Tony Popovic gets FA backing but is he is right man to take Socceroos forward? | Jack Snape

The coach has the support of his employers and players for now but there will be a push for creativity to trump his defensive mindset

There has been an avalanche of criticism tumble upon Tony Popovic in the wake of Australia’s shootout loss to Egypt, for which he brought on Maty Ryan and asked 18-year-old Lucas Herrington to take a crucial penalty. Yet the morning after in Dallas, none of it was coming from Popovic’s boss, who instead delivered an endorsement for the Socceroos coach. “Every fan believes he’s a great national coach, right?” said Football Australia chief executive Martin Kugeler.

It sounded like a contentious statement, but until you realise the “he” in the sentence was referring to a fan, not the Socceroos coach. Either way, Popovic is a capable manager who has shown he has a place in professional football, and has guided this team out of a challenging World Cup group.

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