Graham Arnold spoke to the media after it was announced the Subway Socceroos will be playing two home international friendly matches against South American side Ecuador in Sydney and Melbourne later this month.
It will be the first time the Australian public will get to see their heroes on home soil since the Green and Gold's incredible Round of 16 finish at the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar™.
Read on for the full transcript of his main points.
Arnie on facing Ecuador...
I think it's just fantastic to get back on the field again, and to get these games against a nation that was just at the World Cup as well, in Ecuador that are ranked 41 in the world. To bring that quality and calibre of opposition out to Australia after the World Cup is fantastic. So straightaway I think it's going to be a great test for us and obviously, it's a great opportunity for the public, to get out there and thank the players, but also everyone involved with what we achieved at the World Cup. That's on the outside, but on the inside, it's going to be more around, 'this is the new start'. This is a new campaign. I'm giving you boys the first opportunity to impress and show us what you have moving forward, and making sure that we get the messaging right straightaway with those players and staff members.
Arnie on his squad selection for the two games...
I'd like to give them the first chance after what they achieved at the World Cup. We've got a long list of players that we're already monitoring and scouting for obviously the next campaign. But for these two games, I'm looking to bring back the boys that went to the World Cup. There will be some players that aren't here, in terms of (Ajdin) Hrustic and even Mathew Leckie that has a hamstring injury at the moment. So he's in doubt, plus Martin Boyle of course (knee).
So you know, if we're short of those type of players and I'll be looking to bring in some other players to fill those spots as we have a quick turnaround in the two games with the game on Friday night here in Sydney and the one on Tuesday down in Melbourne. So on that side of it, it'll be rewarding the World Cup players but at the same time, giving the fans a great opportunity to say thank you. And look, I have to say Football Australia has done a fantastic thing. They clearly understand the interest rates and inflation that's going on out in the general world and they've cut the prices of tickets to enable people to afford to come to the games to thank the boys.
Arnie on calling the fans to attend and thank the players for their efforts...
These two games are an opportunity for the boys to actually feel the worth of what they did for the nation. Even myself, yes, I've been back in Australia for six or seven weeks, but people still patting you on the back and telling you the experiences they had during the World Cup. And you've got to remember nearly all of our boys, straight after the Argentina game, as you said, they flew back to Europe, flew back to their clubs, went straight back to work and didn't really get an opportunity to celebrate that success.
I know a lot of the boys were a little bit disappointed with the way we got knocked out against Argentina. So the opportunity for the boys to come back here and feel from the public. And that's what I'm appealing to, is the public to get out numbers. As I said Football Australia has done a great thing in cutting the prices at this moment in time where it's difficult for a lot of families, but get out there and show the players, the fun they had, the fans at the fan sites and help the boys enjoy these games as well.
Arnie on the new cycle and team objectives...
As I said externally, the message is for the fans to come and celebrate what the boys did. But from day one, when the boys come into camp, they will be told they're getting the first chance to get on that clean sheet of paper for selection moving forward. They'll be explained to them how the World Cup campaign is for this next cycle, how it works with 48 teams, and also our main goals. Our three main goals over the next three and a half years. And it's about achieving something more special. And I know I said right at the start of my campaign in 2018, and I got laughed at, that we will be the greatest Socceroos team in history. Well that's going to be the main goal again. It's about achieving more than what we did in Qatar, as a group of players and starting from again, this camp in a few weeks against Ecuador for the senior players and some of the younger players coming through.
But also I will be watching very, very closely the Olympic team with Tony Vidmar, and sometimes being on board with him and being over with him to drive the same message as I drove with the Olympic team before Tokyo, that you're only one step away from being where Harry Souttar is today. And this is your journey, this is your start and improving that Socceroos group of players for the next campaign, so my full focus is obviously on making the World Cup, but also going to the Asian Cup and going there to win that as well.
Arnie on Garang Kuol and Nestory Irankunda...
I think it's good for him (Garang Kuol) to come back in camp and be around the boys and, we pick up his energy a little bit. He's had a bit of a tough start at Hearts. The Scottish game, and the way that it's played is completely different to here in Australia, so it's going to take a little bit of time for him to settle in with that. Obviously I know the expectations of the kid are always very, very high and going to Hearts, I can imagine that was exactly the same. So it's a learning process for Garang and making sure that he can deal with it and we can be here to help him deal with it. Obviously I could have two choices, I could either let him go with the U23s, or bring him here with us, because the U23s will have a camp at the same time in Italy. So I think for him to come back to us and again, to be part of the Socceroos squad that did well at the World Cup and give him one of the first chances is important for him as well.
(Nestory) Irankunda is doing fantastic. You know, he's obviously got that quality. Everyone's talking about him at the moment, but the kid just needs to keep performing and doing well. And thankfully, as well, he's eligible for all those junior national teams that have a very busy program this year.
Arnie on Harry Souttar's move and start to life at Leicester City...
It nearly brings a tear to your eye I'll be honest, when you see him walk out third in line all the time. Captain, goalkeeper and there's Harry Souttar walking out for Leicester City onto the stadium. Forget the player side of it. He's just a wonderful person and obviously he does great for us and it's great to see him at Leicester and I think his start has been fantastic. They've had a couple of good results, beating Tottenham, that people probably didn't expect them to win. They had two tough ones against Manchester United and Arsenal and obviously they didn't win those ones, but he would have taken a lot from that. I think Brendan Rodgers is very happy with Harry at this moment in time. And you know, I saw a thing Harry did with Mark Schwarzer and Optus and the training facility at Leicester and the smile on his face all the time. He's in a great space at the moment and be looking forward to seeing him again.
On Danny Vukovic's international retirement and the futures of the older players...
I think at this moment there is probably one retirement for sure - Danny Vukovic. I spoke to him the other night and Danny rang me to say that he's retiring from international football. I told him that he can come and do these games but he said, 'look Arnie I've had my career with the Socceroos' and he's retired. He wants to leave now, he wants to give the opportunity this March window to bring in a younger keeper so we can get started straight away in the goalkeeping department. So Danny at the moment is the only one that's retired. The rest I've spoken to have about one step at a time. You know, most of the older boys, pretty much all of them are 31 years of age. You saw what Lionel Messi did at the World Cup at 35. You saw Olivier Giroud did at the World Cup, he was 36.
With the right blend of players in and around those older players, then they can do it. And it's important that you have some of those older players around because of their leadership. So I've just had conversations with all of them about one step at a time. And that one step is this year, then the Asian Cup and our World Cup qualifiers start in November so it's about making sure we get a good start there straightaway and the Asian Cup and then we can have another conversation after the Asian Cup or if before the Asian Cup they're not in form, or they're injured or and things aren't going well for that individual then, like I've always done, I'll have an individual conversation with that person and let them make the decision rather than me make the decision for them.
Arnie on Joe Gauci's chance of a call-up...
We still have got to select the squad, but he's done extremely well this year with Adelaide and even last season, and he's a youngster. We do have a big hole in the goalkeeping department, you've got older goalkeepers over the age of 30. There's nothing much in the late 20s, except for Paul Izzo, then it's the young ones, the Glover's and the Gauci's. So John Crawley's onto that, and we're looking at those goalkeepers and we'll give them a chance throughout this year.
Arnie on young Australian players needing more game time...
Still something that needs to happen in Australia with these kids still not playing enough minutes. We can talk about them by name, and by label. But kids aren't playing anywhere near enough football. And I did the performance gap data document a couple of years ago, and then it picked up a bit, but now it's gone back down again. And at this moment in time, not enough kids are getting enough game time in the A-League, I've said this before.
Only 26 rounds in the league is nowhere near enough. And you can just see the difference with you know, Keanu Baccus, Cam Devlin and these guys that were playing in the A-League only a year-and-a-half, two years ago. They've gone and played 26 rounds a year going to Scotland, playing over 40 games, and look where they're at today- physically and technically. So yeah these young kids, some of them have played a few good games, but then they need to be consistent and then they play many more games.
Arnie on uncovering players with dual passports...
Last time we got three with Souttar, Boyle and Cummings and no doubt there is quite a number of players probably out there with dual passports in Europe and you know, something that the organisation is talking about working with. Obviously first and foremost, you want the Australian kids coming through the Australian system. But again you've got kids that have got the dual passport, you know, but young Robertson, young Alex Robertson's got four passports he can choose who to play for... I've got some people that are working for me that are looking overseas in and around Europe and in the UK to see if there's any more out there with double passports and again no doubt there will be and we'll be checking on that.
Because you know if sometimes if the system's not working, the pathways of bringing the kids through and at the moment, I do believe that that's not working at 100% that you know these kids, they need to play and if they've been born in Australia, especially, and came up through the Australian system and the Australian way, and then their parents moved back overseas, or they can get an Australian passport through an Australian grandmother, whatever that is, then, of course, we'd be stupid to not look at it.
Arnie on the form of some of the Aussies abroad...
Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe for St. Pauli had a good winter break so they're fresh, they're ready to go. Even in Holland, Maty Ryan, and in the Scandinavian competitions, they all had a winter break, but some had to go straight back. But the younger boys, I think the World Cup gave them even more belief that they belong. You know, I think that's what Tokyo did in 2021 when we beat Argentina, that you know if there was one thing after that tournament, yes, we beat Argentina, lost to Spain 81st minute and lost to Egypt disappointingly.
But if there was one thing the players took away is that they belonged on that pitch. And I think that's what these younger boys have gone back feeling that they've got it what got what it takes. But now it's all about hard work and a lot of sacrifices and being away from family and home back here in Australia, but as I said, fulfilling their dreams. And how great was it if I can just say before everyone goes, how great was it to see Ange (Postecoglou) lift that trophy and obviously with Aaron (Mooy) there as well, it was so good to see.
READ MORE: How to buy tickets for Australia v Ecuador
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS’ WELCOME HOME SERIES – MATCH SCHEDULE
Match Day One
Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Time: 8.00pm AEDT
Tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au
Broadcast: Live on 10 in Sydney and Melbourne, 10 Bold in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth, and on 10 Play and Paramount+.
Match Day Two
Date: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Time: 7:30pm AEDT
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/
Broadcast: Live on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+