Has Pim Verbeek suddenly lost the confidence of his players at the most critical moment of all?

Senior Socceroos maintain the coach continues to enjoy their full support, as he has for the past two and a half years.

But actions speak louder than words, and the best way they can show that is to play for their World Cup lives against Ghana in Rustenburg on Saturday.

Verbeek's team selections, coupled with the players' body language, should reveal all.

That there should have been any doubt at all about team solidarity this week was a remarkable and sudden issue.

The Socceroos locomotive was chugging along serenely in South Africa until the devastating 4-0 derailment at the hands of Germany in the opening match.

It wasn't just the scale of the on-field carnage that shook the Socceroos, but the last-minute change of script by their coach.

Verbeek threw a spanner into the works, and his carefully laid plans out the window, by making wholesale changes to the team structure.

All of a sudden Richard Garcia was playing as a striker, and Tim Cahill, too, while Josh Kennedy and Harry Kewell spent the entire match on the bench.

Jason Culina was shoved out wide on the left.

Carl Valeri was a surprise starter.

Mark Bresciano, until then a fixture in the team, didn't kick a ball.

Another permanent, Vince Grella, got the boot at half time.

Coaches often have to make 11th-hour changes to cope with injuries, lack of form, strategies designed for a specific opponent and the reality of what is happening out on the pitch.

But Verbeek had known for six months he would be facing Germany.

The magnitude of his pre-match makeover seemed to catch his own players by surprise.

Now his entire legacy is on the line before he moves to Morocco after this World Cup.

His hugely successful qualification campaigns, both for the World Cup and Asian Cup, will count for nothing if he gets it all wrong in South Africa, and the signs so far don't look good.

It must come right against Ghana, or it's all over.

The Dutchman, who learned his trade under previous Socceroo mastermind Guus Hiddink, both at club level in Holland and World Cup level with South Korea, has been well liked, respected and admired by his players, certainly until now.

Of that there is no doubt.

During the World Cup build-up over recent weeks the Socceroos have spoken warmly of his tactical nous, strategic vision, calming influence and man management skills.

Verbeek is not the extrovert Hiddink was, preferring instead a cautious, conservative approach.

But he established a solid rapport with his players.

"He trusts us and we trust him," said captain Lucas Neill as the Australians set up camp in South Africa.

"There's a very good chemistry.

"He doesn't have an intimidating style.

"He's not big on the fear factor and needing to be the strong boss where his way is the only way.

"He is very open to conversations, which is not always what you get with a manager.

"But he is strong on discipline, and we give him that in return.

"We are lucky to have him and he is lucky to have us."

Grella described Verbeek's personal skills as "fantastic", though he was less than thrilled to be replaced at half-time against Germany.

"He is probably one of the best (managers) I've had in my career," said Grella.

"He is such a gentleman.

"He demands the best of his players but he does everything he can to put them in the condition to perform at their best.

"It sounds easy but it's not."

Veteran defender Craig Moore said Hiddink and Verbeek were like "chalk and cheese" in approach.

"But for me Pim Verbeek has done a sensational job," said Moore.

"It's not been easy.

"I think he has been fair to everyone, giving everyone a chance to impress and try to force their way in.

"He's a very relaxed and calm manager, and he makes other people feel relaxed.

"He is very approachable for us players and for anyone, I believe.

"But he's also serious when the time is right.

"He's got his one-liners, but he knows when it's time to smile and time to work.

"He's very ambitious.

"He will be a huge loss to Australia.

"I couldn't sit here and say a bad word about him, to be honest."

Defender Michael Beauchamp said: "All of the boys have exactly the same respect for Pim as they did for Guus.

"He will tell you when you're doing something wrong, he'll congratulate you when you're doing something right.

"It's a great thing to have a coach who has respect for every player, no matter who you are or where you come from."

Midfielder Mile Jedinak said: "Pim brings a calming presence to the team.

"But he also has a real strong focus which is something I've come to admire and will admire for years to come."

Brett Holman, who plays his club football in Holland, said: "When you get the players only for a short time, you have to be good at man management.

"That's where I think he has learned from Dick Advocaat (who turned down the Socceroo job Verbeek eventually got) and Hiddink.

"You can see he's definitely picked up on the tricks of how the football world works.

"He doesn't speak a lot, but when he does it's always very useful."

Verbeek likes to treat the players as adults, and described them as a "self-governing unit".

"If a player has a poor half, it will be one of his colleagues who points out some home truths at half time," he says.

"The leaders are people such as (goalkeeper) Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill, Vince Grella - and they will take the same medicine themselves when required.

"They will train intensely even if they might not get on the bench.

"That attitude makes you a lucky coach."

It remains to be seen how the Socceroos will respond both to Verbeek's rush of blood in Durban and the rout they suffered there.

They conceded as many goals in 90 minutes as they had in all 14 matches of World Cup qualification in Asia.

Before the World Cup started Lucas Neill spoke of how Verbeek had given his players self-belief.

"One thing he has given the team is the confidence to go out and trust your game, to trust the preparation and the tactics," Neill said.

By six o'clock on Saturday afternoon in Rustenburg (0200 Sunday AEST) everyone should know whether that trust remains intact.

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