Davidson adamant Socceroos on road to being 'scarily' good

Australia defender Jason Davidson believes "it's scary" how good the Socceroos can become on the road to Russia 2018 under the guidance of coach Ange Postecoglou.

Jason Davidson Socceroos

Jason Davidson believes the Socceroos' 2015 Asian Cup performances were just the beginning for the team. (AAP) Source: AAP

With the Socceroos on a roll after successive Group B wins over Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and Tajikistan heading into next Friday’s (AEST) FIFA World Cup qualifier against Jordan in Amman, the left-back thinks the team has only tapped into a fraction of its potential.

The bulk of the squad are still in their early to mid-20s and Davidson, 24, sees Australia posing a genuine threat at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and also in Russia a year later, assuming it continues on the path mapped out by its ambitious and adventurous mentor.
"It’s been a bit of roller-coaster in the last 18 months with injuries and the like, but with the Tommy Rogic now back in and Robbie Kruse to come back also, it’s scary to see the sort of team we could have in the months ahead," Davidson said.

"Rhys Williams is another who’s been out with injury but the possibilities and the heights we can reach are all there for us to aim at.

"We just need to make sure we keep progressing every game, stay level headed and keep growing and it’s definitely the case that Ange is getting the best out of us.

"We are just finding our feet and starting to show ourselves after almost two years under Ange."

Davidson knows only too well how intimidating a venue the King Abdullah International Stadium can be as Australia seeks a fourth straight group win.

He was a part of the squad which suffered a surprise 2-1 loss to Jordan in a World Cup qualifier there just over three years ago under Holger Osieck.

On the bench that night, he couldn’t believe how much noise the capacity 16,000 crowd generated, giving and added boost to the home side.
"We knew from the word go this would be our toughest game, especially after what happened the last time we played them there," he said.

"I know how hostile it can be … we got there about two hours before the kick-off as we usually do at all games and the stadium was already packed and rocking.

"They were bouncing and singing and it was quite something … it was my first away World Cup qualifier and it was an eye opener. They were so hostile and it won’t be easy.

"The referee was quite bad that day and they took their chances and when they were ahead the crowd was their 12th man.

"It will be interesting to see how hostile the fans will be if we go and win there. With us being the champions of Asia just adds a bit more spice to the occasion."

But Davidson harbours no fears over a possible repeat defeat, insisting: "It’s a totally different team going there this time (there are only four survivors from 2012).

"We know it won’t be easy but we will just worry about how we play and make sure we tick all the boxes.

"With Ange, every time we play, even Germany away from home, we take it to them and that’s one of our biggest attributes. While we respect every team we are not afraid of anybody.

"This is a step up in quality to what we have faced so far and we know it’s going to be a real test for us."

Davidson is hell-bent on repaying the faith Postecoglou has shown at him, with the coach selecting him even when he was struggling for game time at ex-club West Bromwich Albion last season.

"For me, Ange taking over as coach has been one of the best things in my career," he explained.

"From day one I have been in all the camps, and he has shown a lot of belief in me and I have always been grateful for that.

"I have always tried to repay him by performing well for my country and for myself.

"His style of play really suits me ... I am lucky. I love to get forward when I can, as well covering the defensive side of things, and he encourages that."

Davidson has made eight league appearances for Championship side Huddersfield this season going into Saturday night’s (AEST) clash against Wolverhampton and says he’s at peak fitness heading to Amman.

"It’s great to be playing week in week out – and staying injury free is obviously a key also," the Socceroos defender admitted.
Davidson welcomes the call up of uncapped left-back and potential rival James Meredith, of League One Bradford City, for his maiden camp.

"It’s important to have competition in every position, it keeps us all on our toes," he said.

"A starting eleven teams never wins you a tournament … you need to have depth.

"I’ve never met or played with James and can’t speak too much about him.

"But he's obviously been doing all the right things to get a call-up."


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5 min read
Published 3 October 2015 10:12pm
Updated 3 October 2015 11:27pm
By Dave Lewis


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