- England
'I'm sure Rodgers would have been leaning on Sterling'
"When we look at our players here, we look at them individually in terms of what their needs are. Fast players would have a second day recovery while other players can work on that day. When you are that type of quick player like Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and boys like Danny Welbeck, you need to recover them."
The wise words of England coach Roy Hodgson? Nope. That's what Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers had to say after losing Sturridge to a thigh strain picked up on international duty last month.
Rodgers was less than impressed with England's handling of his leading man, who played 89 minutes of the friendly win against Norway before picking up the injury in training less than 36 hours later.
Sturridge hasn't played a minute of competitive football since, missing six games for Liverpool and the three Euro 2016 qualifiers for the national side.
Bear that in mind while considering the scenario Hodgson faced on Saturday, when Sterling approached him to say he felt tired less than 24 hours before England's 1-0 win in Estonia.
Sterling, 19, has become integral to both England and Liverpool's attack in recent times, particularly given Sturridge's absence. Nevertheless, Hodgson agreed to drop him to the bench, with Liverpool team-mate Adam Lallana called into the starting line-up.
But Hodgson did something else, too - he told the press that Sterling had complained of being tired, two days after saying there was nothing to indicate that the forward needed a break.
Speaking after the match about Saturday's session, Hodgson said: "Raheem had done the warm-up and he came to me and said 'look, I really am feeling a bit tired. I'm not in my best form at the moment because I am feeling a bit tired.'
"So I said, 'best thing is Adam Lallana starts the game and you rest, and I have got you to bring on from the bench'. Simple as that. As you saw when he came on there is nothing wrong with him and he isn't suffering from anything."
Still the accusations soon began to fly - of a lack of respect for England and the latest episode in a brewing Liverpool-versus-England clash. Take in this from three former Liverpool players.
Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp was incensed - with both Sterling and Hodgson.
"I would never have dreamed of saying that to an England manager, but then I picked up a lot of injuries," Redknapp said. "I'm sure Brendan Rodgers would have been leaning on him, [saying] you need a break and this is an opportunity to get one.
"Why on earth did Hodgson say it though? Honesty is not the best policy. Why has Roy got into this? He could have said 'I want to freshen this up'. This wouldn't even be a conversation."
Carragher, who played under both Hodgson and Rodgers during his Liverpool days, echoed Redknapp's sentiments.
"Me as a player, I would never give a manager a chance to leave me out," Carragher said. "But keep it between yourselves - just come out and say Lallana played well last game and say Raheem needs a rest, but now we are having a debate on it.
"Hodgson could have been more careful," he added, "but I don't think Rodgers would have been involved."
Speaking on TalkSport, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy claimed Hodgson simply made a mistake.
"I think he [Hodgson] could have just maybe taken it on the chin and said, 'I thought I'd give him a little breather', rather than put it on the lad," Murphy said. "He wouldn't have intentionally put it on him to create this, but I think Roy could have dealt with it differently.
"I'm very surprised and if Roy could turn back the clock, I don't think he would do it and say it the way he did because he has caused Raheem a problem and he wouldn't want to do that."
Whether or not you believe Hodgson's handling of the situation was ham-fisted - this, after all, after last week's throwaway comment about England captain Wayne Rooney's Liverpudlian accent - or designed to make a point, the club-versus-country debate shows no signs of abating any time soon.
Perhaps some clubs are taking the phrase 'international break' all too literally. But as supporters, do we need to take a step back and accept that highly-tuned athletes know their bodies and should be able to admit when they are below par without fear of recrimination?
Former England captain Rio Ferdinand tweeted: "Sterling - tired, fair play to him. English players are normally too proud to do that unlike our foreign friends. #FreshWhenItMattersMost
"For instance, [Carlos] Tevez would come in some days and sit on the massage bed while the team trained..."I'm tired"… match day - firing & energised.
"With more rest at the right times throughout seasons Rooney would have gone into tournaments for England fresher 100%.... Too proud again."
Going by many of the responses on here - because players earn a fortune they cannot get tired - leave off!!— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) October 13, 2014
Sterling came off the bench in Tallinn after 64 minutes and won the free-kick from which Rooney bagged his 43rd England goal to seal the 1-0 win over Estonia, and appeared to hit back at his critics with something that read like a mock apology for "being human" late on Sunday night.
For Hodgson's part, whatever you may think of his public handling of the affair, he listened to his player and maintained England's perfect start to the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign - which is, after all, his first priority.
"Let's not make it a great deal," Murphy added on TalkSport. "The lad has expressed it, Roy has made the decision not to play him and we have won."
