Postecoglou brings forward coaching talks
  Story By Ben McKay     

Sunday, 19 November 2017: Steven Lowy, David Gallop and Ange Postecoglou will share a table this week to decide who will coach Australia at the 2018 World Cup.

A decision on whether Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou leads Australia to the 2018 World Cup will be known this week after the national team coach brought forward the timeline for showdown talks on his future.

Embed from Getty Images

Postecoglou successfully steered Australia to the World Cup with a 3-1 defeat of Honduras at ANZ Stadium.

In the aftermath of the win, Postecoglou said he'd discuss his position with FFA chairman Steven Lowy and chief executive David Gallop by the end of the month.

Now, that's to be expected this week.

"It's going to happen quickly ... we'll have those discussions this week and we'll come to a resolution," he said on ABC television program Offsiders on Sunday.

Postecoglou said he was in two minds about continuing in his job, saying his thoughts "fluctuated".

"I can't say that I'm locked to a position," he said.

"There are things there, that for a whole range of reasons, some are fairly personal, some are private, some are just me as a person, and some are professional, that all need to be put into place.

"What's going to be good for the team is also a consideration."

Postecoglou was at his mercurial best on the panel show, hinting at the discomforts that have clouded his tenure without fully explaining them.

"It's the hardest thing I've ever done," he said of the 22-match qualification pathway.

"The end bit is great and everyone rejoices in that but you think of the starting point and you kind of think of what you had to go through ... particularly the difficult bits where doubt shrouds everything you do.

"I like the midnight shift. I like the hard stuff. And we're getting to dawn and I don't know, I get agitated.

"Maybe it's an endless midnight shift that I'm looking for."

Postecoglou said he felt burdened by his nationality through the process, worrying that failure could lead to future opportunities for Australians to coach the Socceroos drying up.

He denied broken relationships with Gallop or Lowy, saying support from head office had been "100 per cent".

In an interesting twist, Postecoglou offsider Ante Milicic was appointed Olyroos coach on Saturday.

Milicic joined the Socceroos from Western Sydney in the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup and has remained by Postecoglou's side since.

He was heavily linked to a return to the Wanderers in the wake of foundation coach Tony Popovic's resignation - a position that was filled by outgoing Olyroos coach Josep Gombau.

Milicic will remain with the national team setup irrespective of Postecoglou's decision, and will lead Australia's under-23 side at the Asian championships in China in January.