STAYING to fight for the shirt sounds, on the face of it, a very commendable attribute and one which demonstrates competitiveness: One of the more important components of a successful team evolves when the squad members who can’t get into the starting eleven are pushing, competing and being ready when the opportunity arises.
However at West Ham it has become more often than not a byword for ‘taking the money’. Danny Ings, for example, apparently ‘stayed to fight for the shirt’ seeing out his West Ham contract for the last year with no chance of getting a starting place but taking the £100k plus a week that the Irons had misguidedly agreed to pay him, rather than taking the transfer away from the club that was proffered. And in one sense, who can blame him.
However, the trend just repeats as fringe players ‘stay to fight for the shirt’ rather than take a pay cut and leave. The Hammers are currently hoping to offload Niclas Fullkrug but at the huge salary he’s on are liable to be stuck with him until the end of his contract.
Likely to see out his West Ham contract to the bitter end – Guido Rodriguez
Next in line, now publicly committing to ‘fight for the shirt’ is Guido Rodriguez. Another West Ham player paid handsomely to sit on the sidelines, instead of agreeing to move on in search of first team football, Guido has told whufc.com:
“I felt good and happy with the support of my teammates, the coaching staff and the fans, so I thank them for that, and I will continue to fight for a place in this team”.
With a World Cup coming, you’d hope that fringe players would read the room at West Ham and realise it is time to move on.
The West Ham gravy train seems just too alluring: With £2.4 million reasons to see out his contract until the summer, If I’m honest I’d probably be doing exactly the same thing.
Stop the fighting and give him the shirt. This guy should be the exemplary employee.
If he wants to play football , he should move on , we could do with the cash for a younger better player !
I think that whether or not a player (such as Rodriguez) leaves must depend a lot on what clubs want to take him – its not just a question of accepting the first offer that is made
Proof that personal terms for a new player must be approached cautiously .
It’s upto Nuno to let the player know they are moving him out, if someone offers a nominal fee or loan until the end of the season that’s probably the best we can hope for, he will be earning more than he has ever earned, is a free agent at the end of the season so can sign a pre contract in Spain or another country. There is no incentive for him to leave, it hasn’t worked out at our club and the club are in a no win situation so it’s all eyes on them if they can find a way to move him on with the least damage done.
Yup, as expected, it’s all aboard the West Ham gravy train. I mean, they’re not going to get that kind of money in any other country are they?