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Australia reaches for panic button after Qatar loss

By Reuters - Oct 15,2014 - Last updated at Oct 15,2014

MELBOURNE — Amid the time-worn cliches of “learning curves” and “wake-up calls” murmured by Australia’s downcast players in the wake of their dismal 1-0 loss to Qatar, it took stalwart midfielder Mark Bresciano to cut to the heart of the matter.

“There’s something not right [and] we’ve got to fix it because it is getting close,” the 34-year-old told reporters after Tuesday’s defeat in Doha triggered alarm bells Down Under.

Bresciano was referring to the Asian Cup, which Australia host in three months and where organisers have pinned their hopes on a successful Footballoos campaign to soak up the huge costs of staging the continental showpiece.

After completing a barren Middle Eastern tour, the Australians head off to their respective clubs and some may be grateful to return to their relative anonymity in Europe.

The few heading home to play in the country’s A-League will not be expecting to be mobbed by welcoming fans at local airports.

Following a scoreless draw with United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Friday, a match in which forward Tim Cahill’s absence for all but 13 minutes was keenly felt, coach Ange Postecoglou dismissed criticism as: “Heard it all before.”

After the Qatar loss, in which the team’s main strike weapon Cahill started on the pitch, the 49-year-old was not quite so blase.

“I keep saying I’m making these decisions and I’m making them for a reason and that’s probably costing us in terms of performance and in terms of fluency,” he told reporters after his shake-up of the side fell spectacularly flat.

“But it is what it is and I take responsibility because I’m making these decisions.”

A successful coach at club level, Postecoglou took the job from sacked German Holger Osieck a year ago amid much fanfare.

Given a five-year mandate to rebuild a team, he was also granted a free pass to blood new players at the Brazil World Cup and enjoyed a very generous assessment of the team’s first round exit from the finals after three straight losses.

Being beaten by the world’s best is one thing, but losing to Asian minnows is another and Postecoglou now holds an indefensible record of one win from 10 matches this year.

Long fancying themselves masters of their own backyard, Australia is now ranked 84th in the world and ninth in Asia, behind teams like Jordan (69th) and Oman (76th).

Australia plays its final Asian Cup warm-up against reigning champions Japan in Osaka in November and has just over a month to work out how to score goals.

“Not far from panic,” former Australia goalkeeper and television pundit Mark Bosnich commented after the Qatar loss.

Postecoglou maintained a calmer front, dismissing any effect the defeat would have on the Footballoos’ confidence before the Asian Cup.

“No, because I’m kind of manufacturing this,” he said.

“I’m making it as hard as possible, so the players will be fine. They’ll be ready to go.

“We’re putting these challenges to them for a reason and I think in the long run it will be good for us.”

Bresciano, a veteran of three World Cups and with Cahill, one of the last of the Footballoos’ “golden generation”, has long provided laser-sharp delivery and duly torpedoed Postecoglou’s “it’s all part of the plan” defence.

“Personally I think a big improvement [is needed],” he said.

“If we’re going to have any chance of winning, games like tonight we shouldn’t be losing.

“The football in the Gulf region has improved dramatically in recent years. We’re going through this transition with the young boys coming in and maybe the standard has dropped a little bit.”

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