Arnold to focus on improving Socceroos’ goalscoring
NEW Socceroos coach Graham Arnold believes the team’s goalscoring woes can be solved between the ears.
Speaking for the first time since succeeding Bert van Marwijk in the top job, Arnold paid tribute to Australia for giving a “good account” of itself at the World Cup, but he expects better things to come now he’s in charge.
The Socceroos failed to score from open play in their matches against France, Denmark and Peru, with their only two goals coming from Mile Jedinak penalties.
“A lot of it these days is about the mind and what the mind tells you, and the mental aspect of the game,” Arnold told Macquarie Sports Radio. “I think that’s the big improvement that you’ve seen in England.
“A lot of the top sides now use sports psychologists for the players, there’s a lot of negativity in social media around players and what they read. It can affect people.”
Arnold name-checked Aaron Mooy, Daniel Arzani, Mathew Leckie and Tom Rogic as four players who can help ease the goalscoring burden with the country’s alltime leading goalscorer Tim Cahill expected to retire after his fourth World Cup.
But the former Sydney FC coach will look closer at his striking options for January’s Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Arnold said the Socceroos would play a “possessionbased game” under him, saying the team did too much needless running at the World Cup.