Craig Foster : Inspired or Ludicrous?

I missed The World game last week and yesterday I was catching up via the The World game website which posts clips of the show. I came across a piece by Craig Foster and Les Murray discussing the China Match. There is nobody within the Football media that inspires as much polarization of opinion as Craig Foster. This has a lot to do with the strong opinions that the man himself holds and regularly expresses.

Mike Salter of The Football Tragic has devoted a whole section of his blog to the man and it is well worth reading. Mike points out many of the inconsistencies that seem to affect Foster and hones in on one area that Foster has let himself down time and time again, his criticism of all things English.

There is little doubt that there are some aspects of football that Foster should not be involved in. His is a poor interviewer (for the same reason why he is a pretty good analyst, his strong opinions), he rarely allows a evasive answer to go unpunished. For those of you who didn’t see the now infamous Ange Postecoglo interview take a look and you see Foster at his worst. His point is made early in the interview but because he cannot get Postecoglo to give him the answer he wants the interview quickly degenerates in mudslinging on both sides.

It frustrates me endlessly that every time he takes a question he rolls his eyes or signs with frustration. His lack of professionalism sometimes is inexcusable.
For all his faults though Foster remains one of the best commentators of the local game. His opinion pieces on the SBS Web Site can throw up some fantastic information. I also love the way that he never lets an issue go and continues to push the limits with people when they appear on The World Game. His continuing pressure on the FFA for a Technical Director and now his resolve to hold Rob Baan accountable to implement real change within the grass roots of football in this country should be applauded.

Foster wrote a piece back in March 2007 title “Possess the ball - a new philosophy”, I recommend all coaches, parents and pretty much everybody involved in youth football in this country to read the piece and watch the accompanying video. His recent follow up opinion pieces on the The Future is Small Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, continue this youth development theme and are recommended reading.

So for all his failings I feel the game in this country definitely benefits from the presence of Craig Foster, now if someone could just convince him to lay off on the English bashing.