Ange Postecoglou has a big job ahead of him if he is to bring the Australian team together and truly contest the World Cup New coach Ange Postecoglou will lead the Socceroos in the World Cup. Pic Darren England. FROM the moment Holger Osieck's papers were marked 60 minutes into the disastrous 6-0 loss to France at Parc des Princes, you could have sewn the initials AP on one of those gaudy green and gold tracksuits. Yes, Frank Lowy got out his smart phone and flipped through the numbers of the high profile international coaches the well-connected FFA chairman calls friends. Although only out of respect for their genuine bone fines, not because either had any more chance of getting the job than Diego Maradona. Postecoglou's name has been not so much whispered as screamed in the hallways of Football Federation for months. It remained only for the stubborn Osieck's tenure to die from mostly self-inflicted wounds. Understandably, Arnold was miffed that his name has been raised when he had neither been approached, or applied, for the job. Central Coast's championship winning coach is, clearly, a proud man. Arnold did not want his name and reputation to be part of a charade. Ange Postecoglou will have to be a very special coach indeed to overcome the job at hand. They had run a close eye over Postecoglou and were particularly impressed by his work during the All Stars game Manchester United and the Victory-Liverpool game. That he will not merely be the Socceroos' coach, but the "Face of the Game." The Socceroos' Qantas sponsorship has not yet been replaced. Refusing to use his five year contract as a crutch, Postecoglou pledged the most competitive performance possible at next year's World Cup. They need one who can - unlike the taciturn, defensive Osieck - sell hope. But with deep conviction and, preferably, a tinge of good humour. Gallop rightly defers to his technical advisers on "football matters." But the chief executive is well aware of Postecoglou's popularity. The way that, unlike the fly-in fly-out import, he can galvanise support for a long-term campaign and form a barrier against unreasonable expectations. Not merely live and die by his next result. Of course, winning games - starting with next month's friendly against Costa Rica - is the most effective way Postecoglou can regenerate the Socceroos. That won't be easy. He must address the thorny issue of generational change, starting with struggling captain Lucas Neill. Opening statement in Ashes debate David Warner. GIVEN the usually subdued atmosphere, this might seem like recommending a night of Balinese puppet theatre or watching an entire week of breakfast television. But if you are not doing something more compelling, like rotating the tyres on the family sedan or cleaning out the goldfish bowl, you might want to get to a Sheffield Shield game in the next week or two. Yes, seriously. Starting with the NSW-Tasmania game at the superbly named Blacktown International Sportspark on Wednesday, where there will be an odd couple showdown for Test selection. By blasting three centuries in the Ryobi Cup, NSW opener David Warner has, in some eyes, re-established his place in the Test team for the Gabba. But it seems prudent to see if Warner can make a few red marks in the middle of his bat before assuming he can inflict similar punishment on England quicks James Anderson and Stuart Broad this summer. Meanwhile, for Tasmania, the forgotten man of the last Ashes series Ed Cowan gets the chance to push his claims for reinclusion at the Gabba. There, Cowan could be part of a dream team opening combination with another admirably orthodox batsman Chris Rogers - at least for those of us who admire the work of real, old-fashioned openers. Cowan's watchful manner has not impressed everyone. However, having been forced to bat at No. 3 when Shane Watson insisted on opening, then being stricken by illness during the first Test, he deserves, at the very least, the consideration of the selectors. And, hopefully, the presence of more than the usual handful of Sheffield Shield tragics.