BRING HIS MAGIC way for coaching mission
QAn old teammate of yours, John Aloisi, has been in the news of late after leaving his job as coach of Brisbane Roar. What were your thoughts on his departure?
AThe team were struggling near the bottom of the table and it has been well-documented over the last few years about their issues with performance and injuries. I do not know the ins and outs of the situation with John to be honest. But Australian football is very different to European football if you are in that position. I think everyone was a little surprised with John stepping down and the timing of the whole thing. But, as they say, that is football. I would be confident that John’s
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD
Q AQThe 2019 AFC Asian Cup starts today. How do you see our Australian squad?
Martin Boyle going down with an injury is a blow. Boyle showed he had a little bit of X-factor. He was not afraid to take on players and get in behind. He is a loss. Mathew Leckie (pictured) is struggling with an injury and Aaron Mooy is out of the side too. In saying that, I have been excited about the transition of a few of our younger players that have been coming through, especially Awer Mabil and Andrew Nabbout. They both looked good in the friendlies. We have got an exciting youthful team. It will be tough over there that is for sure. Whoever does come in and play because of injury, then they will step up and hopefully defend our title. People being hurt gives others opportunities. You just have to deal with it because you never know who will come out of the Asian Cup after a strong tournament.
You had Australian Socceroos coach Graham Arnold in your last year at Sydney FC before he took on the role as the national team boss. Did you feel he was ready for the step up?
decision was based on what was going on behind the scenes, not what was happening on the park.
QYou spent a big chunk of your career playing in Russia with clubs like Dynamo Moscow and Terek Grozny. Did you feel the World Cup being in Russia last year opened the country up to what you knew it to be and not the perception some people have?
AI built a house there and still have a home there. I loved my time there and after the World Cup people saw the real Russia and not the stigma. It is a fantastic place and I think the world was able to see that through the tournament. I heard people say they cannot wait to go back after the World Cup.
AHe could not have done much more than what he has done in domestic football. The time was right for him. It is only a short time that he has been there but all the signs are right for him to do well. He has been positive. I hope things work out for him. I am excited by the fact that he has been able to find a few players to come into the squad. Those guys were people that many had not seen and they are fresh faces to the team. It shows how much he is taking on the job and working on it. A perfect example is a guy like Awer Mabil — it is exciting times for the national team.
CHANCES ARE THERE
QWe have seen Mark Rudan recently step up from semi-professional football to the ALeague as a coach. Do you see the NPL as a genuine pathway for coaches these days? And, how big is the gap between the NPL and the ALeague?
AThere is always that possibility there when you look at guys like Rudan. There are always opportunities for coaches to develop and we have seen players from the NPL get their chance. With new A-League teams coming in with expansion, there is going to be more opportunities than ever. Those clubs are looking for players and coaches. The NPL and A-League are obviously different because they are full-time professionals, that is their job. There is talent in the NPL, they are working hard to go to training after working a full day. There is a lot of talent in the NPL and I think if our juniors were given a chance in an A-League environment, they could prove themselves. There are Wolves players that have the potential to step up given the chance.
BLOW FOR THE TEAM