19 Nov Can Mooy and Rogic play together for the Socceroos?

Former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich has questioned whether star duo Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic can play together in Australia’s midfield.

In Graham Arnold’s first game in charge of the national team on home soil, the Socceroos managed a last gasp 1-1 draw against South Korea, in a performance that lacked cutting edge and incisiveness in the final third.

Bosnich believes the Mooy and Rogic situation is starting to become a quandary as the pair haven’t been able to hit the same heights for Australia as they have with their respective clubs – Huddersfield Town and Celtic.

“I’ve actually thought they could but there’s a lot of people who debate with me saying they can’t, and I think it’s still apparent – can Mooy and Rogic play together?” Bosnich told SEN Afternoons.

“I always thought they could, but the case is starting to swing the other side, because they’re very, very similar players.

“One thing that keeps cropping up is that one of our best performances in the last 18 months was under Ange Postecoglou when we played against Chile in the Confederations Cup.

“We had defensive midfielders in behind and it gave that person a little bit more licence to go and do what they want to do from an attacking sense, because that’s what predominantly what they’re there for.”

“If they’re there and in an attacking sense and we might have possession but we aren’t creating the chances, then you think to yourself: why have we got two if we aren’t creating the chances?"

How to get the very best out of Mooy and Rogic in tandem is something Arnold must address ahead of next year’s Asian Cup in the UAE.

“That’s something Graham Arnold and his coaching staff will have to answer, not so much tomorrow against Lebanon, but in the Asian Cup," Bosnich added.

“I think against the so called ‘lesser’ Asian teams I think we’re pretty much ok, but against the top ones when it’s really going to make a difference, that really needs to be called into question.

“We’ve got to remember that South Korea had seven of their starting players out, so that’s really important to remember.”

Listen to Mark Bosnich's chat on SEN Afternoons with Andy Maher in the player below