Boss Paul Jewell has hit out at the football authorities for organising international friendlies during the first week of the season when Premier League clubs are looking ahead to their season opener and Football League sides are engaged in Carling Cup action. The Blues manager says no one in football is interested in playing games such as England’s [now postponed] Wednesday friendly with Holland at this time of the year.
Jewell said: "It’s ridiculous. For Premier League teams it’s a big week - the first game of the season.
"Everyone’s getting excited, everyone’s talking about the start of the new Premier League, the Championship’s just bubbling up and suddenly Premier League clubs will have about five or six players training. It’s ridiculous.
"But you only have to see some of the decisions which are made throughout football and the way football governing bodies are run, so nothing surprises you.
"You wonder whose interest is at heart. Who wants to play an international game when we’ve got cup games during the week and a week before the Premier League season?
"There won’t be one manager in the country who will agree with what’s going on," he added. "But why ask the managers when you’re going to make a football decision?”
The Blues boss says pretty much everyone in football will agree: "You ask supporters, any supporters in the Premier League, what they’re looking forward to this week.
"None of them will say England against Holland. Everyone will say the weekend when the Premier League starts.
"That tells you how it is, and just as important as that, the players as well. They want to play for their countries but their minds are on the Premier League.
"Is there ever a good time to play a friendly? I don’t know, but certainly it’s not just before the season starts or just after the season starts. It’s ridiculous, as I’ve said.”