Craig Foster

Very good.

Qatar had no answer for excellent organisation without the ball - couldn’t play through to create, getting caught repeatedly in back third in buildup.

First half excellent.

New generation continue to develop, emerge, given opportunities.

A good exercise.

Correct decision. It is good to see a resolution and that the match will go ahead. Although no longer part of looming Asian Cup preparation, every match is important.

It has raised serious concerns, however, about the safety and protection of players.

The first obligation of a governing body when fielding a national team of any age, gender or form of the game, is to ensure their complete safety.

Any player or staff member with safety concerns must be free to withdraw, without consequence of any kind, and if multiple players have serious concerns once fully briefed, a match should be moved, postponed or cancelled immediately.

The players made clear their concerns over recent weeks, in an environment where the Australian Government has an elevated risk assessment for Jordan, and Indonesia pulled out of their match due to safety concerns.

It is very important that no other factors, whether commercial or political, are relevant when it comes to the individual and collective safety of national team players and staff.

And the rule is very simple - no player may ever be pressured into playing in an unsafe country or setting.

Let us ensure that is always the case.

news.com.au/sport/football…

There’s always a quid pro quo.

Wenger should be very careful in how he responds.

Sadly, it was Platini’s meeting with French President Sarkozy in 2010 along with Qatari representatives, and subsequent massive investment by Qatari interests in French football rights, PSG, and his change of vote to Qatar for 2022 that buried the career of a playing legend.

Were Trump to publicly campaign for Infantino, and mobilise (or extort) other politicians for Infantino, it would rightly be seen as more political interference and lack of neutrality.

A neutrality that has been long absent, of course.

That’s the whole point.

The next candidate needs to manage football without owing anything to Macron or anyone else, and abiding by statutory rules, not enriching themselves and cavorting with so-called world leaders, handing out fake awards like confetti.

Just do what’s best for football.

Not for France, Trump, Infantino, or sponsors and commercial interests.

Was inevitable.

As inevitable as the next one in 6 months time.

The game needs reform.

Not collaboration with a flawed system of governance that keeps placing the game in peril of being sold off, undermined, corrupted, red cards being overturned, and World Cup integrity placed in question.

The players need to push and shape reform.

Not shake hands.