Don't give up on Australia just yet, says coach
Australia's besieged coach Graham Arnold has pleaded with the critics not to give up on the Socceroos after their shock Asian Cup loss to Iraq.
Arnold and his underperforming team have been savaged by the Australian media after the 3-1 loss to Iraq on Friday left them in danger of an embarrassing early exit from the tournament.
Australia can still qualify for the quarter-finals if they win their final Group A match against Thailand on Monday and Iraq either win or draw their last game against Oman, but will need to produce a dramatically improved performance.
Arnold, whose position is likely to come under intense scrutiny after the loss, has promised his team will be much better on Monday, urging his players for a more committed effort.
"We have to throw everything at Thailand and I think we've got a great chance," Arnold told reporters on Saturday.
"We're back in the position where Australians love to be, and that's underdogs. All Australian sportsmen love a dogfight."
Arnold launched a stinging attack on his players straight after Friday's game, accusing them of lacking commitment.
He initially hinted that he would wield the axe on some of his higher-profile players but had softened his tone when he fronted the media on Saturday.
"The fact is you've got to win the game, you don't go out straight away and throw everything out the door," he said.
"If there is going to be changes it will be down to fatigue, injuries and maybe getting some fresh legs on the field because it's only a short turnaround."
Liverpool forward Harry Kewell said the senior players had accepted full responsibility for the dismal showing against Iraq, and wanted the chance to atone against Thailand.
"The players need to pull their finger out -- and I'm no exception. If you look at my own performance, it was poor," Kewell said.
"We've only got a few days to turn this around - and we have to."
Don't give up on Australia just yet, says coach
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