Merson Interview Sensation - Highlights & Quotes

By MCC
January 3 2006

The boys on WM know Merse is “good for value” and held the interview back until just before 9pm. He really let rip at certain players and aired his views on the public....

 

 

^{Highlights of interview....} 

^{“I’m frustrated, they think he ain’t gotta contract, he’ll be out soon. The crowd will have him out”.}

^{He looks at some of the players and thinks “where are you going from here”. He doesn’t get a “million phone calls about his players”. He is not going to “Embarrass” himself when "people come asking"  about his players when the contracts are up.} 

^{When talking about the squad he said  " I dunno how many of em wanna be footballers". Some of the players have "Gorra start smellin the coffee".  He highlighted the problem of Perpatuini last season where players have contracts but think "they'll go somewhere else at the end of the season.} 

^{He added "they're not on grands, they're on a working wage - but it's still better than the people behind the goals."} 

^{Merse who has been in the game nearly 20 years says "I've seen it all before, players who ain't playing think when he's gone we'll get a chance".  It was shocking to hear him say "I asked one of my players our next home game, he never knew. "You either love football or you don’t."}

^{Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of it was the reasoning behind what's wrong. I’ve gotta lorra players who are single who ain’t got no out goings.  I need players who need to get money . . . . I haven’t got enough players who need to get money who’ve got kids.}

^{Merse doesn't want to walk out thinking "They've got me the sack", by "they" he clearly means the players who haven't been giving it there all. He admitted that if they were giving it there all he would have no compaints.}

 ^{Merson rightly singled out Gerrard, Fox, Pead, Roper and Westwood  for special praise. He said that Westy "hadn't lived up to expectations" but was good around the dressing room and "wants to win"  whether he was in the team or not. He noted that Peadys "not let anyone down" and that Ropes "Runs through brick walls". So there are squad members with whom he is happy.}

^{He hopes to bring in a new player before the FA Cup Tie but admits he knows how hard it is to bring in players. He added that the 20 or so fans singing behind the goal won't be getting him down.}

^{Make of that what you will There'll be two schools of thought. Has he lost the dressing room? Will he get it back? Or will this prove to be a master stroke where for once a manager has said it like it is.}

^{Only the FA Cup tie at Barnsley will show us...}