That's the blunt warning coming from Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, who doubles as the national U-23s coach.

He is deeply concerned about the player development pool below the national team.

The former Socceroo striker says Australia’s national teams need more underage sides if they are to keep up with the rapidly growing AFC, particularly South-East Asia.

“The way Asian football is set up is not the same way as Australia’s national teams,” he told FTBL.

“Asian national teams go from 16s, 17s, 18s, 19s and 20s, and 22s that go into 23s.

“We go 17s, then nothing, 20s then nothing, then 23s.”

 

Arnie is concerned about the player development pipeline below the Socceroos

This is just one of a shopping list of issues for incoming FFA Technical Director Rob Sherman, who begins late next month following a nine-month search by Oxford St. 

Sherman has said he’ll review the existing landscape, to ensure world best practice for “elite youth development including resourcing and the requirements for elite national teams”.

Arnold is hoping this results in greater emphasis on age national teams, and he pointed to the only player over the last five years who’d gone through the current national team pipeline structure and blossomed.

“That was Daniel Arzani. It’s a big black hole,” Arnold concluded.

“And that black hole needs to be filled. I’m not being negative I want to be positive and I want to help the kids.

“They need games and development and they need international football. But if we’re going to be in Asia, we need to get in line with Asia.”