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Just The Way To Start
Was great to see Chris Evans appearing in the mailbox today.
I used to love him on The Big Breakfast & Don't forget your toothbrush.
Top man.
Paul McDermot
And In Answer...
Dear Chris Evans,
Of course footballers can give notice, but only if there is a provision for a notice period in their contract, just like you, me, or anyone else. I haven't seen a premier league (not EPL) footballer's contract, but if a club has shelled out millions to buy a player, I wouldn't have thought they'd put a month's notice period in his contract and allow all that money to walk away as soon as something better comes along.
If there were notice periods in footballers' contracts, there would be no more transfer fees and everyone would effectively be a free agent, moving when they like for however much money they can get.
A contract of any sort gives benefits and imposes responsibilities on both parties - eg a player who signs a 4 year contract knows he will be paid for 4 years, whether he plays every week, or never plays at all. The club gets the security of knowing that their investment can't just give a month's notice and walk.
Hope this clarifies things for you. Sorry to hear that your career's gone so sh*t since the Big Breakfast.
Mike (those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't do that, find jobs for teachers?) NUFC
Mike Pilkington
...Right, I know the only reason you print mails from Liverpool fans is to generate more mails from people telling them to shut up, but I've snapped after reading more idiocy - I actually want to kill Chris Evans, and with each passing day I understand more and more why Man Utd fans have been enjoying the last 18 (and counting) years so much.
Barry is not a good guy, this tosh about him being a faithful one-club-man is not a result of his loyalty, just merely a function of the fact nobody else wanted him until a few months ago. MON is not being a bell (that title could only go to someone who values Scott Carson at £10m), the arguing over the fee is as a result of Barry not handing in a transfer request, as it would prevent him from being paid a huge amount of money in (laughably) loyalty payments - with which he will likely buy himself some diamond-encrusted pies to stick down his fat judas can't-be-arsed-to-track-back neck.
Until he does so, Villa are not holding him against his will, as the club has legal documentation signed by Barry, which formally states that it is his will to remain employed by Aston Villa FC until July 2010, and clearly the thought of sharing a shower with Stevie G isn't enough to change his mind.
Neil Raines
How Can AJ Be Worth £11m?
Am I the only one baffled by the seemingly, thus far anyway, unnoticed price tag on the head of one Andrew Johnson? On the one hand we have Peter Crouch, an established England international, who has scored goals at every level. One who has played Champions League football and has, by no means, looked out of place in a top side. On the other hand we have Johnson, who has failed to establish himself in a team that is occasionally in with a shout of qualifying for the UEFA cup each year, has hardly set the world alight and doesn't really score that many goals. Yet Crouch goes to Portsmouth for around £11m and the rumour mill touts AJ's valuation at the same mark.
I'm puzzled as to how Johson's valuation can be anywhere near the £11m mark - ideas on a postcard please.
And another thing, if you watch itv2+1 and you flick onto text, does it mean you get the previous hour's sports news?
David, Somerset
Tainio: One Of The Good Guys
Enough with this Makelele debate, the real issue that's been overlooked is Teemu Tainio leaving Spurs to join Sunderland. I'm sure I speak for 99% of Spurs fans in saying that despite him not setting the world alight on the pitch, he will be missed. A man that truly loved playing for Spurs and for the fans, his willingness to work for his team mates was never questioned. At this time when it appears some players don't care about the club as much as we thought (I'm talking to you Robbie Keane), his loyalty and love for Spurs was always appreciated by the fans.
So best of luck at Sunderland, Teemu - we look forward to welcoming you back to the Lane soon.
Ian (We all dream of a team of Tainios), THFC
Nothing Is Free In This World
There are a few things the mailbox really need to stop printing. They come up time after time, and even when someone bothers to write in an demonstrate just how incorrect the point it, it inevitably comes back just a week later.
Just because Chelsea signed Sidwell on a free and then got £5m for him, does not mean them made £4m!
They had to pay him a signing on fee. Then they paid his wages for a year. Plus bonuses etc. Then they sold him for £5m, some of which would go back to Steve as a signing on fee (again) some of which would go to agents.
£5m - agents - signing on fee (x2)- Chelsea wages (even for a reserve, that's a lot of cash) - bonuses DOES NOT EQUAL £5m.
Please TRY to understand this concept. And while we are on the subject, Villa have not been ripped off. Sidwell signed a long term contract with Chelsea, and his transfer value represents that. At an extreme level if he had 10 years left on his contract andf Ronaldo had 10 weeks left, Sidwell would porbably cost more than Ronaldo as a result. He was ne year into a new contract, ergo his value is higher then, well the £0 he was worth as he finished his contract at Reading. That is why Lamard is currently valued at about half that of Bentley, his contract is only 1/4 of the length less to run and will be worth 0 in 11 months.
Please, never, ever publish these kind of mails again. Kenyon is not a genuis for selling a £5m player for £5m, and he did not make a £5m profit in doing so.
Dave Hone
Respect For Pompey Please
It was a throwaway comment from Stafford Villan in this morning's mailbox that got me. He mentioned how Martin O'Neill had 'saved' Gareth Barry from a £6 million move to Portsmouth. I see a lot of little remarks like this made about my beloved club.
I understand that the final was so dull you may need your memory jogged, so here it is: we're the FA Cup holders. Say what you want about us being lucky, the fact is we won it and that's more than the likes of Villa, Spurs and Everton have done in recent years.
We only got promoted a few years ago, and now we're in the UEFA Cup and (trust me on this) contenders for fifth place.
We're also (as F365 quite rightly pointed out) one of the few teams to have pretty much concluded their transfer business for the summer. And we've managed to keep our better players- Diarra in particular is as good as anyone you will see outside the Top Four. Crouch and Defoe are going to strike up the most successful partnership in the top flight.
So yeah, a bit more respect needed for the boys in blue.
Daniel David
Manuel The Spanish Waiter
I am thrilled that Stewart from Miami has finally brought up the topic of Manuel Almunia.
I am going to conclude the debate by making a facts-based argument here: since its' inception, no team has ever won the Premiership without an international goalkeeper in the nets. Blackburn had Tim Flowers, ManYoo had Schmeichel and then Barthez and of course Arsenal had Seaman and then Mad Jens (the lotto Chavs have Cech). I would go further and assert that no English team has ever won the Champions League without an international goalkeeper. Even the rubbish Dudek played for Poland.
Manuel 'Fawlty' Almunia is a Spanish waiter who got lost in North London on his way to the tapas bar. I am convinced. He isn't a real keeper. I just saw Barnet make a mockery of him in a friendly just the other day and he even managed to make James McFadden look like Michael Laudrup at St Andrews last season. I don't like criticizing Arsenal players (bar Adebayor, Senderos, Hoyte, Djourou, Eboue, Song and Diaby) but Arsenal stand no chance with Almunia in goal. Historical data backs this view. As such, I have decided to seek glory elsewhere by switching to a more competitive league and lending my support to Murata club of San Marino.
'We' may even have Romario playing Champions League football for us next season! It certainly beats watching the Russians and the Americans fight their contemporary football version of the Cold War....
Stewie Griffin (Justin Hoyte has a brother. And he is actually worse. Dear God)
F365 Always Told You Hleb Was A Wrong'Un
If Hleb's latest comments are to be believed, he is surely on a wind up.
Hleb feels that Arsenal don't seem to want to keep hold of their players. That is not the case.
Plenty has been made of the fact that Adebayor is feeling a little undervalued after having a good season. Well if I had had a great year at work and my boss decided to double my wages, I would consider this to be a good situation. Adebayor decides that this is not such a good deal, despite agreeing to his current wage only last season and feels that it's only fair to times his current wage by three! This is not Arsenal being tight, this is Adebayor being a big greedy bastard and if he had any belief in him self, he could have a better season next year and be in a position to demand even more money.
People have argued that if Arsenal slap a £35 million price tag on Adebayor, then he is surely worth the £120,000 a week he is asking for. That's just stupid because we all know he's not worth more than £20 million and so do Arsenal but they don't want to let him leave so the price reflects that.
If Real or Barca come in for Cesc Fabregas you can bet that the figures will be sky high because not only is he already one of the best midfielders in the world but Arsenal would not want him to leave either.
The difference for you, Mr Hleb, is that Wenger can do without your 2 goals a season and your tricky but fruitless runs and so when Barca come knocking, you are sold at a reasonable price.
Good bye and good riddance.
Paul Griffiths, London
Still Not Happy With Scholes
I do actually like Paul Scholes (which hurts as a Liverpool fan), and in comparison to most of the other oiks who pass for modern day footballers he comes across as a good bloke etc etc. But am I the only one who thinks his latest comment is pretty crass? So Scholesy won't miss the general life of a footballer...which bit was that Paul, the 6 figure salary, the 2 hours work a day and then back home to the family? Or was it the knowledge that by your mid-30s you have made enough money to be able to do whatever you want in the rest of your life, and that the people that have given you this money are the fans who work their arses off to afford to go to games, get their Sky subscriptions and buy the replica shirts?
I understand he is a family man blah blah blah, but a bit more respect for the massive advantages he has got out of being a top footballer wouldn't go amiss. Most of us would put up with 15 years of travelling around, getting stuck in hotels and having to deal with people recognising us on the street in exchange for a lifetime of freedom from the need to work and make money.
Nick Smith
...I've never agreed with a Liverpool fan on anything before and don't intend to make a habit of it either, but Ian Hewison has hit the nail on the head. I am sick of the nonsense that comes out about Scholes in general, but this really is the biggest thorn in my side. Scholes is a fantastic player who every team would love to have, even now, but he is not without his flaws either. He gets away with a large amount of bad challenges and seems to get away with bookings a lot more too. Note I said bad challenges, not clumsy or over-eager. After 15 years as a Utd regular, he still can't tackle and referees and commentators turn a blind eye to it, or in some cases make light of it on purpose. Now I feel dirty and have to leave work early to have a shower and drown myself with beer.
Kieran, Ireland
On The Other Hand...
Dear Ian Hewison,
Congratulations on being a tw*t.
Paul Scholes is commended in the media and you have the temerity to moan about it. I would say you're a stereotypical scouser but being a Liverpool fan you are more likely to reside outside of Merseyside.
You're completely right though, how dare someone who stands out in this day and age get any plaudits for it.
If only 'Stevie Me' would show half the professionalism that Scholes does he might not be held in contempt. 'Ooh, do I stay with home town club or f*ck off to Chelsea for 10k a week more, what shall I do Mr Agent'. Not a problem for Scholesy.
Gav 'born in Coventry, support Coventry' Burke
...Scholes, like Gary Neville, is a rarity in football. They are dedicated football men who were brought through the ranks at the top club in the country. They were favoured by their manager for their talent and attitude and as such were given good contracts which they were happy to accept with no fuss or moaning that [insert flavour of the month here] was earning more than them. They have always had the managers backing and never made ridiculous demands that would get in the way of playing football. As a result they have never needed an agent to negotiate for them or drag them into controversy
They were lucky. The scenario of you depict is the more likely route taken. a route where agents are necessary. But having an agent is not a ready made excuse to become a greedy, selfish, hobo bastard. Its simple, if you want to move on hand in a transfer request, thank the club and the fans, admit that you want a new challenge etc. Olaf Melberg is an example of how to conduct yourself in these scenarios. He was excellent for Villa this season despite having a pre-contract with Juventus. He was up front about this transfer, not hiding behind rumours and the media. He did not try and bleed the situation for every penny it was worth. Scholes was lucky enough not to have to worry about any of this. But he still conducts himself professionally.
The Chimbondas, Ronaldos and cashleys of the game made the decision to act like complete money hungry bastards instead of footballers who want to play and win. Scholes deserves our respect. He could have ditched his club and the manager who nurtured him for a monster wage packet(at his peak any team would have taken him) but he stuck what he knows best and thats football. I wouldn't mind a few as dedicated as him at Newcastle(instead we have joey). The more greed is rewarded in football, the less Paul Scholes's we will see. I'll leave it on that depressing note
Kev, Hoping Gutiterrez avoids the Luque curse
Almost There
I found myself nodding in agreement throughout John from Pembrokeshire entry in this mornings mailbox, right up until the end that is.
It all sounds perfect in encouraging players to see out the contract THEY SIGNED, with a longer contract generating a bigger loyalty bonus at the end. If a player then decides they want to move on they do so in the knowledge that they will be forfeiting monies that they would earn by staying.
Also mentioned was the fact that a player could negotiate with other clubs/employers in the last 6 months of his contract to secure his future once his current deal expires. This isn't really a revolutionary idea as this has been pretty much the norm ever since some bloke called Bosman went to court (you may have heard of him).
However, I think the whole theory fell over at the point where John said "It should also protect the current transfer system...Small clubs do need transfer fees from their best players to survive". If players really are the money grabbing mercenaries we all think they are can you really see a player moving before the end of his contract, and therefore forfeiting his bonus, to aid his current clubs financial position? Obviously if it's a step up he probably will, but if it's a sideways step I imagine the player to stay put, pick up his bonus then move on a Bosman free at the end of his contract, probably collecting a higher wage due to the fact that his new club didn't pay any fee.
Other than that, best idea on this subject so far
Chris, Leicester
...Good post by John (who's next contract will sadly not be getting him £140,000 a week to play football for the next 4 years), Pembrokeshire in this morning's mailbox. It would make a lot of sense to have the loyalty payment at the end of a contract.
On the other hand a moronic post by Chris Evans about being able to quit clubs etc (do you think it was the ginger, specky one or someone else???). I would just like to point out that the players want these long term contracts just as much as the clubs as they want to be secure too. If they think they are going to want a move in a year or 2's time then don't flamin' well sign a new one which lasts 5 years, it's that simple!!! Take the FFL contract talks at the moment, he wants the long term 5 year deal but the club only want to give him 4.
This is better explained in the following scenario. A player is going to want a move in a year or 2's time and so doesn't sign his new contract as his current one has 2 years to run. He lets it run down into the last season and he gets an Eduardo/David Busst type injury that puts him out for a year at least and may lead to him retiring (see Di Matteo, Casiraghi, Luc Nilis). He can't now get a new club and so isn't earning any money. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but these players who wait for a Bosman run this risk.
Lets never lose sight of the fact that football can be a cruel game sometimes with regards injuries and the long contracts give the players piece of mind as well as the clubs and one of the main reasons we will not see a free agency type system they have in American sports.
Tim (everyone stop comparing football to normal jobs please, it's a shit analogy) Collins
Good Question
Do any other countries call the holding midfielder "the Makelele position" or is it just us in the UK?
Babor Ahmed
