‘why Do We Have To Wait?’: Tony Popovic Puts No Limits On What Socceroos Can Achieve | Joey Lynch

When Tony Popovic was yet capable to combine his first Socceroos squad, nan caller coach laid retired a bid of expectations. Most were clear and to nan constituent – perfect fixed nan upheaval surrounding his abrupt arrival, pursuing Graham Arnold’s resignation, and pinch little than 3 weeks to hole for important 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that immoderate subordinate who aspired to propulsion connected a Socceroos garment would request to adopt an “elite” mentality to earn, aliases proceed to earn, that honour. But location was different message. Less a request and much an evocation – and 1 that has been brought sharper into attraction pinch each measurement taken connected nan roadworthy towards nan World Cup successful North America.

“My expectations were to do thing special, successful my first talk to nan players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

Just complete a twelvemonth connected from that squad talk successful an Adelaide hotel, plentifulness of different things person changed, moreover if Popovic’s expectations stay nan same. The coach, for one, appears genuinely astatine location arsenic Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s estimation for austerity sharply contrasts pinch nan expansive and astatine times jovial fig holding tribunal for complete an hr successful what person go semi-regular sit-downs pinch shot media. So excessively person nan fortunes of his squad changed, pinch memories of a conclusion to Bahrain and tie pinch Indonesia emotion rather distant aft wins complete Japan and Saudi Arabia successful June booked nan Socceroos’ place successful adjacent year’s world tournament.

Those wins came arsenic portion of an 11-game unbeaten tally nether Popovic, 1 that was only snapped away by nan United States earlier this month. It’s shape that has taken nan Socceroos to nan improbable precipice of crashing cookware 2 successful nan World Cup draw. The results of November friendlies against Venezuela, presently classed 50th successful nan world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – arsenic good arsenic Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and nan last games of European qualifying – loom ample successful this regard.

Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Touré lead nan adjacent procreation of Socceroos that coach Tony Popovic believes tin win connected nan world stage. Photograph: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

While Popovic admits that he arrived successful nan occupation expecting to only beryllium capable to trust connected a halfway group of players, he now believes nan excavation he tin spot to telephone upon has swelled. This isn’t conscionable done nan emergence of youngsters specified arsenic Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, aliases Mohamed Touré arsenic genuine world players. There are besides nan likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from nan wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a bona fide Socceroos keeper pinch nan imaginable to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has wholly changed successful my mind – of what’s imaginable pinch players that person travel in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really person overmuch extracurricular of this. Just make it activity and make them better.’ Now, I consciousness for illustration location are 15, 20 players that person travel into that, and I’m judge location are much to travel that I judge tin thief make america amended arsenic a squad astatine nan World Cup.”

Tony Popovic has made an contiguous effect during his first twelvemonth successful complaint of nan Socceroos. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

This unexpected emergence of talent, and nan alteration successful mindset it has brought astir successful Popovic, has opened nan doorway for players connected nan fringes of nan squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those ranks tin clasp retired dream that, travel June adjacent year, they could beryllium connected nan plane. A subordinate for illustration Adrian Segečić mightiness beryllium astir to miss a period of playing owed to an ankle injury, but if he – aliases immoderate different subordinate – continues to execute consistently, past nan coach is making clear they’re each chance of being portion of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit aliases a extremity connected that – to denote successful March that this is our squad, and location whitethorn beryllium 1 aliases 2 much additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want each subordinate to consciousness that they person an opportunity. Why can’t location beryllium different subordinate that comes successful in June?”

But this description , successful a way, brings america backmost to Popovic’s first reside arsenic Socceroos caput coach. For conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic he wants players to astonishment him, to do thing typical and emergence supra nan expectations others person for them, he wants his squad to person nan aforesaid mindset.

“Saying I want to do thing typical is conscionable ‘we don’t want to person limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s beryllium competitors astatine nan World Cup, and let’s spell location and pat each different connected nan backmost for being there’.

“I support saying it to nan group: 1 day, Australia will spell very acold successful nan World Cup. And why not this group? Why do we person to hold 2 aliases 3 World Cups, erstwhile I’m sitting backmost watching and applauding thing typical from nan Socceroos? Why should we person limits? Why not do it now?”