Play Right Or Pay The Price?

This is an interesting one as Martin O’Neill wants to offer incentive related contracts for Villa players and will be reviewing the situation with Villa owner Randy Lerner.

O’Neill said: ‘The chairman and I in the summer, or maybe towards the end of this season, are going to sit down and look at the whole wage structure here at Villa. We will try and get a structure in which rewards people who put in the effort and have done well for the football club. But if you haven’t done the business, then don’t come calling.’

Sounds promising and might help re-engage the fans as it is very difficult for most of us to relate to the players on superb wages who stroll around on the pitch as if they couldn’t give a toss.

O’Neill added: ‘I want people that feel they can get rewarded here at this club by doing well. I do not mind paying for success. What we don’t want to be doing is paying for a lack of success. You can call it incentive-based or whatever you like – but basically I want people who are busting a gut to get into the team and are playing well to be rewarded. The chairman understands what I am saying and by the same token it also means ‘don’t come calling to me if you haven’t done it.’

‘We’ve no idea how to structure it at present. It is just a vision. In terms of wages, I am not saying we are remotely close to the four big teams. I know some of the wages people are getting at those clubs and we are not in that league. But I will want to be able to try and keep people without bankrupting the club.’

What a positive step, what a promising manager! 😉

If I was summing it up, I’d say, play your claret and blue hearts out or stuff you sunny boy! That’d look good in the contracts.