David James calls for performance related pay for footballers

[mjb1975]

David James may have been ridiculed in the past over his performances (although he's obviously improving his reputation of late), but he does tend to be quite down to earth and comes out with good comments and well thought out things.

Can't see how anyone could be against this (well, maybe West Ham players! ;)). Mind you, the idea that it'd be voluntary is obviously rubbish.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/6574653.stm

[AdamBrunt]

I've got to agree, the idea that is voluntary makes it complete non-sensical.

Can anyone name a single player who when faced with the prospect of losing out on £x,000 will say they had a bad game ?? Even David James wouldn't do that.

The more I read about suggestions from the Football Supporters Federation the more I am convinced they're just a bunch of nutters !!!

[cheeseypuffs]

Theoretically it's a good idea, but realistically unless it becomes compulsory it's never going to happen. Imagine a club trying to get a player to sign a contract with a performance related clause! They're never going to sign it if it's detrimental to them, only if the bonus were added on top of an already healthy salary and if the club doesn't agree then there are other clubs...
If it's voluntary, it would be better if they introduced a "dress" system, as employed by many local town sports clubs. The team decides who played the worst and that player then has to wear "the dress" for the rest of the day, each week the player bringing back the dress adds a ridiculous accessory so the stakes become higher as the season progresses. Imagine the incentive not to have to do post-match interviews in a ridiculous dress/wig/shoes combo :D

[home_bas]

I think in these days of silly wages in the game its about time the clubs and players did something like this to sort things out.

Footballer wage inflation is just ridiculous since the Premiership started and the players are getting further away from the average fan. Hence when the players get payed crazy sums and do sod-all on the pitch fans are getting more and more angry. Also shows with the national team.

Guess I'm sounding like the 'angry fan' in a lot of these threads but I really think we are being taken for a ride - there's only so much money to go round and it can't last forever.

Football money can't rise higher than the outgoings of the source of its income!

[rh67]

If it were to happen it would have to become mandatory across the board but how would you go about evaluating players performance. For goalkeepers keeping a clean sheet can be as much about the defenders in front of him than his own skill. In the long run if a goalkeepers entire wage was to some degree dependent on inferior players in front of him that will just be bad for the entire team. Do you base performance on players match ratings which will always be somewhat subjective, do you use opta stats ot some kind of highly complicated formula incorporating both?

Can't see how it could ever be implemented effectively.

[john316]

And who decides if a player played well - is it the manager? Director of Football? Chairman? A secret vote?

[AdamBrunt]

Then also consider that most players already have performance related pay in the form of win bonuses.

And as others have said; who decides whether a player has had a good game ? according to the FSF the player does (can someone point to me a clip of a player admitting they played rubbish ?) ? and how do you decide if, say, a goalie has had a good game ? he might let in 4 but still have had a good game, he might have kept a clean sheet but had nothing to do or still played badly (and just got lucky).

[Snoopy]

If it were to happen it would have to become mandatory across the board but how would you go about evaluating players performance. For goalkeepers keeping a clean sheet can be as much about the defenders in front of him than his own skill. In the long run if a goalkeepers entire wage was to some degree dependent on inferior players in front of him that will just be bad for the entire team. Do you base performance on players match ratings which will always be somewhat subjective, do you use opta stats ot some kind of highly complicated formula incorporating both?

Can't see how it could ever be implemented effectively.

Also a keeper may keep a clean sheet but not have any saves to make. Another keeper may play a complete blinder yet still concede a single goal and lose the game. Which player should receive the bonus?

It's a nice idea in principle, well except the voluntary bit, but I can't see it working in practice.

[escape_adil5]

A public vote wouldn't work either as fans will always have their favourites and there will always be players that play well but don't get appreciated by fans.

I do like the idea though. Maybe if a whole team could achieve the bonus, if you don't play well, then drag down the team and everyone earns less. That's an incentive to play better and increase effort levels?!?!

[mickyg]

Weren't these called "win bonuses" when I was young? Along with "clean sheet", "goals" and "assist" bonuses?

Also, nice of someone to volenteer to do this at the start of their careers, before they have earned their millions......

.....Oh yeah, hes 35.

[pompeyfan]

The only way it'd work would be if it was paid based on team results and affected all the playing staff even those not playing then they'd always want the best team out and would support/help each other and those not pulling their weight would soon get sorted by the other players.