The Socceroos have thrown their support behind coach Ange Postecoglou's controversial tactics, despite a new attacking system failing to deliver in their disappointing 1-1 draw with Iraq.
Australia's chances of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia now hang in the balance after failing to win their past four group games, but a new-look 3-2-4-1 formation has not been blamed by the players for their latest struggles. Australia sits in third position on the table, three points adrift of Saudi Arabia and Japan in the two automatic qualifying spots in the group ahead of their crucial match against the UAE in Sydney on Tuesday night.
The highly-attacking system is likely to be deployed again for their must-win game against the UAE, despite its first test against Iraq on Thursday showing teething problems as Australia were exposed down the flanks, outnumbered in defence at times and susceptible to long-ball attacks.
The players believe the drastic change, particularly from a four-man backline with overlapping fullbacks to just three in defence, is the right step forward and urged patience from the public as they evolve their style of play.
"Even though sometimes it might seem like it's a wrong choice, we know it's the right one because he {Postecoglou] has shown it before, and we've shown it together as a group before, that it works," striker Tomi Juric said.
Questions were raised whether the biggest tactical change in recent history of the Australian national team should have been made in a crucial match with limited preparation due to time constraints. It was not so much an isolated gamble as it was the first step of a new system which is likely to remain in place for the rest of the qualifying campaign after the coaching staff identified it as the best fit for the players available.
It placed a greater defensive load on winger Robbie Kruse, but he says the problems Australia encountered against Iraq were in the players' inability to match their opponents physically as well as their weakness in the air.
"It worked in a lot of ways, but the problem was we lost too much of the aerial battles and that was what really killed us," Kruse said. "If you don't win your headers, it doesn't matter what system you play, you're always going to struggle. They were winning nearly all the flick-ons and that made it difficult for us because we had to track back so far."
Kruse says a heavy, soaked, bumpy pitch at the PAS Stadium in Tehran made it difficult to execute their game plan that adhered to their philosophy of trying to play free-flowing, fluid football. By contrast, he believes Iraq's long-ball game plan was beneficial in the conditions.
"They were playing a lot more route-one football and probably, with the conditions that it was, it was good for them to do that," Kruse said. "But, like the boss and everyone says, we want to stick to the style that we want to play that is going to hopefully get us results when we qualify for the World Cup. Hopefully not just qualify, but make a stamp at the World Cup."
Australia has four games to rescue its chances of sealing direct qualification to the World Cup and avoid an intra-Asia play-off, likely against Uzbekistan or Syria, before a home-and-away play-off against the fourth-placed team from CONCACAF.
Australia plays UAE at Allianz Stadium on Tuesday, before facing Saudi Arabia in Adelaide on June 8. They then travel to Japan on August 31 before hosting Thailand on September 5 in their final group game.
