Candidates for the post have been offered $1.5 million to take charge from November through to the end of Australia’s involvement in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The performance-based nature of the deal and relatively modest net return of $700,000 is said to have put off several contenders after an initial surge of interest.
FFA's terms and conditions have already been rejected by at least one leading applicant, increasing the likelihood of Postecoglou being fast-tracked into the position in the wake of Holger Osieck's sacking at the weekend.
Having braced itself to lose its mentor to the national team after Brazil in a tacit agreement between its board and FFA, Melbourne Victory now faces the prospect of being asked to release Postecoglou far earlier than it expected.
Postecoglou signed a three-year deal worth $1.8 million in April 2012.
With FFA Chairman Frank Lowy's first choice, Guus Hiddink, showing little sign of excitement over a second Socceroos coming, the case for Postecoglou to be installed in time for next month’s two internationals in Australia is gathering momentum.
The offer to applicants is $1.5m for eight months – that which equates to $700,000 net. The sticking point for those looking for longer term security is there is no rollover into the 2015 Asian Cup.
All bets would be off after Brazil, leaving interested parties – such as former Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo, with a diminished incentive to negotiate. There is also the inherent risk that their resumes could be badly tarnished by overseeing a struggling team not expected to survive beyond the first round.
One Australian agent with close Socceroos connections said: “Regardless of the term of the tenure when you take into the account the money on offer there is a significant disincentive for some coaches to seek the job.
“Of course the lure of leading a team at the World Cup is strong but there is a lot of negativity around the team and its personnel right now and that should not be under-estimated.
“Of course there are many coaches who would still want the job but they may not be the sort of coaches that Australia would want.
“Nobody with a good track record in the game wants to burn their reputations especially if there is no longer term contract on offer and the money isn’t what many top coaches would expect in the first place.
“If Ange was to come in early it might well be a good thing. There is not much chance he could do any worse than Holger Osieck. In all likelihood he would probably do a lot better.”
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