Stand-in Vidmar applauds 'gutsy' Osieck Caretaker Socceroos coach Aurelio Vidmar says Australia will benefit from Holger Osieck's "gutsy" World Cup plans, but won't say if he'll put his head on the coaching chopping block. As a search for Osieck's replacement continues, Vidmar said he was blindsided by the sacking of the German after 6-0 defeats to both Brazil and France. Vidmar, who was Osieck's assistant for the two losses which cost Osieck his job, will take charge of the Socceroos for a friendly against Canada in London on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AEDT). Osieck made courageous decisions to schedule the away fixtures in Brazil and France against world-class opposition, he said. "He could have opted to play some weaker opposition," Vidmar told reporters in London. But, for me, I think that was a gutsy move because there's no point going into a World Cup going into the unknown. Vidmar refused to say whether he wanted the head coaching job. "At this stage, I don't even want to talk about any of that," he said. But he hinted another international coach was more likely than an Australian boss such as Ange Postecoglou or Graham Arnold. We are all under scrutiny - staff, players, the whole lot. That is what normally happens when someone gets dismissed," he said. Dutchman Guus Hiddink is a frontrunner to replace Osieck with other foreign candidates including former Chile and Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa and ex-Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo. Australia have already qualified for the World Cup starting next June, with Socceroos midfielder Mile Jedinak adamant a new coach had enough time to rescue the campaign. "It's eight months still," Jedinak told reporters in London. Jedinak said players were "taken aback" by Osieck's sacking on Saturday, just hours after the final whistle against France.