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Socceroos coach Graham Arnold is a very resilient guy – and given his challenging upbringing, it’s easy to see why.
Growing up in the south of Sydney, it was clear to many that Faye and Barry Arnold’s youngest son was a talent on the pitch.
But whatever Graham did on the football field in his early years, it apparently wasn’t good enough for his father, who was an alcoholic.
At the age of eight, the budding striker – who went on to play professionally in the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan – once had to walk 5km home after a performance that Arnold Sr. did not like.
Even as an adult—and playing for Australia—Arnold’s old man was not one to dish out praise.
On 12 March 1989, his son had scored two goals in Socceroos’ 4-1 win over New Zealand in a World Cup qualifier at Sydney Football Stadium.
Graham Arnold is loved by his players – and wears his heart on his sleeve (pictured, with Ajdin Hrustic after beating Peru in June)
Arnold was Guus Hiddink’s assistant at the 2006 World Cup – and the Dutch maestro showed the favor in a recent friendly against New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium
The next day, Graham called his father to ask for his thoughts on the Trans-Tasman clash.
Despite ending up with braces to his name, Barry Arnold labeled his son “a disgrace” and emphasized “the two he missed” before hanging up.
Talk about hard love.
Arnold’s beloved mother died when he was just 20 of cancer – and before she died, she had some life advice that he took to heart.
“You have something special,” she told him in his teens. ‘Make the best of it. Don’t be a bum like your friends.’
Arnold listened. Drinking stopped, as did working as a carpenter.
He set out to become a professional soccer player and after making a name for himself with Sydney United in the National Soccer League, Europe was the next step.
Roda in the Dutch Eredivisie followed, with further successful stints at Liège and Charleroi, as well as NAC Breda and Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan.
Arnold returned in 1998 as Northern Spirit’s captain of the NSL – and while that experience was a mixed success, it sowed the seeds for full-time coaching.
In 2000, the father of three became an assistant coach for the Socceroos, eventually having a crack in the A-League as head coach at Central Coast from 2010.
Together with Ange Postegoclou, he is arguably the league’s best manager ever, winning titles with the Mariners and Sydney FC.
Arnold endured 20 matches – in 10 countries – over 1008 days to qualify for the 2022 World Cup
Four years ago, he replaced Postegoclou at the helm of the Socceroos – and against all odds, he qualified for Qatar in June.
A total of 20 matches – in 10 countries – over 1008 days tell the story.
When attention soon shifts to the Middle East, it will be Australia’s fifth consecutive World Cup – a far cry from the ongoing disappointment between 1974 and 2006.
But despite his achievements in the world game, Arnold remains a polarizing figure.
As the head coach of the national team, that’s part of the territory, but the criticism he receives is scathing and often inexorable.
Even former Socceroo teammates have kicked Arnold while he was on the ground, most notably goalkeeper Mark Bosnich.
After the 2-2 draw with Oman in February, many people called for Arnold to stop – and the only time Manchester United were the goalkeeper who didn’t mince words on SEN Radio.
Arnold has faced many opponents, including former Socceroos teammate Mark Bosnich
Rising talent Garang Kuol hasn’t started a professional match in his career – but his x-factor was enough for Arnold to name him in his World Cup squad
“This comes down to the manager,” Bosnich said at the time.
“I’ve known Graham Arnold since I was 14, we’ve had good times and bad times.
“I really think Football Australia needs to think seriously as we go into the play-off whether Graham Arnold is the right man to lead us into those play-off games.”
Considering Arnold supported Bosnich through his drug embarrassment where he was fired by Chelsea, it was an odd move from the Stan Sport personality.
Come, who must win play-off games in Doha, United Arab Emirates, were the first obstacle for the Socceroos, with a gritty 2-1 win on June 8 that set up a showdown with Peru.
The reluctant encounter six days later – where Australia was the better side – went to penalties, with Arnold making the biggest bet of his coaching career – replacing Mat Ryan with A-League journeyman Andrew Redmayne.
Not an impulsive decision, Arnold and goalkeeping coach John Crawley came up with the idea, well aware that the goal-line dancing antics of the ‘Grey Wiggle’ could rattle the Peruvians.
Countless football fans were stunned, and if the Socceroos had lost, Arnold believes he would have been “the most hated man in Australia.”
Andrew Redmayne was the unexpected hero for the Socceroos in their epic World Cup victory over Peru in June via penalty kicks – and he will warm up the bench in Qatar
Defender Trent Sainsbury (pictured, right with wife Elissa) is Graham Arnold’s son-in-law – but family ties weren’t enough to see the 30-year-old on the plane to Qatar with Australia’s World Cup squad
Luckily for him, they won in epic fashion, with Redmayne denying Alex Valera from 40 feet away to kick off euphoric celebrations.
Arnold had once again defied the critics, but the opponents were once again in force and led to the World Cup in Qatar.
‘Worst Australian team ever’ is the opinion of many keyboard warriors on social media, while other haters go a step further and boldly declare that the Socceroos will not score a goal against France, Tunisia and Denmark in Group D.
As he always does, Arnold will reinforce and prepare his team to shock the world.
Legendary Dutch manager Guus Hiddink, who had Arnold as his right man for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, is immensely proud of his former protégé.
“You work with people, not machines,” Hiddink told the… Sydney Morning Herald.
‘After that World Cup (2006), Arnie said to me: ‘Is coaching my job? Is it what I have to do?’ I said, ‘Of course it is.’ (And) he has developed perfectly.’