It’s All About the Money?

Tevez………..Fabregas………will they……..won’t they……Is it just me who wants these so called ‘transfer sagas’ to end? I don’t think I can take much more.

He’s going, he’s staying. He’s left, stop, scratch that, he’s still here. Christ if you’re gonna go, GO.

As Nike used to say – JUST DO IT. And as Wham so eloquently put it way back in 1982 – ‘do you enjoy what you do, if not just stop, don’t stay there and rot’.

The Clash shouted and spat in 1978 – ‘don’t complain about your useless employment, jack it in forever tonight, or shut your mouth and pretend you enjoy it, think of all the money you’ve got’.

I think that last particular phrase resonates with today’s Premiership footballer. Say what you like about missing your family (Tevez) or ‘returning home’ (Fabregas), what it all boils down to is the filthy lucre. Money Talks, as Stevie V once said (blimey it’s beginning to resemble the Guinness Book of Hit Singles round here). 

The plain and simple fact is no matter what reasons or excuses today’s modern player gives for wanting to move clubs, to quote Meja – It’s All About The Money, Money, Money ( OK enough already ).

Alex McLeish is trying to rebuild Villa and make them a potent force in the Premiership, and yet his two star players Downing and Young have jumped ship. I personally doubt it was for footballing reasons, especially Downing who, in my opinion, has gone from being the first name on the team sheet to a squad player at Liverpool (previous examples: Ryan Babel, Joe Cole). Though I think Young may fare better at Manchester United.

Being a supporter of a League Two team we don’t have the money or the patience to wait for signings. You either want to play rubbish route one hoofball for us, or you don’t. Stop wasting everyone’s time. Southend had Rohan Ricketts on trial last week. He said he wanted a ‘fair deal’. Now it doesn’t take a genius to work out that a ‘name’ player such as Ricketts will want more than we can offer. He said he ‘would love to sign’ – of course he would, he’s unemployed. But he’s probably said the same to a number of clubs until the offer has gone to his agent, who after his cut has shown it to the player, who has then turned it down. If you want to play for us that badly, ANY offer should be good enough, especially for someone like Ricketts who can’t be short of a bob or two after spells with Arsenal, Spurs and Wolves amongst others.

The deal has now fallen through and Ricketts is free to find another club. I wish him luck, as in the current football climate he may struggle to find someone who can meet his wage demands (unless he heads Manchester way). So did he really want to play for Southend in League Two? I doubt it.

With regards to Tevez and Fabregas, I wish they would just get on with it. Do what you gotta do. Move or shut up. I’ve had enough.

Lee Morgan.

Twitter: @LeeM_007