I’m ready, says Arnold
GRAHAM Arnold is embarrassed when he thinks back to how he handled his first experience in the Socceroos hot seat, admitting it was an honour he did not deserve and a responsibility he butchered.
But 11 years on from his illfated stint as Guus Hiddink’s successor, he firmly believes he is the right man for the job.
Arnold’s charm offensive gathered momentum during his first press conference as the new coach of Australia.
He said all the right things yesterday by wholeheartedly owning up to his past errors and insisting he had learned from them. The 55-year-old pointed to his A-League success at Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners when detailing his regeneration.
“I think if there’s one thing I am half-decent at it’s learning from mistakes,” Arnold said. “In 2007 I wasn’t a coach. I inherited a job that I didn’t deserve. I can sit down and talk to those guys I coached and I’m actually embarrassed to say that I coached them because I didn’t coach them in the right way.
“I’ve worked extremely hard. I’ve learned a lot of lessons and I do feel I deserve this opportunity. I’m ready.”
Arnold said the two men who served before him as Socceroos coach, Bert van Marwijk and Ange Postecoglou, had left “great” legacies that would be built on.
He described his own philosophy as smack-bang between the defensively minded Dutchman and the attack-focused Australian.
He would not rule out an occasional return to Postecoglou’s controversial back-three formation if the situation called for it.
“For me it’s about being flexible — some games you may need to play a back three, and some games you play a back four,” he said.
Exactly what the Arnoldera Socceroos look like on the field remains to be seen.
Mile Jedinak and Mark Milligan’s futures remain unresolved, with Arnold waiting to see whether the veterans plan to continue playing international football.
January’s Asian Cup defence in the UAE is looming fast, with the Socceroos to assemble for a training camp next month before a friendly in October — likely overseas — then two more in November.
“You saw how well Japan and Korea did at the World Cup, so it’s going to be a wonderful challenge,” Arnold said.
Arnold and his coaching staff will also take over the Olyroos, Australia’s under-23 men’s squad.
The move is designed to fast-track the development of talented players for a team targeting Tokyo 2020 after failing to qualify for the last two editions of the Olympic Games.