It may have gone little under the radar, but soon after Graham Arnold’s resignation, Football Australia announced a number of senior Socceroos staff would also be leaving their roles.
Tony Popovic however will not be alone as he takes the reigns of the Socceroos though, as soon after his appointment Football Australia confirmed a number of appointments to the Socceroos staff.
| Out | In |
| René Meulensteen (Assistant Coach) | Paul Okon (Assistant Coach) |
| Luke Wilkshire (Assistant Coach) | Hayden Foxe (Assistant Coach) |
| John Crawley (Goalkeeper Coach) | Frank Juric (Goalkeeper Coach) |
| Fabian Ehrmann (Head of Sport Science) | |
| Julie Meek (Sports Dietician) | |
| Adam Barbera (Senior Technical Analyst) | |
| Michael Mantikos (Team Analyst) | |
| Michael Zappone (Advisor) |
As is the case with many head coaching changes, Tony Popovic appears to have brought in his people to the Socceroos set up, suggesting a wider cultural change may be coming for the senior squad beyond player selection and tactics.
Goal Keeping Coach
On of the most interesting changes is the replacement of John Crawley with Frank Juric as goal keeper coach.
Australia has never had a shortage of quality keepers and the spot has always been hotly contested, with the current number one spot being held by Socceroos Captain Mat Ryan. However Ryan has yet to play at Roma this season and the staff change may open the door to a change.
Crawley’s conduct as Socceroos goal keeper coach was put into question a couple of times during his tenor, in particular in regards to his treatment of Mitch Langerak who eventually decided to retire from Socceroos duty despite strong performances at club football in Japan.
Wider culture
Graham Arnold’s success at the 2022 World Cup was partially a result of the strong team culture he was able to generate within the Socceroos playing ranks.
Incoming assistant coaches Paul Okon and Hayden Foxe will play a big role in how the new cultural rest is applied. Both these new assistants are former Socceroos with European club experience that will likely enjoy instant respect from players, however their coaching experience is a little more mixed.
Although Foxe has maintained a prominent role as an assistant manager at A-League level, Okon has not held a professional coaching role since a challenging stint at the Central Coast Mariners six years ago. Their relationship with Popovic will be understandably under the microscope, especially Okon who is not highly regarded by fans for his coaching experience, he is highly regarded for his post-game rendition of Horses though.
Instant Impact required
The Socceroos will face China (10th of October) and Japan (15th of October) as part of their world cup qualification campaign. With the games just a week away and the team already having dropped 5 points, Popovic will hope his staff changes can make an instant impact.
The Beautiful Game 