National coach Graham Arnold says Socceroos must lift to beat Oman

Back in Socceroos camp after testing negative to Covid-19, coach Graham Arnold wasn’t entirely happy with his team’s 4-0 win over Vietnam.

The Socceroos remain united in their bid to qualify for this year’s World Cup. Picture: Mike Owen / Getty Images

Returning coach Graham Arnold says the Socceroos must eradicate the “sloppy” play from their 4-0 win over Vietnam if they are to beat a much tougher Oman next week.

Cleared to fly with the team to Muscat on Friday after a negative Covid-19 test result, Arnold was generally pleased with the Socceroos’ performance at AAMI Park against easybeats Vietnam, who are yet to register a point from seven Group B matches in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers.

However, Arnold, who watched Thursday night’s game in isolation from his Melbourne hotel room, wasn’t happy with a period early in the second half which Vietnam dominated and was unlucky not to score.

He said a similar lapse against a desperate Oman, who must win at home on Wednesday morning to maintain any hope of qualifying for this year’s World Cup, could cost the Socceroos dearly in their own battle to reach Qatar 2022.

“It was nerve-racking,” Arnold said in reflecting on watching the match by himself on TV.

“It was a good performance, but (the) second half (was) a bit sloppy.

“We’re now stepping up against better opposition and we need to get rid of that.”

Socceroos Graham Arnold is heading to Oman with his squad after returning a negative Covid-19 test. Picture: Koki Nagahama / Getty Images

With each Group B team having three games left to play, the Socceroos remain in third spot, one point behind second-placed Japan and five points adrift of leaders Saudi Arabia.

The Socceroos’ destiny remains in their own hands as they play those two countries in March.

The top two teams from Groups A and B will qualify automatically for the World Cup.

The sides who finish third in each group will meet in a sudden-death playoff in May or June, with the winner to play the fifth-placed CONMEBOL (South America) nation in June in Qatar in another do-or-die encounter for a place at the World Cup.

Arnold said after spending a week in isolation, he had more faith than ever in his coaching staff and squad on the road to Qatar.

“The one thing that I have learnt more out of this than ever is that trust is the key,” he said.

“You need to trust people, especially the staff you have, but also the players, and they handled the challenges very well.

“It was a different challenge, a new challenge and one I won’t forget.

“It’s hard enough standing on the bench watching a game, or sitting up in the grandstand watching a game, but to watch it on computer, connected to the bench, with headphones, trying to get messages across with a delayed coverage … made it a little bit more hard.

“The communication was there, (but) you see a totally different game, sitting in a room watching it on TV and getting messages across.

“I’m just go grateful to the great staff that I’ve got.”

Joel King impressed in his Socceroos debut. Picture: Mike Owen / Getty Images

Arnold heaped praise on 21-year-old Sydney FC left-back Joel King, who made a memorable start to his Socceroos career

“It was one of the best debuts I’ve seen; he was very calm – you’d never think it was his debut,” Arnold said.

“It seemed he belonged, he had no nerves. He’s a very mature kid for his age.”

Originally published as National coach Graham Arnold says Socceroos must lift to beat Oman