Matthew Hall
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Graham Arnold: joke or genius? Let's sweat on it.
At the end of July, Socceroo coach Graham Arnold will be declared a joke or genius.
It's a tough business being coach of an international football team. Not only do you have to put up with fussy, ego-driven, superstars who pick and choose their availability for games but you have to weather speculation from the public and media (often uninformed) about the simplest decisions you make.
But that's the part of the package when a nation has an emotional investment in your day job. (We don't, for example, really care that much how the local supermarket checkout chick scans groceries).
So, it's like this: Australia's almost non-existent preparation for the Asian Cup is either genius or a joke. Handing a number of our star players a holiday and giving the kids a run against Uruguay is either inspired or stupid.
So too is the idea of having just one warm-up kick around against Singapore, a city-state whose team is so poor that the local federation scouts the globe for players to "fill the gaps" in their team.
Singapore does have an unreal airport, though.
The truth is that we won't know until the group games against Oman, Iraq, and Thailand are over as to whether this preparatory masterplan was a disaster. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer agreed as much when I spoke with him at home in England last week.
What we do know is that Japan, who are fast becoming our biggest Asian rivals, beat Montenegro (FIFA's most recent and 208th member) 2-0 last Friday and meet Colombia this week. That's the total of their warm up.
Iraq, on the other hand, will play Jordan (possibly twice) in the next week, then Iran and Palestine in the West Asian championships before possible games against Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
The boys from Baghdad then have another game against South Korea in Seoul before arriving in Bangkok. These guys will be a machine by the time they meet Australia on Friday, July 13.
"I've been to Thailand five times already so I'm not going for a holiday," Iraq's coach Jorvan Vieira told me during the week.
"Can you beat Australia?" I asked.
"Of course!" he replied. "Of course!!"
So that's one official banana skin.
The other potential slip up, and this is where jogging around a park in Singapore's humid heat might be more beneficial than actual games, is the weather.
Not so long ago, on a beach in Nha Trang, Vietnam, I was a pudgy sunburnt Aussie wheezing and puffing in an 8-a-side pick up game with locals.
My teammates called me "Viduka" before collapsing in giggles, though this may have had more to do with my extra kilos than goal scoring skills.
I played for Skins while my mate Gareth played for Shirts. After about 15 minutes, the tropical air was a heavy blanket.
This meant that waddling around the makeshift centre-circle (the pitch was defined by rocks and lines drawn in the dust) was down-graded to standing on the centre spot. Running was not an option. It was that tough.
Our team didn't concede a goal all afternoon but we Australian interlopers had to play with brains rather than industry. Admittedly, Tim Cahill is slightly fitter than me (and probably you) but similar strategy will need to apply in July for the Socceroos.
By which time, we hope, we'll have a better idea of whether Graham Arnold is a joke or genius.
BIZARRE HAPPENING OF THE WEEK
Maximiliano Kadijevic, goalkeeper for Argentinean third division side Defensores, who asked the ref to hold up the game so he could go to the toilet. As he explained in a post-match interview, opposition fans had good reason to call him a "shit goalkeeper". (The clip is in Spanish but you can work it out).
COMMENTS
This article is clearly written by some one who does not know much about football. Graham Arnold has done a good job with all of the players for some years now and should be given more credit. Even to suggest that he is a joke is ludacris.
Personally, I think he's genius. But then what would I know? Nothing about football, apparently. Only time will tell. Which is the point of the article. - MH
- by Maria on June 03, 2007 at 07:58 AM
Genius? Well I wouldnt go that far as Genius is a a Huge statement. Arnie is trying but unfortunately for him, he will be replaced as head coach no matter what the results of the Asian Cup.... "What Lowy wants, Lowy gets" and he wants a high profile name as coach for WC 2010.
- by Kosta on June 03, 2007 at 08:44 AM
Arnold obviously has improved a lot as a coach since his Northern Spirit days, but one thing you can't teach coaches is being able to select the right players for the right games and also to take a chance with untried young talent and play them in important games. Arnold will always rely on the old guard just like Farina did before him and only give youngsters a go in friendlies or games of little importance. Keeping possession of the ball and looking pretty in lost games is not enough. By the end of the Asian Cup another opportunity will be lost for the local game and all the blame will go to the usual suspects (lack of preparation, lack of money, bad referees, player mistakes etc).
- by George on June 03, 2007 at 09:02 AM
Genius? Well I wouldnt go that far as Genius is a a Huge statement. Arnie is trying but unfortunately for him, he will be replaced as head coach no matter what the results of the Asian Cup.... "What Lowy wants, Lowy gets" and he wants a high profile name as coach for WC 2010.
- by Kosta on June 03, 2007 at 09:04 AM
Get rid of him. No qualifications, no European coaching experience and despite what the players say, he is not someone they fear, respect or look up to because he hasn't had to EARN the coaching job he now has. The players are challenged by top-class club coaches who fought and scrapped their way to the top and then come back to someone has has the job by default and can't get make the tactical decisions to change the game when needed (i.e. last night when Uruguay changed their tactics in the second half - we couldn't change to counter-act them. We keep losing/drawing these friendly games because of player stuff ups and he insists the players were brilliant. THEY WERE NOT PLAYING BRILLIANTLY - a decent coach would kick them up the arse and publicly say so. How far have we plummeted in the rankings since Arnold took over? Think about it folks, a top class coach wouldn't LET the players keep drawing or losing these games that would push them up the FIFA rankings.
- by Bernie on June 03, 2007 at 09:25 AM
Arnold is a good coach, there is no need to be harsh on him. But the FFA wants a high profile name for that position, and that's not a secret. What's wrong with that ?. Australia has shown at the big stage that is a nation that can provide good football, it is also a nation with the stability and infrastructure to host a world cup at any time. We need to make sure we perform at the best level so one day we can take advantage of all this. By having a top of the line "high profile" coach is the o;ly way we are going to get to that. Does anybody think that we would have make it to the second run of the world cup with Frank Farina as a coach? We need the right man for the right job. Sure Arnold can be a lot of help , but a big name is needed.
- by Rodrigo on June 03, 2007 at 09:53 AM
Joke, most definitely. No ticker. Arnold decided to rest several senior players because they needed a break. Really? How come Uruguay fielded all their superstars? Didn't they come off a tiring season just like Viduka, Breciano etc? The truth is Arnold guarantees certain players a permanent spot in the team regardless, unlike Hiddink or any other good coach who promotes competition among players for selection. So let's stop blaming the FFA for the short Asian Cup preperation. Obviously some our senior players (who are a walking-up start in the National team) are in need of a break (with Arnold's blessing).
Hiddink was not too popular with many players. The reason? He played them off against each other or didn't give them as much game time as THEY thought they deserved. It was tough love. MH
- by Tony on June 03, 2007 at 09:59 AM
Need a world class coach simple as that. Arnold is not bad but it is all about perception. The guy with the "kick up the arse" comment is right. Who wants to return to the excuse riddled days of old? We were unlucky, We tried hard, We lost with valour etc, F### that.
Arnold is still learning and would make a very capable assistant. Still a long way off good enough to run a world class team.
- by Pete on June 03, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Arnold's problem is threefold. He has the enormous momentum from Germany to keep rolling along, he has to blend old and new players and lastly he constantly has to look over his shoulder at opportunists ready and willing to take over his role. This is real pressure and Graham seems to thrive on it. Whether he is doing a good job or not is always decided upon his latest result. A 2-1 loss to Uruguay with so many inexperienced players is evidence enough that he is on the right track. Not genius status yet but he going in the right direction.
- by Fred on June 03, 2007 at 11:02 AM
Wrong kosta, Australia doesnt want a high profile coach, but we NEED a REAL coach who can do the job properly..
Arnold like farina is nowhere near up to international standard. They lack shrewdness and arrogance that top class managers have. Unintelligent and lacking class is obvious. Glad we lost to Uruguay so a change is almost inevitable.
- by Hawkeye on June 03, 2007 at 11:03 AM
I think Arnold is going okay. He is different from Hiddink, sure - but having an Aussie coach managing the team through a major tournament is a big step for Australian football. I have no problem with him resting some key players either - Arnold gets few chances to look at how our fringe players go against international competition and should have learned a lot from the Uruguay game. As the article suggests - it will all come down to the Asian Cup and Arnold will be praised or pilloried accordingly. The thing is, one brain snap like Brad Jones' last night and the Cup could well be over - which will cause Arnie a few sleepless nights I am sure. For mine, I'm happy with this move, and like our chances in the Asian Cup. With some luck and some strong game plans we can make a big mark there. The real arguing will start post A.C - when the quest for a high profile coach before the World Cup will begin in earnest.
- by Rambler on June 03, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Loved Maria's comments - forever carrying the bastion of the old NSL are we? I'm sorry but when I was one of 1,000 supporters at Marconi Stadium when they played Spirit and Arnie was commencing his "apprenticeship" I still cannot fathom how he is the manager of a national team let alone Australia!
Arnie and Kossie can do what they do best and peel the oranges and assist with cultural translation for a foreign manager.
I was surprised to see Arnie is a suit last night! Unfortunately, he does not have the technical nous to be an international manager even though he is a great bloke.
When your only experience is coaching in the NSL you CANNOT be expected to be a master tactician on the international stage.
Arnie - do yourself a favour and take that gig at NAC Breda. If you bugger it you are still an NAC legend and the fans will still love you. If you swim, well there's a Socceroos gig for you in fifteen years.
- by Avvocato on June 03, 2007 at 12:13 PM
Picture this....you work in a large company like the Commonwealth Bank...and an annoucement has been made that a new CEO has been appointed. He/she has had no track record in leading a bank, and shareholders are very scared regarding the future. Competitors are rubbing their hands together.
It's the exact same thing here.
Let's get the record straight. Arnold should not be crucified. However, what has the man ever won as a coach? Nothing. Who has he coached (not as an assistant coach, but head coach)...Northern Spirit? My question is then...how does someone with a virtually blank cv walk into the biggest coaching job in the country?
He has definitely shown potential to one day become a formidable manager. The real genius, Guus, has given Arnold a glowing reference on more than one occation. Current squad members have given credit to his great man managment skills as well. Everyone is aware though that there is more to the job than being a nice bloke.
Once again, Lowy is two steps ahead of all of us. Everyone knows the kind of money world class managers demand. It makes sense to hold off until World Cup qualifiers (crunch time) to hire a heavyweight. If your reading Frank (Lowy)...please get Hiddink back at all costs. If he was around for 2 years ..hanging around his compatriot Rob Bahn, the game will benefit exponentially!
- by CMZ on June 03, 2007 at 12:47 PM
One thing Arnie has to address to help him win the Asian Cup is the fitness of the players, at least the ones he can exert some control over. I am staggered to see how many top class soccer players smoke cigarettes and have a less than excellent diet. A player can increase their energy and endurance levels by 30% if they do these things right and having the fittest players in the competition should be a number one priority of a coach whose position is hanging on the result of this competition.
- by soccer observer on June 03, 2007 at 04:20 PM
It might sound as if I am bagging Arnold, I am not. However people have to be realistic. Even the performances under his term have not been all that good (yes with the players he had available). He can be a very good manager, he just needs more experience and you get this by working your way up the ranks.
Think he would make an excellent assistant to any coach of the Australian team.
- by Pete on June 03, 2007 at 06:32 PM
Holly crap! Settle down! Joke or genius?! No middle ground? "no european coaching experienced" etc etc, that's the kind of statment and attitude that will take Australian football back to the bad ol' days, not Arnold. Fans obsessed with turning our football into european football at any cost makes my blood boil. Arnold's got no ticker ey, what a load of crap! You have a guy managing the team who has a genuine interest and love for Australian football to start with. It sounds like some of you guys honestly believe you give more of a shit than he does. It doesnt matter how large the pay packet is, you cant buy that from overseas. I can see the merit in the lack of experience argument but some of the comments on here are just bullshit. Arnold and the ffa, over the last 12 months, have build stronger relationships with our players clubs all over the world than have ever been before. Understanding the Australian 'way' would be a must from any future manager regardless of nationality.
Yeah. What he said! - MH
- by Glen on June 03, 2007 at 07:34 PM
Roy Keane showed this year that it isnt always experienced, well established managers who make the best ones. Sometimes its an attitude and understanding of the players that gets results. If the players respect and trust Arnold why shouldnt we? After all, they are the ones working under these "better managers" around the world. Depth is a must in any national squad and no true australian football fan should have a problem with more established players being rested for the game on saturday night. A national squad needs up to 30 capable players that on any given night can step up to the mark and do the job and I applaued Arnold in trying to establish that depth.
- by McClymont on June 03, 2007 at 08:01 PM
Arnie's a decent bloke but he's not respected by the senior players and that's what is necessary. Hiddink was not only respected by them but both liked and feared. They weren't ever sure. Arnie can't command that respect. If Arnie tells Lucas Neill, who'd been a hack right back his whole career with long ball English teams, that he can be Beckenbauer, do you think Lucas would believe him? Would anyone? But Hiddink Henry Higgins does it because of who he is, where he's been, what he's done. The bottom line is Arnie will keep the seat warm and once Guus tires of that Russian weather - not to mention those miserable people - we'll have our Aussie Gus back and South African, here we come ... of course he'll really have to work miracles considering he won't have the same talent to work with.
Hiddink is history. He won't return. Houllier was in the bag 12 months back - John O'Neill met with him - but Lyon wouldn't let him go. Now he has "parted ways" with Lyon, expect Lowy to ramp up that option again. - MH
- by Diego on June 04, 2007 at 01:53 AM
I fear he'll be considered a joke. I'm embarrassed that our national team players have more control over the schedule than the manager does. There's no reason we couldn't have played Uruguay a little later. (Parrot - or is there?) That way, everyone got their break, the players get at least *one* proper game in (with all due respect to Singapore) before the Asian Cup and hopefully we all live happily ever after.
As it stands, I have my money on Iraq!
- by lucy on June 05, 2007 at 04:39 AM
I think you're wrong, parrot. Once I was at the checkout and everything was going just fine, the chick appeared to have everything under control, the scanner was chugging along nicely. When it came time to pay i handed over my credit card and the chick dropped it down a crack between the cash register and conveyor belt. Maintenence men spent hours extricating said card, chaos ensued. The moral is clear: Choose the right person for the job because one little slip can be disastrous - say in the final qualifier for the next World Cup... PS: Good to see you dropped the Sick as a Parrot name, it blew chunks.
The alternative could be not to use the local checkout system at all. Try this as a solution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZYY85IyDNM (if the link doesn't work, cut n paste). I'm sure this option is already popular in Holland, France, or Brazil. Parrot 'til Death. - MH
- by tonyharper on June 05, 2007 at 04:19 PM
Arnold is the biggest joke selects some young players for game against Uruguay and loses what a surprise.
- by JOHNNY on June 08, 2007 at 07:33 PM
SACK HIM NOW!!!
Arnold does not deserve another game after that unispring performance. The players are quality, he is not.
- by Anton P on July 14, 2007 at 11:31 AM
SACK HIM NOW!!!
Arnold does not deserve another game after that unispiring performance.
The players are quality, he is not.
- by Anton P on July 14, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Wrong kosta, Australia doesnt want a high profile coach, but we NEED a REAL coach who can do the job properly..
Arnold like farina is nowhere near up to international standard. They lack shrewdness and arrogance that top class managers have. Unintelligent and lacking class is obvious. Glad we lost to Uruguay so a change is almost inevitable.
by Hawkeye on June 03, 2007 at 11:03 AM
I TOLD YOU SO 2 WEEKS AGO.
SUCK IT HARD FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA cause you DONT KNOW what to do. Ya wackers!!!!!!!!
- by hawkeye on July 15, 2007 at 07:44 PM
Graham Arnold a genius? Now i've heard it all.... Enough said.
- by Brendan on July 21, 2007 at 11:34 AM
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Joke, for sure. Not Arnold for id say he doesnt really have control of how many friendly games to play before tournaments? FFA is the big joke, but probably,away to make sure Arnold doesnt succeed and thus the appointment of a high progile coach is justified... Its only the Asian Cup, and if Arnold wins it, can they really justify a high profile coach? Maybe Yes? but it would be a bitter pill to swallow for Arnold.... "Asian Cup Winning Coach Sacked"?????