I remember a situation at Elland Road when we played Sampdoria in a pre-season tournament. David Batty had made a rash challenge on an opponent, (unusual!), and the ref came up to the bench and asked Howard Wilkinson to take him off. The same last season when we played a Bangkok XI, the ref asked Venables to take Smith off when he did the same. It’s been happening for ages. What’s all the fuss about?
They are only pre-season friendlies for goodness sake. Why should a player miss fixtures that are more competitive once the proper season gets started?
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