Emi Martinez

[Monty]

I don't see the problem. It's only our best player and our record signing, in the middle of a historic injury crisis. And it lets us look really really nice.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Looks to me like the club told them not to go, and they flicked them the Vs and went anyway.

Where did you see that?

Looks like most of the selected Argentinian players are heading to Venezuela. Romero and Lo Celso from Spurs as well as 3 from PSG i.e. Di Maria, Paredes and some bloke called Messi.

Smith said in one of his interviews post Brentford that the club had asked them not to go, and he had told them he didn't want them to go. Seems pretty clear to me that this nonsense is face saving after they ignored it. The only compromise is the Bolivia game.

[CT]

I don't see the problem. It's only our best player and our record signing, in the middle of a historic injury crisis. And it lets us look really really nice.

Agreed. There’s little or no loyalty in football anyway. If Bayern Munich come calling next summer with a “treble your wages” offer for Martinez, he’ll be gone like a shot, however much goodwill we’ve shown.

[Scott Nielsen]

So are Brazilians not proud to play for their country? Why are they going and not Luiz?

I'll admit my data is not extensive; the total consisting of three Argentinians I know and no Brazilians.

[sickbeggar]

With our luck one of them will come back crocked.

[Monty]

With our luck one of them will come back crocked.

Don't be silly. Both will

[sickbeggar]

heh. well at least it keeps the suspense going about what Smith's first XI will be when everyone is available. May even find out before Christmas.

[cdbearsfan]

So are Brazilians not proud to play for their country? Why are they going and not Luiz?

Luiz doesn't seem to have been picked.

[Risso]

Well, thank god we've stockpiled players then. I'd hate for us to be short at Chelsea.

[Villan82]

Absolutely farcical situation.  We lose two of our best players, again.

I would have liked us to go for more European players to avoid the disruption of international football in other continents.

[aj2k77]

Do we get extra points for being nice guys? How many did we get for rolling over for Man City and Grealish?

[Monty]

Do we get extra points for being nice guys? How many did we get for rolling over for Man City and Grealish?

*sigh*

[Sexual Ealing]

Do we get extra points for being nice guys? How many did we get for rolling over for Man City and Grealish?

No extra points, but at least we won't lose a court case.

[aj2k77]

Do we get extra points for being nice guys? How many did we get for rolling over for Man City and Grealish?

*sigh*

Exactly how I feel when we let players travel across the globe to miss league games. Meanwhile we play in a league that has clubs like Man Utd who barely released a player to play in Wales for 20 years. Why we've hampered ourself here I don't know. Probably a gentleman's agreement.

[Monty]

I'm onside with the decision over the players, but we didn't roll over for City, there was a contract we were obliged to fulfil by something called the law.