New Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has made an instant impact on players by demanding greater intensity, midfield stalwart Jackson Irvine says.
Popovic has had just three days with the bulk of his Socceroos squad to prepare for a crunch World Cup qualifier against China in Adelaide on Thursday night.
But Popovic’s renowned fervour is already rubbing off on players.
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“Everyone is on their toes,” Irvine told reporters on Wednesday.
“Everyone knows that when when change happens, that what was the status quo before is definitely not going to be the case.
“You’ve got to be sharp and ready.
“And that’s the expectation we always have within this group but obviously that is amplified when a new situation comes up.
“The initial demand for intensity from him is going to be probably what draws that out in a lot of ways, because we’ve got players who are capable of playing that way.
“… Everyone has got to bring that new intensity and that new dynamic and energy that we need to lift.
“A new situation brings that out in people naturally but definitely there has been a change in the environment already, the intensity has gone up.
“The demand from him, from our initial conversations, is … that is going to be the one thing, the standard, that we have to really raise.”
Australia host China at Adelaide Oval with both nations in precarious positions after two games in the fresh phase of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
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Graham Arnold quit as coach after two bitter results last month – a scoreless away draw in Indonesia followed a shock 0-1 loss to Bahrain on the Gold Coast.
Those results leave Australia with one point and in fifth place in the six-nation group, above only China, who have lost both games.
Kusini Yengi is sent off for a high boot. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Socceroos travel to play unbeaten group leaders Japan on October 15 after hosting China, which has become a vital fixture.
Only the top two nations secure direct passage to the cup and the third- and fourth-placed countries are pitched into another qualifying phase.
Irvine acknowledged the high stakes of the China game but was adamant the Socceroos under Popovic would revel in the pressure.
“We understand the circumstances surrounding the game,” he said.
“But we have such a good group of players and great characters and guys that are capable of performing under that pressure – but also putting it to one side and focusing on just getting the performance right.
“And when we get that right, then the result will come.”
Join The Roar’s Stuart Thomas for a live blog of the do-or-die clash from 7:40pm (AEDT) on Thursday evening.
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