“I’m much more comfortable today than I was four years ago,” James Johnson says. It’s just over a week on from the confirmation that Tony Gustavsson would not be returning as coach of the Matildas and the Football Australia chief executive is back in his Barangaroo office, now part of the unit entrusted with finding a replacement. Perhaps just as pertinently, Johnson is also reviewing the past four years and mapping out what’s to come next on and off the field.
Because while FA will appoint someone with the same title as Gustavsson in the months ahead, their tenure will be marked by significantly different challenges. Not only is the hunt on for someone capable of leading the Matildas into a home Asian Cup in 2026 – winning that not an unfair expectation – but also ushering in a period of squad rejuvenation and renewal.
