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"It caught me by surprise": Ryan doesn't believe Postecoglou will leave

Robbie Slater says we don't need a new coach now, we needed one a month ago! (AAP Image/Matt Roberts)
12th October, 2017
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Socceroos goalkeeper Mathew Ryan says he finds it hard to imagine Ange Postecoglou will want to walk away as coach if the team qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Postecoglou refused to deny reports on Wednesday that he would resign after next month’s World Cup qualifying playoffs against Honduras, regardless of the result from the two-legged encounter.

Ryan said Postecoglou gave no hint to his players he was about to quit after beating Syria 2-1 on Tuesday night in Sydney to move through to the clash with the fourth-placed CONCACAF side.

“He told the team how proud he was of us. He joked that we were killing him by doing things the hard way,” Ryan wrote on the PlayersVoice website.

“He seemed a little more relieved than usual, but I think that was because the game was such a nailbiter.

“When the report dropped … it caught me by surprise.”

There is no clear indication of what is driving Postecoglou to resign now, having sold his recent controversial change of formation on the basis that it would make Australia a better team in Russia.

Some reports suggest Postecoglou has tired of media criticism of his style and approach, while others say his decision is due to conflict with FFA executives, including CEO David Gallop.

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Ryan said he had full faith in Postecoglou despite what he said were unfair attacks.

“I’m still thinking he’s going to be there. If Ange or David Gallop tell the players something different, then I’ll know but, otherwise, I don’t think we can start thinking about ‘what’s next?’,” he said.

“I find it hard to imagine that if we get through to next year’s World Cup, someone in his position would want to leave the team knowing we’ve qualified.

“I’ve always loved Ange’s approach, the way he doesn’t see Australia as an underdog and how he asks the question, ‘Why can’t Australia do great things in the football world?’.

“I agree with him. That’s how you’ve got to be.”

Aware Postecoglou was moving on after the World Cup anyway, FFA had already been searching for potential successors, with links to Italian Gianni De Biasi and Iran coach Carlos Quieroz.

The local frontrunner is Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold, who says his focus is on his job – not Postecoglou’s.

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“I haven’t read anything or seen anything where Ange has come out and said that (he’s leaving),” Arnold said after Wednesday night’s 5-1 FFA Cup semi-final win over South Melbourne.

“So at the moment, I think it’s not innuendo, but it’s not real.

“I’m a true supporter of Ange. I think he’s done a fantastic job. They will qualify – I truly believe they will qualify.

“As a country and as journalists and as football supporters, we need to get behind them and support them the whole way because we need them to qualify for the good of the game.”

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