Did Crystal Palace and Australia’s Mile Jedinak impress against Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands?
Mile Jedinak was one of the unsung successes of last season in the Premier League, winning more tackles than any other player in the division.
The Australian was key in Crystal Palace’s resurgence, featuring in all but two of the Eagles’ games in the top flight.
A dominant central midfielder, his tackling put the entire Manchester United side to shame.
| Team | Pos | Won Tackle | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile Jedinak | Crystal Palace | MF | 102 | 38 | 3,389 |
| Michael Carrick | Man Utd | MF | 43 | 29 | 2,413 |
| Tom Cleverley | Man Utd | MF | 40 | 22 | 1,579 |
| Antonio Valencia | Man Utd | MF | 36 | 29 | 1,940 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd | MF | 31 | 16 | 1,106 |
As United search for reinforcements this summer, Jedinak had an ideal chance to impress, as his Australia side took on Netherlands at the World Cup, in front of Dutch boss Louis van Gaal.
At 29, Jedinak may be over the age profile Van Gaal is looking for, but got on the scoresheet sure enough, from the penalty spot early in the second half.
Australia put up a spirited show, and can consider themselves unfortunate to be out of the tournament after three games, with Tim Cahill scoring a sensational volley which will be fondly remembered for years.
Jedinak failed however to assert himself upon the match in the way he would have liked.
The Crystal Palace midfielder did not enjoy the influence on proceedings needed, passing poorly in comparison to his teammates, and winning just the one tackle, certainly below average on his Premier League return.
| Team | Won Tackles | Interceptions | Pass Completion % | Key Passes | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile Jedinak | Australia | 1 | 3 | 74.00 | 0 | 90 |
Jedinak can of course take credit for his part in Australia’s performance, and his spot-kick goal will be a memory he never forgets.
It was not a performance however which will change his life, an over-powering match-winning one to rouse Louis van Gaal into making a phone call to his team at Manchester United and ask them to start making new plans.
And perhaps that’s good news for Jedinak, who can continue as planned unsettled at Crystal Palace, where he is highly valued and has played with great success. It is certainly one less thing for Tony Pulis to worry about.
Whether United can find anybody who can top his tackling rate next season, still remains to be seen.
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