Australia boss Graham Arnold on pressure of an Asian Cup defence, Chris Sutton and more

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  • (Tristan Furney/FFA)

    Graham Arnold smirks like you’d just asked him the most ridiculous question imaginable.

    Clad in shorts and T-shirt as the gentle winter sun begins to set at Jebel Ali Shooting Club, he’s just finished putting the defending Asian Cup champions, Australia, through their paces.

    Hands on and at real intensity. As you’d expect from a head coach of his high-pressing, high-octane reputation.

    This was not a success he shared in. That honour went to countryman Ange Postecoglou, four years ago and more than 12,000 kilometres away on home soil in Sydney.

    It appears obvious to quiz the latest permanent Socceroos supremo whether that triumph brings undue pressure.

    Surely, it must have an impact? Not in the congenial Arnold’s mind.

    The 55-year-old jokes: “Do I look like it [feeling the pressure]?

    “It is something [2015] that has created a proud history for Australia.

    “For the players who played in it, I’ve already said to them, ‘when you retire, reflect. We’ve got so much more to do’.

    “We’ve got 15 new players who are coming into this tournament, expecting to win every game and expecting to play at a high standard. I expect that every time they walk on the pitch, that they will improve with every game and play at the highest level they’ve ever played at.

    “They are fit and playing a lot of minutes, every week, with their clubs. Maty Ryan played Arsenal at the weekend.

    “They are the types of players coming in. We come in very confident, and very happy, with the group of players that we’ve got.”

    A second bite at the Aussie job, and the Asian Cup, was confirmed for Arnold in March.

    Tetchy Dutchman Bert van Marwijk was in situ for the summer’s dispiriting group-stage elimination at the World Cup, while the incoming man rounded out his duties at Sydney FC.

    This would also represent a pained experience. Melbourne Victory came from nowhere in the Finals series’ last-four to dump out a swashbuckling side widely acclaimed as the finest-ever produced by the A-League.

    The purpose and pace of Arnold’s Central Coast Mariners and Sydney outfits always ensured that 2006-07’s unsatisfying flirtation with the Socceroos post – that included a quarter-final elimination at the hands of Japan in the Asian Cup – would not be a one-off.

    Arnold, himself a 54-cap, 19-goal striker for Australia from 1985-97, was the only choice to lead his nation through a four-year cycle until the 2022 World Cup.

    He’s overseen three friendly wins against Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman to a combined scoreline of 12-0, plus a promising 1-1 draw with South Korea. Signs abound that the players have been swiftly inculcated in his dynamic ways.

    The last victory came at Dubai’s Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium on Sunday, Gulf Cup holders Oman – led by Pim Verbeek, the man who succeeded Arnold for Australia 11 years ago – being decimated 5-0. A ruthless tempo helped force a 3-0 advantage in the space of a mere 24 minutes.

    Socceroos are being put through their paces at Jebel Ali Shooting Club (Tristan Furney/FFA).

    Socceroos are being put through their paces at Jebel Ali Shooting Club (Tristan Furney/FFA).

    Acclimatisation between coach and players has been promisingly quick.

    It’s been 12 years, however, since Arnold was previously in charge of the Socceroos and eight since he was Verbeek’s assistant for World Cup 2010’s group-stage exit. Has the move away from the club game’s day-to-day demands been more difficult than results suggest?

    Arnold says: “It is a different job. A completely different job.

    “One that I enjoy a lot, but at times frustrates me a lot.

    “I’m a coach who likes to be very hands on, working on the pitch and working more around the players with their development, technically and tactically rather than politically. It’s been different, but enjoyable.”

    Arnold will now be on the touchline at Al Ain’s resplendent Hazza bin Zayed Stadium for January 6’s Group B opener against Jordan.

    Expected international retirements for the likes of inspiration skipper Mile Jedinak and evergreen forward Tim Cahill have denied him of valuable experience. Injuries to Huddersfield Town midfielder Aaron Mooy and Celtic loanee Daniel Arzani have decimated an attack low on star quality.

    Reshaped Japan, Son Heung-min’s Korea and Carlos Queiroz’s omnipotent Iran all come into the tournament as bigger favourites.

    Being overlooked, however, is nothing to fear for Arnold.

    “I hope so,” he replies. “I don’t hope, I trust.

    “What I expect is that we have a fantastic group of players. There is so much energy and quality within the group.

    “I am so excited to work with them for the next four years. This is, obviously, a big part of the process – the Asian Cup.

    “I’ve had a lot to do, with a lot of individuals, at club level. I’ve coached them before they went overseas to play.

    “For me, it is a great challenge. But I have high expectations for this wonderful group of players.”

    The Socceroos’ preparations have further been disrupted by the furore surrounding the participation of Celtic playmaker Tom Rogic – now a key man, thanks to the absences of Mooy and Arzani.

    Outspoken ex-Hoops striker Chris Sutton has caused ructions with regular diatribes about the “Mickey Mouse” Asian Cup that caused the 26-year-old to miss December 29’s Old Firm derby defeat to Rangers.

    Arnold was dismissive of the outspoken pundit’s rants and revealed he’d received “nice messages” from several impacted club managers of his Europe-based players.

    “I don’t play games,” says the boss, who drew 17 of his 23 squad members from that continent. “They knew all along.

    “I explained my whole situation, the process that I went through. I spent six weeks in Europe, going around to all the managers.

    “I spoke to them all and told them what the situation was going to be. I told them that I had to make one rule for everyone.

    “Interestingly, I had a number of texts of thanks from coaches thanking me for letting the players play [at the weekend]. Those coaches looked at that situation as ‘thank you for the one game extra you gave us, instead of the two we would have lost’.

    “Rogic stayed, they won [Celtic against Aberdeen on December 26], Jackson Irvine stayed and he scored as they won 2-1 [Hull City beat Preston North End] and Matty Ryan was man of the match against Arsenal [1-1 draw].

    “Those coaches sent some nice messages of thanks for leaving those players behind.”

    Rogic was rested for Sunday’s dismantling of Oman, but will, surely, be in the XI for the start of their defence against Jordan.

    Group B has touched on a sore point for the Socceroos. Their history, since joining the AFC in 2006, has been littered with losses to opponents in the Middle East.

    Jordan – then led by Harry Redknapp – were the latest during World Cup 2018 qualifying. Is a section that also contains Palestine and Jordan one to fear?

    “It’s good, because we play, pretty much, a similar style of team for three games in a row,” says Arnold. “That’s why we had Oman, Lebanon and Kuwait [friendlies] beforehand.”

    Arnold has an approachable manner – unlike predecessors Postecoglou and Van Marwijk – yet is firm with his responses.

    These words convey an unshakeable conviction that the outcome of the holders’ “journey” in the UAE relies, solely, upon themselves.

    “I think the biggest danger is ourselves,” he replies when quizzed about likely contenders. “We respect the opposition, but it is all about us – getting our attitude right, our mentality right, performing at the highest level.

    “We are going to be spending six weeks together and it is important that we enjoy the journey.”

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