?% Villa. John O'Shea's gigantic wedge.

[MoetVillan]

Topdeck, my thoughts exactly.  ManU always stuck to pretty tough wage structures (relatively in their position), and blew it open with Pooney.  After his comments as well, I thought they had made a serious mistake when having the discussions with future wage negotiations.  Expect Evra to get a big slice too as he is up next.  Oshit is made to look good by the people around him.  Thats a stupid wage, and makes me question SAF better judgement again.  And do we expect Rooney to stay?  I read that Viera, Ronaldo and Henry all signed big contracts just before being sold, its a good way to get the price high.  Maybe thats the thinking with OShit, trying to trick someone into buying the weaker half of Max and Paddy

[Dante Lavelli]

Re: John O'Shea - £80k a week.  That's the economics that United will now have to deal with after agreeing Rooney's new deal.  All the other players will use that as a marker.  Leaving the money aside, it makes sense for them to keep him.  He can play in the middle or at full back, and with Ferdinand as injury prone as Owen and Neville due for retirement, it gives Fergie experienced cover. 

In many ways it was the perfect storm for O'Shea - Neville and Ferdinand almost ready to be turned into glue.  Rafael too young to be completely trusted at right-back.  And Rooney's new contract setting a new benchmark in the background.

Despite this, it's an absolutely obscene number.  Man U have set a dangerous precedent with this, and I hope it does not become the norm across the Premiership.

[fredm]

The Rooney pay level will be what all the Man U players will look at when they renew their contracts.  Add on the fact that they have promised to bring in some world class players, who will also be looking to be paid a similar amount.  How on earth are they going to afford all of them?  I think Fergie will have the money for one biggy to come in, so if that is all and there are some injuries/loss of form etc. resulting in no trophies being won, we shall have to wait and see when Wayne starts getting restless.

[Dante Lavelli]

Here's a theory:

I get the feeling that "sir alex" has decided that he is not going to be around too much longer and therefore is happy to agree to these outrageous wage demands as he will not be the manager when the fall-out occurs.  It'll make his job easier in the interim and will also make the job harder for the next guy (= his reputation enhanced).

[wif]

... it's an absolutely obscene number.  Man U have set a dangerous precedent with this, and I hope it does not become the norm across the Premiership.

Man Utd makes three times the amount of money that a club like Villa (for example) makes.  So they pay higher salaries.  This doesn't set a norm for the Premiership, any more than Yaya Toure's stupid salary does.  O'Shea's salary is in line with the size of his club. 

[Rigadon]

It's been obscene for a while but it's depressing that this hideous recession hasn't dampened it.  Fucking ridiculous amount of money for a utility player who would struggle to get into any top half premier league team as a regular. 

The Rooney deal is only going to push wages up.  Can anybody say that 10 years ago they'd expect a footballer to be getting paid a quarter of a million pounds every week.  Is Wayne Rooney worth over £100k a week more than he was last month?  Fucking sick. 

I went to the game last night for many reasons.  One being I can't get to many weekend games due to work but also   because I felt £10 for a ticket was a fair price  (well done Villa on this).  If tickets continue to rise in order for clubs to pay for the likes of John O Shea to play in a league that is getting more and more predictable I think I may become less and inclined to be all that bothered outside of blind faith and loyalty to the club I was brought up to support by my dad. 

[Rigadon]

I'll add that football has a real opportunity in times like these to get closer to the community and garner a growing supporter base - I hope that (along with selling some more tickets) was in the clubs thinking last night. 

[Dante Lavelli]

... it's an absolutely obscene number.  Man U have set a dangerous precedent with this, and I hope it does not become the norm across the Premiership.

Man Utd makes three times the amount of money that a club like Villa (for example) makes.  So they pay higher salaries.  This doesn't set a norm for the Premiership, any more than Yaya Toure's stupid salary does.  O'Shea's salary is in line with the size of his club. 

I disagree.  O'Shea's salary should be in line with his talent, not the size/turnover of Man United. 

Based on supply and demand I think there are many right backs that could do a job as good (or better) than O'Shea who would accept less money.  Therefore there is - in my opinion - a risk that other players will use O'Shea as justification for insane wage demands.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I rate him but not £80k a week rate him

Footballs gone mental

[Happy MON-days]

I just find it incredibly sad and depressing that a (very average) back-up RB is getting paid that amount of money.

He's good enough to be a regular first team choice player for one of the best teams in the world.

He's a long-term choice of the finest football managers of recent times.

His club takes in £278 million a year.  He takes out an approximately one seventieth share of that.  About 1.4% of their earnings.

Isn't that a fair share for the amount of money he helps to generate?  I'm sad and depressed that I don't earn that kind of money, but that's because I don't do anything which generates anything like that kind of money. 

Still, the tax he pays on £4 million a year will pay the salaries of about 100 nurses, which should make you feel happy and elated...

Not so sure about the last bit - aren't footballers all tax dodging scoundrels to add to the list of reasons to not like them?

Its quite hard to dodge tax when everyone knows how much you earn and you cant claim to live in another country for 9 months of the year because you're one the telly every week.

Premier League stars using loophole to save millions in tax

[Matt C]

I don't mind the very very best players in the world getting top money really but it's the distinctly average getting scandalous money like this that sum up all that is wrong with the game & what will cause it to implode.

[wif]

... it's an absolutely obscene number.  Man U have set a dangerous precedent with this, and I hope it does not become the norm across the Premiership.

Man Utd makes three times the amount of money that a club like Villa (for example) makes.  So they pay higher salaries.  This doesn't set a norm for the Premiership, any more than Yaya Toure's stupid salary does.  O'Shea's salary is in line with the size of his club. 

I disagree.  O'Shea's salary should be in line with his talent, not the size/turnover of Man United. 

Based on supply and demand I think there are many right backs that could do a job as good (or better) than O'Shea who would accept less money.  Therefore there is - in my opinion - a risk that other players will use O'Shea as justification for insane wage demands.

Clearly Sir Alex Ferguson thinks he is sufficiently talented and valuable.  I'll go with his viewpoint over yours in this case...

[wif]

Premier League stars using loophole to save millions in tax

As the Independent article says, a "Completely legal" method of putting their money into a pension trust.  Income Tax will be paid when they withdraw the money from the trust, so they end up paying the tax anyway, just in a different year.

So the Indie story is Footballers in 'saving their money in pensions' shock

[lovejoy]

The fact that someone of such limited ability earning £80K a week is being debated on here suggests fans are unable to get their heads round the enormaty of the amount. The sooner premier league football implodes the better for me. Oh and Carragher is on about the same whack as well I suspect.

[dave.woodhall]

Who was it said when you earn that much paying tax is optional?