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As soon as Tony Popovic at last assembled his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach presented a series of standards. Most were unambiguous and concise – ideal in light of the disruption following his sudden appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with fewer than three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “top-tier” mindset to deserve, or keep that honour. But there was an additional message. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown more distinctly into perspective with any step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something special, in my first talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

Approximately a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations remain the same. The coach, for one, appears genuinely settled as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness stands in stark contrast with the open and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become frequent interviews with football media. So too have the performances of his team improved, with thoughts of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia feeling fairly far off after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games against Venezuela, presently ranked 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the remaining games of European qualifying – carry weight in this regard.

Although Popovic concedes that he arrived in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now thinks the group he can call upon has grown. This isn’t just through the emergence of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s attainable with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much beyond this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m sure there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen appearance of talent, and the shift in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those group can hold out hope that, by June next year, they could be on the flight. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – persists to play consistently, then the coach is stating plainly they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a end on that – to announce in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an chance. Why can’t there be an additional player that comes in in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something remarkable and go beyond the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves for being there’.

“I emphasize it to the group: one day, Australia will go deep in the World Cup. And why not this group? Why do we have to wait two or three World Cups, when I’m sitting back and applauding something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”