Arnold wants team to entertain fans

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold is set to unleash a fast, mobile and entertaining team on Kuwait when they clash at Aussie Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday night (kick-off at 7.30pm).

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold is set to unleash a fast, mobile and entertaining team on Kuwait when they clash at Aussie Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday night (kick-off at 7.30pm).

What the team, made up entirely of players from the Hyundai A-League, lacks in international experience, can be made up for by the sheer enthusiasm of the players and the fact it will be a very mobile side, which is very much in the Hiddink-mould of play.

Despite the relative inexperience of the side, Arnold is expecting his side to put on good performance for the fans, who have sold out Aussie Stadium.

"I want to put a show on every time," Arnold said, when asked if he felt the team needed to entertain the crowd.

"I'll be saying to them before the game go out and do your job defensively and in attack, but let's entertain.

"We've got entertainers on the field. Archie Thompson, David Carney, Travis Dodd and Steve Corica, they're entertainers, so I want them to release themselves from the pressure and entertain."

Arnold made no secret that he has tried to carry on the legacy of his predecessors in Frank Farina and Guus Hiddink, with particular reference to Hiddink-s player to be adaptable and mobile.

“(Our) Strengths are pace, mobility, adaptability,” Arnold said. “I think we have got players that can play in several roles like we-ve been working on and they are guys that have been patient in their careers.

"We've got a very fast forward line tomorrow night, as well as a very mobile midfield, where if anything we've probably got a little bit more mobility in this side than we did at the World Cup."

“They are guys that will be very proud to wear the Australian shirt tomorrow night and they have the Australian mentality, and the Australian mentality is that they will never lay down and they will give 110%.

While the night will mark a personal milestone for Arnold in his coaching career, in typical style, Arnold said this will be a night for many players to make a statement.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the players and all John and myself have tried to do, is get them well organized and give them the best possible chance of being successful.

“Whoever does come in and take over, they will get a DVD of the game and they (the players) will get the opportunity to show that person that they should be here in the long run; that they are capable of standing up for the World Cup in 2010.

“I am very confident with this group of players; it-s an exciting occasion not only for myself, to be a born Sydneysider coaching here in Sydney, but also for all these players. They are all excited and there are a lot of new caps, while there are guys like Joel Griffiths, Mark Milligan and David Carney, who have come off the bench and only played 15 minutes.

“On the personal side of it, of course I want to do well; of course I want to win, I want to bat for the Australian coaches, as I believe we have a lot of talent in this country.”

While Arnold doesn-t want to put too many expectations on this team, he has stressed to players that a getting a result, preferably a win, will make the task of qualifying much easier.

"We win tomorrow night we're through to the Asian Cup and that's a big goal,” he said. "Winning tomorrow night will make it easier for everybody for the rest of the year.”

With Aussie Stadium all but sold out for the clash, Arnold would like to see a World Cup style atmosphere inside the ground.

"They'll be 42,000 yellow shirts out there, and I really hope it's going to be a World Cup atmosphere.”

He is hoping the inclusion of eight Sydney FC players will help alleviate any stage fright the players might have, given they played in front of a full house in last year-s Hyundai A-League Grand Final and are familiar with the ground and how it plays.

However their final session on the ground was halted when a 20-minute hailstorm struck Sydney soon after they started training, with the pitch taking a lot of water.

The match can be seen live on SBS (AEST), while the FFA website will also have a Live Match Commentary and Stats of the match.