Ange Postecoglou says he took over Socceroos at worst possible time because of the challenge Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has had an interesting first year in charge. ANGE Postecoglou doubts there could have been a worse time for him to take charge of the Socceroos, but it was the type of coaching challenge he lived for. Australian football was on its knees when Postecoglou was named national coach in October last year. The Socceroos had suffered humiliating 6-0 losses to Brazil and France, defeats which cost Holger Osieck his job, and saved little face with a 3-0 win over an awful Canada under caretaker coach Aurelio Vidmar. Postecoglou didn't need the gig. He had just started his second season in charge of Melbourne Victory, where he had been hailed as the Messiah after being poached from the all-conquering Brisbane Roar, who he had turned from a rabble into the best team in A-League history. OPINION: Why Ange has earned our patience But the former Socceroos fullback seemingly doesn't like to bask in the glory for too long. Instead, he thrives on adversity, so when his country came calling, he couldn't resist. "Any other coach in his right mind would have looked at that situation and said "I am on a hiding to nothing here" ... it was the worst time to take over, but that's why I took the job," Postecoglou said in Osaka ahead Australia's clash with Asian champions Japan on Tuesday night. I love those kind of challenges, and I think I coach best under those circumstances. Do you have confidence Ange Postecoglou is the right man for the job? And just as Postecoglou predicted, it has been anything but smooth sailing since his first game in charge a year ago, a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Sydney. Since that night, the regenerating Socceroos have played another 10 matches and won just one of them. It's hardly the form that inspires confidence ahead of the Asian Cup in January in Australia. However, in the words of key attacker Tim Cahill, one of the few of the older generation kept around by Postecoglou, there is a "method to the madness." I had a look at it and thought ... if I am going to take on this task, let's do it the way I envisage to do it. The timing would never have been good,"" Postecoglou said in explaining his decision to bring fresh blood to the Socceroos setup and end the international careers of a handful of senior players, including previous skipper Lucas Neill. Ange Postecoglou says it was the challenge that appealed to him. I could have done it after the World Cup and people would have said the Asian Cup is just around the corner. We have fallen into that trap before. I don't think it's ever the appropriate time. You have just got to make that decision. If I had looked at it and said this team needs to wait until after the World Cup (to regenerate), I probably would not have taken the job in the first place. Postecoglou is happy to roll with the punches when it comes to criticism of the team's performances particularly post-World Cup. Since an admirable, albeit fruitless effort at Brazil 2014, the Socceroos have lost to Qatar and Belgium, been held to a 0-0 draw by the United Arab Emirates, and showed defensive frailties in a 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia. "Some will understand what you are doing, others won't and others won't want to understand what you are doing," Postecoglou said. People can form an opinion and express it. If it's criticism or praise, it doesn't affect what I am doing. I have stuck pretty dogmatically to the vision I had about making sure we regenerated the team. That was the number one desire I had. Yes, since the World Cup our results have been patchy and our performances have been patchy, but in terms of the overall picture of broadening our depth of players, and giving them exposure and trying to create a (tough) environment ... I have had 11 or 12 games (in charge) and only have had two at home. That's been done by my design. I want to create as difficult and challenging a proposition as I can for this group of players because some of them are getting selected into the national team probably before their form has warranted it, but we have to do that. Wherever I have gone I have had success, and I plan to have success here. People judge me on the World Cup (and) they will judge me on the Asian Cup. I am comfortable. Postecoglou knows that in the ruthless world of coaching, his five-year contract will mean nothing if results don't improve. But whenever his time is up, he hopes that his hard work of turning the Socceroos into a bold side, a team that chases victory rather than settles for an admirable draw, won't have been a waste of time. "I certainly hope that we continue to play a proactive style of game and encourage our teams to be really positive in the way they play their football," Postecoglou said. I'd hate to think we go back again and start taking a defensive mindset to games, because that doesn't represent our country well and I don't think that's where football is heading.