Glentoran boss Alan McDonald has hit out at the IFA for organising a short-notice friendly with Serbia on the day of a full programme of local football.

The meaningless game, which is likely to see a shadow Northern Ireland side take to the pitch with a number of players sure to pull out, means some Carling Premiership ties have been switched to an earlier kick-off and Linfield and Distillery have to play tomorrow night.

However, the Glens are due to play Crusaders and, as happened during the last international week, call ups for a couple of their players could mean yet another Tuesday night fixture for the east Belfast men.

The Glens boss is already fuming at the amount of games that his side have had to play so far — 23 in all competitions — particularly in midweek, and he feels that it is Carling Premiership fans who are the biggest losers.

The Glens 2-2 Co-Operative Insurance Cup draw with Glenavon on Saturday was far from an all-action affair — though the east Belfast men did manage to fight back from two goals down again.

Gary Liggett and a freakish Stuart King free-kick from 40 yards, which caught out Elliott Morris and went straight in, had the Lurgan Blues in the lead at the break.

But Kyle Neill’s free-kick, with a little help from a goalkeeping blunder by Tuda Murphy had Glentoran back in it before Daryl Fordyce secured a deserved draw in a game that was played at a slower pace than usual.

And though McDonald didn’t feel the sheer number of games being played was the reason for that, it didn’t stop him letting off steam, adding Northern Ireland’s match with Serbia to his list of gripes.

”These guys (the players), the majority of them are out doing a day’s work and this is our 22nd, 23rd competitive game and that’s not taking into account pre-season games to get ready for European games and the season,” said the former Northern Ireland captain.

He added: “I also think, to be honest, are we going for quality or are we going for quantity?

“We have another midweek (game) on Tuesday (against Coleraine in the Setanta Cup) then there is the possibility of another one because the IFA in their wisdom go ahead, at two-and-a-half weeks notice, and organise a friendly international on the same day as a full Irish Premier League programme.

“With recent happenings, whether the international manager does it remains to be seen, but Crusaders, the last time we played them at the time of an international, the fixture was cancelled because of Colin Coates and Martin Donnelly (being called up).

“So we have that real possibility that we are going to lose out again. In my opinion it’s getting farcical and I’m sick of it —it really is getting to me. It’s unrealistic and it’s unfair.”

Asked if he feels anyone is listening to the concerns, McDonald rapped: “They better start listening.

“Yes, our supporters are very demanding but I think they have got a right that if they are paying through the turnstiles we want to give them as best a product as possible and, in my opinion, playing the amount of midweek games and the amount of football we are playing we are not doing that. We have as good a squad and as big a squad as anyone but we can’t cope with it.

“With the greatest respect, do we as a nation need this stupid friendly in two weeks time?

“We don’t.”

McDonald’s rant came after giving his own players a piece of his mind after watching them having to fight back to win for the fifth time this season.

The champions have conceded first in 13 of their 21 domestic games and McDonald is angry at the simplicity of the goals being shipped in.

“We keep saying, keep it tight, defend well, individuals do your job, all of that. And we’ve worked on it and worked on it and whether it is bad play or lack of concentration, whatever, we still are, in my opinion, conceding stupid goals. Simple as.”

He added: “Individually we haven’t been doing our jobs as well as we can do.”