Would be better to have him than not, so it would be nice, but Sunday Express also reported that Arsenal are keen on him and we're ready to buy Newcastle United's Jose Enrique to replace Evra... so that shows how reliable is the source.
Owen Hargreaves | 2010/11 Performances
- Thread starter SharkyMcShark
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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Get fecked, its not his fault he is injury prone.
A wise move, if correct.
He will accept it because he will want to prove himself.
Morals have nothing to do with it.
No but he has sat out for 3 years on full wages getting the best rehab treatment available to anyone. I love him and have always secretly hoped he'd make a come back but he must know as well as anyone a pay-as-you-play deal at a club like ours is his best option. If the club is willing to have faith in him one last time (and name him in the 25m squad) then he should be willing to be paid on his contributions to the team.
Well dugh but to say he has to accept it if he has any morals is retarded.
Which of course has nothing to do with morals. It's a simple football decision at this stage. If both sides want a new deal, it will get done.
The morals part is about not trying to haggle for a normal contract, which would be taking the ****.
But its not, Donut was reffering to his injuries.
Blaming him for collecting a salary is the issue here. He had no say about his injury or for how long he would be out of action.
I dont agree.
If he is offered a deal, I'm sure he will accept it.
I actually hope its true. If there is room for him, then i'd love him to stay.
I actually hope its true. If there is room for him, then i'd love him to stay.
I don't know, it just seems to me that if he wants to continue playing, he needs a fresh start at a new club. I won't be disappointed if he stays, especially on a PAYP basis, but I can't ever see him being anything more than a Carling Cup player and getting on the bench every now and then. The squad has had to move on.
Has it? Weird that cause most reds I know still think we're short in midfield and that a Hargreaves type player is just what we need.
Why? We have the 25 man squad cap to adhere to and we'd effectively be filling one of those spots with a statue. I think it'd be madness to keep him with those regulations in mind aswell as the fact that even if he eventually manages to get off his sickbed, there is a high chance of him never reaching the level that persuaded us to buy him or his first season here.
I won't be surprised either way, whether Hargreaves stays or goes. None of us has access to the knowledge necessary to make this decision, so we'll be waiting until the summer to find out when an announcement is made.
On balance however, if you had to guess, you'd have to believe he's leaving the club:
If Hargreaves were capable of playing at his old level, then we'd have signed him to a new contract. Or he might be like Louis Saha, able to reach his old level, but not consistently enough to prevent United from looking elsewhere. United is a hard enough club to succeed at even when a player is healthy, so Hargreaves' future might come down to what United do on the transfer market and whether he has to make way for someone else.
I'd love to see him get another chance and play a significant role again for United next season, but the matter is out of Hargreaves' hands at this point.
On balance however, if you had to guess, you'd have to believe he's leaving the club:
If Hargreaves were capable of playing at his old level, then we'd have signed him to a new contract. Or he might be like Louis Saha, able to reach his old level, but not consistently enough to prevent United from looking elsewhere. United is a hard enough club to succeed at even when a player is healthy, so Hargreaves' future might come down to what United do on the transfer market and whether he has to make way for someone else.
I'd love to see him get another chance and play a significant role again for United next season, but the matter is out of Hargreaves' hands at this point.
Yea, you're right. It makes way more sense to nonchalantly discard of a player who is incredibly talented, who we have not only invested millions in, and who is also potentially the solution to all of our midfield problems. It would definitely make way more sense to let him go on a free transfer, and to pay 35/45 million to replace him, especially as the club is likely to be getting rid of another few players and just as he is getting back to fitness.
He's been a disaster
give him some form of pay as you play deal.
give him some form of pay as you play deal.
Yea, you're right. It makes way more sense to nonchalantly discard of a player who is incredibly talented, who we have not only invested millions in, and who is also potentially the solution to all of our midfield problems. It would definitely make way more sense to let him go on a free transfer, and to pay 35/45 million to replace him, especially as the club is likely to be getting rid of another few players and just as he is getting back to fitness.
Incredibly talented or not, a potential solution to our midfield or not, either way he is no use to us when he doesn't play football. He's not managed that for 3 seasons now, I'd say that's long enough perseverence, not to mention financial sacrifice, on our part.
Who said anything about paying £35m for a CM to "replace" him? He has been ably replaced since he stopped playing so that argument is nonsense. We also have Cleverley returning next season, so keeping Hargreaves in a 25 man squad as not worth it IMO. You get what you earn in life, and I'll be damned if Hargreaves(through no fault of his own of course)has earned a place in our squad next season aswell as a new contract, whether it's pay as you play or not is irrelevant because he'll be taking up a valuable spot in the 25, a spot that after 3 years evidence could be better served with someone else whether it be to allow an extra youngster opportunities or for a new recruit.
I don't think any of you would be too impressed if he turned down the contract and fecked off on a free!
Especially not if it was to arsenal
i don't think so. he's well liked at United and the club has shown great patience with him. he can repay that patience with a pay-as-you-play deal (if it's really been offered). since his last issue wasn't knee related the extended lay off had to be a plus as far as the knees are concerned. would be great to have him back if he's 100%.
nope. that would be bad.
I really want to see him play in a united shirt again, even if its in a pre-season match.
Any chance of making it against Blackpool?
Any chance of making it against Blackpool?
Does not deserve a pay as you play deal but I am leaning towards that just because he owes us and you know if we released him it is certain he would pitch up somewhere and play 20 odd games.
Off to Arse
If he doesn't take it, it's because he has given up on playing again. Otherwise he's staying and fighting.
To me this sounds promising. No way would we offer another full contract but the fact we'd offer something shows there's something still there to hang a prior on..
To me this sounds promising. No way would we offer another full contract but the fact we'd offer something shows there's something still there to hang a prior on..
SAF must know something we don't..if true of course
money's not the issue- Hargo can be offered a pay as you go contract but feck me if wee can afford to give him a slot in the squad - thanks to that stupid 25-man rule
He will only take a place if he proves his fitness before the start of the season, if not then he is left out until January or whenever it is.
This really isn't an issue.
I really hope he gets back to playing again. Its a good deal for both him and us. This will free up a high earner wage slot, hopefully we can utilise that with a big player coming in this summer, and it gives Hargo that chance to to get back to full fitness again. We all know it isn't his long standing injury that is giving him the problems, it is now other smaller injuries which have come about because he hasn't played competitive football for so long. Hopefully these smaller injuries similar to those that Rio got after returning from his main injury earlier this season. If thats the case then we could hopefully have him back for the start of the season.
Let him have a pre-season FFS... I would have stopped playing ages ago, 2 feckin' knee operations would have made me unable to walk....
Will we see him against Blackpool though ? Would be amazing to see both Owens play at the same time.
Will we see him against Blackpool though ? Would be amazing to see both Owens play at the same time.
It's still an issue Sharky, because we've got a big squad and that spot can be vital if we want to sign someone. What you are suggesting will mean keeping a squad place open for him, potentially throughout the summer.
Nar, look at the people who took some spots this season, Neville, Brown etc. We don't need to keep a spot "open", SAF will be ruthless and if that means someone missing out on a spot then so be it, they will be sent on loan instead.
I really don't see it as an issue at all. I doubt SAF will be thinking too about his 25 until he has to submit it.
The best way to solve this (if there's still hope left regarding Hargreaves) is to sign him for 1 more year (an option for another year would do) and loan him to one of our satellite clubs. Everyone should be happy of such deal. United would still have an option to recall the player if he does well and he wont take one of the 25 players spot, the satellite team will have a player of great class at their disposal (and no salary to pay for him), Hargreaves would still have a chance to play with a big club + the best physios to take care of him.
That deal will require Hargreaves to do alot of sacrifices which may include leaving England (or play at first division level) and get a lower salary. On the other hand I don't think that many big clubs will be lined to sign him at this point in time.
That deal will require Hargreaves to do alot of sacrifices which may include leaving England (or play at first division level) and get a lower salary. On the other hand I don't think that many big clubs will be lined to sign him at this point in time.
Why is there this perception that a player 'owes' a club if he's been injured for a long time? When the club signed him they took a risk. It is part and parcel of the deal and hence clubs take out insurance on players for that very reason. He 'owes' the club nothing really. However, from a personal point of view he might want to prove that he belongs at United. I for one don't see that happening if we end up signing a midfielder this summer.
All players owe the clubs something when it gives them the occasion to play at the highest level, earn them alot of money for doing what they like to do and treat them great even when things start going wrong. Bigger players then Hargreaves has been treated like shite after things started going wrong. Maradona for example was given the cold shoulder by Barcelona when he picked a career threatening injury which forced the player to return to Argentina and do the recovery alone because no one believed in him anymore. Roberto Baggio was BANNED from training within Inter's premises after a dip of form and it was only thanks to Mazzone (who saw Baggio training alone) who believed in him that Baggio's career didn't ended prematurely.
Our players should thank their lucky stars that they are given the occasion of playing with a club that respect its own players. Very few clubs do that. Many wouldn't think twice to kick someone's butt when things do not go according to plan and then they have the cheek to complain afterwards if things went not according to plan.
At the end of the day, if we let Hargo go then we would've had to pay him out for his contract. It is the nature of the game nowadays. When the club enters into a contract with said player offering him big wages and the chance at playing in big competition, they are taking a risk. No matter which way you look at it, that is the reality of it all. Sure United could've abandoned him but we'd still have lost the transfer money we paid for him and we would've had to pay him out. The examples you brought up are not in the modern era where the contracts protect the player and with Player Unions looking out for them. So no, contractually and what we signed him up for, Hargreaves owes us nothing because that is the nature of the deal we signed. A club has to factor in the risk of a player getting injured beyond repair, hence medicals are done before a transfer is approved.
bizzare story today claiming arsenal want to sign him.
That would annoy me to no end if true.
I'd like to see him here one more season with his knee problems supposedly gone. Definitely add some bite to our CM in some games.
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