Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou says the start of their third stage of World Cup qualifying is the culmination of 18 months of preparation. 

The Roos face Iraq at Perth’s NIB Stadium before a trip to the United Arab Emirates to the play the UAE next Tuesday night. 

A number of the squad only arrived on Monday night and some on Tuesday, but Postecoglou said that is the nature of International football. 

‘They literally get off a plane, then have a session and then play. We’ve got some pretty good processes in place,’ he said. 

‘It’s not just about the three days. We’ve kind of been building up for this for eighteen months

‘Everytime we get the guys together it’s not just about preparing for a game.

‘It’s about using every moment we can to make sure they understand the way we want to play.’

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