Graham Arnold spoke to the media at his pre-match press conference ahead of the Subway Socceroos' clash with Argentina at a sold-out Workers' Stadium in Beijing, China.
The match will kick-off at 10:00 PM AEST on Thursday, 15 June as the boss answered a variety of questions in relation to the eagerly anticipated contest against the reigning World Champions.
Read below for the best bits from Arnie's press conference.
Match Preview: Argentina vs Australia
How To Watch: Argentina v Australia
On Rale Rasic's recent passing
Obviously it's terrible news and tragic for Australian football but we've already respected Rale here as a group. Especially the younger players who probably didn't really know who Rale Rasic was and what were Rale actually did for Australian football in the 70s to know exactly where the culture of the Socceroos began him and where it started. And I look back at my times, even in the 80s with older players when I was a younger player that came through and played under Rale.
Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of playing under Rale Rasic but everyone obviously spoke so highly about his passion for Australian football, what he did for Australian football and as I said to the boys, and a great video that we showed of Rale was about you know how we built the culture the Socceroos, but also the way he to today and just before he passed away, how highly he spoke about the Socceroos as a team and as a culture and what it meant to him.
And the boys were very touched by it and he's given so many people a great life and it's helped so many players and even younger coaches and coaches that great lives as well that you know our respect for him is huge and tomorrow night we will do our best to respect him in the way that we always do with the Socceroos and that is putting in 100% and going out there and putting in a performance that he'd be very proud of.
Settling into China and the mood ahead of the game
It's just been amazing since we've been here to be honest. The game is sold out, it sold out in one minute. They're expecting over, you know, information I got yesterday over 100 million viewers on TV, just here in China alone. But, you know, for us it's a fantastic opportunity to play the world champions straight after a World Cup which has probably never happened before for the Socceroos. But you know, the boys are in camp the young boys have come in with a lot of energy and the respect that we're getting here from the Chinese football fans has been quite incredible with you know, hundreds and hundreds of people outside the hotel every time we tried to go out to outside the hotel to go to training so we're pretty pretty much you know, stuck in the hotel until we go go to training and everything because the hype is so big because it's the first international event that has been put on since COVID finished here. So you know, it's a terrific occasion for the boys and Argentina obviously.
Getting to know the new players and eyes on the next major tournaments
They've got a very strong squad but I'm so excited for this because it's our way of building and rebuilding what's in front of us and as I've said before, I've got one eye on the Asian Cup, but I've got two eyes on the next World Cup and making sure that we've got players that fit into the culture, and I'm learning everyday about the new players that I brought in, and the staff are learning about them as well. And it's, it's been a fantastic week so far.
Expectations and tactics for the clash
My expectations are go out there and win the game. You know, that you've got to have those expectations and deliver that belief to the players for those type of things to happen. But you know, we will tinker with the system a little bit. Obviously, you can see by the squad selection, that we've had some issues with wingers not having a lot of wingers in camp but also selected. So we'll change things up a little bit and go out there and do what we did, and what we've been respected for in the past and that is the Aussie DNA and we'll get out there and give it everything we've got.
Jordan Bos, Aiden O'Neill and Keanu Baccus will start
Everything has gone perfect so far in camp. You know, one I probably a couple could give you that won't be a secret Jordy Bos will start on that left side. And I'm looking to play obviously, all the players to their strengths and what they do at their clubs every week, Aiden O'Neill will start as well in midfield next to Keanu Baccus. So yeah, look still got a training session this afternoon to get through a familiarity session at the new stadium. So we'll get that out of the way first, but as I said, everyone's coming to camp. They're all extremely fresh. They're all buzzing to be part of this game and go out there and do a great job.
Curtailing not just Lionel Messi but also wanting to see improvement from the previous meeting
Obviously, a fantastic player. But what we did at the World Cup, I felt that we did very, very well until about the 43rd minute on him. And we'll do the same again, that, you know, it's not just about him, they've got some incredible players outside of himself. So you can't just focus on that one player, but obviously, be extremely aware of him when he is in possession. But as I said, we'll have a plan in and around him. But you know, if (Angel) Di Maria starts (Alexis) Mac Allister starts as well and the other players, fantastic players, they've got it. But the focus, has been normal it's been more on us, and making sure that, you know, we are brave to play and we go out there and making sure with a positive mindset that the energy will be there, but the focus needs to be on our own performance. And, and if there's one thing that we could do better than what we didn't do in the last was in possession, keeping possession better and, and making sure that we're making them do some running and some chasing, and that will be in their faces for 90 minutes defensively.
What will be considered a success
(A good) Performance. You come in to these type of occasions and seeing how the players handle these occasions, but what they go out with after this type of game is they feel and they believe they they belong on the stage with them. And so the performance is most important thing for me. As I said, there'll be a bit of a tinker and that in the system due to personnel we're playing people to their strengths and you know, players make systems I think systems don't make the players and making sure that the players understand their roles we've had three or four great training sessions as I said the energy from the boys is through the roof and take that energy on to the field anything can happen.
How Alessandro Circati has settled in and if he'll start
Alessandro (Circati) won't start tomorrow. We've got Kye Rowles and Harry Souttar. I'm looking to start the game tomorrow with some experienced players, especially in the first 45 minutes, but also then to test out some of those younger ones in the second half. So Alessandro has come in, he's fit into the culture and, and everything perfectly. Fantastic kid, intelligent kid. You can tell that he, you know, he's got some older players around him at Parma, in (Gianluigi) Buffon and that that, the way he talks about tactics even at his age, and the questions that he's asking me, so he's been fantastic in camp, he won't start, but obviously, there's a chance he will come up.
WATCH: Olyroos march into semi-finals after 2-0 win over Mexico
READ MORE: Subway Joeys squad named for 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup
Socceroos are only as good as the junior national teams
When I took over in 2018, we didn't have any young kids coming through. And it was probably the thing that was the biggest question I asked to the board at the time and even to Steven Lowy is where's all the kids. And that's why I did the Olympic team, is because I truly believe that the Socceroos are only going to be as good as the junior national teams. And if we don't get the ingredients, right, the pathways right and it's good to see that FA and everything's good looking towards the junior national teams after this game here in China, I'm off to Thailand with the Under 17s for their World Cup qualifiers.
And it's important that the Joeys qualify, and all junior national teams qualify because when they get on that big stage, you can see with what's happened with the Olympic boys. When I took them to the Olympics, they get on the stage, they believe they belong. And then they've got European clubs and clubs all around the world watching them and that's how you open up the pathways. But it's also how we created the golden generation years ago that nothing has changed. You qualify for World Cups you get seen on the big stage and then as individuals you go off and you fulfil your dreams by playing overseas.
As I said there's more to come mate. There's plenty of kids coming through but we just need more games in Australia and I know I keep banging on about this, but I hope it's does start to get through that 25 games is nowhere near enough and players are going from you know sitting on the beach for four months now going overseas, and they're going to go overseas and play for 10 and a half months of the year and all that stuff is the ingredients to make the Socceroos better.
International Friendly
Date: Thursday, 15 June 2023
Venue: Workers' Stadium, Beijing
Time: 10.00pm AEST
Broadcast: Channel 10, (SA, WA and NT 10 Bold).
Stream: Live via both 10 Play and Paramount+.