You earn the shirt, you don’t own it - Arnold's message to Socceroos

Coach Graham Arnold has laid down the gauntlet to his Socceroos players, telling them they need to "earn their shirts, not own them".

Arnold

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold Source: Getty Images

In a bullish mood ahead of Australia’s opening 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on September 11, Arnold is hunting cut-throat competition from his charges to bring out the best in his team on the road to Qatar.

“Anybody playing well and performing well will be given the opportunity,”Arnold told The World Game ahead of an impending six-week scouting mission to Europe.

“I think I’ve already shown that will be the case since I’ve taken over.

“The players need to earn their shirts - it’s not about owning the number. They need to earn it.

“We now have great competition for places, and that’s what I’ve been striving for.”

Arnold jets to Europe on Wednesday to assess the form of a sizable contingent of players including the Danish-based quartet of Mustafa Amini, Alex Gersbach, Zach Duncan and Awer Mabil, Celtic’s Tom Rogic and Daniel Arzani, Bristol City’s Bailey Wright, Brighton’s Mat Ryan and a host of others.

His assistant Rene Meulensteen will share the workload as Arnold criss-crosses the continent with trips to England, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Austria.

He will also have Australia’s Japan and Korea Republic-based players separately monitored, the likes of Andrew Nabbout, Mitch Langerak, Jason Geria and the inform Adam Taggart.

With 11 goals in 19 appearances for Suwon Bluewings, Taggart leads the K1 League scoring charts in his debut season in the competition.

“The kid is doing exceptionally well - he’s always had it in him during his time in the A-League,” Arnold said.

“He had a hiccup when he went to Fulham but he’s back on track and needs to keep working hard and everything will be great for him.”

Arnold isn’t expecting any new faces to jump out of the woodwork - at least not any that he’s not already aware of - during his European trek.

“I don’t think there will be too many to jump out and surprise me,” he added.

“My thinking process in the last 11 months or so has been to add and build depth for this World Cup campaign.

“I’ve worked with close to 60 players with both the Olyroos and Socceroos.

“It’s a matter of those players putting their best foot forward and proving in clubland they deserve to be involved.

“That’s what the national team is all about - rewarding those performances.

“I look forward to the return of Martin Boyle and Daniel Arzani, and a fully fit Mathew Leckie.

“I gave a lot of the senior players a break last month (not picking them for the friendly against Korea Republic) and I think they’ll have benefitted both mentally and physically.

“I think we’ll have a fresh group of players (going into qualifying) and I couldn’t be happier than where we’re at today.”


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3 min read
Published 22 July 2019 2:43pm
By Dave Lewis

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