Socceroos assistant coach Mile Jedinak has hit back at criticism of Australia’s defensive approach at the World Cup, declaring “you can never make everyone happy”.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Jedinak was asked whether he had a response to pundits that questioned Australia’s team selection and criticised the team’s focus on soaking up pressure rather than proactively searching for goals.
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“Who’s the pundits talking then?” he quipped.
“Talk to me, tell me, go on, who’s saying that then?
“It’s easy to say pundits.”
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He continued: “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, we know that. You guys are entitled to your opinion, that’s absolutely fine.
“You’re never going to make everybody happy, we understand that, but what happens is we have access to the players all the time and decisions have to be taken. It’s never easy.
“No one wants to miss out on playing, especially when you’re playing in a World Cup game where there’s something at stake, representing your country.
“Opinions are going to be there, everyone’s entitled to that, I don’t get offended by it, to be honest with you. I’ve learned that you have to stay focused on what you can control.
“We’re clear in our mind on what we need to do and how we need to approach the game.”
AUSSIE VICE-CAPTAIN’S VERDICT ON RED CARD CONTROVERSY
Socceroos vice-captain Jackson Irvine has clarified that World Cup footballers “were all told” about the new mouth-covering rule ahead of the tournament when asked about Miguel Almiron’s controversial red card against Turkiye.
On Saturday AEST, the Paraguayan star became the first player to be sent off for covering their mouth during an on-field confrontation with an opponent in the 1-0 victory over Turkiye.
The International Football Association Board introduced the rule to help prevent players from hiding instances of racism and homophobia from cameras.
Asked about the incident on Sunday AEST, Irvine declared “the rule itself is clear”.
“We were all told before,” he said.
“I know it’s going to be controversial in some ways because of we don’t know the nature of what it was.
“When we look at the past, especially around what happened with Vinícius Junior, I think it takes everything out of the equation. If you’re saying something to someone that you don’t want to be seen, I think it’s safe to say if you can’t be seen saying it that then it shouldn’t be sad.
“For me, it’s a clear line on the rule. We were all told about it, so it is what it is.”
BAYERN’S BUYBACK CLAUSE FOR AUSSIE YOUNG GUN REVEALED
Following his heroics during Australia’s World Cup opener against Turkiye, it has emerged that Bayern Munich reportedly retains a buyback clause for Socceroos striker Nestory Irankunda.
The 20-year-old became the Socceroos’ youngest goal-scorer in World Cup history after producing the opener during Australia’s 2-0 victory in Vancouver.
Two years ago, Irankunda was purchased by Bayern Munich for an A-League transfer record fee of approximately $5.8 million, at one stage going out on loan to Swiss side Grasshopper before joining Watford in 2025 for $5.3 million.
However, reports suggest Bayern Munich kept a buyback clause when it sold Irankunda to Watford, with a figure in the range of $7.3 million to $8.1 million. In the deal, Bayern also reportedly secured a significant sell-on percentage of 50 per cent.
However, Irankunda’s value will only rise further if he can help Australia go deep in the tournament.