Socceroos can unite nation, says coach Graham Arnold

Graham Arnold fought hard to get a second bite at coaching the Socceroos.

Head coach Graham Arnold looks on during a Socceroos training session in Brisbane on Thursday. Picture: AAP

It was just hours after Australia’s heartbreaking exit from the 2007 Asian Cup finals in Vietnam and a shattered Graham Arnold was sitting alone in his hotel room in Hanoi.

As the then caretaker coach of the Socceroos, he was contemplating the penalty shootout loss to Japan, having played much of the second half with 10 men following Vince Grella’s red card, when his mobile buzzed and up popped a text message from Guus Hiddink.

Arnold had forged a close bond with the Dutch football master as his assistant coach during the 2006 World Cup campaign. Hiddink had become his mentor, confidant and a wonderful sounding board not just on coaching but in life.

The text read: “Your reaction and how you cope with this will define your coaching career.”

A lesser person would have probably walked away after that defeat, convinced their international coaching career was done and dusted. Against the odds, Arnold had given it his best shot but it was not to be.

Never one to walk away from a fight though, and with Hiddink’s words constantly resonating with him, ­Arnold made a vow that nothing would stop him and that he would one day become the Socceroos coach again, this time in his own right.

After a stellar career as a club coach in the A-League, during which he won Premiers plates and championships with the Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC, the only man to do so with ­different clubs, he was true to his word.

Teams for Socceroos v South Korea

It was announced in March that Arnold would replace Bert van Marwijk once the World Cup finals in Russia were over in July. Arnold took charge last month for his first game, a convincing 4-0 win in a friendly against Kuwait in Kuwait City.

It is no surprise that one of the first to congratulate Arnold on his appointment was Hiddink.

The text message read: “Dear Arnie, congratulations! Perfect recognition through the work you’ve done on club level and as my colleague long time ago! All the best! OldOzzieBoss.”

As the caretaker, Arnold was in charge of the Socceroos for a handful of games in Australia, but tonight he will get to do it for the first time on home soil as the full-fledged boss when the Socceroos host South Korea at Suncorp ­Stadium.

“It’s special because I feel this time I have earned the right to be the national team coach,” Arnold told The Weekend Australian.

“I don’t feel I deserved to have the job 11 years ago.

It was made clear to me by the FFA board and the chairman that I was to keep the players happy until a new coach was appointed.

“But I did it to help out my country. You don’t turn your back on something like that.

“People might want to reflect on what happened in the Asian Cup but I can’t help that.

“The important thing is that I learned a lot of lessons and became a much better person … you lose, you learn, you make mistakes, you learn.”

Wanting to do the job again to prove himself and being given that chance are two different things. There are no guarantees when it comes to football. So did he think the Socceroos job would come his way again?

“I had the faith in my ability. It had been my motivation and determination for 10 years … from the time it happened in 2007,” he said. “I have always been a motivated person to prove people wrong.

“If you look back on my whole career as a player and a coach, the one box I had not ticked was the Socceroos (as full-time).

“I was very happy with what I did with the Olyroos, qualifying undefeated and making it to the Olympics in China in 2008, so that was something that gave me more motivation.”

It is a little known fact that ­Arnold is only the second man behind Les Scheinflug — and the first Australian-born — to have captained the Socceroos on a full-time basis then gone on to coach the national team.

Frank Farina captained Australia once — in his farewell match — before coaching the Socceroos and Aurelio Vidmar captained the national team several times and was in charge as coach just once.

“That is not something I was aware of to be honest,” Arnold says.

“It makes me proud but it is not something I would reflect on publicly because my motivation and thoughts are purely on the Socceroos and what I can do to make them better.”

Rather than personal achievements, Arnold says he is more preoccupied with preparing Australia for the defence of the Asian Cup in the UAE in January.

By the time the tournament comes around, he will have had just three friendlies and 25 days of actual training time with the ­players. It is a tough task but one Arnold won’t shy away from.

“It’s not an ideal preparation but I have great belief in this group of players,’’ he said.

“They have bought into everything I have put in front of them,” he said.

“They want to work hard, they want to do the country proud … there are no shirkers or egos.”

So what can the fans expect when they see the Socceroos at home for the first time under ­Arnold?

“They will see a lot of energy, a different style of play. There will be rotations, combination and penetration, getting players and balls into areas to score goals. It’s a modern way.

“It’s about pace and a fast style of game. Most importantly, I believe in the Socceroos.

“There is no other team in Australian men’s sport that can unite the nation like the Socceroos.”