[Archived] Benni Mccarthy's New Contract

[philipl]

The reality of the Prem is that we are far more at risk of losing our playters than we are of getting Prem-quality players to come to Ewood.

Therefore our first priority has to be to hang on to what we've got.

This January, worse players moved from lower clubs for higher prices than the players we have at present. Even if the stratefgic plan is to offload player x and replace, player x has to be under a long term contract for us to get full market price.

[Blueandwhitemike]

For me McCarthy showed over a whole season far more quality than MGP, and also isn't he just the same age as Drogba? He's hardly past it.

Also I am all in favour of signing up our best players and the youngsters that Hughes think deserve more time. A 20 year old showing promise still has plenty of time to improve to prem standard, I thought Hodge got really good reviews from his loan spells, didn't he?

[Jordan]

McCarthy is one of our most technically gifted players and for me would be in my starting eleven every game, without a shadow of a doubt. I think the club are doing the correct thing in offering him a new contract however I think we are at a stage whereby last season McCarty seemed to be more important than the club whereas now the club are the ones who have the upper hand.

[waggy]

there is no doubting benni's skill,but when he was scoring for fun last season it glossed over his poor work rate,he is a classic example off the mercenary footballer that pollutes the premier league,any footballer that gives 100% earns the fans respect those that give little get stick

[speeeeeeedie]

McCarthy is a class player. However, as he doesn't run around like a lunatic and won't "get stuck in" he's labelled as lazy and pants by sections of our fan base. Would these fans rather have Dickov and Ashley Ward up front? Those two ran around a lot but couldn't score. We have the chance to keep hold of a genuine goal threat. What would we pay in the open market today for similar?

Marlon King £5 million

Michael Chopra £5 million

Dean Ashton £10 million?

Berbatov £25 million?

Defoe £7 million

Benjani £5 million

Yakubu £12 million

Martins £10 million

Simple choice for me.

You don't have to look very hard to find out why England are sh!te. The same people who moan about McCarthy tell their kids and anyone within shouting distance that football has to be played with energy and aggression; skill takes a back seat. As long as this attitude pervades English football we'll be a quarter final team at best.

Steve McClaren's always used to waffle on about how 'people in football' praised his ineptness. In Benni's case I 'd rather believe the 'people in football' than fans who don't know much.*

*Cue ripostes of how "we pay their wages etc. etc."

[Cheshireblue]

Off that list, give me Benjani and Defoe ahead of Benni any day. Especiallly at those prices.

[JAL]

McCarthy is a class player. However, as he doesn't run around like a lunatic and won't "get stuck in" he's labelled as lazy and pants by sections of our fan base. Would these fans rather have Dickov and Ashley Ward up front? Those two ran around a lot but couldn't score. We have the chance to keep hold of a genuine goal threat. What would we pay in the open market today for similar?

Marlon King £5 million

Michael Chopra £5 million

Dean Ashton £10 million?

Berbatov £25 million?

Defoe £7 million

Benjani £5 million

Yakubu £12 million

Martins £10 million

Simple choice for me.

You don't have to look very hard to find out why England are sh!te. The same people who moan about McCarthy tell their kids and anyone within shouting distance that football has to be played with energy and aggression; skill takes a back seat. As long as this attitude pervades English football we'll be a quarter final team at best.

Steve McClaren's always used to waffle on about how 'people in football' praised his ineptness. In Benni's case I 'd rather believe the 'people in football' than fans who don't know much.*

*Cue ripostes of how "we pay their wages etc. etc."

Do you not think that for Rovers to see the best of Benni the other ten outfield players have to be stronger to carry him, but, because they arent that strong at this moment in time, then we begin to question Benni and look elsewhere at other players.

If Mark Hughes knows he can make the other ten stronger in the near future maybe then there is some logic in his reasoning for a new contract.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

McCarthy is a class player. However, as he doesn't run around like a lunatic and won't "get stuck in" he's labelled as lazy and pants by sections of our fan base. Would these fans rather have Dickov and Ashley Ward up front? Those two ran around a lot but couldn't score. We have the chance to keep hold of a genuine goal threat. What would we pay in the open market today for similar?

Marlon King £5 million

Michael Chopra £5 million

Dean Ashton £10 million?

Berbatov £25 million?

Defoe £7 million

Benjani £5 million

Yakubu £12 million

Martins £10 million

Simple choice for me.

You don't have to look very hard to find out why England are sh!te. The same people who moan about McCarthy tell their kids and anyone

within shouting distance that football has to be played with energy and aggression; skill takes a back seat. As long as this attitude pervades English football we'll be a quarter final team at best.

Steve McClaren's always used to waffle on about how 'people in football' praised his ineptness. In Benni's case I 'd rather believe the 'people in football' than fans who don't know much.*

*Cue ripostes of how "we pay their wages etc. etc."

1. Defoe

2. Martins

3. Ashton

Simple choice there I'm afraid - especially Defoe at 7 million!

[philipl]

Defoe has never convinced me.

Anyway I am sure Pompey would be first in the line to sign him for £7m considering that particular perpetual Spurs reserve actually cost them £9m.

Benjani will cost £7.5m if his legs ever carry him through 75 games at Man City.

Who is delivering the goals in the Premiership THIS season?

Marlon King £5 million 0 goals

Michael Chopra £5 million 3 goals

Dean Ashton £10 million? 5 goals

Berbatov £25 million? 9 goals (but 4 were in the Reading goalfest)

Defoe £9 million 5 goals

Benjani £7.5 million 12 goals

Yakubu £12 million 9 goals

Martins £10 million 6 goals

McCarthy £3.8m 6 goals

[The Harwood Yankee]

Why does the option have to be hardworking or skilful? Why cant he be both? I think thats what worries a lot of the people posting on here with criticisms of Benni. Its because he has so much ability that its frustrating. His casual approach to his play probably suggests a lesser workrate than is the reality. Nonetheless, I dont think he plays with anything like the passion which is often necessary to make the difference between 2 teams in the Premiership. Far too many games this season its felt like the opposition wanted it more than our lot did, and its players with ability such as MGP & Benni who have been most at fault. They do famously get paid silly silly money for their trouble, the least we expect is 90 mins of hard work & commitment.

To answer my own question in opening this thread, on this season's form I'd be inclined to offer Benni a kick up the arse and an apron & hat in the halftime refreshments stand. No surprise that Hughes has had him on the bench lately. Lucky its not Souness still here or he might literally be giving him the sort of kick up the arse he did with that other showboating idler, 'Grinning' Dwight Yorke.

[broadsword]

Was McCarthy really 3.8 mill? I thought he was 2.5?

[philipl]

Bryan, you are probably right- thinking about it, I mixed the fee up with Roque's.

[mattyboy6000]

part of me thinks cut the crap, he's 30, he can't hit a barn door, push him to the exit door, balls to giving him a new contract.

if we do give up on him though we're in for a turgid end to the season

[cletus]

Marlon King £5 million 0 goals

Michael Chopra £5 million 3 goals

Dean Ashton £10 million? 5 goals

Berbatov £25 million? 9 goals (but 4 were in the Reading goalfest)

Defoe £9 million 5 goals

Benjani £7.5 million 12 goals

Yakubu £12 million 9 goals

Martins £10 million 6 goals

McCarthy £3.8m 6 goals

What about Andy Johnson at Everton?

I think he`d be brilliant if he didn`t have such slippy shoes!

[blue phil]

I'd take the opposite viewpoint. Both MGP and Benni are capable of miles better than they've shown this season, and I've no idea if either will ever get back to any sort of form.

However age wise, time is on MGP's side, whereas in Benn's case it is not. I'd rather gamble on MGP finding form again rather than miss out on a big fee for Benni only to find his slump in form is irreversible due to the march of father time.

If truth be told McCarthy , on the back of one good season , was probably worth no more than £6 or 7m at the end of the last campaign . And that's being generous .....He wouldn't have commanded a place in the top teams and the others want consistency for their money - that's why he's still here .

MGP has maybe been here too long ; he seems to have "comfort zone" written all over him .

I wouldn't give a damn if either of them left , personally , but that sums up my view of lazy top flight players I'm afraid .....

[Iceman]

Has benni been lazy or has he just struggled to adapt to a new system we playing?he is a striker ffs,who should be up front scoring goals not in midfield or in defence.it does say alot about our midfield and defence when the fans expect our strikers to work hard.work hard in which way?should benni be chasing back to help out in defence,then run up and get on the end of a cross?our midfield apart from bents has been awful as wel as our defence has been shocking.dunn has been equally lazy and offers the team nothing going forward,is not creative and cant defend.i see no difference in benni this year as compared to last year except for 2 things.1st being he was the number one striker we had and number 2 he was full of confidence.he was in fact more lazy last year than what he is this year.he is lacking confidence,yet he is stil scoring goals even if its not on a regular basis.if he scores 15 goals cum the end of the season then i would consider it to be a good return for benni.

[S15]

Good points Iceman.Think the fact he is no longer the focal point of our attack is the main reason behind his lack of form. He isn't intentionally lazy, it's just his style IMO.

[thegambit]

this "lazy" tag was around even when Benni was scoring goals, it was given to andy cole at one point too, benni doesn't chase down lost causes, who gives a poo, if he's putting the ball in the net we should be happy, obviously at the moment he isn't doing, his fault or not, maybe the fans have a right to be on his back at the mo

[Iceman]

But gambit what do the fans want?do they want a hardworking 5 goal a season dickov or a lazy 20 plus goal benni who wil take us into europe on a consistent basis and challenging the top teams?not only is benni a good player,but you know that he is quality and a threat to rival teams.

[Eddie]

This season he hasn't really been. I don't think it's entirely his fault, I don't actually think much of it is down to him, but it is true.

[bob fleming]

That's right Iceman. The fact that he has by and large played poorly this season should be ignored shoudn't it?

Cliches such as "What do the fans want Dickov blah blah blah or Benni blah blah blah" are stating to grate. Is that all there is to choose from? Would we have to buy Paul Dickov back? Is there no one else available? Maybe we actually are that skint.

By the way don't you go slagging Paul Dickov ov - in 2004/05 he scored nine goals in the league - five more than any other player!! (That must have been the season when ST holders received the free seasons highlights DVD that lasted 4 minutes - clearly that was all Paul Dickov's fault though).

What I want from a player is a bit of application and dedication to the cause. On his day he's a world beater, he's not had such a day (that I can recall) this season. So you then look at the rest of his game, what does he contribute? What's he bringing to the party? What has Hughes seen, that I haven't, that has made him make this offer? There needs to be more than just sticking his foot on the ball and holding up play surely?

Don't get me wrong. The fella has the potential to start playing brilliantly from the Bolton game until the rest of the season. I'd happily eat my words / hat.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

What I want from a player is a bit of application and dedication to the cause. On his day he's a world beater, he's not had such a day (that I can recall) this season. So you then look at the rest of his game, what does he contribute? What's he bringing to the party? What has Hughes seen, that I haven't, that has made him make this offer? There needs to be more than just sticking his foot on the ball and holding up play surely?

A forward can be lazy as long as he is scoring. Look at Fowler/Owen/Cole/Van Nistleroy/ at their peak - didn't contribute much else apart from 25-35 goals EVERY season. Throughout his career Benni tends to have a good season followed by a bad. The season prior to us signing him he scored 3 if I remember rightly, the previous year he got 20.

Therefore if he can't contribute goals and he's not a target man, pacy forward who will run the wings, why bother having him in the team?

Perhaps Hughes is aware of his goal record and is fully expecting another 20 next season!!

[mattyboy6000]

Has benni been lazy or has he just struggled to adapt to a new system we playing?he is a striker ffs,who should be up front scoring goals not in midfield or in defence.it does say alot about our midfield and defence when the fans expect our strikers to work hard.work hard in which way?should benni be chasing back to help out in defence,then run up and get on the end of a cross?our midfield apart from bents has been awful as wel as our defence has been shocking.dunn has been equally lazy and offers the team nothing going forward,is not creative and cant defend.i see no difference in benni this year as compared to last year except for 2 things.1st being he was the number one striker we had and number 2 he was full of confidence.he was in fact more lazy last year than what he is this year.he is lacking confidence,yet he is stil scoring goals even if its not on a regular basis.if he scores 15 goals cum the end of the season then i would consider it to be a good return for benni.

some fair points, but ultimately he's scored how many this season from open play? (is it 2?)

and systems have changed but the big problems are his ball retention which is non existent too often, and when he does have a chance he seems to have a malfunction every time

[neekoy]

If Hughes doesn`t get a grip of these players soon, i can see a relegation struggle next season.

How do you see that? Both players have underperformed to potential this season and we are sitting just outside a european spot.

I'd offer him a reduced wage yet bump his goal bonus up considerably

[Hughesy]

Out of that list below - Yakubu would be worth now easily £15 million, Martins £12 million - they are the only two id rather have than benni and they would cost us an extra £7 million + on top of what we can get for Benni this summer!

Id rather we spent our money elsewhere, i.e. A good Centre Midfielder

Who is delivering the goals in the Premiership THIS season?

Marlon King £5 million 0 goals

Michael Chopra £5 million 3 goals

Dean Ashton £10 million? 5 goals

Berbatov £25 million? 9 goals (but 4 were in the Reading goalfest)

Defoe £9 million 5 goals

Benjani £7.5 million 12 goals

Yakubu £12 million 9 goals

Martins £10 million 6 goals

McCarthy £2.5m 6 goals

As for Neekoy's idea on goals bonus being higher, wage dropping, I would imagine thats what Rovers will be looking at due to his age - more based around appearances & goals