Another source echoed the concerns.

“Maybe something fresh will provide the sort of jolt required before we look at the future post this World Cup cycle,” they toldThe Age andThe Sydney Morning Herald.

“It is not just the result against Japan. That is the culmination of things that have been brewing for some time.”

Arnold and the players left on Friday morning to travel to Saudi Arabia for what is now a dead rubber against the Middle Eastern nation who,along with Japan,have qualified directly for Qatar 2022 at Australia’s expense.

Australian names that have been bandied around include former Postecoglou assistant and current Macarthur A-League coachAnte Milicic,who has extensive national team experience,Japan-basedKevin Muscat, who worked with Postecoglou for years at club level and is a former Socceroo captain,and Melbourne Victory coach Tony Popovic, a former Socceroo regular and successful A-League coach.

Other names floated for a one-off assignment include Dutchman Van Marwijk - recently sacked by the UAE,who could be Australia’s Asian play-off opponents - while there wasrecent clamour for Argentine legend Marcelo Bielsa to be approached after he was sacked by Premier League club Leeds this month.

FA is privately seething at the factArnold breached COVID-19 regulations this week when he tested positive for the second time in a matter of months,having broken protocols and left isolation. He was fined $25,000,with FA embarrassed.

Australia were in a strong position to achieve direct qualification earlier,but draws with Saudi Arabia,Oman and China and two defeats to Japan undermined progress.

Criticism of the style of play,tactics and quality of the squad has been mounting as a consequence of the poor results.

Arnold has had to operate under trying COVID-19 circumstances,with Australia forced to play most of their games on the road,and he has been without critical players at important times,as he was for Thursday night’s must-win game against Japan when the likes ofAaron Mooy,Jackson Irvine and Tom Rogic were absent.

Acutely aware of the need for a reboot at all levels of the game,FA is seeking to appoint a “disruptor” for a newly advertised role of chief football officer. The successful candidate will be directed to resolve the problems with the game’s technical development,failures which have blighted the Socceroos recent struggles.

It will probably come too late,however,to salvage this campaign.

Assuming the Socceroos can negotiate a play-off against a Middle Eastern rival - either the UAE,Iraq or Lebanon - few would bet on them troubling the fifth-placed South American nation in an intercontinental play-off.

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