Fergie could live without players' 'part-time' work

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has expressed his annoyance at having to release players for “part-time” international football.

David Davies, the Football Association’s acting chief executive, expects full backing for England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson from the country’s five leading club managers when they meet next month.

However, Ferguson has made his true feelings known ahead of the meeting, and, not surprisingly, comes down heavily on the side of the clubs in the clubs versus countries war.

“David Davies says we have a duty to other countries,” Ferguson told The Times. “Bollocks. It’s about making money.

“We’re paying them (the players) millions a year, you know.

“Would ICI be happy for one of the executives to go and do part-time work for three or four days at the busiest time of the year?”

Ferguson has previously indicated he would welcome the discussion to thrash out the thorny issue of player release for friendlies.

England face a crunch Euro 2004 qualifier with Turkey at the beginning of April, and harsh questions are starting to be asked over Eriksson’s England tenure.

He was widely condemned for becoming a willing accomplice in the farce of England’s recent friendly defeat by Australia, when he acceded to the demands of senior club bosses – including Ferguson – not to over-play players by fielding completely different teams either side of the interval.