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Despite being placed alongside France, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, Arnold guided Australia to the Round of 16. The head coach’s services are in demand but Australia’s football governing body is in no rush to extend its relationship with him.
The Socceroos ousting at the hands of Argentina did not end festivities back in the continent where the Aussies jubilated at their knockout round adventures. Arnold’s charges ran their socks off, outworking their rivals but were on the receiving end of a Lionel Messi masterclass.
The 59-year-old manager was pleased with his efforts and pointed at the reception of their Qatar 2022 adventures in comparison to other popular sports. His work has been noticed by the decision-makers in Canberra.
Thanks to their efforts on the pitch, the coach is in demand by professional clubs in Europe and the USA. It has led to public demands in Australia to keep hold of his services as the national team manager.
Football Australia to review Arnold’s tenure
Despite the success achieved, Football Australia is reluctant in giving Arnold a new contract. The regulatory body is not just looking at their recent success but also wants to review the four years spent in his tutelage.
The FA chief, James Johnson, did allude that they are in regular contract with the former Sydney and Central Coast manager but will not be making a hasty decision about their future direction.
There are clear internal objectives that have been set and Football Australia will follow their procedures to arrive at a decision. In the meanwhile, they have advised Arnold to take a break as he evaluates his next step.
I want to say thank you to Graham Arnold, Craig Goodwin, Mitchell Duke, Matthew Leckie and the 23 other players @Socceroos for one of the best 10 day stretches of our lives.
As the great @ElMengem says,
Our game is the World Game 🇦🇺🌎#GiveIt100 #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/lDG9vyzrFy— Jack Pantelios (@JPantelios) December 4, 2022
“We are in touch with Graham and I speak with him regularly. He does need a holiday and he does need to recharge after a very complex campaign.
“He’ll talk with us and we’re not going to rush this decision. There’s no need to because the team doesn’t play again until March.
“We want to get the decision right, not rush anyone, do the right planning, talk to Arnie and we won’t be talking to others or going to market in the meantime.
“Once we’ve completed our review, we’ll then have some meetings about what’s next with Graham.”
Arnold awaiting contract offer
Australia found it hard to book their tickets for the Qatar extravaganza. They finished behind Saudi Arabia and Japan in their group and only found a place for themselves via the playoff route.
Moreover, Arnold was at loggerheads with former players and experienced members of the squad. Tomy Rogic refused to answer his phone as he took extended vacations after ending his contract with Celtic.
The squad turnover was also high under the manager. Due to clashes with him and injuries, there were 17 new players on their roster in Qatar from the team that travelled to Russia.
Arnold himself had distanced himself from the high-pressure job but seems to have a change of heart after proving his doubters wrong. His agent acknowledged that there was a conversation about KPIs before the World Cup and they are awaiting an offer from the board.
So proud of his players, yet so devastated at the same time “it’s just me…I wanted us to win so much…for the people of Australia” #socceroos coach Graham Arnold #qatar2022 #fifaworldcup is over, going down to Argentina 2-1. pic.twitter.com/NNykAka0cY
— Tracey Holmes (@TraceyLeeHolmes) December 3, 2022
“There was some initial dialogue pre-World Cup where we were told KPIs had to be met before any contract discussions could occur, but there has been no direct offer,” his agent, Tony Rallis, said.
“There’s been no discussions about contracts but James Johnson and I have had open communication and our understanding is that the FA board wanted to see how Graham went in the World Cup.”
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