Mansell signs for Bristol Rovers

[leetufc]

Well, firstly, football as a career is totally different from the "real" world.

If I was "wanted" by another company, they wouldn't need to buy me out of my contract by offering my employer a certain amount of money, my contract doesn't "run out" after two or three years and I can stay there for as long as I want (or until the company get fed up with me and serve notice on me)

A footballer, especially in the lower leagues, has a limited amount of time to earn money before they are deemed too old and past it, has to put in a transfer request and hope that another club want them if they want out before the end of their contract and have no promises that they will be able to stay at the end of their contract.
They have so many thousand people (if they are lucky) telling them every week how good or sh*t they are at their job, and are usually deemed to be "disloyal" if they wish to leave.

Add to that, if you or I want to get another job, you can probably get one fairly close to where you live (or a small commute each day) - a footballer may not get another offer near where they live and have to think about uprooting their whole family (possible removing their kids from school too) and go somewhere else in the country.

In essence I don't begrudge any player from taking their time - especially when they have had a significent reduction in pay to factor in too.
Whilst I can appreciate that others may not be as forgiving, I think that the players keeping us waiting are perfectly entitled to do so given the decision they have to make.

Completely agree and excellently summed up

[cambgull]

Well, firstly, football as a career is totally different from the "real" world.

If I was "wanted" by another company, they wouldn't need to buy me out of my contract by offering my employer a certain amount of money, my contract doesn't "run out" after two or three years and I can stay there for as long as I want (or until the company get fed up with me and serve notice on me)

A footballer, especially in the lower leagues, has a limited amount of time to earn money before they are deemed too old and past it, has to put in a transfer request and hope that another club want them if they want out before the end of their contract and have no promises that they will be able to stay at the end of their contract.
They have so many thousand people (if they are lucky) telling them every week how good or shit they are at their job, and are usually deemed to be "disloyal" if they wish to leave.

Add to that, if you or I want to get another job, you can probably get one fairly close to where you live (or a small commute each day) - a footballer may not get another offer near where they live and have to think about uprooting their whole family (possible removing their kids from school too) and go somewhere else in the country.

In essence I don't begrudge any player from taking their time - especially when they have had a significent reduction in pay to factor in too.
Whilst I can appreciate that others may not be as forgiving, I think that the players keeping us waiting are perfectly entitled to do so given the decision they have to make.

Well said Scott. Nice to see someone with half a brain cell on this forum.

Of course, we all know that football is so detached from the "real" world that no footballer in the history of football has ever needed to pay their mortgage, buy clothes for their kids for school, feed the wife and kids or pay the utility bills. Wait... no... they're just like you and I, just with a half decent ability to play football.

For anyone to even think that a player should instantly sign a new contract for Torquay whilst taking a massive pay drop and without giving it any decent thought, should have their head screwed back on. Put it another way, say you're being paid £30,000 a year. You budget towards that figure, probably with some money to hide away for a rainy day. Your employer turns round to you and tells you that next year, you'll have to be paid £20,000 a year if you want to be kept on. After the initial shock, you're going to want to see if you can get the same money again elsewhere, mainly because you can't afford to be dropping £600 a month.

If you're definitely still on the same wages for a couple months, so you'd take as much time as you can to make sure you have the best possible offer for your livelihood. If your employer can't understand that, then it's an easy choice to make, you leave them.

Taking time to make a big decision in your career is completely understandable, especially if no one else is offering you the big bucks. It doesn't mean though, that the employee doesn't want to work for the employer, it just means he doesn't want to get paid less for the same job.

[Dave]

Try and keep this story short. For a few years I worked as a stock controller/purchaser, got a call one day from the sales rep of a cardboard box company we dealt with, he was in the area could he pop in and see us, the blokes name was Jimmy Allan, he had played 436 games for Swindon Town between 1971-85 and had his testimonial v Chelsea, believe he played in a league cup semi final for them as well, and that's the point, here's a former lower league pro of 14 years working out his days as a box salesman.

Made the point so many times, the life of a lower league pro is far removed from those at the top of the game it's untrue, and away from football Mansell et al are human beings, I think more than likely Manse is talking to other clubs and as yet probably hasn't received a suitable firm offer to make him want to uproot his family, which ever way this goes I do not blame Manse, he has to do what's right for him, and if he stays he'll have mu support as a fan.

[Oil Beef Hooked]

Looks like there's only a 50-50 chance that Manse will sign a new deal.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27903447

The article goes on to say that Pokey is also unlikely to sign a new contract.

[Rjc70]

Unlike Lathrope, I'd be surprised if Mansell has had any interest, so expect him to sign. Would be pleased if it ends up the other way around, though.

[yellowforever]

I'm not too bothered either way. I think if he leaves, we can probably do better on cheaper wages, but if he decides to stay on a reduced rate then we have a player with recent promotion experience from this league, and at a level he'll be more comfortable with.

As for him taking his time - he's well within his right to do so, and I see no problem with it. As long as he's made his decision by the deadline (that's what they're there for), then that's ok.

[Neal]

Completely missed the point as many of you constantly do on here. From a players point of view of course you will do the best for your family etc etc. That's f ing obvious!!!!! Let's spell it out so you can understand it simply, FROM A TORQUAY UTD perspective, a club that is in a professional competition and especially one with no money, the club cannot consider individual players financial situations. Doesn't matter if player x has several kids big mortgage etc etc, If you start going down that route your F#cked!

I didn't slag Mansell off last season unlike some posts on here but I hope he doesn't sign. Obviously no one else wants him, so what we have offered is either the market rate for him or of course we could still be paying too much, we will never know, but if he does sign we do know that no one else rated him enough to offer more.

[hector]

Completely missed the point as many of you constantly do on here. From a players point of view of course you will do the best for your family etc etc. That's f ing obvious!!!!! Let's spell it out so you can understand it simply, FROM A TORQUAY UTD perspective, a club that is in a professional competition and especially one with no money, the club cannot consider individual players financial situations. Doesn't matter if player x has several kids big mortgage etc etc, If you start going down that route your F#cked!

I didn't slag Mansell off last season unlike some posts on here but I hope he doesn't sign. Obviously no one else wants him, so what we have offered is either the market rate for him or of course we could still be paying too much, we will never know, but if he does sign we do know that no one else rated him enough to offer more.

I think you are right, Neal, and I don't think anyone is suggesting that the club pay players with families/mortgages etc, a higher level of pay. I think what people are simply saying is that players with those considerations to take into account, are entitled to spend time weighing up the same very options any of us would have to consider, if we had to take a pay cut or consider moving away. There are one or two impatient fans, who in their desperate desire to see the back of Lee Mansell, are wanting him to hurry up and make a decision, when respect should be due to the fact he needs to consider the needs of his family.

It may be that he wants to stay, is prepared ultimately to take the new reduced offer but is trying to find a way to make it work to fit his family situation. I guess he and his wife are having to face quite a worrying time when they know that their income is going to be drastically reduced, so I think it is only right that he take the time he is entitled to, to try and work out what his options are.

But ultimately, you are right. The club cannot build their team around sentimental issues regarding players. All lower division footballers know they are only one contract away from the dole queue and it is that sense of long-term insecurity is the price they pay for what is a life, even at a lower-level, plenty of us would have loved to have lived. But when it comes to an end, they need to try and seek what is best for their family and also be unsentimental about the club they are at.

[Southampton Gull]

Exactly as I see it. Maybe the Club might improve the offer slightly, afterall he's an experienced player at the level we find ourselves at and could still do a decent job for us. If he does decide to move on then I'm sure we can use the money to find a young hungry player.

[brucie]

Mansell could still do a job for us thats for certain. You say that "nobody else wants him" - that might not be the case at all. It could just as well be that noone will offer him the kind of money that will make him uproot his family from this area, who knows.
I wouldn't be suprised at all if he signed at the end of the day. With Luke Young on board I would be happy if Lathrope moved on.

[taunton_gull]

For any clubs looking for a player with a huge amount of relegation experience and who can find opposition players in the midfield with aplomb he's just the guy. :devil:

[cambgull]

Completely missed the point as many of you constantly do on here. From a players point of view of course you will do the best for your family etc etc. That's f ing obvious!!!!! Let's spell it out so you can understand it simply, FROM A TORQUAY UTD perspective, a club that is in a professional competition and especially one with no money, the club cannot consider individual players financial situations. Doesn't matter if player x has several kids big mortgage etc etc, If you start going down that route your F#cked!

No, we got your point, but you're arguing against a point that not a single person on this forum has made. Nobody has said we must pay a player more because he has kids and a mortgage, but that we should give someone more time to think about life changing decisions. So that would be YOU completely missing the point then.

[Richinns]

Neal - I think this song might be right up your street!:
[youtube]NaOxyZkO-bo[/youtube]

[Neal]

Thanks lol!!! Made me laugh that. Good one!

[Neal]

No, we got your point, but you're arguing against a point that not a single person on this forum has made. Nobody has said we must pay a player more because he has kids and a mortgage, but that we should give someone more time to think about life changing decisions. So that would be YOU completely missing the point then.

Shit, did I? All that blinking text for no reason then. Bloody hell!!!!