Chris Lakey Glenn Roeder has slammed the system of international friendlies after seeing one of his most influential players return to Carrow Road with an injury this week.

Chris Lakey

Glenn Roeder has slammed the system of international friendlies after seeing one of his most influential players return to Carrow Road with an injury this week.

Sammy Clingan has started all three of City's games this season but a knock on the shin during Northern Ireland's goalless draw in Scotland on Wednesday means he is a major doubt for this afternoon's Championship clash at Cardiff.

And that's left the Canaries boss fuming at a system which he says is all about lining the pockets of football associations - leaving clubs to clean up the mess.

“I think these international friendlies are a waste of time,” he said. “What are we doing playing friendlies in August? They will come back, the international managers, and say it's preparation for competition games, the championship games - I don't think they make one iota of difference.

“It's ridiculous - you are watching your players get carried off injured and at club level you have to pick up the pieces and obviously it's your best players who get picked for international football.

“I actually think Sammy Clingan has done better in the three games we have played than he did in pre-season.

“I just think they are totally unnecessary. I think they are arranged to try and fill the coffer of the associations of the countries. Lots of managers agree with me but not many of them say it.

“In what other business would you give something to another business, free of charge to use as they see fit - and then give it back broken and you mend it?”

“I think the week they are away they should pick up the basic salary anyway, pay for them. They're earning out of the game.”

Roeder also claimed that minor friendly matches were demeaning the value of international caps.

“These international friendlies devalue the cap,” he said. “I would award caps for championship games only - if you play in the European Championship or the World Cup then you get your cap.

“There are so many lads walking around who've had 20 minutes playing for England and they're called an international - it's a laugh, a joke.”

Roeder has previous experience of friendly matches costing him at domestic level.

“When was at West Ham I bought David James from Aston Villa. They played him in August in an international friendly at White Hart Lane. He came on in the second half for England and one minute into the second half a collision with a Dutch striker ruptures his cruciate - didn't play until Christmas.

“At Newcastle, Michael Owen in the World Cup in the summer, does his cruciate - that was just about bearable if it's a competition like the World Cup, but David James' was an international friendly.”