Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold front-runner to take over as Socceroos mentor

SYDNEY FC’s title-winning coach Graham Arnold is the front-runner for a dream Socceroos appointment, on the eve of the 2018 World Cup.

SYDNEY FC’s title-winning coach Graham Arnold is the front-runner for a dream Socceroos appointment, on the eve of the 2018 World Cup.

However Asian Champions League winner Tony Popovic looms as the dark horse, just days after his stunning switch from Western Sydney to Turkish top-tier club Karaburspor.

Four years to the day after Holger Oseick was sacked to create a Brazil 2014 opening for Ange Postecoglou, the incumbent is poised to depart after next month’s World Cup qualifying deciders against Honduras.

Kevin Muscat, the Melbourne Victory coach and Postecoglou disciple, would come into calculations, while highly-rated assistant Ante Milicic is an outsider.

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The other option is for FFA to search the globe, with no shortage of candidates willing to take charge of a World Cup-bound nation.

Football Federation Australia issued a statement after the Herald Sun revealed Postecoglou’s impending exit, confirming the uncertainty over their coach’s future, with chief executive David Gallop warning he wanted an answer soon after the November games.

Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold is the front-runner to take over as Socceroos coach.

“Beyond (November), should we qualify, there is a period of some months until the World Cup and we agreed that we will need to lock in our set up as soon as possible to maximise our preparation time,” Gallop said.

Arnold, who led Sydney FC to last season’s A-League title, is the favourite and it’s understood that he would accept the job if his country came calling, a decade after he held the job for a year before Pim Verbeek took over.

Although his 2007 tenure was chaotic, he appears far more equipped to take the role have gained valuable experience in charge of Central Coast and Sydney FC.

FFA’s power battle with A-League clubs adds a layer of intrigue to the coaching speculation however, with Sydney FC and Victory every chance of digging their heels in.

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LOCAL

Graham Arnold

Sydney FC coach

Age: 54

Long-time Socceroos assistant under Frank Farina, Guus Hiddink then Pim Verbeek, Arnold’s interim role at the 2007 Asian Cup was chaotic. But having matured via title-winning stints with Central Coast and Sydney FC appears better equipped to take the job.

Kevin Muscat

Melbourne Victory coach

Age: 44

The closest thing to Postecoglou’s clone having worked under him for 18 months at Melbourne Victory before replacing him four years ago and continuing along a similar path — and winning a title along the way

Ante Milicic

Socceroos assistant

Age: 43

Highly-rated by FFA with key officials long holding the view that Milicic, despite his lack of head coaching experience, may be capable of replacing Postecoglou in a Juergen Klinsmann-to-Joachim Lowe style (Germany) handover.

ABROAD

There will be a host of international coaches interested in leading Australia to a FIFA World Cup