Comments on: How much longer can Neill hold out?

By: cab711

cab711 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:42:02 +0000

Me too, i thought this could be the start of something great. Perhaps more Spanish clubs would take notice of Australian players. Was too good to be true. Oh well, its Pims problem now. Wouldnt want to be in his shoes. Pim doesnt have much to bargain with.

By: cab711

cab711 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:37:41 +0000

My gosh your standards are high if you rate Neill as VERY average. Guy has been head hunted by some decent teams and was able to secure a VERY decent contract with West Ham. It is not often that a defender can secure a decent contract, typically a spot reserved for attacking midfielders and strikers.

By: cab711

cab711 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:35:21 +0000

If he had gone to Liverpool he wasnt assured a look in for 1st team. That is why he opted for West Ham. I reckon its a similar situation now, he wants the good contract to see out the rest of his career with the best chance of playing 1st team footy with a decent club. Thats some tough boxes to tick.
I reckon he just doesnt want to relocate and is waiting for an english team to make the right offer.

By: Koala Bear

Koala Bear — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:32:09 +0000

I was so excited for Lucas when Atletico Madrid was named as his new club… Then tottally shattered when nothing came of it … Gawd what happen…? Yes Jesse it has become an ego or money debacle and his manager may be advising him to suit his own pocket and not the player’s… Who really knows ?? I just wish it was resolved quickly…

~~~~~
KB

By: TIm

TIm — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:56:29 +0000

If he’d gone to Liverpool he would of garnished a lot more respect and clubs probably would of matched the wages he is demanding now. Silly move Lucas.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:05:07 +0000

This isn’t a wind up but I didn’t even know he was the captain.

By: Observer

Observer — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:38:11 +0000

Yes, Liverpool did want him – and he turned them down so that he could earn more money at no-hoper West Ham. Tells you all you need to know about the bloke.

By: midfield general

midfield general — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:30:49 +0000

Yeah on the surface he looks like a mercenary, but I have to say I have to admire his stubbornness and not caving into `greedy Luca$h’ thing. He’s only got a few years left in his career and he’s entitled to look after himself. I don’t know if I’d wake up in the morning to go to work if I was asked to take a 40% pay cut. He can do whatever he likes, if he chooses not to play and miss the WC, it’s his business but definitely Australia’s loss.

Average right back? Maybe so, but he can’t be too bad if clubs mentioned are after his services. If I’m not mistaken Liverpool wanted him a couple of years ago? I’ve seen him marking Cristiano Ronaldo and I thought he was doing ok.

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:21:40 +0000

So wait… because of the reason that through years of toil and sweat on the football pitch he has earned the right to wear our NT’s captains arm band he then must forfeit any right to shop around for a deal which is right for him now, and in his future?

Rather, you would have it, he should cop sweet a 43% pay cut handed to him by mid-table strugglers, West Ham??

It doesnt sound like a very brave decision, nor does it demonstraight much foresight. I think those two qualities are essential for leadership and his stand here perhaps just maybe reveals something of the reason he became captain in the first place.

By: FIsher Price

FIsher Price — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:52:29 +0000

Erm, sorry, comparing Neill to an injured player smacks of a desperation to defend the former. Neill is supposed to be the captain of the national team – shouldn’t he be setting an example by being there (and match fit) to lead as much as possible?

So, yes, it is a big deal that he hasn’t a club, isn’t playing.

More so, because it seems pretty likely that his situation stems from his desire to try and get as close as possible to the ridiculous wages West Ham were paying him.

By: FIsher Price

FIsher Price — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:50:12 +0000

Are you sure? Neill’s just a VERY average right back in England. He struck upon some good form when Hiddink played him in the centre at the last World Cup; who’s to say that couldn’t happen with another Australian defender?

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:24:06 +0000

just to play devils advocate…. so he’s missed a couple friendlies for the NT, and he’s missed the opening few weeks of a season… uh, so what?

which games are more important for a player to be finding their touch in a WC year? at the start of a long, gruelling, european season, still 9 months away from the WC finals, or the business end of the season, in the last three months, with the WC no longer on the horizon, but visibly beckoning? He’s 31, so perhaps a couple months extended break will give his body time to recover and find his full potential. Do defenders forget how to tackle? I doubt it. He can’t forget how to pass (he’d have to have learnt in the first place).

Brett Emerton isn’t playing regularly and hasn’t been for some time. He’s injured. Players miss matches for all sorts of reasons. the difference here is an enforced lay off through injury verses a choice to take the time to do the homework and get the right deal. If they both get back playing with enough time to hit form, the outcome will be no different whatsoever.

Whether you think Neil shopping around for the best offer is immoral or not is completely irrelevant and i find that much the criticism smacks of pious hypocrisy.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:58:25 +0000

Easy to jump to conclusions, but we don’t actually know why the Atletico deal broke down. Maybe he wasn’t going to be a first-choice defender. Obviously he wouldn’t want to be on the bench at a good club. It seems to me that he has been looking for a club which will offer him a guaranteed spot in the first team and the opportunity to play in the Champions League. So far the only real option has been Atletico Madrid, and we don’t even know for sure whether it was Neill or Atletico who pulled the plug.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:15:56 +0000

The fans are clearly fast losing respect for this bloke. I’m one of them. Surely his national teammates must be as well. How many of them will ever get a chance to play for a club like Atletico. Paddy is a fool and ‘Cash’s motivation is so transparent Paddy looks like more of one for saying greed had nothing to do with it.

By: cab711

cab711 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:07:03 +0000

Are you serious, drop him? Even an unfit Neill is better than the current centerbacks. He will be match fit come Sth Africa with the pretraining. Pim is stuck between a rock and a hardplace and he would be a fool to back Neill into a corner by alienating him from the squad. Just let the greedy pig get his big money contract to keep him happy. Then after Sth Africa dump his pretty boy ass.

By: Ben of Phnom Penh

Ben of Phnom Penh — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:02:57 +0000

So has Lucas signed or not? If he has signed somewhere and is awaiting final clearances (he was carrying an injury so I do not know if that had any impact) then this isn’t an issue. Part of the problem is uncertainty and until we hear something concrete from Lucas himself then speculation will continue and uncertainty remain.

The question is as to whether this uncertainty is something that he is able to control. If he is under a gagging order as things are cleared then fine; if not then the rationale would need to be solid to avoid damaging goodwill.

By: FIsher Price

FIsher Price — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:59:59 +0000

76K is scandalous.

By: TIm

TIm — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:30:22 +0000

Yes a sign or loyalty and sticking with West Ham in the first place would of been the way to go – especially given the amount of press in the general public the socceroos are going to receive next year.

By: St Nick

St Nick — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:11:11 +0000

It appears that Neill’s wage demands are too much for Sunderland:

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce said: “We did speak to the player a while ago about the possibility of coming to Sunderland.
“But as things stand, nothing’s going to come of that and nothing will unless circumstances change.”

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/Neill-wage-demands-too-much.5636266.jp

I don’t see this as something Pim needs to be involved in. If Neill wants to waste the season chasing money then its an opportunity for our other defenders to up the ante and give Pim a reason not to rush Neill back into the side when/if he finds a club. I wonder how long he can remain clubless before it would have been more financially beneficially for him to sign his initial contract extension with West Ham?

On the captaincy issue, what makes Neill an automatic choice for captain? Personally I’d like to see Schwarzer given the arm-band before Neill.

By: Realfootball

Realfootball — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:01:53 +0000

Utterly disgraceful. Neill is not the man to captain Australia. Give the armband to Harry or Moore or Emmerton. Unbelievable that Neill still isn’t playing and it’s still about money. He’s 31, middling abilty at best and lacks pace. He was overvalued by West Ham in the first place. Mind boggling perpective bypass, Lucas.

By: Colin N

Colin N — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:42 +0000

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.

By: Gaz

Gaz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:49:23 +0000

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.

By: sledgeross

sledgeross — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:43:16 +0000

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!

By: TIm

TIm — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:18:52 +0000

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.

By: Simmo

Simmo — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:03:30 +0000

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.

By: Simmo

Simmo — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:58:01 +0000

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.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:54:51 +0000

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.

By: David

David — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:43:32 +0000

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.

By: whiskeymac

whiskeymac — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:43:19 +0000

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.

By: Hammer

Hammer — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:43:04 +0000

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 …