Ange backing 2022 boys for World Cup shock

Former boss Ange Postecoglou has hailed the 2022 World Cup Socceroos for performing "brilliantly" and is not ruling out the prospect they can now cause a sensation by knocking out Argentina.

Postecoglou, back in Glasgow with his Celtic side after a club trip to his native Australia that he hailed as "a great week", believes the class of 2022 are well equipped to capitalise on the bigger teams' problems in Qatar.

The man who guided Australia to the 2014 World Cup and left the job after also steering them through qualification to reach the 2018 tournament, said he wasn't taken aback by the performances of Graham Arnold's men.

"I haven't been surprised by the effort they've put in because that's just in the DNA of Australian footballers and I think it's why they've done so well abroad and why they continue to be an attractive proposition for clubs and leagues this side of the world," said Postecoglou on Friday.

"Their chances against Argentina are, I guess, no different to their chance in any other game. They'll go in an as underdogs, but as we've already seen in this World Cup, quite a few of the bigger nations have struggled for a number of reasons.

"What you've got to do is be ready on the day to to capitalise on that - and I've got no doubt the Aussies will.

"They've done well and the thing about Australians, whatever deficiencies there may be, there's never a shortage of willingness to compete in any sport, football included, and they're done brilliantly to get out of the group.

"And I have no doubt they'll show the same traits against Argentina."

Postecoglou was particularly proud of the efforts of Aaron Mooy, Celtic's experienced midfielder who has excelled in a leadership role in steering the Socceroos to the last-16 clash with Argentina.

"It's great for Aaron to be a key part of that. I'm really proud for our football club that he's done so well." 

It's not just Mooy that Postecoglou has been following closely. Celtic have three others who've been performing with distinction to make the last 16 in the World Cup - Croatia's Josip Juranovic, American Cameron Carter-Vickers and Japan's Daizen Maeda.

"I think it's going to be of great benefit to us that our players have been exposed to that level of football and have done well."

Back to domestic matters, though, Postecoglou prompted laughs when he offered his opinion on the recent managerial change at Celtic's great Glasgow rivals Rangers, with Michael Beale replacing the sacked Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.

"On the scale of things that have been on my mind over the last two weeks," mused Postecoglou, "I reckon that's registering below what I'm having for dinner tonight."