Gentleman’s Agreements
By Jamie Best
June 24 2008
What are they? A sign of loyalty from the club? A hint of disloyalty from the player? Whatever they truly are we can only speculate. With the breaking news of yesterday that Seyi George Olofinjana has had a transfer request accepted (only 4 days since saying he can’t wait for the season to start so he can help to get promotion) for the clubs failure to gain promotion last season.
It emerged from Jez Moxey that the club and Olofinjana had one of these Gentleman’s Agreements, the same type that saw fans favourite and arguably the best defender post Wright to have graced the Molineux turf Joleon Lescott’s sale to Everton.
And with today’s superb news that talisman Michael Kightly has penned an improved 4 year contract, can we assume that this contract contains the same type of agreement?
While on one hand the club can be commended for issuing this, so as not to stand in a player’s way should football at a higher level be forthcoming. It smacks of a recent (well not so recent really) statement of players contracts not being worth the paper they are written on. Or am I wrong?
To me, it seems that the player has all the power these days, regardless of how long they are “tied” to a club for. We only need to look at what is going on at Manchester United with Ronaldo. A player who has 5 years on his contract yet it all points to his decision if he goes to Madrid.
With that example, a Gentleman’s Agreement does show a degree of loyalty from our players, although it does irk me somewhat to hear that its IF we don’t get promoted. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it the responsibility of the players as well as the manager to achieve promotion? So if a player who is highly coveted, doesn’t win promotion with us, is it right for him to seek a move because it is ultimately 1/12th his fault?
What are your views on these agreements?
Do they just add more to a players power?
The gentlemans agreement is being used by Wolves as a way to keep quality players at the club probably longer than they would othrwise agree to stay. If it extends the likes of Kightly's stay at the club by just one season then it is positive. If we fail to go up again then the price of failure is losing quality players albeit at a decent fee.
Regarding Olofinjana, he really is a player who flatters to deceive, capable of running a game but also capable of being the invisible man and in my opinion not in the same league as Lescott or even Kightly and SEB. He could have walked away for more money at the end of his contract but someone seems to be interested in paying decent money for him so you would have to say it was good judgement by the club (Moxey?) to offer this kind of deal.
Now that's 2 posts in a row where I have had something positive to say about Moxey so I will have to go and lie down in a darkened room as I must be sickening for something. Just to be clear I havent changed my mind about Jez, I still think it is time he moved on but I'm not afraid to give him credit if I think it is due.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:06:24:21:14:04 by Stourport Wolf.