Vince Grella is the kind of footballer you want playing with you rather than against you.

As US President Lyndon B Johnson once said of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover: "It's probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in."

Grella is as combative as they come.

For years he has been a linchpin of the Socceroo team, a tough-tackling defensive midfielder who can break down opposition attacks yet also has the skill to get some forward momentum going.

But all of a sudden his international career looks to be at the crossroads.

The 30-year-old English Premier League player was substituted at half-time in Australia's 4-0 World Cup shocker against Germany.

That followed a long spell of niggling injuries at his club Blackburn and a patch of indifferent form in Australia's warm-up matches.

One particular lowlight came when Grella gave the ball away on the edge of the box in Australia's final warm up match and was punished when Edson Buddle drove home the first goal in America's 3-1 victory.

Curiously, it was against Ghana - this weekend's World Cup opponent - in a London friendly four years ago that Grella was given the captain's armband to become Australia's 51st skipper.

But although he is now just four caps away from his half-century, the milestone appears a little further away than it did a week ago.

Grella was disappointed to be replaced against Germany, though the move may have been a more attacking tactical one.

"Of course I was," he said, "but I respect the decision of the manager.

"I am one player out of 23 that wants to play. That's Pim's job and we respect his decisions."

When offered commiserations, Grella replied in his typically no-nonsense style: "No-one died, it was just a game of football.

"We just have to sleep it off without too many tissues, roll the sleeves up and get on with it.

"We're all big enough to know we weren't good enough (against Germany).

"Part of football is accepting defeat.

"It might do us good, that little bit of anger inside."

When asked whether the Socceroos were OK with Verbeek's sudden change of plans in Durban, Grella replied: "Whether or not they were OK with it or not, it's the manager's call.

"We follow the game plan that the coaching staff put out there."

Grella remains typically up-beat about Australia's chances.

"We have to play a massive game against Ghana," he said.

"Of course we can do it (qualify for the second stage).

"If we win two games we can get through."

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