Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou is used to it.
He’s used to Australians pondering what could happen with a loss, rather than what would happen with a win.
“It doesn’t bother me. We’re used to it,” Postecoglou said.
Much of the build-up to Thursday night’s World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Adelaide has centred on the ramifications of an Australian defeat.
A loss would likely put the Socceroos on a rocky playoff road to qualify for next year’s showpiece tournament in Russia.
But win, and the Australians remain a chance for a top-two finish in their group and direct World Cup qualification.
“You map out a plan and you kind of hope it all comes together,” Postecoglou said.
“And I think we’re in the position I wanted us to be in. They are all big games from now on.”
The Socceroos have three World Cup qualifying group games remaining between Thursday and early September – the Saudis, Japan and lowly Thailand.
After the Saudi game, there’s a friendly against Brazil and a Confederations Cup campaign later this month.
“It gets a bit frustrating coaching at international level when you don’t have a lot of activity sometimes,” Postecoglou said.
“And friendly games don’t necessarily get the juices flowing.
“So having these big games, I kind of knew this is the part of the year where it all happens.
“It’s not just me, all the staff have worked really, really hard.
“And this is why you work for, to get an opportunity create some great moments for Australian football and that is the opportunity that is there Thursday night.”
Fadida
Guest
I can't imagine that Ange is "in the position I wanted us to be in", where failing to win this game, after a string of disappointing draws, will make qualification difficult? It's one thing to be positive and focus on going forward, it's another to take us all for idiots...
j binnie
Guest
AP lays it all out here and in his dialogue he tries hard to attain the positivity that should come from anyone talking about "their " team. But hidden behind the words are the frustrations that "come with the job" and as his tenure in the job progresses so must the doubts emerge. When he took the national job he said many things that endeared him to football's common men,the fans, He came over as a new broom ,prepared to sweep away all the old ideas that had seen the country, in a rather dubious manner, qualify for 2 World Cups, Hope reigned supreme but the hard cold facts of managing an Australian national team were yet to implant themselves on AP's psyche. Has the loyal Socceroo fan ever stopped to wonder the difficulties inherent with the job??????. The national coach has "his " squad playing in areas as far apart as Texas and Timbuctoo. !!!!!!! "His" players are playing with a multitude of clubs,in a multitude of countries,under a multitude of weather conditions, under a multitude of coaches, under tactics more used to battling relegation worries rather than living and playing with the elite of their country. Can the reader start to imagine the frustrations that face our national coach? How can he,as a mentor, control the reasons as to why a player is dropped to the bench ,or for that matter makes a move to a lesser club, to try and achieve game time, not to mention the minds of these same players and how their "game' is affected by such trauma. The blunt truth is he cannot,----end of story. One cannot help but feel sorry for a man in such a position. No matter what he says ,or does, he is wide open to criticism, and if the Socceroos are to continue to improve, as it appears the Asians are doing,then something has to be done to help the man in charge, no matter who that might be. AP has probably had enough now, he enjoyed reasonable success as a coach at club level with Roar and Victory but if the last 4 years have taught him anything it has to be that managing a national team is at the other end of the coaching spectrum. Let us hope he achieves his goal for this World Cup. Cheers jb.