“As far as I know, we live in a free society where you can express your opinions about things, so I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Postecoglou said.

There is a growing buzz about the impact Garang Kuol could have after he made the Socceroos squad. The teenage star has been a revelation for the Central Coast in the A-League and both Postecoglou and his Celtic assistant, Harry Kewell, believe he could be an X-factor in Qatar.

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“I mean, throw him in, that’s why Arnie’s taken him … if you pick someone, you want to use him and hopefully the young kid gets a run.”

Kewell, the youngest player to make his debut for the Socceroos, added: “You can have all the skills in the world, but if you have raw pace and have no fear, that’s something we could bring on.

“Whether that’s at the start, at half-time or in the last 10 minutes, that’s something Graham has at his disposal. I just hope he uses it.”

Kewell admitted it would be a “big ask” for Australia to progress beyond Group D, where they will face France, Denmark and Tunisia

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