How much longer can Neill hold out?
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By Jesse Fink, 11 Sep 2009 Jesse Fink is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- A-League, football, Lucas Neill, Pim Verbeek, Socceroos
Socceroo Tim Cahill (r) watches as Lucas Neill kicks the ball during a team training session ahead of tomorrow's World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain in Sydney on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. Australia qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a 0-0 draw against Qatar last Saturday. AAP Image/Paul Miller
It has not been a good week for Lucas Neill. In fact, it’s been a terrible few months for the Australia captain. But I’m sure having his name dragged into the Michael McGurk story tops it all off.
What possible relevance Neill has to the investigation into the Sydney businessman’s murder and why we should be privy to such information in the first place is something I hope a future episode of Media Watch examines.
Neill didn’t deserve having his face plastered across the front pages of the dailies just because he once met McGurk. Should the barista who made McGurk’s morning coffee or the owner of the laundromat who dry-cleaned his shirts also be outed in the press?
What Neill should be excoriated for, brutally, is his shirking of responsibility as captain of the Socceroos. I’ve done it a few times in recent weeks and I’m happy to do it again because he deserves to be hammered. Whether you regard it as tedious is not really a concern.
His personal motives have already seen him miss two important matches for the national side and there could be a third, if he does not have a club by October. At the rate he is going, that is firming as a distinct possibility.
Already this week Neill was going to Atletico Madrid then he was not.
Then there was Réal Zaragoza, but they turned around and said he had priced himself out of a deal. Now Sunderland, the mighty Sunderland, is back in the picture, offering him $76,000 a week. And yet he still hasn’t signed on the dotted line. He hasn’t played a competitive match since 17 June.
Nearly three months.
What on earth is he stalling for? But more importantly, should he be allowed to continue stalling?
In my opinion, no. And for that Pim Verbeek has to take some heat.
Comments such as “I will start to get worried when he is not playing his games in April and May” are really rather amazing.
This is our national captain, the most important man in our back four in the coach’s estimation, the leader of the team, the marshal of our defence, and yet Verbeek tolerates his withering because he’s “waiting for the right club to sign the right deal”.
Sunderland is the right club? Apart from money, what the hell can they offer? I had to laugh when I saw a headline at Goal.com: REPORT: FORMER WEST HAM DEFENDER LUCAS NEILL WANTS MORE MONEY.
Raging favourite for Bleedingly Obvious Statement of the Year?
Yet Neill’s agent, Paddy Dominguez, has suggested that his client is not financially motivated. It’s hard to see it any other way.
Neill’s search for the “right club” and the “the right deal” is compromising our World Cup hopes. There are only two matches other than the Netherlands friendly scheduled at the present time between now and the end of the year, two Asian Cup qualifiers against Oman, which Neill, even if he is playing for a club by then, will likely miss, as Verbeek is bound to select A-League players only.
That means if he hasn’t found a club by October and missed the Oranje game, he won’t play another international in 2009.
That, by any measure, is not what one should expect of the captain of a national football team. Especially so with a World Cup campaign just around the corner and especially so again when his side was so completely outplayed by Korea Republic and the defence is in conspicuously in need of major surgery.
Pim, get on the phone and order Neill to join a club. Wasting more time is not a luxury our nation can afford.
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- Explore:
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Derryn said | September 11th 2009 @ 5:17am | Report comment
I have lost all respect for Neill
Most of us have to pay $350 a year to play Football. This clown gets offered more money per week then most of us earn in a year to play with the elite of the game. Wake up to yourself Lucas, you are a 31 year old Defender. Clubs are not going to pay you top dollar in that position at that age.
Give the captaincy to Cahill.
Dickroo said | September 11th 2009 @ 7:53am | Report comment
I think he really wanted to join Atletico Madrid to remedy his hurt feelings and ego by the Hammers’ 43% pay cut.
But somehow Atletico Madrid failed to sign him ……for now.
If he can finally join the Espana mattress makers, then I suppose all the waiting and drama may pay off.
It will be amazing to see Lucas to set up an example and open a door for the Socceroos to play in the La Liga.
Wherever our Captain plays, sooner the better, I wish him best of luck. The only lessons we learnt from the Seoul match were: we need an experienced leader at the back line, and Kennedy and Macca can’t shoot.
Brett McKay said | September 11th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment
It’s certainly becoming a worry. When clubs like Atletico Madrid come and go, statements about Neill not being financially motivated start losing their gloss (if they had any to start with). Paddy, if our Lucas wasn’t financially motivated, why is he on the market at all??
Hammer said | September 11th 2009 @ 8:43am | Report comment
Well it’s not like he’s a Bobby Moore or a Beckenbauer is it … Verbeek really needs to re-set his standards – drop him until he’s back playing regular football …
this surely can’t be good for the team overall – if certain players have preferential treatment over others then one of Australia’s major pillars – team unity – starts to become eroded …
Simmo said | September 11th 2009 @ 8:58am | Report comment
I’m sure he’d like to drop him but after the South korea game he knows that Neill is a first-choice player and must keep him emotionally invested in the Roos. Can’t piss him off.
whiskeymac said | September 11th 2009 @ 8:43am | Report comment
Well in Sunderland’s (er..) defence they are still playing EPL matches so he would still be defending against such players as Torres, Tevez, Adebayor, Drogba, Van Persie etc. They have a good stadium and a reasonable coach and some reasonable players. Not a glamour club like Ateltico (although they are perrenial underachievers it’s still the best club out of the lot to have on his resume, but when was the last time they won anything – or challenged for that matter- either??). Am amazed Sunderland would be prepared to pay him 76K. contrast that wage with what some other, better, players are on and he is certainly getting a premium price for middling performances.
one bright note to all this is that hopefully players like R Williams and Spiranovic will get more game time and develop accordingly…. that is if North and some of the others from the Korea game are given yet another chance to prove they struggle.
Colin N said | September 11th 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment
Sunderland have a fair bit of money. Keane spent £40m on players in his first season in the premiership. They also spent £10m on Bent this summer as well.
FIsher Price said | September 11th 2009 @ 10:59am | Report comment
76K is scandalous.
David said | September 11th 2009 @ 8:43am | Report comment
I agree with Derryn – At one ponit i was like ok he is just waiting for a good club and he had his chance to play for Atletico Madrid, Champions league and he didnt jump at it, Now sunderland has turned there back on him west ham has moved on. For god sake man sign on to a club he has already lost more money by not playing then he could ever lose by playing at a lesser wage. His management much have no idea i h8 to say it but australias managers are terrable if players like David Carle are sitting on the bench. God help the socceroos we got torn apart by SK imagin whats going to happen against Holland if Neill doesnt play.
AndyRoo said | September 11th 2009 @ 8:54am | Report comment
I thought Sunderland was ok, their about par with West ham at the moment but with momentum .
Then when i found out he turned down Athletico…. sigh
I was one of those people who was a bit over the Neil saga but didn’t mind this Article because turning down Athletico at this stage was a new low
Perhaps though he want’s to get into coaching and is waiting for Ian Ferguson to get sacked so he can score a Player Manager deal at the Fury, that would redeem him in my eyes
I am going to run with that, if we start sreading rumoros he is on his way back to the A league it might shake him up a bit and finally get him to sign for whatever club wants him asap.
Simmo said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:03am | Report comment
I was one of those people who was a bit over the Neil saga but didn’t mind this one because turning down Athletico at thi”s stage just put me over the tipping point.”
Same with me. Turning down one of the biggest clubs in Spain, your last serious contract, for more lucre with a smaller club? This is about greed not professional pride apparently.
TIm said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Yeah just amazing. Maybe when Pim said that statements he didn’t dream the sort of saga that would be ongoing now – I would say he would be starting to worry, just in the terms of the message it send out to the team and that his clear money grabbing exercise questions his real motivation to play.
sledgeross said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Agree. Ive had it with Luca$h.
This is a world cup year, and you are whoring yourself out to add to your considerable wealth. He is our skipper for gods sake. Sign somewhere and get some match fitness you fair dinkum goose!
Gaz said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Fink v. Neill, round 15. Still no knockout blow! Still not even a drop of blood on the floor!
Firstly, I still suspect Neill might have already signed for Atletico, but the McGurk stuff is delaying an announcement. Who knows? Otherwise he’s probably heading to Galatasaray.
Secondly, what’s the rush for Pim to wade in right now? Coaches announce their captains on a match basis. If Pim wants Neill for a game and he’s not available, then that is the time to say something. He was clearly happy to trail other players in Seoul, for better or worse.