Question that prompted Ange resignation

PETER FitzSimons has responded after Ange Postecoglou cited his interview on Channel 9 as a reason for walking out on the Socceroos.

Ange Postecoglou appears on Channel 9's Sports Sunday

ANGE Postecoglou opened up on his motivation to walk out on the Socceroos prompting Peter FitzSimons, the man who Postecoglou suggested played a role in his decision to resign, to respond.

The popular coach sensationally quit the Socceroos coaching job after securing Australia’s place at next year’s World Cup finals in Russia following a marathon qualification campaign that boiled down to a play-off win over Honduras in November.

In an interview with Fox Sports that aired on Thursday Postecoglou admitted the scars of past run-ins with Australian football commentators played a part in his decision to resign instead of lead Australia at the World Cup.

Postecoglou revealed his determination not to bow to media pressure was a big part of his strange decision to quit.

He also admitted his infamous interview with SBS football commentator Craig Foster before his sacking as coach of Australia’s Youth team in 2007 — after failing to qualify for that year’s Youth World Cup — has stuck with him.

“Absolutely (it’s a factor),” he admitted.

“Your life’s experiences mould you and for sure, I think there was a point at the start of this year where ... I went to do an interview on another station and the first question I was asked was ‘will you resign if you don’t beat the UAE’.

“And I’m kind of just sitting there and gone into a time warp of 10 years ago ... after everything that’s happened.

Tough gig.

“It jolted me a little bit. It didn’t steamroll things. The person who asked the question isn’t involved in the sport but as so often happens, I say that regularly, is a lot of people in this country when the Socceroos are playing, or it becomes a pivotal time, they glance at our game.

“They test the water by seeing what people in the game are thinking — at the time, after we drew in Iraq and I changed the formation to the three and it upset everyone in football world, which was okay with me, I kind of like that fact.

“People outside glance at the game and go ‘this is chaos’ — so that question was asked of me.

“I thought after everything we’ve achieved and the journey we’re on, qualification in our hands, I said I’m not going to go down that path again where I allow external forces to decide my fate. That wasn’t all of it but certainly a part.”

Postecoglou was speaking of his appearance on Channel 9’s Sports Sunday panel show.

Postecoglou featured as a guest panellist in March ahead of Australia’s World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates and was put under the pump by co-host Peter FitzSimons.

It came as the Socceroos Cup qualification campaign had stalled with four consecutive draws after Postecoglou’s highly-publicised decision to change his team’s formation which featured a back three defensive line and an emphasis to control possession and attack at all costs.

In the middle of a segment, almost out of the blue, FitzSimons asked Postecoglou if he would resign if Australia failed to qualify after taking the gamble to change formation in the middle of the campaign.

Ange Postecoglou appears on Channel 9's Sports Sunday

“I hope you get there and I think you will get there – and I don’t mean this in a nasty fashion — but if you don’t get there and you don’t qualify, would you resign to save them the trouble of sacking you? No seriously,” he asked Postecoglou.

The former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory coach responded: “I won’t have a choice to be honest, but it’s not why I’m in the job to be honest.

“I’ve never coached, because I don’t see it as a job,” he said.

“For me, with the end date, no coach knows when there is an end date. I started this as a journey and we’ll complete the journey and my track record over 20 years means it usually ends in a decent space and that’s what I back myself to do and that’s what I back myself to do with this one.’

FitzSimons went on to ask Postecoglou why the team had stalled with four draws since his formation shake-up.

“Because we’re taking an aggressive approach and we’re playing away from home,” he said. “When you play away from home in international football, it’s the hardest thing in football.

“Not just because of the opponent. You’re facing foreign conditions, foreign climate, everything is against you and it makes sense in that kind of environment to say let’s play a little bit more conservatively. Let’s get a draw or a cheap win and then come home.

“It’s not my approach. I’m trying to build a team that can win games of football and believe it can win games of football.”

FitzSimons later responded on Twitter to suggestions he played a role in Postecoglou’s decision to quit.

Spare me, Dean
Many sports journalists think they must take supplicatory stance before players, coaches, etc
I've never subscribed to it.
My question to Ange was straightforward journalism.
Zero apology.
If it made him resign, so be it.
Next coach will be made of tougher stuff. https://t.co/lhnfBVO6c7

— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) December 21, 2017

He didn’t resign because of the question,just that he was despairing of the lack of knowledge of the interviewer.

— Terry Corby (@PopCorby) December 21, 2017

Yes, mate.
Sounds really likely.
"I can't go on, in such a world, where such an ignorant journo, gets to ask me such a question!"
If you're not strong enough to cope with that, you're not the bloke to lead from the front. https://t.co/FQRaBuTgdt

— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) December 21, 2017

I don't think so.
The tenor of most tweets from soccer fans seems to be somewhere between sheepish and embarrassed.
He resigned because he didn't like a question, which triggered the memory of another question 10 years ago? #Seriously? https://t.co/dy30TQo9bV

— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) December 21, 2017

i don't think @@Peter_Fitz knows a lot about football, and I don't think he cares much about it either. But asking Ange if he would quit if they failed to beat the UAE was a legitimate question, if one that was, at that point in qualification, rather pessimistic.

— Michael Lynch (@MickLynch_Age) December 21, 2017

Fair, on both counts, though I'd like to see Socceroos do well in the World Cup, & admired the Postecoglou notion of, "Attack or die trying." But, next coach has to be asked: "If asked question by loud-mouth know-nothing with stupid red rag on his head, are you likely to resign?" https://t.co/hry8iIquY9

— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) December 21, 2017

Fox Sports reporter Daniel Garb conducted the wide ranging interview with Postecoglou and also chimed in with his take on the matter.

That's not 'why he resigned' in his full answer he explains that it was a symptom of being undermined again which he says he wasn't going to stand for after those past experiences. But it was only one part, not the entire reason.

— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) December 21, 2017

In the Fox Sports interview Postecoglou revealed there’s more to the story behind his sudden and mysterious departure but feels divulging it now would not “serve a purpose or help the game”.

Speaking for the first time since taking up his new post with J-League heavyweights Yokohama F Marinos, Postecoglou said he was excited to return to club football in a strong overseas league that could act as a stepping stone to Europe.

He also addressed last month’s resignation, one that shocked his Socceroos squad and “puzzled” Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop.

While acknowledging the decision six months before the World Cup had let down the players, the 52-year-old also expressed disappointment towards some quarters at what he perceived was an undermining of the Australian game.

“I’d love to say, this is the reason,” Postecoglou told Fox Sports News. “Some of it is personal, some of it is professional. Some I don’t see the point in bringing up right now.

“I think in the context of time I may be able to sort of talk about things further, but I’ve always been a huge advocate, or disappointed when people try and bring the game down in the country.

“We’re probably world champions at that, to try and beat ourselves up as a game in this country. I’ve always tried to make sure I never do that.

“To bring up something that isn’t actually the pivotal reason, but one of the reasons I’m leaving, if I don’t think it’s going to serve a purpose or help the game, I’m just not going to talk about it.”

He got us there in the end.

— with AAP