Ange Postecoglou says he’s decided on half of the Socceroos team that will be in the final 23 for the World Cup.
Talking exclusively to Neos Kosmos’ sports editor, Elias Donoudis, the Socceroos coach says he has made up his mind for half the team, while the other half needs “lots of work and thought” on whether they are good enough.
“A quarter of the team will for sure be local players from our League, while the rest will be from Europe and Asia,” Postecoglou says.
Catching a plane this week, Postecoglou is off to Oman to watch the Olyroos under Aurelio Vidmar, then after a week is off to Europe.
“First stop is England, where I’ll be watching Liverpool versus Aston Villa,” he says.
“In the first team our goalkeeper Brad James is playing, in the second team central midfielder Chris Herd is.”
He will then go to Scotland to follow Tom Rogic play at Celtic and travel back down to London to follow more games.
Holland next, where he will be seeing three other players, then Belgium, Germany and on the way back he’ll stop off in Dubai.
Up against the toughest draw in the World Cup, the coach isn’t taking any chances of overlooking talent.
Despite the horror draw, Postecoglou says he’s not nervous.
“I’m sleeping pretty well, I’m not afraid of them,” he says.
“Let’s remember what our beloved Ferenc Puskas said – ‘eleven of us, eleven of them’,” he says.
Four friendlies are on the books for the team before the World Cup, with the opponents still being organised.
The first will be in March in Europe, while another has been organised in Sydney on May 26.