To see Kosmina's first training session in charge...

Kosmina appeared to suggest Milligan didn't deserve his place in the Australian World Cup squad before the tournament last year.

But today he was quick to set the record straight at his first Sydney training session with the Socceroo who proved to be a star at the Asian Cup.

"I never said I wasn't impressed with him," insisted Kosmina today. "What I said was that he should count his blessings.

"As a young bloke in his first senior year in football, he ends up in the World Cup squad.

"There's no doubting his ability or potential. That never was a problem. Sometimes paths open up for a guy to show his potential and he was lucky with that.

"That's all I was saying. It wasn't a question about his ability."

Kosmina said he wasn't intending to make any changes to the side's captaincy, currently held by Tony Popovic, but which has also seen the armband worn by Milligan, Mark Rudan and David Zdrilic in the past.

But the team's defensive line-up could be in for a reshuffle.

"I'll organise things the way I organise them," he said. "If the players respond and it works then we've fixed it.

"If the players do what I ask them to and it doesn't work, then it's my fault. I'll have a look at things overall but we've got enough experience there."

To see Kosmina's first training session in charge...