Ange Postecoglou reveals ambition to take Socceroos to summit of world football

ANGE Postecoglou does not consider himself a footballing missionary. Though he is in search of true believers. And wants to lead Australia to the summit of world football.

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou says he aspires for Australia to be the world’s best team

ANGE Postecoglou does not consider himself a footballing missionary. Though he is in search of true believers. And wants to lead Australia to the promised land at the summit of world football.

“I’m no evangelist,” the Socceroos coach says from the team’s base in Sochi as they prepare to open their Confederations Cup campaign against Germany in the early hours of Tuesday morning. “[But] if you don’t believe you can compete at the highest level, if that’s not your ambition, there’s no point [being here].”

Postecologou’s stated ambition stretches to winning the eight team tournament of continental and world champions that acts as a trial run for next year’s World Cup. And beyond, eventually, to World Cup success.

His critics call it hubris, delusion even. A recent 4-0 friendly defeat on home soil to Brazil cited as evidence that such ideals are unfounded. The team has endured an at times uneven World Cup qualification campaign. Goals from open play hard to come by. A bold formation yet to fully bed in.

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Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou says he aspires for Australia to be the world’s best team

But for all that, Australia have suffered just a single defeat in their last 19 competitive games - none in their current Asian qualification group - and are well placed to reach to a 4th consecutive World Cup, back here in Russia in 12 months time.

Since taking over the role in 2013, the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory boss has overseen a change in both personal and mentality among the squad. Blooding youngsters and demanding of them to shed any inferiority complex and believe themselves capable of great things.

The Asian Cup victory on home soil, a reward of which was entry to this month’s tournament, added weight to his argument.

Among his players, at least, he is now preaching to the converted. Speak to any of his squad and the message is the same; the response so effortlessly consistent, the notion that it is simply parroting of the party line has to be dismissed. The message has stuck. Now, however, that belief needs to be translated in to results on the pitch.

The Socceroos face a brutal first up confederations Cup clash against world champions Germany

“For me this four year cycle was never about [just] qualifying for a World Cup, going in to a World Cup and seeing what we can do. That’s not the way I approach the role,” he says.

“I approach the role [asking]: can I turn us in to a nation that believes it can compete at the highest level? More importantly, can I get players who believe that on any given day we can knock anyone off?

“The way we play, the way we train, the way we talk, the way we present ourselves is against that backdrop.

“That’s a road that never ends. It’s about changing that mindset which I felt had come in to our consciousness. We started off as an underdog 40 years ago. At some point, you don’t want to be the underdog any more.”

Australia are undefeated in their World Cup qualifying campaign so far

This tournament offers both opportunity and jeopardy for Postecoglou’s project. Creditable performances against the Germans, Cameroon and Chile can be a springboard towards success in the remaining World Cup qualifiers and beyond, and validation that progress is being made.

Any repeat of the Brazil result and the hand wringing will only intensify. Outside the camp at least. As always, Postecoglou is prepared to take the risk. And is more concerned with how the team perform on Monday than what the scoreboard might say.

“I’m not going to hide away from my ambition and the ambition I want us to have. If [we beat Germany with] a 1-0 backs to the wall effort, where they have seven crossbars and miss three penalties, I won’t walk off the pitch thinking this is a major achievement,” he says.

The inference is that those who have sat in judgement against him following the Brazil loss, merely looking at the scoreline and not the positive performance before mass changes disrupted cohesion, lacked context in their critique.

He’s thinking of the bigger picture. And is prepared to stake his own personal reputation in doing so.

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“In some senses [being so ambitious] makes people a little bit uncomfortable because you’re setting yourself up for a bit of a fall,” he says. “Particularly in a country like ours where there’s other sports, and people commenting who only glance at football every now and then, and pass judgement on it.

“I understand that, but you know what, the one who’s going to look silliest if there’s a fall is myself. I just don’t think I will be. I believe in what I say. I’m not throwing it out there just to be a clown.

“If we don’t go to a tournament thinking, or believing that we can win it … I just don’t think we’d make any meaningful progress.

“I’m the one that pays the ultimate price for it. There’s certainly a safer road I could have taken.”

The Confederations Cup offers anything but safe passage to the business end, matches against the third an four ranked team in the world offering something of a litmus test for Postecoglou’s commendable ambitions. A chance to turn fine rhetoric in to meaningful results.

Football fans across the country will be staying up late, praying for a performance against Germany. Or, if Postecoglou has his way, simply keeping the faith.