Soccer-Australia coach Postecoglou defends poor Asian Cup buildup

MELBOURNE, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Australia coach Ange Postecoglou believes the Socceroos' poor buildup to the Asian Cup is a result of "regeneration" of the squad and says he has no intention of changing the team's playing style to appease critics. Australia, which is hosting the Asian Cup in January, lost to Asian champions Japan 2-1 in Osaka last week, giving Postecoglou a record of one win from 11 matches in charge this year. The Osaka game showcased the problems Postecoglou's young team have encountered throughout their warmup matches, with defensive lapses, a second half fade-out and an over-reliance on ageing forward Tim Cahill to score goals. "The questions are all legitimate," Postecoglou told a chat-show on local broadcaster Fox Sports. "It's not just about me. It's the organisation. "It's football needed us to regenerate and change the style of football. I'm going to fulfil that mission as long as I'm in charge and the whole organisation is right behind me. "I've got no doubt come Asian Cup time, we'll be very, very competitive." Postecoglou replaced German Holger Osieck a year ago and was handed a five-year contract to rejuvenate an ageing team that staggered into the World Cup in Brazil. But the former national youth coach was also charged with making Australia number one in Asia, and an early exit at the Asian Cup on home soil could quickly make his job untenable. Postecoglou said his predecessors, which include Dutchman Pim Verbeek prior to Osieck, had failed to regenerate the team because they knew it would be a painful transition. He added that he would stick to the Socceroos' high-possession, proactive style rather than retreat into a more defensive game in a bid to improve their record in the short-term. "My coaching philosophy is not based around aesthetics, or around what people want to see. It's based around winning," he said. "There's certain basic core principles that I won't ever deviate from because I believe that's what makes me successful, what makes my team successful. That's what makes the players I work with believe in me, and that won't shift. "It won't shift for any short-term, sort of, goings we may do because I know in the long-term it won't work. That's the coach I am. "I've worked really hard with this group of players and the staff to make them believe in something. "If you make somebody believe in something, the worst thing you can do is take it away from them." (Writing by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)