Adam2003

In fact just reading the articles again - looks like the default position is Liverpool etc are not planning to play their Brazilian players this weekend. ie they knew they would be banned for five days after the international break. Looks like we tried to work out a compromise where our guys missed one game because we knew they would miss a game anyway. The head of the ECA now asking FIFA to overturn that ban. Will be interesting to see if we play Dougie or if it’s fine since the article says Brazil haven’t asked for Everton to be sanctioned because Richarlison was at the Olympics. Think there has been a lot more negotiation going on than has been made public on all sides. edit: sorry I see this is all discussed on the previous page now I read properly, thought it was breaking news

Talk today that FIFA will ban the Brazilian players who didn’t go to Brazil for the game - including for example the three lads at Liverpool… despite the covid rules saying that they couldn’t have played… just shows what a mess this is and that expecting anyone to have navigated it is a little nuts.

Let’s also not forget there is seemingly a good possibility Bolsonaro is about to use the military to seize permanent dictatorial power in Brazil… having police drag off Argentina players might have played well to his crowd. So it could be the AFA have been deliberately played on the Brazilian side.

Technically the rules actually say even if the players said they didn’t want to go, all the power lies with the Argentinian FA. Martinez could say “I don’t want to go” and technically Argentina could still have him banned for the aftermath of every international break he doesn’t report for. I mean I don’t think you’re wrong that the players wanted to go, I just think what has happened (public health officials on the pitch aside!) is exactly what will happen every international break so no-one is “to blame” apart from FIFA and governments - both the club and the FAs are just trying to operate within those rules which do not line up with each other.

Mate, that’s just not the world these lads live in. They have people cooking their meals, booking their travel, paying their bills, etc. Every detail of their life is handled by someone. That’s PL football these days. You would believe the AFA if they told you they had sorted it with the Brazilian FA but more likely the conversation didn’t ever come up - they were just told “a driver will pick you up here to get on your private jet.” If you think Mings, for example, investigated the quarantine rules to check he was fine to go to Hungary last week you’re mistaken. Not the world they live in.

Not as pathetic as Liverpool not foreseeing Naby Keita getting caught up in a military coup. Poor from the club liaison officer

Players travelling a few hours to play a game is nothing new - I’d imagine they’ll be on a private plane that morning, Martinez will start, Buendia on bench. Lack of time with team training not really a problem for Martinez having played consistently behind a settled defence over the last year.

But this totally ignores the fact the Brazilian FA and Brazilian GOVERNMENT told them they had agreed an exception and they could travel to Brazil. Just like all the exceptions that were in place for the Euros. The health authority then took a different view. Its like if Brazil were playing at Wembley, they agreed entry with the UK government and the FA, and then the NHS turned up at the stadium. (No excuse for lying on forms if that’s what happened but no idea if it did).

I read that as Butler saying he made sure the kids in his academy learned multiple languages so they are more of an asset/easier to place with clubs.

Give the Brazilian health authorities a call and get them on a plane.

You’re right in a way that the rules have been bent… but the rules have been bent in football to let international games and tournaments happen, not to obstruct them. The Euros. The Copa. World Cup qualifiers. The simple thing would be not to play them all, but if you think FIFA will let clubs use it as a precedent to block call ups if challenged I have a bridge I would like to sell you.

I suspect in October every country will follow Argentina’s example and call up their players whatever the PL say. So really the PL need to sit with the government and find a solution ASAP.

Lot of people here who seemingly don’t understand the rules and that’s ok I guess, but also to those saying “well we should have expected the Argie FA to be dodgy”… well… I’m sure we did but there’s lots of FAs around the world where we would PREFER not to have our players playing for them because they are dodgy as hell, but international football doesn’t let us as a club make those ‘moral’ decisions. If you are called up the rules say you have to go, whatever shenanigans your FA gets involved in. If we had a Mauritian player we couldn’t refuse them playing just because there might be a camera in the toilets (weirdest football story of the summer?)

So for all the moaning on here about the Argentinian FA (which is fair on the 2 game vs 3 game thing), it seems they acted here as they should have done according to negotiations with the Brazilian FA and government. The issue here is all in the Brazilian system. APART FROM the not minor bit of them lying at the airport about not being in the UK. What a mess, haha. So very CONMEBOL.

I have seen you say this more than once today. You do understand that if we did that FIFA would just ban them, right? That’s the rules. They are really well established. Otherwise clubs would never release their players.

He’s quality and will continue to improve is my prediction. Will we ever learn about writing people off after a season?

This is what the summer is all about!

There definitely won’t be anything about appearances in the contract. He’s come here because he’ll be on the bench and can try to challenge for a place, and at United he’s behind Varane, Maguire, Lindeloef and Bailly - and even though he’s better than the last two they are on such massive contracts United can’t loan them out. But he’s not going to be starting ahead of Konsa or Mings, and Hause would get the nod if Mings was out. It’s a very smart signing and pretty much exactly how we should be using loans.

Well given that a couple of posts ago you were saying we would very rarely have two CBs out and could/should just play our own youngsters, I doubt he’ll be getting much development

For the Christmas fixtures you mean?

Not exactly surprising immediately after coming off a surgery but yeah struggle to see him start next week.

Wow, was 100% expecting Mings as captain this season. Interesting.

It’s fine. No-one is particularly planning on him being here long term anyway I don’t think. See what happens.

I’ve never heard of the lad but a bit of research now and he certainly fits the profile we have been signing.

He signed a new contract there today alongside his loan to us.