New Socceroos coach Tony Popovic issued a stark warning to young players hoping to make the national team, emphasizing that consistent high-level performance is essential. He used Daniel Arzani's recent struggles as an example, stating that one good dribble or trick is not enough to secure a spot. Popovic also highlighted the need for players to compete at an elite level, even in lower leagues, to be considered for the Socceroos. His coaching style emphasizes a more stringent approach to training and nutrition, aiming to raise the overall standard of the team.
‘One good dribble ... one good trick. It’s not enough’: Popovic demands more from World Cup chasing Socceroos ’s prospects of returning to the national team - and, in turn, delivered a stark warning to the new generation of young players emerging in the A-League with stars in their eyes and grand hopes of reaching the top.
Arzani, who burst onto the scene at the 2018 World Cup, was signed by Manchester City but then struggled to carve out a career in Europe, stands before them as a cautionary tale. Now 26, he played under Popovic at Melbourne Victory during the 2023-24 season, and on his day is one of the A-League’s most exciting, creative players.
“I had him in camp in October. He knows what I think of him, so I’ll be telling you something now that he knows: It wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t good enough in October. His level was really poor in training. Now maybe for him, it’s okay, but it’s not enough.”, was this month loaned by Bayern Munich to Swiss club Grasshoppers in a bid to expose him to regular first-team football.
“We want to be competing with Japan. That’s our goal, that we want to be competing with the best,” Popovic said. The changes made by Popovic go far beyond his selections, handing shock call-ups to the likes of A-League quartet Jason Geria, Luke Brattan, Rhyan Grant and Hayden Matthews, or the team’s new 3-4-2-1 system, which has reset what had grown to be predictable attacking patterns during the latter days of the Arnold era.was the introduction of a nutritionist, Julie Meek
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