Hopes fading

It was the lack of depth, chemistry and tactical maturity of the squad, although having trained together for a month, that left even some of the most diehard fans betting against its chances against the in-form Indonesia, a team bolstered by several Dutch-born naturalized players plying their trade in Europe.

The team's inconsistent performances should be attributed to Ivankovic's slow reaction to momentum shifts during matches, and sometimes stubborn choice of formation, according to pundits.

"The general's incompetence has killed the entire army," former Chinese international Dong Fangzhuo, the first and only Chinese to be signed by Manchester United, commented on Ivankovic's tactics on Weibo.

"Sticking to the one-defending-midfielder formation against the full-out attacking Australia? We got played by the Aussies for sure," said Dong, who was signed by United in 2004, but only made his Premier League debut for the Red Devils in May 2007 due to delays with his work permit.