Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has spoken how Taylor Harwood-Bellis is a man not a machine, hence his omission from the Saints team in the last two games and the likelihood the game against Millwall will be a third.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of the match against Millwall, the Daily Echo quoted Tonda Eckert as saying the following regarding the current absence of Taylor Harwwod-Bellis.
"He's 24 years old, and we could expect there to be a professional footballer who stands there and just cracks on with everything.
"But the reality is that we're talking about a young man. We're talking about a young man who, again, I think absolutely loves the dressing room.
"He absolutely loves this club, but then he gets presented with a chance to potentially play in the Champions League, and I think that's on your mind.
"I think, for a young man, that's completely normal. They are not machines that you can just put on the pitch and it delivers, as much as that would help.
"It would be nice to have a robot that you programme to play.
"But it's not the reality. Taylor has been so professional throughout that whole process now, and again, I talk to him every day to see where he is.
"I understand the reality of football from the outside, and obviously as a supporter of the club, I understand you want the best for your team.
"It's exactly the same for me, and there is no doubt about the qualities that Taylor has as a football player, but every team is made up of 11 men.
"They all have their personal situation, and that plays a part in the way you perform as a team. Taylor has been very professional throughout everything.
"But I think it does something to you if you get presented with a project where you play Champions League rather than Championship. It just does."
I understand what the manager is doing here, he is trying to take the heat off of his player, because in a few days time if THB is still at the club, he will need to be integrated back into the squad and as a club we need him to be at the top of his form and not have the fans on his back for getting out of the trenches and being nowhere when there are important games to be played.
I read what he says and I can understand every point he is making but that does not mean that it is right.
As the Daily Echo confirms Harwood-Bellis is fit, available and training, There is no active offer on the table for him, although Villa are still hovering.
But that is football, Harwood-Bellis is highly paid to play football, but with that comes the need for professionalism, for a sense of duty to the club who employ you and the supporters who pay a lot of their money to watch you play.
I agree with Tonda that he is a "man not a machine", but that is the same for everyone in this City, Ok some are women, but male or female we all have our own issues to deal with on a daily basis, be it a new job offer, losing our jobs and the worry of how we are going to pay the bills, not earning enough to pay the bills and we all don't have the option of taking two weeks paid leave off from our jobs to sort our heads out when a crisis occurs.
If you want two weeks off or you are not in a "Condition " to play as Tonda so eloquently puts in, then perhaps you should not take that weeks wages.
Only in THB's case this is not a crisis, it is merely that he might get a chance to play for a club in the Champions League and earn more money, not that they seem to value him that highly in that they are not willing to pay more than we paid for him two years ago when he had not played a game in the Premier League.
If a player is happy to sign a contract, he knows the score.
Ironically Villa have had a similar situation in the past fortnight with striker Ollie Watkins allegedly refusing to play because he wanted a move, not to a better League but to Al Hilal in the Saudi League for a move that will see him earn a lot more money.
Unai Emery was clearly fuming with the situation and unlike Tonda Eckert did not try to play down the situation.
Of course the THB situation is different, we can all see that it is a fantastic opportunity for the player, but this is football, if Villa want him then they need to pay the going rate or for that matter more than we paid for him ourselves.
Three years ago James Ward-Prowse was on the verge of a move to West Ham as the Championship season was about to begin, but did he refuse to play etc, no he turned out in the first game of the season and put in a shift and helped us win at Sheffield Wednesday.
That is the sign of a true professional and someone who felt a sense of loyalty to the club, yet there are still those who have been calling him all the names under the sun on social media, thankfully a minority.
It is a shame that THB is not in the right condition to play, but if he actually loves the club as Tonda says and loves the dressing room, then why is he not demanding to play, in that dressing room are his team mates facing a tough game, does he not feel a sense of camaraderie to them.
Every week I bump into Saints supporters indeed fans of other clubs as well, who tell me they are falling out of love with Professional football, they are sick to death of being taken for granted by the football clubs who fleece them for shirts that cost less than a fiver to make and charge them extortionate ticket prices to pay for players wages.
I am sorry Tonda but you are wrong, at any level of employment you are paid in proportion to the job you are doing, if you want somewhere where you have no pressure, then get a normal job where you will earn half of the amount you earn in a week, in a year.
The reason that you are paid so highly is to perform at your highest level week in week out, whatever the situation.
THB is not alone in not being in the right condition to play when something like this comes up, but see how many in this position if there was a change in rules, suddenly are ready to get out their and play and bang their fist on the badge, if they had to do it without getting paid !