Explosive claim for our 'golden generation'

1 year ago 61

Leading shot commentator Andy Harper has made the eye-catching assertion that Guus Hiddink "underachieved" with the famed 2006 World Cup squad erstwhile compared to Graham Arnold's upstarts successful Qatar.

Arnold's unfancied Socceroos became the 2nd Australian squad to suffice for the circular of 16 astatine a elder men's World Cup, claiming upset radical wins implicit Tunisia and Denmark earlier giving Lionel Messi's Argentina an almighty fright.

Harper described Arnold arsenic a "national hero" and said his achievements had "shaken the tree" erstwhile ranking all-time Socceroos performances.

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Arnold has 'put himself successful store window'

"I'm prepared to accidental that what Graham Arnold has achieved with this radical of players makes the antecedently named aureate procreation - coached by the large Guus Hiddink - really they've underachieved," Harper said connected Nine's Wide World of Sports radio.

"And I don't say that to instrumentality thing distant from that accomplishment (in 2006) necessarily, alternatively than elevate this 1 - who I present notation to arsenic the Cinderella generation."

The 2006 Socceroos mislaid to eventual champions Italy successful the circular of 16 with a squad that included all-time Australian greats Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Lucas Neill.

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The unheralded people of 2022, meanwhile, scuffled done qualifying earlier turning it connected erstwhile it mattered most.

Football Australia brag James Johnson has each but assured Graham Arnold of a caller woody arsenic Socceroos manager - if helium wants to judge it.

Harper suggested it wouldn't beryllium a straightforward decision.

"You'd person to beryllium tempted to suggest to him: 'why don't you permission connected the eventual precocious of being a nationalist leader due to the fact that it's going to beryllium hard to backmost that up'," helium said.

"What much tin helium present implicit the adjacent 4 years is simply a question to discuss."

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