Luis Suárez

[Arn]

It would be a good start to financial ruin. Player throws toys out of pram, we offer him much more money. How long before others in the squad try that? And when we try to sign new players they'll all demand way more.

Not if we qualify for the CL. If we can't pay Suarez £150k a week this season and £50k more a week if we qualify for the CL then we have no chance at all to get back into the CL again, no chance.

We pay Gerrard £150k a week IIRC. Suarez should get at least the same. It isn't fair to the player if we don't offer him the same kind of money because he deserves to be paid that.

If we then qualify for the CL then we can afford to pay him £50k a week more without any problem at all IMO.

[James P]

I think you're confusing gross misconduct, and a desire to change jobs.

How so? I'm pointing out that, entirely separate to this process, he's behaved previously in a way that would have seen him out of the door, which is an example of the fact that footballers are allowed to sink to far lower moral standards than 'normal' employees.

His current handling of his desire to leave is also pretty poor, but in a different way - clumsy, disingenuous and badly handled.

If one of your staff bit or racially abused a colleague or client, then they would have been out of the door.

Similarly, if a member of staff wanted to leave, they wouldn't in all probability be participating in news conferences where they would be continually questioned about it. Instead they may make use of agencies to find another job and suchlike.

Agreed. So you appear to be agreeing that 'normal' employees actually live by a far higher moral and ethical code than footballers, which isn't what you said originally?

[McDermotX]

The Torres thread will take some beating... it's well worth anybody's time. It's free, allows some fantastic insults, and ultimately provides a good focus for people to vent certain feelings towards a certain cunt. In fact, it's a very successful thread in that regard as it prevents overspill into other threads better than most other subjects. Long may it continue. Looking forward to Suarez' version.

[Chris]

Not if we qualify for the CL. If we can't pay Suarez £150k a week this season and £50k more a week if we qualify for the CL then we have no chance at all to get back into the CL again, no chance.

How have Arsenal and Spurs been getting in the CL without paying those wages?

[dom9]

Not if we qualify for the CL. If we can't pay Suarez £150k a week this season and £50k more a week if we qualify for the CL then we have no chance at all to get back into the CL again, no chance.

We pay Gerrard £150k a week IIRC. Suarez should get at least the same. It isn't fair to the player if we don't offer him the same kind of money because he deserves to be paid that.

If we then qualify for the CL then we can afford to pay him £50k a week more without any problem at all IMO.

So your additional transfer budget is swallowed up by increased wages to existing staff.

Group stages of champions league are worth what, £20m per year max.

[dom9]

How so? I'm pointing out that, entirely separate to this process, he's behaved previously in a way that would have seen him out of the door, which is an example of the fact that footballers are allowed to sink to far lower moral standards than 'normal' employees.

His current handling of his desire to leave is also pretty poor, but in a different way - clumsy, disingenuous and badly handled.



Agreed. So you appear to be agreeing that 'normal' employees actually live by a far higher moral and ethical code than footballers, which isn't what you said originally?

No, it's the indulgence of the employers and fans such as Arn that create this problem.

Imagine if the club had sacked Suarez? It could never have happened.

[James P]

Not if we qualify for the CL. If we can't pay Suarez £150k a week this season and £50k more a week if we qualify for the CL then we have no chance at all to get back into the CL again, no chance.

We pay Gerrard £150k a week IIRC. Suarez should get at least the same. It isn't fair to the player if we don't offer him the same kind of money because he deserves to be paid that.

If we then qualify for the CL then we can afford to pay him £50k a week more without any problem at all IMO.

And therein lies the problem. You have absolutely no idea about how the finances of the club would work under that scenario, and nor do any of us.

Glib comments about how it's obvious that we should shell out an additional £2.5m a year on wages for one player alone, and how it wouldn't impact on our financial position, simply don't have any grounding in fact. Especially when they are predicated on the apparently inevitable fact that paying Suarez an extra £2.5m guarantees us Champions League qualification, which is what makes the figures work. He didn't get us there last season, so are you suggesting that extra money will make him play 50% better, which is what will lead to qualification?

[James P]

No, it's the indulgence of the employers and fans such as Arn that create this problem.

Imagine if the club had sacked Suarez? It could never have happened.

I agree with you. Although part of me thinks that we should have sacked him and done an Adrian Mutu on his ass.

[Arn]

So your additional transfer budget is swallowed up by increased wages to existing staff.

Group stages of champions league are worth what, £20m per year max.

If you include bonuses from our sponsors then the group stages is IMO worth much more than that. How much more would we get from SC for example?

I wild guess would be closer to £40m. Say £10m extra from our sponsors and the rest from UEFA, tickets etc.

[Kenneth]

I agree with you. Although part of me thinks that we should have sacked him and done an Adrian Mutu on his ass.

Chelsea still haven't got their £15m from mutu though.

[Fredo]

I think he wants to move there. Game over chaps. Close thread.

[baitman]

Arn, could you start a separate thread to discuss the way FSG and other owners should be running football clubs and how they should finance this.

getting sick of seeing of seeing this waffle derailing threads

[dom9]

I agree with you. Although part of me thinks that we should have sacked him and done an Adrian Mutu on his ass.

Everyone wants it both ways. It doesn't work like that, so it needs to be accepted to move on. Trouble is, decoupling the emotional engagement is what makes it difficult to rationalise.

If you include bonuses from our sponsors then the group stages is IMO worth much more than that. How much more would we get from SC for example?

I wild guess would be closer to £40m. Say £10m extra from our sponsors and the rest from UEFA, tickets etc.

Ok, according to latest reports we have maximised income by renegotiating the SC deal to be less incentivised. So bang goes that one.

[Arn]

And therein lies the problem. You have absolutely no idea about how the finances of the club would work under that scenario, and nor do any of us.

Glib comments about how it's obvious that we should shell out an additional £2.5m a year on wages for one player alone, and how it wouldn't impact on our financial position, simply don't have any grounding in fact. Especially when they are predicated on the apparently inevitable fact that paying Suarez an extra £2.5m guarantees us Champions League qualification, which is what makes the figures work. He didn't get us there last season, so are you suggesting that extra money will make him play 50% better, which is what will lead to qualification?

If you can come up with a better way to keep our best players then you are indeed a genius because no club that don't play in the CL have so far succeed to keep their best players without paying them crazy money.

Not a single club.

We can't expect the players to stay if we don't pay them what they are worth, can we?

So how do we solve the wages bit if we want to keep our best players?

[Kenneth]

I think he wants to move there. Game over chaps. Close thread.

Nige has made his mind up. Close thread.