New Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek (left) talks with former coach and now assitant coach, Graeme Arnold, as they watch a training squad made up of A-League players in Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008. Players are vying for a position in the Socceroos team that will play their first World Cup 2010 qualifier against Qatar on February 6. AAP Image/Paul Miller
When Graham Arnold met journalists for the first time as Central Coast Mariners coach this week, he was a cocksure picture of confidence and enthusiasm.
Some football followers might remember a time not so long ago when Arnold wasn’t so accommodating with the press.
But that time is past. Arnold this week began preparations to take over from foundation coach Lawrie McKinna at the Mariners, though he will first finish commitments with the Socceroos.
McKinna has moved upstairs to become football and commercial operations manager – the grandfatherly role many believe for which he is best suited.
Arnold’s appointment, despite long being mooted, brought with it the predictable howls of derision from those remembering Australia’s dismal Asian Cup in 2007 and the Beijing Olympics campaign the following year.
Arnold certainly did show his naivete in both tournaments, and won no fans with his gruff approach at press conferences.
Now he gets another chance at a top job with Central Coast. It is not, of course, his first foray into club management.
But much has changed since Arnold held the reins of the Northern Spirit during the late 90s in the National Soccer League.
Since then Arnold has worked under national team managers Frank Farina, Guus Hiddink and current coach Pim Verbeek.
The latter two in particular came to rely on his work behind the scenes.
Their backing certainly wouldn’t have hurt when it came to deciding if Arnold still had a role to play in the national team set-up following his failures as head coach.
Having temporarily become perhaps the most despised person in Australian football soon after the Beijing Olympics, Arnold wisely decided to keep his head down when Verbeek took over.
The valuable resource he became to the Dutchman since should not be underestimated.
He has also been handed much of the credit for his behind-the-scenes work to entice a number of promising fence-sitters – Rhys Williams and Shane Lowry among them – over to the Australian corner.
Verbeek told Goal.com in an interview that “Graham Arnold for me knows football, he was a great player himself, he is always honest to me with his opinion and that’s what I like about him. He is a fantastic friend and a fantastic coach to me.
“What other people think about him is only a perception because I’m working with him day-in, day-out. If somebody knows him, I do.’’
So, having proven his worth to those who matter, Arnold now has the task of winning over the Mariners faithful.
But if positive results are the sure way to get fans onside, Arnold would know he must first get his new players believing and playing in his style.
McKinna’s tactics began to grind on even the most ardent of Mariners supporters by the end, but he remained a popular figure amongst the playing group.
He reputedly captured the signature of the versatile Pedj Bojic from Sydney FC in 2008 (despite a better contract offer from the Sky Blues) because the Scotsman saw no problem with the versatile defender’s continuance of his personal training business.
As charismatic as his regular Twitter posts suggested, McKinna’s bond with his players will be hard for Arnold to match.
But this is a man who carved out a better-than solid Socceroos career and managed to salvage his managerial livelihood from the scrapheap through patience, graft and a few thousand frequent flier miles.
He deserves a chance. And if he’s learned from his mistakes, there is every chance that the redemption of Graham Arnold might not yet be complete.
Wug
Guest
Have been out of touch so it has taken me a while to catch up on reading. I too agree he deserves a chance and wish him all the luck. Success has come from many underrated coaches
DiCanio
Guest
As a derider of Graham Arnold on a number of occasions I actually feel he will do better in this league especially with a hard working team like CCM. Best of luck to him.
Punter
Guest
I'm with you Mid, he failed at the int'l level, but coaching locally is a different matter. He must've learned something from Hiddink & Pim. Even though I'm a SFC fan I wish GA every success with the Mariners
Midfielder
Guest
David V LM will do all the community stuff ... GA will coach... maybe that was part of the problem LM could not be a coach and a community promotions manager..
Midfielder
Guest
No .. most fans have the shits his been appointed... but as I keep saying our management already knew this and still appointed him...they must have belief in his abilities
Special K
Guest
Is it me or will Arnold ruin all the hard work that the mariners have done with the community.
Rellum
Roar Guru
So you are confident the fans will have patentience him after he goes agro in a post game media conference?
David V.
Guest
And how will this improve the league? It only reinforces the appalling state of coaching.
Midfielder
Guest
Rellum You make sense and it has been a matter of considerable debate on our forum with two threads running.. The point I guess I am making is the overall manament of the Mariners has to date been on the whole quite sound... even the poor calls made have had a reasonable case i.e. we let Jedo go before we had a decent replacement...but he wanted to go and it was to Europe etc... So our managment have made a very big call... they would know both his past histoy and general loathing by the football community at large.. Even with this knowledge they made a call... unpopular for sure... being mocked by most football people in Australia.. as someone said our biggest comeback if we beat a team is your coach is worst than Arnold Out... So I am prepared to say .. it was your decision ... you have got most things right... they would have known the reaction.... Time is the only thing to tell if an inspired or nutty...But to judge before a ball is kicked is wrong...
Rellum
Roar Guru
Midfielder, what happens when the team is on a bad trot and Arnolds Media management skills come to the fore? That is why I think he is a poor appointment. The club will quickly descend into crisis mode. Football wise I don't expect them to play any different than they have under McKinna.
stevo
Guest
maybe it just means the future looks poor for the one australian coach who has that experience?
Macs.football
Roar Rookie
Arnold should be given a season at least if not two before he is judged.
Midfielder
Guest
The time has come the walrus said to speak of many things Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings" From the poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" In "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll The time has come to support our management in appointing Graham Arnold as our coach for the next three years. If we look to the Mariners management history they have done most things right. In management you are required at times to make tough calls, unpopular calls, this is the un-comprising position of a capitalist system. Management raises and falls on it’s ability to make the right call even not the popular call. If management make a unpopular call and it fails then they in affect sign their registration letter. Our management has made such a call, the media expects all seem to think this was a good call, Guss & Pim have high praise for GA. GA failures are well documented, but their can be no doubt in working under Guss & Pim he has had excellent training. The time has come I think to back our management the Arnold Out thread can start if he fails. Until then I have come to the opinion our management would be aware of GA coaching record and general non acceptance by the football community. They have made a call with full knowledge of his record and they want the team to succeed. So just like in Hal 1 and through to today I have always said on the big calls in Australian football .. in Frank Lowy I trust... to do the research and make the right calls most of the time. Following on this logic I say we need to trust our management. Meaning that we are now for better or worst we are part of Arnie’s Army and lets start to support GA as we would any new appointment... if he fails we can ask many questions but until then lets support him.
AGO74
Guest
I agree he deserves a chance and to be honest I hope he does well. Honestly, if a person who has had significant experience with Hiddink and Verbeek can't shine in the A-League then the future looks very poor for Australian coaches.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
He deserves to be given a chance with the CCM. However, his refusal to front up about the performance of the Olympics was just cowardly. Wouldn't be surprised if he loses his temper when some journo asks him about it at one of his first press conferences.
whiskeymac
Guest
having read a few posts on this appointment already it seems that his appointment has been given 50-50 in the popularity stakes. a few wins, attractive football and well,everyone is eventually judged on their last results as a manager, if he can turn the clubs fortunes on the field around am sure beijing will be consigned as a footnote and only of significance to away supporters and banal chants.
Davstar
Guest
I think we should give him a chance in the A-league is a lot further away in terms of technical and tachtical ability then our national team. Arnold proved he's clearly not good enough at inernational level but at A-league level, overall i think its a good move the FFA needs to keep putting Australian coaches under high profile international coaches for our national team to train coaches. I just wonder who will replace him and pim once the World cup comes to an end...