Season 2011-12
The Mail Bag
Everton's (lack of) wage structure
22 Comments: I'm as pleased as most Evertonians that Fellaini has recently signed a new five-year contract... until I heard we were paying him £70k p/w.
Now I know that:
a) Fellaini probably wouldn't have signed if the Club offered him a 'mere' £50k p/w.
b) Everton would have lost him for free or next to nothing if his contract had run down.
However, does this club's management not learn from their mistakes? The club admitted after selling Arteta that they took a gamble to increase Mikel's wages to £75k p/w. The Board gambled on getting into the Champions League at the time and told Arteta they could afford his wages once in the Champions League, which ultimately backfired. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a gentleman's agreement with Arteta that they would sell him if they didn't get into the Champions League.
Now, it looks like they have taken the exact same gamble with Fellaini, except there is even less chance now of qualifying for the Champions League.
Either our Board are completely incompetent by paying wages we simply can't afford, or Fellaini's new contract is just a reason to get his full transfer value when we sell him within the next 18 months.
Or both.
Matthew Lovekin, Posted 19/11/2011 at 07:31:05
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Wasn't it "up to 70k per week". So this is slightly different. It may be that his wages increase each season, so come the last year of the contract he will be on 70k per week. Or, it may be related to bonuses (wins, trophies etc). Which at the moment, look pretty meagre in terms of probability. Either way, I'm not convinced he will be on a flat 70k per week. I suspect he'll be sold soon enough anyway....
"or Fellaini's new contract is just a reason to get his full transfer value when we sell him within the next 18 months"
...precisely this.
...precisely this.
It's clear to anyone that we can't afford to keep Fellaini on this contract in the longer term ? investment excepted. I agree with Phil that it's most likely his contract has been extended with the primary purpose of maximising his transfer value when we sell him.
He is good enough to play at any of the Sky 6 and a host of rich clubs abroad so, if he continues to play well and get better, I doubt he will be kept much longer given that the club are in no position to replace our other ageing players or add the pace, width and creativity we desperately need.
I suspect for Moyes or whoever to rebuild our squad and to keep the bank from the door, we'll be selling our major/expensive assets over the next few years... and Fellaini is now our most expensive asset.
He is good enough to play at any of the Sky 6 and a host of rich clubs abroad so, if he continues to play well and get better, I doubt he will be kept much longer given that the club are in no position to replace our other ageing players or add the pace, width and creativity we desperately need.
I suspect for Moyes or whoever to rebuild our squad and to keep the bank from the door, we'll be selling our major/expensive assets over the next few years... and Fellaini is now our most expensive asset.
The problem is that £70k pw isn't a big wage in the prem these days, and haven't been for quite some time. Therefore we need to offer our quality players decent wages or lose them.
BTW I'm not happy about it and there is an argument that SS EPL is heading for the (Northern) rocks, but until some sanity is introduced, Everton and every other team will have to pony up or lose players.
BTW I'm not happy about it and there is an argument that SS EPL is heading for the (Northern) rocks, but until some sanity is introduced, Everton and every other team will have to pony up or lose players.
'Does this club not learn from their mistakes?'
Pienaar left for free. Fellaini will not. Lesson surely learnt?
Pienaar left for free. Fellaini will not. Lesson surely learnt?
Didn't we get a couple of million for Pienaar?
Also, with Arteta gone, and no long-term replacement signed, the club should have 75 grand less a week going out.
Also, with Arteta gone, and no long-term replacement signed, the club should have 75 grand less a week going out.
Spot on, Phil.
Unfortunately, circumstances dictate we should be selling wherever we can receive top dollar & we definitely can't afford to be losing players for little or nothing, as we have in a few instances of late.
Unfortunately, circumstances dictate we should be selling wherever we can receive top dollar & we definitely can't afford to be losing players for little or nothing, as we have in a few instances of late.
As I have said many times... we are wasting money by taking on McFadden and giving Ferguson a job but letting Pienaar go for next to nothing instead of giving him pay parity with Arteta who has ironically now left!!.... It is all senseless!! We seem to always be trying to lock the stable door long after the horses have bolted....
I am totally frustrated, angered and rapidly losing any semblance of interest in the shennanigans of this BOARD....
I am totally frustrated, angered and rapidly losing any semblance of interest in the shennanigans of this BOARD....
Maybe the Arteta millions are going on wages. Bring 'em in cheap and pay 'em high. Drenthe perhaps for next season.
Wayne"he's good enough to play at any of the Sky 6 and a host of rich clubs abroad" He isn't, he just isn't.Do you or anyone else think that he earned £70k today. He is vastly over rated. I'm glad he signed because it increases the chance that someone will be mad enough to pay over the odds for him.
Agree with Andy above. Not good enough for a top 6 team. One fancy dragback against Bellamy had Everton fans creaming themselves. Watch him in action today. Gave away a soft penalty and did nothing of note. I can remember one shocking effort at a pass in the second half that missed its target by 10 yards.
Watch the Fulham game and watch his "effort" at tracking back for the Zamora sitter. A lazy player who never breaks sweat and will always pick up stupid yellow cards and maybe get 4/5 goals a season and about the same in assists.
Watch the Fulham game and watch his "effort" at tracking back for the Zamora sitter. A lazy player who never breaks sweat and will always pick up stupid yellow cards and maybe get 4/5 goals a season and about the same in assists.
On today's performance... not worth £10k.
I reckon the club did what they had to do.
I reckon the club did what they had to do.
He had a bad game today, but that's his problem, he is still a little inconsistent. He can't seem to put more than 4 or 5 good games together at a time, and when he's bad, he's really bad. He went missing today and needs to improve, but I would have said that about all of our central midfielders today. When he starts putting 10, 15, 20 good games together, then he will be top 6 material.
'We are wasting money by taking on McFadden and giving Ferguson a job'
Agree on 1st point.
On the second, Ferguson has not got a job at Everton. He is doing his coaching badges. He is not getting paid by the club.
Pienaar didn't want to stay at Everton. Read his interview.
God, does everyone have to winge and moan at every single fucking thing?
Agree on 1st point.
On the second, Ferguson has not got a job at Everton. He is doing his coaching badges. He is not getting paid by the club.
Pienaar didn't want to stay at Everton. Read his interview.
God, does everyone have to winge and moan at every single fucking thing?
Good Players need good players around them to look good?!
Does this statament fit Fellani ?
Does Fellani look average because he is around average players?
Some fans on this web site think Fellani is the real deal and would slip right into a top side.
Others think he is over rated and over paid, espically at £70k a week.
Does this statament fit Fellani ?
Does Fellani look average because he is around average players?
Some fans on this web site think Fellani is the real deal and would slip right into a top side.
Others think he is over rated and over paid, espically at £70k a week.
Matthew, I'd venture that the concept of "Wage Structure" is out-dated in the current context.
As a little bit of a history lesson, players (via their agents) started getting in on image rights as a way of bumping up their earnings. I believe a lot of agents work on a basis of 10% of fees (from clubs) for transfers, and 15% of commercial income (from player). I don't know if that is true of the top players and their agents, but it is true of a number of agents I know who operate with "lower level" international players, mainly outside of the EPL.
It's no secret that wages have gotten out of control. For Everton it's particularly dire as their income stream is skewed too much towards TV broadcasting, meaning that matchday and commercial revenue is under-performing.
A wage structure does not really work in these days of Agent Power, sorry, Player Power. If we had a ceiling of £40k, we'd lose the majority of our better players immediately. The likes of Heitinga would never have signed!
Unilateralism doesn't work in football, but if Santa is reading this, I'd hope for two things:
- We get new owners
- The new owners change the reward structure for players. If we are to pay £70k a week, remove all image rights etc and ensure that goes to the club. The current structure is out-dated, from a time when ludicrously over-paid players were merely massively over-paid.
As a little bit of a history lesson, players (via their agents) started getting in on image rights as a way of bumping up their earnings. I believe a lot of agents work on a basis of 10% of fees (from clubs) for transfers, and 15% of commercial income (from player). I don't know if that is true of the top players and their agents, but it is true of a number of agents I know who operate with "lower level" international players, mainly outside of the EPL.
It's no secret that wages have gotten out of control. For Everton it's particularly dire as their income stream is skewed too much towards TV broadcasting, meaning that matchday and commercial revenue is under-performing.
A wage structure does not really work in these days of Agent Power, sorry, Player Power. If we had a ceiling of £40k, we'd lose the majority of our better players immediately. The likes of Heitinga would never have signed!
Unilateralism doesn't work in football, but if Santa is reading this, I'd hope for two things:
- We get new owners
- The new owners change the reward structure for players. If we are to pay £70k a week, remove all image rights etc and ensure that goes to the club. The current structure is out-dated, from a time when ludicrously over-paid players were merely massively over-paid.
Dan #14 "He had a bad game today,"
No he didn't, he had an absolutely normal game for him, he's rarely any better.
No he didn't, he had an absolutely normal game for him, he's rarely any better.
Fellaini is a donkey.
No, actually he is a fucking donkey.
He puts in a few recovery tackles and barges a few players off the ball and fans are clapping like deranged seals.
His first touch and passing are "sub-top", to use his own expression.
That he is quite possibly now our highest earner simply sums Moyes up for me.
This is only positive news if we make a profit when he is sold.
No, actually he is a fucking donkey.
He puts in a few recovery tackles and barges a few players off the ball and fans are clapping like deranged seals.
His first touch and passing are "sub-top", to use his own expression.
That he is quite possibly now our highest earner simply sums Moyes up for me.
This is only positive news if we make a profit when he is sold.
I could name at least half dozen who are not worth buttons yet are probably taking home a minimum of £30,000 pw. By that yardstick, Fellaini is worth every penny.
Was there ever any doubt that our board are totally incompetent? Who said they look at the Echo everyday just to see what day it is.
It really is a sign of how bad things are at our club when the Board do an entirely sensible thing and get slagged off for it. If they had "dithered" and let Felli go for nothing out of contract they would be slaughtered as would Moyes.
So they sign him up to a long term deal which gives a degree of transfer value protection and..... et slaughtered. To achieve the latter cost £70k per week. If that's what it takes at present to ensure we get at least £10 million for the guy then what is the error?
Personally, I think that playing at his very best or close to it he's worth the money. But he has to be more consistent, stop giving the ball away, and continue to improve his disciplinary record.
He's not the first player to give away a soft penalty so holding that against him is harsh. But I do think he has to be more influential in games and clearly stand out to warrant that salary at our club.
So they sign him up to a long term deal which gives a degree of transfer value protection and..... et slaughtered. To achieve the latter cost £70k per week. If that's what it takes at present to ensure we get at least £10 million for the guy then what is the error?
Personally, I think that playing at his very best or close to it he's worth the money. But he has to be more consistent, stop giving the ball away, and continue to improve his disciplinary record.
He's not the first player to give away a soft penalty so holding that against him is harsh. But I do think he has to be more influential in games and clearly stand out to warrant that salary at our club.
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1 Posted 19/11/2011 at 14:14:44
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That makes no sense. If we're paying him 70K a week then we can afford it. Maybe for once people could look on the bright side and commend the club managment for signing one of our best players on a long term deal.
God knows they do enough wrong, critisise them for that and not for the first bit of decent news this season.