Arnold admitted he was a very different coach from when he was last in the green and gold hot seat after taking over from Guus Hiddink in the wake of the 2006 World Cup.

"If there's one thing I am half decent at, it is learning from mistakes," he said today. "I can sit here today and say to you in 2007 I wasn't a coach.

"I inherited a job that I didn't deserve – and I do feel that I've walked away from that a much better coach after making the mistakes I made.

"I can sit down and talk to those guys I coached and I'm actually embarrassed to say I coached them because I didn't coach them in the right way.

"And especially in trying to replace Guus Hiddink – that's like going from the top to the bottom in one go!"

But he added: "I've gone away into clubland here in the A-League and I've worked extremely hard.

"I've learned a lot of lessons by my mistakes and I do feel I deserve this this opportunity. I'm ready for this opportunity and I can't wait..."

He has been reunited with two backroom staff from Sydney FC in strength and conditioning coach Andrew Clark and analyst Doug Kors as well as physio Phil Coles and former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen.

Arnold insisted he had nothing but respect for the work done by his predecessor Ange Postecoglou – despite claims Postecoglou was forced out by supporters backing Arnold.

But he said he was somewhere between Postecoglou's attacking philosophy and World Cup caretaker coach Bert van Marwijk's more defensive mentality.

He added: "I'm a winning coach.

"I think I showed that at Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners and I expect that with a great culture, great winning mentality, the players will do a great job for us.

"It's about getting the players in the right areas to score and playing a style that suits the players. I know these players so well – I've either coached them or coached against them.

"We need to play the Australian way and that is being brave and going out to win every game and expecting to win every game."

He said he had talked to members of the 2006 World Cup Golden Generation recently and they  told him one of the most important times in their career was when they were playing in both the Olyroos and Socceroos which prompted him to take charge of both sides.