England's players have asked for clarity and consistency from the Football Association in future squad selections after the last two get-togethers descended into farce.
Rio Ferdinand was left out of the squad for the Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey after failing to take a drugs test and Alan Smith was sent home hours after being drafted in for the friendly against Denmark because he had been arrested in connection with a bottle-throwing incident.
The FA took a tough stance with both players but failed to drop Nicky Butt from the squad when he had been arrested in the summer, simply because they were unaware of the arrest.
The statement from the players read: "On behalf of the entire England team set-up, in the light of the recent controversies surrounding team selection for the games against Turkey and now Denmark, we wish to make the following statement. "We fully appreciate the need to set the right image for the game but we are extremely disappointed at the way the FA have handled the above, in particular the treatment of team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Alan Smith which has undermined the position of the manager and could have seriously effected the morale and team spirit of the players.
"We feel this has left us with no option but to ask of the FA that from this day forward, they make clear their criteria of selection for the England team so that there is no room for ambiguity and misunderstanding.
"We have a concern that the FA are reacting to outside pressures which impacts unfairly on the manager and the players.
"By the FA's actions in withdrawing Rio and Alan from the squad, in both cases the players have been assumed guilty before the due process has been completed - a right which should be afforded to every individual in not only football but society as a whole.
"Our loyalty to England as illustrated by our qualification for Euro 2004, finishing unbeaten and top of the group, should be unquestioned. "We are merely asking for the same loyalty in return from the same organisation that we represent."
And David Beckham told Sky Sports News: "We are not happy about being in this position. It is not right pre-judging people before they are convicted. "It justifies the point we were making in the last game (after Rio Ferdinand's exclusion over missing a drugs test). There is not much more to say but the players, staff and the manager feel strongly about this.
"We want consistency and if we have to stand up for ourselves again then we will. We will take it as far as we can but it will not affect people who come to see us play." Asked about the players' relationship with the FA, Beckham added: "It is not the best it has ever been. It has to be better. We have to be together."