Tony Popovic took over the reins of the Socceroos when there was real concern they would not qualify for the World Cup. It’s what he does best: he goes into teams and is a bit of a “Mr Fix It”.
Going into the tournament, there were not great expectations the team would reach the knockout stages – especially after being drawn in such a tough group. But Popovic reverted to a style of play that characterised the Socceroos in a previous era, with a low block, five defenders and limited attacking flair.
