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Ange can say whatever he likes, as long as the Socceroos win

30th March, 2017
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The FFA need a new coach to replace Ange Postecoglou. (Image: AAP/Joe Castro)
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30th March, 2017
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Ange Postecoglou’s dig at his critics was much ado about nothing, but at least it proved people still care about the national team.

Just over 27,000 fans turned up at the Sydney Football Stadium to see the Socceroos grind out a much-needed 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday night.

It was an average attendance for a game of such magnitude, and it prompted the usual barbs aimed at Sydney’s fickle sports fans.

But there’s another group that deserves its fair share of criticism – yep, you guessed it – Football Federation Australia.

When Category A tickets cost $95 for an adult ticket, and Category B tickets are barely priced any better at $75, they’re practically begging fans to stay home and watch the game on TV instead.

No doubt FFA will point to high cost of hosting international teams, but if they’re going to inhabit a parallel universe where ticket prices bear no relation to the average supporter’s reality, they might as well get used to the sight of empty seats.

Maybe playing that sort of game in Sydney isn’t the answer when they are plenty of alternative venues around – Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast seems ideal – but when Destination NSW has chipped in millions for the right to host Socceroos games, the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.

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Nor is Postecoglou going to win over his critics by glibly claiming that a foreign coach would have been labelled “a genius” for switching to a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Yet as much as that seemed like an oddly sour remark to make on the back of an important win, and as predictable as it was for plenty of journalists to point out that it was Ange himself who wanted to hear more talk about tactics, the whole episode seemed like a bit of a storm in a teacup.

In a week in which Postecoglou was under intense pressure, perhaps he’s entitled to blow off some steam.

Meanwhile, the press pack was simply doing its job, and having a crack at journalists is a sure-fire way to ensure Postecoglou remained in the spotlight.

Perhaps that’s what he wanted, and critiquing formations ensured there was less criticism of the players on the park.

Whatever the logic, it’s likely to be long forgotten by the time the Socceroos roll into South Australia in June, where all eyes will be on the Adelaide Oval surface for the visit of Saudi Arabia.

Australian Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)

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Postecoglou has been scathing of the sort of pitches the Socceroos are expected to play on at home – including in Adelaide – so there could be plenty more fireworks yet from the national coach on what is turning out to be an increasingly fraught road to Russia.

There could be some fireworks at AAMI Park on Sunday too, where Besart Berisha is looking to score his 100th A-League goal when Melbourne Victory host Wellington Phoenix.

It remains to be seen what sort of condition Berisha arrives back in following his World Cup qualification exploits for Kosovo, but it would be nice to see him notch his milestone goal in front of his home fans.

The rest of the round looks cut and dried, with the bottom four all out of finals contention for all intents and purposes.

The match of the round sees Sydney FC host Melbourne City, with the Sky Blues aiming for a record points-haul against a City side largely operating outside the constraints of the salary cap – something Postecoglou only yesterday called to be abolished.

The visitors would love nothing more than to knock off Graham Arnold’s team on their own patch, in a season in which Arnie has re-affirmed his position as the A-League’s premier coach.

There’s no danger of his long-time counterpart Postecoglou going anywhere soon either.

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He’ll have every opportunity to silence his critics – just as long as the Socceroos keep on winning.

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