Match Day Thread Leeds Utd v Bristol City Match Thread

It’s actually not a short career anyway- it’s a career for life within football, if that’s what they choose.

Once a player’s career ends all sorts of avenues open up for them. They could go into coaching, management, become a physio or an agent etc.

Even someone with only L1 and L2 clubs on their cv are more or less guaranteed a job for life within football in some capacity, so all this ‘short career’ bollocks is just that... bollocks.

So when a player is mercenary and jumps at the chance of a big signing on fee and quadruples their wage just to sit on a ‘big’ club’s bench because “when I’m 35 and my career is over, what will I do?” they are in effect just plain greedy, and are putting short term financial gain ahead of a more fulfilling playing career.

 

I’d do it though for a few million

 

Don't think Taylor refused to play. He refused to sign a new contract.

Only player I can remember who actually refused to play was Andy O'Brian. Think he claimed he was having a nervous breakdowm.

 

Taylor did refuse.

O'Brian was ill - he had depression. It wasn't a claim.

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/...ed-to-play-for-leeds-vs-wigan-says-garry-monk

 

No disrespect to anyone but what a load of old nonsense. A players career and they have every right to do what they want with it. What ‘loyalty’ is being shown to Casilla because supporters think he’s ****. Some are having a go at Bielsa because we might not get promoted but will demand his ‘loyalty’ to stay one more season if we do go up. Forget it. We only care about the ones we think are good. The only way supporters differ is they care about the club (not the player).

 

yup. The reality is that clubs show no loyalty to players... they’re disposable items when no longer needed. Even Mr morality bielsa will chuck them into solitary if there’s talk of them moving on. So why should they put the club first. If you want a like for like with the man in the street. Let’s say you work in an office... guy at the next desk isn’t as good as you but gets paid more. You’ve been promised a pay rise at your review but a year has gone by and it hasn’t materialised. You get headhunted by a bigger/better firm offering you a much better deal.

it doesn’t matter whether you are a 20k a year admin clerk or a 20k a week footballer.

 

And there's the rub. A snake ratting on another snake. Who do you believe?

Answer? For me, neither.

 

Wrt loyalty.

They have a contract. Fulfilment of that contract demands loyalty, aka commitment, delivery of contract requirement etc. Refusing to play whilst remaining under contract - even if it's only another week is disloyalty, aka breach of contract.

Reason I question whether The Snake was telling the truth was that Taylor was not disciplined, as far as I know. He should have been fined 2 weeks wages at the very least.

 

think we know Taylor refused to play - thing is it was a meaningless end of season game - if you were Taylor would you want to Play and risk injury? He was wrong to refuse to play as it’s a no no (though most just do what their agents tell them. But ... he’d made himself available all season - I can see his perspective that it was unnecessary to ask him to play

 

Funny that, i am just the same over Brechin always bottom of scottish league, so kinda felt for them that was 40+ years ago, and their still their in fact they had the honor of not winning a single game a couple of seasons ago, four points they amassed all season, augh you gotta love them though.

 

Strangest lower league Scottish Team has got to be Queens Park. I remember learning that they play at Hampden Park! In League Two and are the oldest Scottish Club. Wow!

 

But somehow necessary for him to expect to be paid for breaching his contract?

I can imagine most employers being very considerate if employees decided to take a few days off before their annual holiday so they didn't succumb to any injury or illness that might ruin it. If that reason was presented to the employer, you can bet your house on him not getting paid for those lost days - and an almost certain sacking.

 

They used to play at Hampden. A very eerie atmosphere with a crowd of no more than 2000.

They sold Hampden to the SFA & as far as I know they now play at Lesser Hampden, which is a impressive training ground behind the west stand.

Did you also know that they've always been an amateur club? That's the most impressive thing of the lot for me.

 

Not sure about your analogy... it’s not like taking time off for annual holiday - he was leaving for good - never heard of gardening leave? Pretty common to get someone out of the way when they’re leaving for a number of reasons.

Of course he shouldn’t get paid for it, but not much point in sacking someone whose already leaving. Besides, wasn’t he fined for it?

I’ve said Taylor was wrong, merely pointing out that you can understand it. Not the same as condoning it.

club were being bloody minded picking him in a dead rubber, kind of shows how soured the relationship had become

 

Michael Brown was asked if teams might move in for Phillips and activate the £20m release clause. He said the figure is wrong, it is more, much more than the £20m wrongly suggested

 

I think that's part true... there are more opportunities within the game... but not as many as there are players and many require retraining. As for choosing sitting on the bench ahead of a fulfilling playing career? I don't think you can generalise on this. If you are a professional sportsman you want to play at the highest level you can. You might go as second choice whatever but you believe you have the opportunity to play at the top. I'm sure the money is a big consideration... hell from the agents perspective who are advising them, I'm damn sure it is, but here's what I know about the mindset of professional sportsmen, from the few I know, the many I've spoken to and just my take from my amateur days, seeing the one's who rise to the top.

They are typically competitive and driven people, they want to be the best they can and play at the highest level. They love the game they play and want to play. They love winning and hate losing. Re football, has money in the game made some 'soft' and lose their hunger? An ex-player/agent tells me he thinks it has. So I'm not suggesting this is one size fits all. But in the recent examples, let's take Leeds to Burnley. Chris Wood, plays regularly in the premier. Charlie Taylor, plays regularly in the premier. BPF is third choice. But, he's gone to a club with a reputation for buying talented championship keepers, bringing them through the ranks and turning them into internationals.

In every case they are on far more money yes... in every case Leeds fans accused them of being mercenaries because Burnley are a small club. But they are premier league mid table club and we havent been there for 15 years. I don't imagine one of them regrets the move. I was as disappointed as the next fan that they left. But they’re players not fans. I get it rankles when they get ludicrous amounts of money, but if people can put their fans perspectives to one side, they'd see they are just taking career moves like the rest of the planet.