Veteran midfielder Mark Bresciano admits something isn’t right in the Socceroos game and big improvement is needed for the Asian Cup after their shock loss to Qatar on Wednesday (AEDT).
The Socceroos were undone by a second half goal to Khalfan Ibrahim to slump to their first-ever loss to the Gulf nation.
It comes just four days after a disappointing 0-0 draw with UAE and Bresciano concedes the results things need to change if they are to be successful on home soil in January’s Asian Cup.
“We need a big improvement. We haven’t got long to go (before the Asian Cup), Bresciano told Fox Sports.
“There’s something not right. We have to fix it because it’s (Asian Cup) getting close.
“If we’re going to have any chance of winning it, games like tonight we shouldn’t be losing.”
The Socceroos now have just one more friendly, against Japan in November, to iron out their kinks before starting their Asian Cup campaign against Kuwait on January 9.
Bresciano believes these two latest results show not only the improvement in football in the Middle East, but also how far the Socceroos have to go to reach their best.
“The football in the gulf region has improved dramatically in the last few years,” he said.
“We’re going through this transition with the younger boys coming in and maybe the standard has dropped a bit.
“We know that, we’re working on that and we have to get to the best we can for January.”