SYDNEY, May 19 - Australia coach Graham Arnold
has hatched a new plan to help Socceroos striker Mark Viduka
convert his brilliant form with English club Middlesbrough on
to the international stage.
Viduka has scored 19 goals for Middlesbrough this season
and Arnold is hoping he can continue his streak for Australia
at the Asian Cup in July.
Viduka has a modest goal-scoring record for Australia,
finding the net just six times in 38 appearances, but Arnold
believes he has found a solution.
The powerfully-built striker has always played a lone hand
up front, spending most of his time with his back to goal and
holding the ball up until his team mates arrive.
But Arnold said he plans to play more men up front during
the Asian Cup take the focus and pressure off Viduka.
"One thing we can improve on and what we are trying to do
is to have more players around Mark to run off him," Arnold
told the Total Football television programme.
"You see how strong he is to hold the ball up even in the
Premier League their strong defenders cannot hold him up when
he is in that time of form and strength.
"We (should) have three guys around him doing all his leg
work and let him stay in the penalty box where he is so
dangerous."
Arnold said he hoped to use his new strategy when Australia
play Uruguay in a friendly at Sydney's Olympic stadium on June
2.
The Socceroos will also play a friendly in Singapore on
June 30 before moving to Thailand four days later for the start
of the Asian Cup.
Australia, who are one of the favourites to win the
tournament, are in the same group as Thailand, Oman and Iraq.
The Asian Cup features the top 16 teams from the region and
runs from July 7-29 in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and
Vietnam.