Former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou believes the appointment of Bert van Marwijk as his successor is a clear move towards a “more pragmatic” style at the World Cup.
Postecoglou said it would have also been better for Australia’s chances at the 2019 Asian Cup had Graham Arnold taken the job immediately – if he wanted it.
Now the coach of J-League side Yokohama F.Marinos, Postecoglou suggested the criteria put together indicated an Australian coach was never truly in contention to replace him.
“Reading between the lines … it didn’t look like an Australian coach was in the running, and they wanted somebody familiar with the playing group,” Postecoglou told SEN Radio on Monday.
“I guess that made sense with the appointment being so late in the piece and the financial restraints.
“I’d be very surprised if it was no bigger than a field of one or two.”
Postecoglou said van Marwijk was a “logical” choice who knew the Socceroos playing group well, having analysed them in his position with Saudi Arabia.
But he said it was an obvious pointer to a shift in style away from his attack-at-all-costs mantra, which divided Australian fans.
“It’s pretty clear, the divergence in the basic philosophy,” Postecoglou said.
“It’s not just the job he did with Saudi Arabia … your teams show a picture of the basic forces that drive you (as a coach) and his teams have always been hard to beat and fairly pragmatic in his approach.
“I’m kind of the other end of the scale.
“I get the sense, again from afar, that maybe that’s the approach that was sought for this part of the journey.
“It looks like one tournament and when you look at the group, the focus now is to get out of that group and I guess a more pragmatic approach may help you achieve that.”
Postecoglou admitted it seemed likely Arnold would leave Sydney FC to replace van Marwijk ahead of the Asian Cup in the UAE in January next year.
But from his experience, Postecoglou said coaching at a World Cup would have been handy preparation for Arnold and the team as Australia looks to defend their continental crown.
“I think if Graham Arnold wanted the job, I think he would have been better placed to take it now,” he said.
“But obviously he’s got a job at Sydney FC, he’s got a pretty strong team there and he’s keen to see that through.
“With such a short-term appointment, I assume the next logical step is that he takes over.”
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