Christian Montegan 
Popovic's coaching career started with Sydney FC as an assistant back in 2008. Photo: Wikipedia Commons - Camw CC BY-SA 3.0 cropped
From settling in with his family in Croatia for three months to getting the call from Football Australia (FA) to replace the void left by Graham Arnold, new Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has endured a whirlwind seven days.
The former Melbourne Victory, Perth Glory, and Western Sydney Wanderers boss has been handed the delicate responsibility of turning the tide, with Australia having picked up one point in the opening two games of the final round of the 2026 World Cup qualification.
Forget about the five Grand Finals he has lost in the A-League, Popovic is a proven winner having helped guide the Wanderers to a historic Asian Champions League crown in 2014 along with two A-league premierships.
The way Popovic spoke during his inaugural press conference alongside FA CEO James Johnson was impressive and provided an honest assessment.
When asked about balancing a pragmatic approach and entertaining the Australian public, his answer was quite fascinating.
“I think if you win, the public is on board,” Popovic said.
“When you win, there will always be the discussion of how can we do it better, and that’s a good discussion, it’s the right discussion. But we need to win. Australia needs to be qualifying for World Cups.
“It’s always okay to win ugly. That’s not to say you’re planning to play that way. When you win is actually when you should be even more detailed on how you should get better. We should look for the details when we win. I’ll never be satisfied if we win and don’t play well. I’ll be satisfied with the win, but we need to make sure that the style gets better.
“If you have that expectation of a good playing style [then] great, keep asking the question. But you should also have an expectation of winning.”
This appointment highlights the growth and depth of domestic coaches to the point where the FA is not reliant on scouting foreign alternatives. However, can the Socceroos “ethos” that Popovic eluded to in his press conference containing hard work ethic and fighting spirit be enough to gain positive results and display attacking football simultaneously?
Round Ball Australia analyses what Socceroos fans should expect from Popovic in a new era for Australian football.
Similar Tactical Approach Mirroring Arnold
Graphics: Jacob Stevens, created with Flourish
During his time at Melbourne Victory, Popovic was in favour of a 4-2-3-1 formation with a double pivot and maintained a strong identity between the defensive four and the midfield block.
This setup strikes similarities with Arnold’s identical approach in the 1-0 defeat against Bahrain to open proceedings for the third-round of the 2026 World Cup qualification.
Expect minimal changes due to the quick turnaround and the squad already being familiar with a playing style that requires less time to run through on the training park.
Similarly to Arnold, adaptability and variation are conceivable under Popovic, who is courageous enough to make adequate changes before and during match play when he sees fit.
Solid Defensive Foundation
One of the main criticisms directed at Tony Popovic’s Socceroos appointment which has created skepticism is a heavy reliance on defensive structure, creating a recipe for less attractive football.
The former Crystal Palace player grew up as a centre-back and plied his trade in that position throughout a successful career. Usually, it is born defenders who emphasise the critical importance of defending.
It is no coincidence that Victory possessed either the best or second-best defensive record in the A-League throughout Popovic’s three-year tenure based on goals conceded from an expected goals (xG) standpoint.
Although this has not been a major concern for Arnold over the years, Popovic will add something different that his predecessor could not – whether that be shifting personnel to allow Alessandro Circati to play in his natural position at centre-back or a particular style playing out from the back.
Measured Transition and Final Third Productivity
There will be times when the Socceroos transition in possession from defence to attack in a split second, but ‘PopaBall’ is not ‘AngeBall.’
Popovic prioritises possession and control over anything else, meaning he is more than content for his players to slow down the game instead of always proceeding forward at all costs.
There were examples last season where Zinedine Machach reverted to the easy pass back to full-back Jason Geria to ensure the team could reset by not forcing the issue.
Goalscoring and lack of final third productivity was a major problem for parts of last season due to the build-up play becoming passive and less threatening, not helped by playing one pass too many around the 18-yard box.
A player such as Nestory Irankunda could perhaps break that trend and become the focal point in solving that particular question mark – not afraid to take the game by the scruff of the neck and create spaces for the rest of the attack to exploit.
Pragmatism and Caution After Securing a Lead
Seven of Melbourne Victory’s 11 wins (excluding the shoot-out against Melbourne City) last campaign saw Popovic come away with a favourable one-goal margin.
The room for error is usually razor thin, opting to protect the lead first and foremost as opposed to killing the game off and advancing numbers forward for the sealer.
Around the 70-80th minute mark, Popovic will gradually administer a low block, covering the defence and instructing his players to sit deeper as the match progresses.
Although this tactical method has worked for Popovic in the past, it has also acted as his biggest downfall.
Midfielder Jake Brimmer was introduced in the first minute of added time in the second half against the Central Coast Mariners in the Grand Final earlier this year, but Victory conceded a late equaliser moments later to send the match into extra time and suffer defeat.
Once the defensive change was made, it made it extremely difficult for Popovic’s side to switch back into offensive mode for the extra 30 minutes, with Brimmer seemingly lost as to how far to drop and which spaces to cover.
New Staff Personnel
When asked if hiring fresh faces in the coaching staff, Popovic admitted that it’s a possibility.
“That’s something we’ll have a look at tonight, tomorrow [and] make an assessment on the existing staff,” he said. “If people come in, it’s to make the program better. It won’t be a change for change’s sake, likewise with the players.”
There were reports on Tuesday that former Manchester United and current Socceroos assistant René Meulensteen and Socceroos goalkeeper coach John Crawley could be shown the door by Popovic.
There were also reports that Hayden Foxe and Marko Rudan are the main front runners for the assistant manager role.
Popovic could also turn to Arthur Diles and Davide Del Giovine to replace Meulensteen and Crawley.
Diles worked alongside Popovic as an assistant at Melbourne Victory last season, previously working together at the Western Sydney Wanderers and during Popovic’s time in Greece with Xanthi.
Between 2015 and 2017 when Popovic was still in charge at the Wanderers, Del Giovine was the club’s goalkeeping coach and joined Victory in the same role last season. Former Socceroo and AC Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac could also be an option as the 51-year-old collaborated with Popovic in Greece as a goalkeeper coach.