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ID: What’s the situation with Lucas Neill? Is he out?
SD: Until 1 July he is a West Ham player. The ethos of the club is to try to stop paying the ridiculous salaries that we have done historically, that got us into so much trouble. We haven’t got a wage structure, but we have a wage system and all our top players are on pretty much the same money, which is good for team spirit and competitiveness. You want players in the changing room to be on similar salaries so there isn’t any jealousy.
Do they gossip about each other’s money?
Oh God, yes! The problem with the Premier League is that you tend to look at this glitzy product and think the players come off the pitch, go in their little cardboard boxes, but they are just like me and you. They talk about what cars they drive, how much they earn and it is so important to make that team mentality.
What car do you drive?
[laughs] Nothing like what they drive! I give this background because we have offered Lucas a good contract which will make him one of the top earners at the club, but I understand Lucas’s position. He was one of the first Eggert Magnussen contracts, and it was a very good contract. If I were him, I’d like to get that again. It would be superb. He believes that is what he should get. That’s his right and I respect that. But we have given him a good offer. I hope he signs it, but if he doesn’t, that’s fine, we’ll look elsewhere.
If he hasn’t signed it by July 1st, it that then it?
Er… Pre season is July 6th, so hopefully he will have decided to sign by then, but if not we will look to replace him. At the moment we are in advanced discussions with a number of players, so if we do our business then that will be that. We’ll see. It’s down to Lucas.
In the last half of the season he was outstanding, wasn’t he? Almost a different player to the one we saw during the first half of the season?
He’s a great player and that’s why we have given him a great contract. We don’t give contracts like we have offered to him lightly. It’s a lot of money. It is his choice as to whether he wants to do it. It’s more than just money. It’s about his desire to play for Gianfranco, his desire to be part of what we are trying to achieve. The player has to want to be a part of that. It’s very much down to Lucas now.
COMMENT
I know this is a shorter extract than the others, but I thought it merited discussion as a single topic. The July 1 deadline has passed, so Lucas Neill is no longer a West Ham player. It seems to me that there is no way back for him now, and there shouldn’t be. If he really wanted to stay, he would have signed by now. As I understand it, the problem has been that the player constantly changes his mind as to what he wants to do. His mind is completely set on the 2010 World Cup Finals and after those finals he wants to go back to Australia. It seems to me that if he stayed with us next season, his mind would not be on the job at hand and if, as he wants, he only signs for a year, we get no transfer fee at the end of it.
But we get no transfer fee for him now either as he is out of contract.
I agree, Iain, it’s best he goes now as he obviously has big doubts about staying. However, I think that he will struggle to get the sort of money he is after. He was never worth what he was paid even though, overall, he’s done a decent job for the club. Probably more valuable as a captain than as a player in some ways.
Spector looked decent playing for the USA in the Confederations Cup but I still don’t think he is the answer so we will need to get a new right back in pronto. If Neill had stayed for another year it would have given time to bring on one of the youngsters, perhaps, but to throw one in at the deep end would be a big risk.
Why would his mind be elsewhere? I can understand him being funny with regards to having to take a pay cut, I think he will come back but the problem is the umming and arr-ing means that everyone now knows, he has re-signed simply because he didn’t get a better offer, not great when you are the captain of the football club
I think let him go, if we are in discussions with other players then maybe we should pursue those. A younger more mobile right back would fit in with ‘the project’.
No axe to grind with Lucas. He has done a solid job for us. But I would defy someone who doesnt know them to watch us play and tell me which of our players is on twice the money of anyone else. I would also back GZ and Nani to bring someone in on the wages he is being offered now that would do a more effective job… given the swift technical game we play now. But its his experiencehe that is the ace up his sleeve and surely the reason we will try to keep him if it can be done – along the lines SD describes here, where he gets a significant wage reduction and a large chunk of humble pie.
Much easier to have a structure in place and explain that to players than to tell the world you have money and then try to build something permanent built on the sort of mercenary decision that brought Lucas to us in the first place.
For me the only other potentially relevant point here might be how Messr’s Green and Upson feel about him staying or going. If they both think he is important for our season ahead and his release might affect how they view their own futures at the club then we must try to retain him.
On a clear positive note I would add that I back the club to do the right thing. Whatever that might be. And the last time that was true John Lyall was our manager.
COYI!!
Lucas turned down a new contract presumably thinking other teams would match his demands which has not proved to be the case. Clearly we don’t want a player who is only with us because he can’t do better elsewhere. Whilst, as Roymondo correctly states, one more year would allow us to see what Specs could do long term and develop Spence, I was never comfortable with Lucas at RB as his best performances came at CB a position where we have good cover. For me he has burnt his bridges!
“all our top players are on pretty much the same money” … except Green apparently, arguably our top player. Really hope we stop fannying around and give Green parity. He may be under contract but he’s obviously not happy with his salary compared to others at the club and if that resentment builds he will leave when he gets the chance.
Completely agree with you about Neill Iain, I would much prefer to see us bring in a decent replacement. Yes, he can play when he wants to as he showed on occasions last year, and he is versatile, but it does feel like he would just be here to collect his cheque and see out his final year before “retirement”. And I know if I had to return to work on a pay cut after handing in my notice and publicly being turned down by rival companies… well… I can’t really see him having the best of attitudes next year and that’s the last thing we need.
In an earlier installment SD said he was going to Italy in an attempt to agree a deal with Mancini. A week has now gone by – does anyone know what, if anything, is happening?
Also interesting the club website’s list of players no longer includes Davenport (Quashie and Faubert are still there)- surely he is still with us albeit hopefully we can find buyers for all three.
Reply to Peter. Part 4 stated that zola was meeting up with mancini either today(4 july) or tommorrow(5 July). He mentioned that we are 80% there with deal its now down to mancini and zola. He also mentioned that if it doesn’t happen there are other targets in the same position. So if deal is to be done, i should hope an announcement would be made soon. Hope this helps. COY Irons!
Thanks Brad – I think I read Part 4 as SD going to Italy last weekend. So there is still hope!
Personally, I’d say thanks and Goodbye. Lucas has had more than enough time to re-sign, and for him to try and slink back in now that he cannot do any better should not be allowed to happen.
Incidently, what terms would he be signed on? He is a free-agent, so would he be expecting a signing bonus? Or bigger wages as we would not have to pay a transfer fee? I wouldn’t put it past him and his agent!
Lucus Neil must be the better option then the players who are in discussions otherwise wouldn’t the club have told Neil to sling his hook by now?
He is a pretty decent player so I’d be happy either way.
I’m only guessing what Lucas was on but recently we discovered most top earners at our club are around the £65k mark give or take what bonuses they can earn through appearances. If Lucas Neil was on twice that it’s mind blowing because he is definately not worth that much a week!
Your welcome Peter. I believe that we shouldn’t go along along with all speculation unless someone to do with club mentions it. It’s nice to get excited but i just much prefer it when deal is done and dusted lol. Mancini does sound farely likely to happen by the sounds of it, we’ve got Jimenez and we got to hope Zola can work his magic again and we weill have Mancini and other aswel. I thinks there is a bright future ahead. Coy Irons
Sorry about spellings lol. Useless
Im biased. I would like Spector to get a shot at RB. Zola had to see how he performed against some of the best forwards in the world. His two crosses into the box for goals were class. I know most posts here don’t see it this way, but he is only 23. If it doesnt work out you get a RB in Jan.
must agree with peter ,lucas neil as a right back gets caught for pace and i know hes an aussie but does tend to go walkabout,but as a centre back his reading of the game is excellent and he does not panic when he has the ball.if he returns which i would be happy to see i dont think he should have the captaincy though
He is slow, he’s a thug, a mug and he only started to play when his contract was running out.
GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH.
‘ORRIBLE WEST HAM CAPTAIN.
i think we should offer him 45k and strip him of his captaincy and give it to upson if he returns.
I think Lucas will re-sign for us. He has overestimated his value to any other club.
At the right money for one year he would be OK. A good captain. Above all it will show other players at the club that the management will not be pushed around on contracts and the grass may not always be greener elsewhere.
Showed some comitment as skipper but has had better days and has cost us too much already. He’s not exactly getting quicker is he? I think it would be possible to get better for less money, and give Parker the Armband he deserves, and give Upson or Green the vice-captaincy. Sends out one hell of a message to the money grabbers!
Really disappointed with Lucas, he’s at the back end of his career and was offered great money to play regular first team football under Zola. I think he’ll regret his decision as I don’t think any other Prem clubs will come looking for him and he’ll end up playing in a lower quality league, not the best prep for the world cup that he seems so concerned about.
Neill is too slow to play RB, his best performances came when he was playing Holding Midfiled or CB. Re-sign him only for a reasonable price.
We need a good RB, but this Mancini fellow is a winger? Didn’t GZ try that with Faubert, which was the start of it all going so wrong for him?? (As he was one of our best players the first couple of games last season undr Curbs.)
I’d rather see a younger replacement come in. Neil hs shown he’s not that interested by turning the contract down nobody else seemsto want him so now he wants to talk, No let him go he is no longer worthy of the shirt or the armband.