Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou turns up heat ahead of Kuwait opener

ANGE Postecoglou has told every player to be ready for Kuwait on Friday as the mercury rises in Socceroos camp ahead of the Asian Cup opener.

Socceroos training at Olympic Park, Coach Ange Postecoglou talks with the players. Melbourne. 3rd January 2015. Picture: Colleen Petch.

ANGE Postecoglou has told every player to be ready for Kuwait on Friday as the mercury rises in Socceroos camp ahead of the Asian Cup opener at AAMI Park.

Dutch-based defender Trent Sainsbury appears to have overcome a hamstring strain after completing a gruelling 75-minute session on Saturday at Olympic Park in stifling 36C heat.

It leaves Postecoglou with a full compliment to choose from with only captain Mile Jedinak wrapped in cotton wool, though he will join full-scale training on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou gets his point across to his players.

The other 22 players took part in an intensive 10 versus 10 small-sided game, with Postecoglou shuffling players around as he agonises over his best X1 for Kuwait.

Postecoglou said there will be another high-octane session on Sunday morning, which will help him decide on selection but said he would pick his best X1.

“We want them all ready, so I’m not going to show my hand to them too early either because I need them ready to play up until the day before,’’ Postecoglou said.

“Even on the day of the game, early on in the game we may need to make a change.

Mark Milligan makes a strong tackle on Terry Antonis.

“There’s some real question marks in a few positions because we’ve got more than one option.

“We have to put everything into the first game, we can’t worry about who’ll be out for the second game, that’s why we’re pushing the boys pretty hard at the moment and keeping them on their toes.

“We’ll pick our strongest possible team to win that first game and then we’ll look at fallout from that afterwards. But we won’t be tailoring our team because we’ve got a game a few days later.’’

Several Socceroos have been linked with moves abroad with the January transfer window open, including Western Sydney’s Tomi Juric and Swindon Town’s Massimo Luongo.

Mile Jedinak will step up the pace on Sunday.

But Postecoglou was confident it wouldn’t be a distraction, ahead of further Group A games against Oman and South Korea.

“I’d be very surprised if any of the boys are thinking about anything else but what’s before them in the next month,’’ he said.

“I wouldn’t think too many of our boys are worried about where they’re going to be at the end of this month.

“If anyone’s distracted by anything else then it just means somebody else will take their position, and I don’t think anyone in our squad at the moment wants anything more than to play that first game.’’

Tim Cahill puts in the hard yards at training.

Postecoglou said that his players were focused five days out from the game one.

“The training today in difficult conditions was good so their mindset’s good,’’ Postecoglou said.

“I’m sure as the week progresses there will be a sharper intensity to things, but where we sit right now I’m pretty pleased with the team physically and mentally.

“It was a bit of a progression from yesterday, it was difficult conditions with the heat and wind, but the mood and workrate of the group was good and we got a lot out of it.

“There’s that bit of an edge because they all want to play, they’re all competing for spots.’’

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou turns up heat ahead of Kuwait opener