Who will replace Ange Postecoglou as Socceroos coach?

THE Socceroos are yet to find a replacement for departed coach Ange Postecoglou, but there’s no shortage of would-be suitors. DAVID DAVUTOVIC runs the rule over the contenders ahead of the World Cup. VOTE

FOOTBALL Federation Australia holds one of the few remaining golden tickets to world soccer’s most exciting showpiece in Russia next June.

The Socceroos are yet to find a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, who quit last November after qualifying the team for a fourth straight World Cup.

CONTENDER: EX-MAN UNITED BOSS EMERGES AS SOCCEROOS HOPE

NO STIPULATIONS: FFA WANTS BEST MAN FOR SOCCEROOS JOB

Ange Postecoglou waved goodbye to the Socceroos after they qualified for the World Cup. Picture: AP

There’s an advisory panel who are emulating Willy Wonka — including Socceroos greats Mark Bresciano, Mark Schwarzer and Stan Lazaridis — and the position is as coveted as the famous golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

DAVID DAVUTOVIC LOOKS AT THE CONTENDERS, VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE BELOW

OVERSEAS

■ Louis van Gaal

Age: 66

CV — Clubs: Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich, Manchester United

Countries: Holland

Boasts one of the best coaching CV’s in world soccer and unlike many of his era, has resisted a big payday in Asia, which makes his Socceroos interest even more credible.

Former Manchester United Louis van Gaal makes for an intriguing Socceroos pick. Picture: AFP

■ Marcelo Bielsa

Age: 62

CV — Clubs: Newell’s Old Boys, Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao, Marseilles, Lille

Countries: Argentina, Chile

The Argentine does not feature the same trophy cabinet as some of his contemporaries, but Bielsa has accepted challenging jobs. Noted for producing extraordinarily attacking soccer and one of the world’s great educators.

■ Jurgen Klinsmann

Age: 53

CV — Clubs: Bayern Munich

Countries: Germany, USA

The striking great has been selective about his coaching jobs, with Germany and USA national team stints sandwiched by a season at Bayern Munich. His modern coaching methods helped set a foundation for Joachim Low’s national team.

■ Bert van Marwijk

Age: 65

CV — Clubs: Feyenoord, Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg

Countries: Holland, Saudi Arabia

Famed for reaching the 2010 World Cup final, though Holland’s physical style drew criticism from Dutch greats, who claimed it flew in the face of their Total Football principles.

Striking great Jurgen Klinsmann has a progressive style of coaching that could breath new life into the Socceroos’ program. Picture: Getty Images

■ Luiz Felipe Scolari

Age: 69

CV — Clubs: Gremio, Jubilo Iwata, Palmeiras, Chelsea, Guangzhou Evergrande

Countries: Kuwait, Brazil, Portugal

The coaching journeyman has won league titles in Brazil, Uzbekistan and China, but his greatest feat is lifting the 2002 World Cup with his home nation Brazil. A laid back operator who likes to let his players express themselves.

■ Sven-Goran Eriksson

Age: 69

CV — Clubs: IFK Gothenburg, Benfica, Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Lazio, Man City, Leicester City, Guangzhou R&F

Countries: England, Mexico, Ivory Coast

While the English tabloids had a field day with his off-field exploits, the suave Swede has an impressive record. He’s coached at three World Cups.

■ Ralph Rangnick

Age: 59

CV — Clubs: Ulm, Vfb Stuttgart, Hannover, Schalke, Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig

Countries: Nil

The German is viewed as an innovator, having etched a highly impressive CV in his homeland via a bold possession-based style while he has a habit of throwing in kids. Currently sports director of RB Leipzig.

Former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson would be a high profile replacement for Ange. Picture: AFP

■ Christoph Daum

Age: 64

CV — Clubs: Cologne, Vfb Stuttgart, Besiktas, Bayer Leverkusen, Austria Vienna, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge

Countries: Romania

A noted tactician, who’s won league titles in Germany, Turkey and Austria. Just finished his first national team post, where he failed to qualify Romania for the 2018 World Cup.

■ Mirko Slomka

Age: 50

CV — Clubs: Schalke, Hannover, Hamburg, Karlsruhe

Countries: Nil

The ambitious coach is highly rated in his native Germany, where he’s produced solid results with some big clubs, leading Schalke to second spot and a Europa League semi-final.

LOCAL

■ Graham Arnold

Age: 54

CV — Clubs: Northern Spirit, Central Coast, Vegalta Sendai, Sydney FC

Countries: Australia (Interim 2006-07)

His interim Socceroos spell ended with a disappointing Asian Cup quarter-final loss, but he is undoubtedly a better coach now as evidenced by his record-breaking feats with Sydney FC.

Tony Popovic and Graham Arnold head the local hopes for the Socceroos’ job. Picture: Brett Costello

■ Tony Popovic

Age: 44

CV — Clubs: Crystal Palace (assistant), Western Sydney, Karabukspor

Countries: Nil

Available after his brief, ill-fated stint in Turkey. No doubt he’ll be better for the experience and hungry to atone. A meticulous coach who continually evolves on and off the field.

DUVA’S TAKE

Tony Popovic’s sudden exit from Turkish club Karabukspor has thrown him into contention alongside local favourite, Sydney FC’s title-winning coach Graham Arnold. They are clearly the two best local options.

While Postecoglou’s feats have given Australian coaches greater credibility, the calibre of overseas contenders is world class. This does not always occur.

Overseas coaches are often viewed with suspicion — and there is nothing wrong with that as a generation of local coaches bash down the door for professional openings.

But a top-line foreigner can help raise the bar of Australian soccer knowledge and coaching — assuming FFA put those provisions in place.

Louis van Gaal and Marcelo Bielsa are clearly the two best names on this list.

There may be more (Carlo Ancelotti has ruled himself out), but of the coaches understood to be interested, they tick the most boxes.

Marcelo Bielsa is one of the premier names on the Socceroos’ hit-list. Picture: AFP

Are they or any of the other candidates — Juergen Klinsmann, Bert van Marwijk, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Ralph Rangnick, Christoph Daum or Mirko Slomka — motivated by topping up their retirement fund?

That’s easily enough solved — table minimum requirements around coach education seminars and Australian assistants in the Socceroos coaching staff.

Bielsa and van Gaal’s CVs clearly indicate that they are not motivated by enough.

They are among the few — and I do not begrudge any coach accepting a lucrative offer in Asia — who have resisted the temptation to love to the Far East.

Van Gaal’s CV is particularly impressive — only big club jobs in Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man United plus the challenging AZ Alkmaar gig where he lifted the underdogs to the Dutch title-winners.

He also coached the Dutch national team to third place at Brazil 2014, where he helped overturn a 2-1 deficit into a win over the Socceroos.

Don’t underestimate the role the Socceroos’ almighty performance in Porto Alegre played, when they put the Dutch to the sword, in piquing van Gaal’s interest.

Ditto Australia’s audacious performance at last June’s Confederations Cup against Bielsa’s former side Chile, that finished 1-1.

Could former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari be the right fit for the Socceroos? Picture: Getty Images

Give any number of Australian coaches the chance to work under either van Gaal or Bielsa — who is renowned as one of the best exponents of attacking, possession-based play in the world — and they would jump at it.

Van Gaal and Bielsa would not throw their hat into the ring for any World Cup job, hence it’s a badge of honour for Australian soccer that these giants of world coaching are interested.

That may be Postecoglou’s great legacy after all.

Whether van Gaal, Bielsa, Arnold or someone else becomes Charlie Bucket, the golden ticket winner, will be known by February.

Originally published as Who will replace Ange Postecoglou as Socceroos coach?