Brosque backs Arnold to return to international coaching ranks
Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque has backed Graham Arnold to return to international coaching, days after the 52-year-old revealed he had been approached about a number of foreign roles.
Brosque said Arnold — still contracted to Sydney FC — deserved another chance at the top level.
"Of course he does, he is a great manager and he has shown that in all his club football," he said of the man who coached Australia from 2006-2007 and was then national team assistant from 2008-2010.
Those currently sounding out Arnold include the New Zealand All Whites, who are reportedly open to him maintaining his current role in charge of the Sky Blues in Sydney.
"Look, it is great for Arnie that he is being looked at for high positions in world football, but for the moment he has got our minds clear that his sole focus and concern is us," Brosque said.
Arnold also remains a leading local candidate for the vacant Socceroos position, but he is yet to confirm an approach from the FFA, which has stated its intention to appoint a successor by mid next month.
Brosque said the club was ready to deal with any fall-out, should Arnold be coaxed away.
"All this talk that has been surrounding Arnie for a long time now, since the off-season, it hasn't changed the way we play, the attitude of the players in the slightest," he said.
"The boys still get up every week and perform the way they do."
Despite a nil-all draw with Adelaide last night, Sydney FC is in the box seat to claim back-to-back A-League titles, sitting six points clear on top of the domestic ladder.
After the match, Arnold reflected on the work ethic that he has created at the club.
"The culture is all about the team. Team is number one and the player comes second. They have to fight for each other, work for each other and if they don't, they won't be here for long," Arnold said.
Brosque agreed Arnold's man-management skills have been a key to his success.
"I think that is the good thing about what Arnie has been able to set up at this club. He has set up such a group of players that can deal with anything," he said.
Football's managerial merry-go-round rarely slows, especially when World Cup qualification is in the rear-view mirror and many national programs are dealing with failure.
In New Zealand's case, it was a 2-0 aggregate loss to Peru that saw them fall at the final hurdle, of what could have been a third World Cup appearance.
External Link: Daniel Boniface's tweet: Anthony Hudson quits as New Zealand soccer coach.
That culminated with the departure of New Zealand's national coach Anthony Hudson, his assistant Darren Beazley and technical analyst James Kim for the MLS.
A harsh reminder that Australia lay in a similar position came over the weekend, when Ange Postecoglou was officially introduced as the coach of J-League club Yokohoma.
His former assistant Josep Gombau is now plying his trade at the Western Sydney Wanderers, while the other, Ante Milicic, is leading the Under-23 side at the Asian Championship in China.
The other local candidate, Tony Popovic, has kept a low profile since parting ways with Turkish club Karabukspor, which reportedly still owes him a severance package.
Weighing up options is never easy but in this case, with a World Cup appearance to cater for, there are a lot more than usual.
A panel that includes the likes of former Socceroos Mark Bresciano, Stan Lazaridis and Mark Schwarzer has been charged to deal with expressions of interest locally and abroad.
They could be in a for a busy few weeks.
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ABC .net
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