25 Jan REACTION: The Socceroos get their man in Bert van Marwijk

Adam Peacock and Josh Kennedy have given us their reaction on the appointment of Bert van Marwijk as Australia national team coach.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced on Wednesday that the Dutchman has taken the Socceroos reins for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, replacing Ange Postecoglou who quit in November.

“It’s good that we have appointed someone early on and it hasn’t dragged out for another four or eight weeks,” former Socceroos striker Kennedy told Football Nation.

“To have a big name – he’s coached obviously Holland and Saudi Arabia – been at some big clubs in Germany and in Holland as well.

“Happy and pleased that we’ve got a coach with a good track record.”

Kennedy added: “I can’t imagine him implementing a complicated game plan.

“He’ll have his style and as long as he can have those few warm-up games and friendlies, and pre-World Cup training camps, to really implement his style then he’ll play the way he wants to play.”

The likes of Roberto Mancini, Louis van Gaal, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Jurgen Klinsmann had been thrown into the mix for the job but ultimately, van Marwijk has been hired after leading Saudi Arabia to direct qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Fox Sports football expert Peacock said: “That in itself was a massive achievement.

“I won’t put it above the World Cup final (with Holland in 2010) but it was right up there. Taking a country like Saudi Arabia who had been without success, he’d done very well there.

“A few people might have some misgivings of his style going back to the 2010 World Cup when Holland made the final and it was one of the more brutal finals we’ve ever seen.

“But I look at it more recently and you can only go on what Saudi Arabia did. They were great to watch.

“He allowed his attacking players a bit of freedom. I think he will play a ‘horses for courses’ type style.

“He’ll have a look at what is at his disposal and work out his style form that, rather than vice versa.”

Listen to the van Marwijk reaction on Football Nation below: