Talking Points: Graham Arnold on FIFA World Cup Qualifiers™ win over Palestine

Lewis Wiseman \\ Photo Credit: Aleksandar Jason/Socceroos 1718160331,1718243045

Subway Socceroos coach Graham Arnold praised his players after another successful FIFA World Cup Qualifiers™ camp finishing with a 5-0 win in Perth over Palestine.

On successful qualifying stage

We went through the last campaign, where we won the first 11, so it's another goal that I've set the boys to achieve something special and winning more than those 11 games straight. But the most important thing is that we keep growing as a team and keep growing and doing what we're doing.

There will be a number of headaches in the future for me with performances of those boys, probably a lot of people out there that thought when I made eight subs, I was taking it easy or not serious about this game. But as I said, I truly believe that if we played 11 v 11 at training, it'd be two top teams and it would be a very hard game, and a very tight result. So, it's great to see.

On Asian Cup seeding

That's probably what hurt me so much after the Asian Cup, I’ve been driving to the players for a number of times and about since Ecuador, so nearly 12 months, nine months about the FIFA rankings and about us getting high us getting in pot one sorry.

There's no such thing as a friendly game, because there's ranking points and if we'd beaten South Korea at the Asian Cup, we would have been pot one. But, okay, we're pot two with Qatar and Saudi and obviously got to wait for the draw now on the 27th and we'll see what challenges we are thrown.

On deploying a new tactic

It's been because we've been struggling to find nines and I think, just sitting at home and having time to myself, I just come up with a system because of the status of players we have, because you’ve got to play every player to their strength. So pretty much it's a 4-4-2 defensively, but with possession, it's a 3-5-2. We're getting players wide, they're getting balls in the box, but we're getting four players in the penalty box and that's where we're scoring the goals.

On squad expectations and players dedication

I have high expectations all the time and I drive those high expectations to the boys, and I don't want to go through another Peru game. That's the last thing that I want is a play off, I just want what we deserve. I do believe that what's important now for me is the boys have a good break. I need to say this because I just appreciate so much those boys for what they did this camp, the season is over, they’re on holidays, it's a tricky window in June.

They gave up four or five days of holidays to come into Bangkok early to acclimatise for the Bangladesh game, which gave us a bit more time to work on what you guys saw tonight. They've all come in with a great mentality and what's important now is they go home, or wherever they are going and have a holiday till the end of June, and then they get to their clubs and have a great preseason and get off to a good start for the season with their clubs.

On players improving year on year

These boys playing in higher leagues now. I haven't been asked a question yet, so I'd like to say this, but Circati was incredible and he's so mature for his age, 20 years of age, but I think that's the tip of the iceberg because he's, next year going to be playing in Serie A, in Italy, against some incredible strikers.

So, he's going to get better and better. So as Cam Burgess and Connor Metcalfe and these younger ones, and as I said, we get rewarded from what they do with their clubs.

On Matthew Leckie’s return

I think Lecks (Leckie) is probably one of the most mobile players we've got in terms of position, he can play anywhere, and especially the system and the way that we're playing with the two nines and bit lopsided. Having Lecks having that type of qualities is great, but like I've been saying for years, that's the big thing for me now is what happens to these A League players for September and October.

I wanted to bring Lecks in and have a look at him again, obviously, he's had a tough season with the injury, missed the Asian Cup because of injury. He's got to get his body right this offseason. But as I said that’s why I played a lot of the foreign boys, when I say that overseas based boys, because I know I can use them, where A League players I can’t.

On Kusini Yengi’s performance

I think the kid is very, very honest and he nailed his own performance. Like, I think he obviously did well, scored two goals and assisted a couple, but there was some moments where he turned over possession that could have hurt us against a better team.

But he'll learn from that, and I've always been a fan of him, when he was at Adelaide I could see that he had that strength, and that power and that ability and as I said he’s just going to grow and grow. He's going to play 60 games this year in the Championship and with the cups included, so he's only going to get better and better.

On Nestory Irankunda’s first camp

I want to say that Carl Veart and Adelaide and Mark Milligan have done a fantastic job with him. I went away with the U-17’s for the Asian Cup only probably 12 months ago, maybe a bit longer. You could tell he was a little bit immature there and wasn't as disciplined than what he should have been. But he has not been late to one meeting, he's done everything we've asked, the older boys have really looked after him and I think he's had a great camp.

I have to say the camp has been fantastic, and now he goes to Bayern. Now it's up to him really, again, it's a lot of hard work to do. I had a good sit down chat with him the other day about going to Bayern and what that means and it's just a start, it's not the finish.

It's not like because you've gone to Bayern it's, it's all done. This is a start and it's all about hard work and passion and drive. Of course, he's an exciting talent, but there's a long way to go.

On Adam Taggart’s leadership qualities

Look Tags (Taggart) is just such a great finisher and as I said, there's a certain couple of players in the squad that are 33 today, and we still have two years to go, so they’re question marks and it's up to them. How hard they work and how much they want it to still be involved.

Tags is 31 and I think that Tags has the capabilities to get through those two years and with his experience that's why I started him next to Kusini, I wanted his leadership out there, one senior next to the younger one. But again, it's so important the older players because their leadership and their coaching on the field is crucial to help the young ones.