The Socceroos’ 3-0 win in the heat of Kuwait was the ideal start to their World Cup campaign, but it remains to be seen whether fans will ever warm to Graham Arnold.
There’s nothing quite like kick-starting a new World Cup cycle with some well-placed optimism.
Can the Socceroos win the World Cup? Will Aaron Mooy claim the Golden Ball?
On the basis of Wednesday night’s performance, it’s clear the answer is yes.
All jokes aside, the 3-0 win over Kuwait – who sacked coach Romeo Jozak in the wake of their defeat – was just about the best result Australian fans could have hoped for.
So why aren’t we more enthusiastic about it?
Sure, Mat Leckie’s two goals were slightly fortunate. And yes, Adam Taggart didn’t exactly reprise his stellar club form in green and gold.
But Mooy finally showed glimpses of being the playmaker the Socceroos desperately need him to be.
And Jackson Irvine and the surprisingly effective Jimmy Jeggo bossed the midfield in a way that for once didn’t make the Socceroos look unbalanced.
Meanwhile, the ever-reliable Mat Ryan and his back four kept a clean sheet with relative ease in furnace-like conditions at the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium.
What’s not to like?
Probably the fact Graham Arnold won a championship with Sydney FC, judging by the online barbs from fans of rival A-League clubs on social media.
(Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Let’s be real – the fact that Arnie won an A-League grand final on penalties annoys supporters of two of the competition’s biggest clubs, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers.
No one minded when he won the championship with the Central Coast Mariners, but repeating the feat with the Sky Blues four years later was beyond the pale for most Victory and Wanderers fans.
Whether the unwillingness to put club allegiances aside in support of the national team makes us a mature football nation, or one still ruled by petty grievances, is a matter for debate.
But it’s clear Arnie still rubs plenty of supporters the wrong way.
And his gruff demeanour and blunt manner of speaking probably don’t do him any favours.
Yet I can’t help but wonder if we aren’t all doing Arnie a bit of a disservice?
After all, if all you can do is beat the teams in front of you, it’s hard to see how he put a foot wrong in Kuwait.
One victory doesn’t make a campaign, of course, and there’s still the matter of Australia’s unsuccessful Asian Cup title defence to mull over.
But it would be a shame if the majority of fans let old-fashioned club football prejudices stand in the way of letting them enjoy the exploits of the national team.
That’s not to say much the same thing didn’t happen to Ange Postecoglou.
In his case it wasn’t so much his A-League background, but rather his penchant for plain speaking – and inability to back it up with results – that put him offside with fans.
Maybe we’re all just a particularly picky bunch of football aficionados down under?
But I would prefer to give Arnie the benefit of the doubt going into this new campaign.
And I’m dying to see how uses local favourite Tom Rogic, who should be fit enough for a recall when the Socceroos run out against Nepal in Canberra next month.
Can Mooy and Rogic play effectively in the same team?
I once set Arnold on the warpath with what to me was a throwaway line about a player he had clashed with, so I know how much he cares.
And the coach of our national team should care. I just wonder if the rest of the country does too?
Will Socceroos fans come to appreciate Graham Arnold as coach of the national team? Or does his Sydney FC success mean he’s on a hiding to nothing?
Punter
Roar Rookie
Who???
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
Graham Arnold is not the coach for the socceroos. I would give the job to John Alosie.
Griffo
Guest
Arnie is doing the right thing in principle by bringing in younger players but I think he is not doing it fast enough. Time to ditch Sainsbury his son in law. TS is far to slow and clumsy for fast Asian forwards. As are Arnini and Goodwin. Lack of pace in the midfield to get back after pressing forward and inability to pass forward are real problems for 'Roos. Most east asian sides attack with fast break counter attacks that require backs and mids to get back quickly after pressing high. Wonder if arnies conflict of interest with son in law Sainsbury will prevent him from ditching him.
Kasey
Roar Pro
@FiL The G&G Army is great: I traveled to SA2010 with them and even with our style of play under Pim Verbeek - I had a great time! The thing is, they are predominantly MBV fans and I think many of them still haven't forgiven Arnie for: A. Being a Sydney FC icon, and B. the disastrous 2007 Asian Cup Campaign with the Golden Generation still playing. I thought Arnie was nothing more than a cheapo Club manager option from the FFA and that I would hate Arnie-ball but if he keeps winning with the National Team, then who am I to bitch n moan?
Johan
Guest
Arnie is not too bad and shouldn’t be blamed for the Socceroos results - he can only work with the talent at his disposal. The truth is that the Socceroos don’t currently have any world class players whereas some teams have half a dozen world class players. The results speak for themselves. In the entire history of the World Cup the Socceroos have never even made a single quarter final.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
WSW created 2 groups only on the western terrace and by any standards you’d say they were quite pricey. Won’t be any away supporters there though unless someone brings a friend!
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
Well you can hardly use the match against Kuwait to base your question. Not when the opposition spent the entire first half with their minds elsewhere. No doubt time will tell.
Tyke
Roar Rookie
It’s like Honda said, “you are too comfortable at home”
Tyke
Roar Rookie
Him using imports at Sydney justifies his point about limiting imports. A-league coaches would have a whole team full of imports if they could, then they have the hide to whinge when players get picked for U-23s. They only care about themselves, which is fair and I understand, hence why imports need limiting.
Nick Symonds
Guest
"We lack individual game-changers who can create opportunities by running at the opposition or playing killer passes (like de Bruyne, Riquelme, Iniesta)." - We seem to have a few players coming through like Tyrese Francois, Reno Piscopo, Ramy Najjarine, Remy Cho and of course Arzani, Mabil and Boyle. Then you have Alexander Robertson at Manchester City. He might only be 16 but by the time that Qatar comes around he'll be 18. Pele debuted at 17. There's also a few other creative players around the place. If Graham Arnold selects a few of these players for his squad then maybe they will be able to break through opposition defences. Would that help Socceroos fans to appreciate him a bit more?
Sideline Eye
Guest
Graham (we expect to win every game) Arnold is polarising. I have vivid recollections of him standing on the sideline whilst the Sydney FC ballboy deliberately withheld the ball from an Adelaide player. As far as fans loyalties are concerned NSW supporters booed Wally Lewis when he played for Qld yet cheered him when he represented his country. Qld fans booed Cherry Evans for reneging on the Titans yet when he swapped his Sea eagles jumper for a Qld Origin jersey all was forgiven.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Me too - but pretty ordinary spot. I wonder if it's possible to get a ticket on the western side with the rich folk - there don't seem to be any seats available there???
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Great managerial partnership between Clough and Taylor. Very few managerial partnerships have been as exciting as those two. The Baseball ground used to get in such a state though. Today’s players would refuse to take the field in January with a pitch like that. I have an old motd video with a game between Derby and Man U that shows it in its full unglorified state!
Punter
Roar Rookie
Just like Derby when I started following them. They were a powerhouse in the 70s, Todd, Rioch, Gemill, MacFarland & of course Brian Clough.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Agree. It has nothing to do with his Sydney background, it's his boorishness
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Hey - and don’t forget Rodney Marsh either. He was worth the price of admission but sadly overlooked for England due to perceived character flaws - drinking no doubt. I think the world as a whole generalises about city as unless you watched them many years ago and know some history, they do appear to have come from nowhere and with a truckload of cash and new found wealth that has taken them to a new level. “Get used to it” as the world changes. Blackburn, Newcastle, Preston North End, have been powerhouses in the past, there again so were royal engineers and the like a 100 or so years ago.
chris
Guest
Iraq were very good with some real quality in that side. We weren't at our best that night agreed, but that can happen to any team at any time. Brazil v Germany for example.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Too long ago, killed off a lot of brain cells since those days. It would have been Lineker that was booed - many anti Tottenham fans. It used to be a national pastime at Wembley many years ago. There is a general song that used to be sung by thousands - cannot be repeated here.
chris
Guest
haha for sure! Beers up :)
Punter
Roar Rookie
This says it all!!!! But collectively, we also lack quality in movement, passing and receiving. We have never had the technical skill to do this in the final 3rd, hence why Australia's greatest goalscorer, is one of the best ever with his head.