Don't blame Arnold, Australia are just not that good

A second Asian Cup for Graham Arnold brought a second quarter-final exit, except this time, it wasn’t at the hands of Japan but the United Arab Emirates, a team that has not exactly set the tournament alight on home soil.

Robbie Kruse (L) and Christopher Ikonomidis Source: AAP

It is right and proper that questions should be asked of the coach for what has been a disappointing tournament for the champions but he is still the best man for what is becoming a more difficult job.

He has to learn though. He has to learn how to get to grips with Asia. Despite the success with Sydney FC, he has struggled at the continent’s showpiece events for both club - in the Asian Champions League - and country.

Throw in an ill-fated and short-lived stint in the J1 League and the international CV does not look so great.

And, as has been pointed out elsewhere, standards in Asia are improving. Not so much perhaps at the very top level with Japan and Korea Republic also struggling to find their form, but in the middle.

There are not that many Asian nations that can boast a sparkling attack but most of them are these days well-organised, well-prepared and hard to break down.

The Socceroos are still respected but the old fear that opposing sides had has gone.

The hard work, the physicality, the running and the mentality may still be part of the Australian game but it is not enough with the rest of the continent finding that these qualities are not hard to emulate. Something extra is needed.

That has to be addressed going forward, though it is obviously easier said than done. Going forward is where Australia struggled as no goals in 210 minutes of knockout football suggests.

Arnold showed flexibility throughout the tournament but the general lack of creativity in the final third was apparent from the start.

This may not be a new problem for the Socceroos but it is getting worse which is a worry as the FIFA World Cup qualifiers start to appear on the horizon.

Australia have not only lacked creativity but have been ponderous and slow especially when confronted by packed and organised defences. As the minutes ticked by in Al Ain, the defending champions became increasingly predictable in their attacks.

Had Australia been at full strength then it could all have been very different as injuries took their toll.

As it was against the United Arab Emirates, the only goal of the game came from a dreadful mistake.

Such is tournament football in the knockout stages: one slip and you are going home.

Yet it could easily have been Australia preparing for a semi-final against Qatar who knocked out a similarly impotent Korean team.

Ultimately though, even had all the players been available and had Australia defeated a mediocre UAE team, they would not have masked the fact that Australia are simply not producing players - especially in attack - to match the stars of a decade ago.

The talent is not there and while Arnold said that "the kids are coming" after the game, there are serious concerns that the country is falling behind in youth development.

“There are issues that need to be sorted out back at home and I’ll go home and try to do that,” Arnold said.

“I care for the sport, I love football, I love Australia and I want to help.”

The first sentence is a lot more important than the second but after just a few months and a few games in charge, the coach needs to be given more time.

Questions and criticism are warranted but so is patience.

Much more than showing that Graham Arnold is not the right man for the job, the 2019 Asian Cup has demonstrated that Australia are not as good as they used to be.