I knew he was capable.

I actually picked Hayden Foxe for the same game but he was injured. We played Mark Viduka quite early to because we were getting information even then that Croatia were wanting Mark.

There has got to be a bit of come and go with both parties with the ‘Club versus Country’ issues.

Leeds United and the Harry Kewell issue, you’ve really got to be able to sit down and tell the club that you won’t pick him for every friendly and but that you’ll need him for the important games.

If this is done I’m sure that everyone will agree.”       

Soft Sombrero Moment August 2000