Unique contract situation could prove our downfall

[BEEJ]

The unusual situation on player contracts this season with umpteen leaving in the summer has been sold to us as:

the best way of ridding the dressing room of a poisonous and unprofessional ethos;
a way of negotiating down players' salaries with a glut of players available on the market next summer.


It is clearly a very different way of going about things. But rather than being a virtue, I think it has become a millstone around the club's neck.

If you believe at all in squad psychology and team dynamics, where we are at the moment on the contract side is potentially very damaging to hopes of improved performances. Basically, there are too few players in the squad with a vested interest in keeping the team in the SPL. I think the lack of spirit and urgency that is all too evident on the park is a reflection of this situation.

Moreover, of the players that are due to remain with us beyond June 2011, de Graaf is a nightmare, Hart a shadow of his former self and Murray is finding it increasingly hard to keep up with the pace of the SPL. On paper at least, we should be looking to these three experienced pros to be the catalyst for getting the team out of this mess. Yet it would appear that in each case injuries and illness have seriously compromised their abilities on the park.

The 'contract strategy' (if indeed it was preconceived and not an accident) is one of those exercises that looks great on paper but which causes no end of heartache in reality. Whatever we hoped to gain from it has backfired big time and as a result we now have a mountain to climb.

When a club is in freefall, how do you motivate a dozen or more players who don't see themselves with a future there. Equally, how do you coax other experienced players to join the club and help the cause?

I'm not convinced by CC and am finding it harder to defend him with every passing week. But I am in no doubt that he faces an extremely difficult set of circumstances and IMHO the contract situation is making it almost impossible for him to turn the club around.

[Cropley10]

:agree::agree:I've been saying this for months.

It's completely unprecedented.

But we were fed the line that it was part of some Hughes/Petrie master plan.

[snooky]

The unusual situation on player contracts this season with umpteen leaving in the summer has been sold to us as:

the best way of ridding the dressing room of a poisonous and unprofessional ethos;
a way of negotiating down players' salaries with a glut of players available on the market next summer.


It is clearly a very different way of going about things. But rather than being a virtue, I think it has become a millstone around the club's neck.

If you believe at all in squad psychology and team dynamics, where we are at the moment on the contract side is potentially very damaging to hopes of improved performances. Basically, there are too few players in the squad with a vested interest in keeping the team in the SPL. I think the lack of spirit and urgency that is all too evident on the park is a reflection of this situation.

Moreover, of the players that are due to remain with us beyond June 2011, de Graaf is a nightmare, Hart a shadow of his former self and Murray is finding it increasingly hard to keep up with the pace of the SPL. On paper at least, we should be looking to these three experienced pros to be the catalyst for getting the team out of this mess. Yet it would appear that in each case injuries and illness have seriously compromised their abilities on the park.

The 'contract strategy' (if indeed it was preconceived and not an accident) is one of those exercises that looks great on paper but which causes no end of heartache in reality. Whatever we hoped to gain from it has backfired big time and as a result we now have a mountain to climb.

When a club is in freefall, how do you motivate a dozen or more players who don't see themselves with a future there. Equally, how do you coax other experienced players to join the club and help the cause?

I'm not convinced by CC and am finding it harder to defend him with every passing week. But I am in no doubt that he faces an extremely difficult set of circumstances and IMHO the contract situation is making it almost impossible for him to turn the club around.

:top marks

[Peevemor]

:agree::agree:I've been saying this for months.

It's completely unprecedented.

But we were fed the line that it was part of some Hughes/Petrie master plan.

By who?

[Cropley10]

By who?

It was in the media, newspapers and so on. Hughes said it was part of plan.

Do you not believe me?

[Andy74]

It is needed though if you listen to what everyone has to say about these players. They should also in theory be playing to prove themselves.

I don't think players don't care they are just totally shot of any confidence.

[BEEJ]

It is needed though if you listen to what everyone has to say about these players. They should also in theory be playing to prove themselves.

I don't think players don't care they are just totally shot of any confidence.
A handful of players departing at season-end will in the midst of a squad, the core of whom have some future at the club, endeavour to prove themselves.

When it is only a handful of players that remain, the psychology of those 'departing' dominates and all the more as the club's performances continue to slide. Self interest takes over, the prospect of a new club becomes evermore inviting and it becomes increasingly difficult for anyone to motivate the side.

[Disc O'Dave]

A handful of players departing at season-end will in the midst of a squad, the core of whom have some future at the club, endeavour to prove themselves.

When it is only a handful of players that remain, the psychology of those 'departing' dominates and all the more as the club's performances continue to slide. Self interest takes over, the prospect of a new club becomes evermore inviting and it becomes increasingly difficult for anyone to motivate the side.

But shouldn't the players out of contract be wanting to increase, as much as possible, their choice of new club? Is it not reasonable to suggest they should be playing out their skins to catch the eye of other clubs?

Unless they have all signed pre-contracts with Hamilton or St Mirren, I can't see how playing so poorly and being part of a Hibs team that might get relegated could be in any players self interest.

[BEEJ]

But shouldn't the players out of contract be wanting to increase, as much as possible, their choice of new club? Is it not reasonable to suggest they should be playing out their skins to catch the eye of other clubs?

Unless they have all signed pre-contracts with Hamilton or St Mirren, I can't see how playing so poorly and being part of a Hibs team that might get relegated could be in any players self interest.
They are not playing as a team. They are playing, on the whole, like a bunch of individuals. That's the big difference.

I strongly suspect that too many of them are now playing with the intent to put in a bit of sparkle in an individual performance, regardless of whether or not the team itself is playing well. It's called 'looking after number one'.

The fact that very few of them actually are, is down to their failure as a 'team'.

[Don Giovanni]

The unusual situation on player contracts this season with umpteen leaving in the summer has been sold to us as:

the best way of ridding the dressing room of a poisonous and unprofessional ethos;
a way of negotiating down players' salaries with a glut of players available on the market next summer.


It is clearly a very different way of going about things. But rather than being a virtue, I think it has become a millstone around the club's neck.

If you believe at all in squad psychology and team dynamics, where we are at the moment on the contract side is potentially very damaging to hopes of improved performances. Basically, there are too few players in the squad with a vested interest in keeping the team in the SPL. I think the lack of spirit and urgency that is all too evident on the park is a reflection of this situation.

Moreover, of the players that are due to remain with us beyond June 2011, de Graaf is a nightmare, Hart a shadow of his former self and Murray is finding it increasingly hard to keep up with the pace of the SPL. On paper at least, we should be looking to these three experienced pros to be the catalyst for getting the team out of this mess. Yet it would appear that in each case injuries and illness have seriously compromised their abilities on the park.

The 'contract strategy' (if indeed it was preconceived and not an accident) is one of those exercises that looks great on paper but which causes no end of heartache in reality. Whatever we hoped to gain from it has backfired big time and as a result we now have a mountain to climb.

When a club is in freefall, how do you motivate a dozen or more players who don't see themselves with a future there. Equally, how do you coax other experienced players to join the club and help the cause?

I'm not convinced by CC and am finding it harder to defend him with every passing week. But I am in no doubt that he faces an extremely difficult set of circumstances and IMHO the contract situation is making it almost impossible for him to turn the club around.

Top post BEEJ.

This is exactly why the board has to make funds available to the manager - we need fresh blood in that squad NOW.

Loan signings are unlikely to be bothered about the club either IMO - see Jonathon Grounds.

We keep hearing about "stumbling blocks" but CC has had about 3 months to identify weaknesses and transfer targets - still no movement. Yes, unforeseen circumstances may crop up from time to time but Petrie has to pull his finger out as chief negotiator and get the manager his targets ASAP.

I dread to think that we will be left scrambling around at the end of the transfer window hoovering up whatever dross is left - again.

We have sold our star striker on the final day of the last window and our best defender at the begining of this one for about £1M. The time to spend is now Rod, because this squad is taking us down...

[--------]

The unusual situation on player contracts this season with umpteen leaving in the summer has been sold to us as:

the best way of ridding the dressing room of a poisonous and unprofessional ethos;
a way of negotiating down players' salaries with a glut of players available on the market next summer.


It is clearly a very different way of going about things. But rather than being a virtue, I think it has become a millstone around the club's neck.

If you believe at all in squad psychology and team dynamics, where we are at the moment on the contract side is potentially very damaging to hopes of improved performances. Basically, there are too few players in the squad with a vested interest in keeping the team in the SPL. I think the lack of spirit and urgency that is all too evident on the park is a reflection of this situation.

Moreover, of the players that are due to remain with us beyond June 2011, de Graaf is a nightmare, Hart a shadow of his former self and Murray is finding it increasingly hard to keep up with the pace of the SPL. On paper at least, we should be looking to these three experienced pros to be the catalyst for getting the team out of this mess. Yet it would appear that in each case injuries and illness have seriously compromised their abilities on the park.

The 'contract strategy' (if indeed it was preconceived and not an accident) is one of those exercises that looks great on paper but which causes no end of heartache in reality. Whatever we hoped to gain from it has backfired big time and as a result we now have a mountain to climb.

When a club is in freefall, how do you motivate a dozen or more players who don't see themselves with a future there. Equally, how do you coax other experienced players to join the club and help the cause?

I'm not convinced by CC and am finding it harder to defend him with every passing week. But I am in no doubt that he faces an extremely difficult set of circumstances and IMHO the contract situation is making it almost impossible for him to turn the club around.


Totally agree, BEEJ.

I feel more and more certain that unless there's a HUGE turnaround somewhere, we're going down.

And I don't for the life of me see how that turnaround's going to happen.

[s.a.m]

The unusual situation on player contracts this season with umpteen leaving in the summer has been sold to us as:

the best way of ridding the dressing room of a poisonous and unprofessional ethos;
a way of negotiating down players' salaries with a glut of players available on the market next summer.
It is clearly a very different way of going about things. But rather than being a virtue, I think it has become a millstone around the club's neck.

If you believe at all in squad psychology and team dynamics, where we are at the moment on the contract side is potentially very damaging to hopes of improved performances. Basically, there are too few players in the squad with a vested interest in keeping the team in the SPL. I think the lack of spirit and urgency that is all too evident on the park is a reflection of this situation.

Moreover, of the players that are due to remain with us beyond June 2011, de Graaf is a nightmare, Hart a shadow of his former self and Murray is finding it increasingly hard to keep up with the pace of the SPL. On paper at least, we should be looking to these three experienced pros to be the catalyst for getting the team out of this mess. Yet it would appear that in each case injuries and illness have seriously compromised their abilities on the park.

The 'contract strategy' (if indeed it was preconceived and not an accident) is one of those exercises that looks great on paper but which causes no end of heartache in reality. Whatever we hoped to gain from it has backfired big time and as a result we now have a mountain to climb.

When a club is in freefall, how do you motivate a dozen or more players who don't see themselves with a future there. Equally, how do you coax other experienced players to join the club and help the cause?

I'm not convinced by CC and am finding it harder to defend him with every passing week. But I am in no doubt that he faces an extremely difficult set of circumstances and IMHO the contract situation is making it almost impossible for him to turn the club around.

Couldn't agree more, and couldn't believe Hughes trying to sell it as some kind of strategic masterplan. He signed a number of these players himself, so he was effectively saying that he had signed players that he knew at the time weren't good enough to keep at the club. If he wasn't able to identify players who were good enough at the time, why would we have confidence that he could find a teamful of them in one transfer window? I can't think of single justification for leaving yourself in the situation we find ourselves in.

[BEEJ]

Couldn't agree more, and couldn't believe Hughes trying to sell it as some kind of strategic masterplan. He signed a number of these players himself, so he was effectively saying that he had signed players that he knew at the time weren't good enough to keep at the club. If he wasn't able to identify players who were good enough at the time, why would we have confidence that he could find a teamful of them in one transfer window? I can't think of single justification for leaving yourself in the situation we find ourselves in.
:agree: :top marks