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Of course Tony Popovic, much like his coaching contemporaries, will have the better part of six months to formulate his answers before fans and pundits pass judgement over what materialises in North America.
But for now, however, three questions loom large over the squad Popovic guided to qualification following a stuttering start to Asia’s third round under Graham Arnold.
At the time of his appointment, Australia had just one point to show from two qualifiers against Bahrain and Indonesia respectively, where the top two teams in a group containing rivals Japan and Saudi Arabia would qualify automatically for the World Cup.
Fast-forward eight matches and Popovic’s first mission was complete, having won five games - including the final two - and drawing three to secure direct passage for the first time since the 2014 qualifying campaign.
At the time, the margin for error was slim, as was the ability to experiment; but since then, Popovic has prioritised his pursuit of depth and the next wave of talent that can succeed in a World Cup group containing hosts the United States, Paraguay, and a still-to-be-determined European nation.
1. Five defenders, but who?
As for the areas in question, his backline will be the first priority. In 14 matches at the helm, Popovic has shown a preference for five defenders in either a 3-4-2-1 or 5-4-1 formation.
Alessandro Circati is expected to partner Cam Burgess at the back, with Harry Souttar the more obvious choice to be the third centre-half.
However, the strength of Souttar will concern Popovic - given the Leicester City defender has not played a competitive match since injuring his Achilles 12 months ago.
The expectation is for the 27-year-old to return in the new year but should complications arise, his national team will need to assess their options at the position.
Milos Degenek did an admirable job during qualification but will face competition from the likes of Kye Rowles, Kai Trewin, Jason Geria, Hayden Matthews, and Jack Iredale.
As for the two wing-back positions, Lewis Miller has emerged as the favourable option on the right, with Jordy Bos leading the bids to usurp veteran Aziz Behich on the left.
Bos’ brother Kasey is another option to fill the void, as is Callum Elder, and the versatile Rowles, who featured at the position in their most recent friendly against Colombia.
2. Who partners Irvine?
The next point of concern lies in the engine - that is, the nation’s two-man central midfield, responsible for what transpires between the boxes.
Jackson Irvine - a senior member of the squad and one who has worn the captain’s armband on multiple occasions - is expected to take his place in central midfield, though who features alongside him remains unknown.
Aiden O’Neill, Patrick Yazbek, Connor Metcalfe, Max Balard, Ryan Teague, Cam Devlin, and Paul Okon-Engstler have all featured in the role since Popovic took the reins, though we could see more faces in the nation’s final batch of matches in March.
Based on Popovic’s tenure thus far, O’Neill appears to be the preferred option based on his ability to win the ball, defend in transition, cover large areas, and link play with his attacking teammates.
3. Who leads the line?
Who occupies the wider areas in Popovic’s system is also up for debate, with Nestory Irankunda, Craig Goodwin, Martin Boyle, and Riley McGree among those in contention, but who they service is of greater importance.
Popovic has already started five different centre-forwards in his last eight international matches in charge, which suggests the door is wide open for someone to make the position theirs in time for the World Cup.
Mitch Duke led the line as Australia reached the Round of 16 under Arnold at Qatar 2022, and the 34-year-old has also featured under Popovic over the last two months.
Brandon Borrello, Boyle, Nicholas D'Agostino, and Mohamed Toure are the other names who have been called upon, with the latter playing in the last seven international fixtures.
Toure’s form for Randers in the Danish Superliga, in which he has contributed four goals and four assists in 17 games, leaves him in good stead thus far, though plenty of football remains to be played.
The second half of the season will form each player’s last chance to impress Popovic as he looks to put the finishing touches on his preparations and finalise not only his best squad, but the nation’s best chance to reach the knockout stages once again.
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