At his age he might fear dropping into a black hole that he can't get out off....never mind the presumed pay drop (though we might be prepared to pick up some of the slack). I'm just putting myself in his shoes...if my employer seriously pissed me off and I had the chance of an effective year long holiday on full basic pay and then a free choice of jobs, I'd know which way I'd jump....and I assure you morality and ethics wouldn't come into it. Ignore the fact it's a football club where we have an emotional attachment, run the scenario where the job is in an office or factory...and you will see where he is coming from.
Sorry Fran, that still doesn’t make it right. Would you really choose to be a drain on a business because you had a personal spat with your boss? And in so doing, put hard working people’s livelihoods at risk? Or would you go somewhere you were wanted, and work hard to make a go of it?
I am hardly Austin's biggest fan (as a player or individual) but he isn't really wrong to feel like he is being asked to take the hit for the club's decisions, and being punished for not leaping at the chance to do so. I'd 100% be trying to sell him as well, but I also fully understand his annoyance at being asked to take a significant pay cut and move because the club that agreed his contact now believes that it needs the money elsewhere. It isn't really his fault that we spent poorly and gave him a big wedge and have a cheap owner, so it shouldn't be surprising that he feels like he shouldn't have to be the one sacrificing.
Depends on how pissed off I was. And putting other people's livelihoods at risk is a bit of a stretch...not like it's cause and effect...I must leave or Bert and Fred are sacked. There is something to be said for moving on and putting it all behind you, but that's a personal decision ..what you or I might decide may be different from what Charlie thinks. He's volatile and angry....he should stop sounding off, calm down and think what he prefers. He might still decide to sit it out, but at least he would have weighed up the pros and cons.
So if your employer said, I’m afraid we really can’t afford you, but we’ve found you a well paid job elsewhere doing something you love, you think it’d be okay to say “no chance mate, I’m staying put”? I can’t defend that attitude.
I don’t think putting other people’s livelihoods at risk is a bit of a stretch at all - he is willing to be a drain on a club that flirted with relegation last season. If we go down, who do you think will be first in line to lose their jobs? It won’t be the millionaire players, it’ll be every day employees like ticket office staff who’ll be getting their cards. He had a chance to go elsewhere and still earn very good money playing football - but he obviously thinks he’s too good for West Brom. He isn’t.
We’ll have to agree to differ then. This is professional football we’re talking about btw. Getting moved on at a whim is absolutely part and parcel.
Was just about to call Fats in...I broke my cardinal rule of reply once and walk away. I need Fats' stamina
I don't think he has to take the first offer that comes, there's weeks to go and I'm sure there will be more enquiries and probably from PL clubs. We gave him the contract and can't force him to take what he might perceive as a poor career move just because we would prefer him out quickly. Still think someone will get desperate and take him towards the end of window.
We’ll see. I think it’s extremely optimistic thinking a PL Club will come in for him, but I suppose it’s normal for a professional sportsman to have an inflated opinion of his own worth. I thought West Brom was an absolutely perfect fit, and was genuinely stunned that it didn’t suit all parties, but perhaps I’m a bit naive.
It has to be at the back of his mind that he will prove people wrong, and succeed somewhere else. He has that belief, you can tell that from his arrogance (not necessarily a bad thing). So he should really be thinking, how can I stretch out these amazing contracts, how can I get a new three year deal doing the thing I enjoy. That's the real shame in all this, imagine destroying your career out of spite for another person/s. What a waste.
To come from part-time football to the premier league is an extraordinary achievement. I assume he would have been rejected and wrote off by clubs as a youngster, so his whole career and mindset has been to prove people wrong. I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, but now he doesn’t even have the opportunity to prove Ralph wrong and imagine that could be frustrating. I think he’ll want to prove Ralph wrong, but that will need to be in the premier league with another club.
If I signed a contract, and they said "sorry, we have made some really poor decisions, so we would really like you to leave and take a large pay cut. It's not that we can't afford you, we just don't want to" then yeah, I would be more than a bit displeased. I'm fine with us trying to push him out...it is a business after all. Same reason I don't really begrudge players trying to push for transfers. Everyone is loyal in business 'til it's their pocketbook.
I am a bit surprised in one way about Austin not going to WBA and not in another. Firstly He wouldn't have had to move as W Brom is about the same driving distance and time as that which he does at the moment to get here, maybe a tad more. He has always been IMO a little over the top when talking about his own ability. His last club sold him relatively cheap for someone with his alleged ability. He was lucky we went in for him as nobody else seemed to be biting. Had we not maybe his career would have gone down a tad quicker? I perhaps can understand why not going to WBA he didn't rank the club as a go getter club and thought quite rightly he will only get one more club to be interested in him before his days are really over as a footballer. He is gambling it is true he is hoping someone will make an offer or come January he will get any sign on fee. One hell of a gamble imo he is sees as worth taking....who knows........??
