Talking Points: Graham Arnold's FIFA World Cup squad announcement press conference
Graham Arnold spoke to the media via video link in Qatar after naming his 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Here are the main takeaways from the Socceroos boss' press conference.
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Arnold on leaving Trent Sainsbury out...
Yeah, obviously, it was a very difficult decision. Spoke to Trent (Sainsbury) obviously, about where he's at at this moment in time. You know, he hasn't played for a number of weeks, obviously isn't playing here in Qatar. But overall, I've gone for, you know, players like Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles who have done exceptionally well and continue to do exceptionally well.
Trent was very understanding of the situation. But it's a decision that, again, is hard to make. We went for four and a half centre backs. Half when I say that and Thomas Deng, that can play right back as well as centre-back. And we need to be adaptable. So again, tough decisions to make but decisions that I believe are decisions that are going to make the team and the nation proud.
Arnold on Tom Rogic's omission...
I spoke to Tommy, had Tony Vidmar go all the way from Australia to West Brom to watch Tommy. Rene Meulensteen was over in the UK to watch Tommy, at the end of the day, I only can pick two players every position and pretty much in a 26 man squad, I would love to be able to pick you know, 50 players and we've obviously gone for Ajdin Hrustic and Riley McGree in that area. And again, we need some flexibility and we need players that are extremely fit and ready. And I just felt that at this moment in time, that was a decision to make on the playing side of it. You know, Tommy has been absolutely brilliant for Australian football and he will continue to be so. But again, I have to make those decisions.
Arnold on the inclusions of Jason Cummings, Cameron Devlin and Keanu Baccus...
They're players who bring energy into the camp, you've got to remember this World Cup is a completely different World Cup to the past. Normally you got three and a half weeks lead in, we've got seven days lead in. The players chosen, are able to back up every three or four days is a question, adaptability, and that type of energy that those three players you just mentioned.
And, you know, they're three players that as I said, bring a heap of energy and enjoyment into the camp in that family culture of the Socceroos. That is important and Cam (Cameron Devlin), especially and Keanu (Baccus) are doing very good things in Scotland. They're playing a lot of football, they're doing very well. And in that area of the field, again in midfield, difficult choices to make but that type of player and energy is going to be crucial.
Arnold on Mitch Langerak being left out...
We all work together. That's why we're here in Doha is to get in and get in early and face to face. And we make that decision together. I'm not an expert in goalkeeping. And, you know, we've got a great guy and goalkeeper coach in John Crawley, who has a process and studies these goalkeepers and understands these goalkeepers enormously. I've got to trust that process with John Crawley. And, you know, we make those decisions.
So I trusted John Crawley when we played Peru and with that substitution that change, and I've got to trust again, those type of decisions, but Mitch is a fantastic guy, fantastic goalkeeper, it was all around bringing him back, what happens if something happened to one of the other goalkeepers. Because at the end of the day, there is a lack of depth of goalkeepers you look at the age of those three goalkeepers you just talked about, and Andrew Redmayne, Danny Vukovic, and Mitch Langerak. You know, we need more young goalkeepers coming through. But look again, tough decisions, we can sit here all day and talk about the negative ones and the ones that are left out. But I'd rather talk about the positive things and the ones that we brought in and how unique this World Cup will be.
Arnold on players under injury clouds...
Yeah, look, it's it's happening all around the world. You know, we've players from other nations with injuries is another two games the players have to play before we actually get them into camp next Monday. So you know, these next five days is going to be quite stressful sitting here and watching those players.
Kye Rowles came off the bench and is expected to play one or two games this week, Harry Souttar has played a number of games for Stoke City under 21s. And we do expect him to play and start this week in one of those games. And I truly believe in these boys, and at the end of the day, you know, they'll come into camp. And I do believe that we will be really fresh and ready for this. And as I said, they are risks. But this is what it's all about. You know, I've taken risk before and I'm prepared to do that again.
Arnold on Garang Kuol's selection and his qualities...
Well, shouldn't this be the most exciting moment, you know, like an 18-year-old kid that's just come out of nowhere and is on a new journey in life. We've seen these type of things happen many times before at World Cups and massive games where players who are unknown, come out and shock the whole of the country and Garang has shown at the Mariners how he can change a game. Obviously I watched him with the Under 20 national team when they were away, playing the Asian Cup qualifiers and and I watched what he can do individually, I bought him into camp against New Zealand.
He fit into the Socceroo family so well. And really a player that has absolutely zero fear, he just goes out and he wants to entertain. And he did that against New Zealand. And he's shown right from the start of the A-League this season that he's a player that can change a game. So when we talk about an impact player, a player that can do something different for us, someone that can have a one v one individual action and change a moment of a game, I think Garang Kuol is that one.
Arnold on Craig Goodwin and Awer Mabil...
When you look at Craig Goodwin, I can tell you the only left footed winger in the whole country, and he gives us something completely different as a winger. His set-piece delivery is first class, the the way he's been with us in camp. When you look back at the Peru game, his first touch of the ball was that penalty. And Craig has always been a positive influence in the group. And as I said, he gives us something different like the David Beckham style crosser of the ball, how we can set up those set pieces. So it was great to see him come back and he hit the ground running with Adelaide.
And Awer Mabil, yes he hasn't been playing that much football. But again, it's the selection process for two players for every position and the trust and the faith that I have in Awer. Awer I believe is the most capped player that I've used right through the whole campaign. And given him the most chances in this campaign, and he's never let me down.
Arnold on communicating with the players and Devlin's reaction...
It hasn't just been the last few days, it's been as I said, the last three months or four months ever since the Peru game. It's been tiring, it's been hard and communicating with players, all the sports science people at all the clubs around the world where the players are. And obviously, I've got so much gratitude to my physio, Kurt Lyle. He's been travelling Europe as we speak, talking to the clubs and looking at the players.
And the great news is and the great stories is when you bring up a kid like Cam Devlin, who's doing exceptionally well at Hearts and asked him what he's doing over the next few weeks. And the kid says, I don't know. I don't know where I need to be at that moment. And I said, well you know you're going to come to Qatar, come over here. And he breaks down in tears and and letting these kids fulfil their dreams is incredible. Those stories and those moments are great. But the hard stories and the tough stories outweigh a little bit them at the moment. But once we see those boys we'll be right.
Arnold on Jason Cummings' attributes...
When I brought him into camp for these New Zealand games, he gives us something different. His energy's fantastic. You can see at the Mariners, when he when he goes out the field you can see the joy that he brings to the rest of the team. And he's very brave, and he's prepared to do what needs to be done. Works extremely hard and he's a player that can play as a nine, but also in between the lines and create things.
So you have got to give full credit to Jason and you know, when you look at this squad, and as I said 17 players, for the first time going to the World Cup, and three of those players in that are Martin Boyle, Harry Souter and Jason Cummings that are more Scottish than they are Australian, but their pride and how much they love to play for Australia; and Jason made that move, coming from Scotland out to Australia to show me and show Australia what he's made of to go to a World Cup. I think he's got a very big smile on his face today.
Arnold on Cristian Volpato declining a call-up...
I spoke to Cristian yesterday, three times. Before that I'd spoken to him on numerous occasions. I pretty much told him yesterday that he was in the 26-man squad, he wanted to go away and think about it. Wanted to speak to the people around him that helped guide his career, and he came back last night and declined the offer to come and play for Australia at the World Cup.
And you know that's his decision at the end of the day. But I'd rather look at the young boys that we've got in that have come into this camp and and look forward to the future. And Cristian feels at this time of his career, that it's such a massive decision. And at this moment in time, he doesn't want to make that massive decision, which is all his right.
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Arnold on picking players that are adaptable and suited to different game plans...
It's obvious that I I've been watching France, I've been watching Tunisia and I've been watching Denmark. And as I said, it's 32 of the best nations in the world and we're going to make sure that we're ready, especially in the midfield area, making sure that we're adaptable. And we can play in any way if it's a 4-4-2 system defensively, or if it's a 4-5-1, or even a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2, it's something completely different that we will adjust and make sure we get our game plan right and have the players that can do that.
Arnold on Adam Taggart's omission...
Look he was one of the last phone calls I had to make it was a decision again, that we decided to go for three number nines. Adam has obviously done a lot for the Socceroos in the past. And again, it was just one of those decisions that I've made. And I truly believe in those the three nines that we've got in (Mitch) Duke, (Jamie) Maclaren and (Jason) Cummings and again it's one of those 50/50 calls that decisions are made.
Arnold on Ajdin Hrustic and Martin Boyle's fitness concerns...
These two players are players that I've had right through the whole campaign, have made a lot of sacrifices during the whole campaign, but also they bring that X factor on the field. And I'm speaking to them. Ajdin is fit he's ready to go. I expect in this week coming, he'll get some game time at (Hellas) Verona.
Martin Boyle is one of those that we don't have too many of. And again, it's a risk but the risk will work. I do truly believe that in Martin that he played a lot of football before he got this smallish injury and that time off, that he's had now over the last 10 days, will freshen him up and he will come in. I know how his brain works. I know how he is as a person and a player and once he puts those boots on and comes in, he'll be ready to go.
Arnold on the importance of Mat Ryan's leadership...
Maty's (Mat Ryan) got all the trust in the world. You know, I've known him for a long time, but also he's never let Australia down. And he's the captain and he hasn't played for the last few weeks but at the end of the day, as I said, it's our trust and belief that we have in Maty. Maty will come into camp excited and ready and we need his leadership and his experience because he's one of those, eight or nine players that you have that experience of being at two and three World Cups. So that's very, very important and no doubt Redders (Andrew Redmayne) and Danny Vukovic will give him great support, but also put a lot of pressure on him to make sure that he's in that great form.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ - Australia's Group D Matches
France v Australia
Date: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Venue: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Kick-off: 6:00am (AEDT)
Watch: Live and Free on SBS and SBS On Demand
Tunisia v Australia
Date: Saturday, 26 November 2022
Venue: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Kick-off: 9:00pm (AEDT)
Watch: Live and Free on SBS and SBS On Demand
Australia v Denmark
Date: Thursday, 1 December 2022
Venue: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Kick-off: 2:00am (AEDT)
Watch: Live and Free on SBS and SBS On Demand
