Micah Richards

[Demitri_C]

3 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

I'd read @OutByEaster? post above Dem and rethink your opinion. I have also heard that he is great around the training ground and has been excellent with the young players. The fact he is still giving his all and inspiring others  despite his knees being shot is the reason he is still at the club and hasn't had his contract paid up and been told to do one.

He certainly isn't an example of everything that is wrong in football. He is though an example of how as a footballer injuries can cut you down in what should have been your prime and no matter how hard you try you can't recover.

I didn't read that post. thanks for pointing that out mark.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Demitri_C

[villa89]

Anyone know how injury insurance for players works? I assume with his previous injury record he was uninsurable. 

[Guest av1]

I get excited everytime I see this thread bumped. @TrentVilla any chance of another N'Zogbia style countdown timer to give us all something to look forward to? 

[TrentVilla]

10 minutes ago, av1 said:

I get excited everytime I see this thread bumped. @TrentVilla any chance of another N'Zogbia style countdown timer to give us all something to look forward to? 

As we approach New Year it seems appropriate...

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20190701T00&p0=1323&msg=Micah+Richards+off+the+wage+bill&font=cursive

[TrentVilla]

 

I'm a little conflicted on Micah Richards.

On the one hand there is the account from OBE, which I don't dispute as I know its the opinion of some within the club.

But on the other I find it a little hard to see it as a positive about him as an individual as frankly that is my expectation of any player, that some fall short of that doesn't for me mean that those that don't should receive praise.

We pay him a significant amount of money each week for a job that he isn't able to do, that isn't his fault but I'm not about to praise the guy for not being problematic around the place while picking up huge wages for doing next to nothing.

The reality is he was told, I believe, a long time ago his career was over and options were discussed. I was led to believe he refused to take them because he still believed he could get another contract elsewhere after Villa. As a Villa fan I find that hugely frustrating in the era of FFP, the money we are paying him could be put to better use (or wasted as is so often the case) but I don't blame him for not retiring or walking away from his contract. Clubs enter these agreements, they can't then expect players to walk away from them when things go wrong, I'm fairly sure 99% of us wouldn't do so in their position either.

I do though question the view of Richards the great pro, that wasn't what I saw from him in our relegation season. I saw a player that gave the impression much like Lescott that he wasn't all that bothered.

He isn't in the Lescott or N'Zogbia category, not even close but I would be lying if I said I can't wait to see the back of him and to have him off the wage bill.

He will go down as one of the worst signings we've made.

[rodders0223]

I don't expect anyone picking that amount of money to walk away, it is what it is, as we saw in the Sunderland documentary, no matter how much you are worth and how much you've already picked up...that kind of money is tough to just walk away from. It's easy for people to like Bairn to tell them to 'be a man' (whatever that means)  and **** off.

I have also heard the great professional stuff before time and time again, but regardless of whether he can run or not...I watched him in a pre-season game this summer i believe, and last - he didn't look like someone who was pursuing other, less impacting options to keep himself in shape. He looked like the Mr. **** Blobby after a binge.

Edited December 31, 2018 by rodders0223

[alreadyexists]

1 hour ago, TrentVilla said:

As we approach New Year it seems appropriate...

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20190701T00&p0=1323&msg=Micah+Richards+off+the+wage+bill&font=cursive

181 days and counting... 

[sidcow]

If his career is literally over and he can no longer play I don't understand why we have him around the place.  Surely there are costs to that. 

If we can't afford to pay him a lump sum to end his contract due to FFP at least keep him away.  There must be miscellaneous costs to having him at the club such as canteen food, transport l, kit and clothing. 

Seems madness keeping him around. 

Compare and contrast to James Collins for those who think he's basically a good egg. It's a lot more money yes but I bet he's substantially richer than James Collins. 

[Keener window-cleaner]

3 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

From what I understand, Richards is a good guy, the kind you'd want around your training ground, good with the kids, got time for everyone, works hard in the gym and gives his all at stuff. He's very well liked. I realise that sounds pretty unlikely, but It's what I hear.

He's also got problems with his knees that mean he'll never play professional football again - apparently he's been trying very hard over the last eighteen months to two years to prove his body wrong and continue playing, he's tried Doctors, quacks, specialists, alternative therapies and everything in between and is now facing up to the fact that his career is over. The knee went in October 2012 and he had his first operation on it then. He's spent half of his career playing crocked and in pain and has struggled to come to terms with a career where he probably should have been retiring when he joined us. Now, what that says about us as a club taking him on I don't know - I'm guessing there have been times where his knees have looked like they might make a football future possible, but I don't recall there being a queue to take that risk. We took it, it hasn't worked out. The player can try all he likes, but when you can't run and you can't turn, you end up just being a Lescott of a player. 

Football finished with him before he was finished with it - maybe, as is sometimes the case, he'll go on to be a successful coach.

 

It's posts like this that makes me love this forum!

[TRO]

11 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

From what I understand, Richards is a good guy, the kind you'd want around your training ground, good with the kids, got time for everyone, works hard in the gym and gives his all at stuff. He's very well liked. I realise that sounds pretty unlikely, but It's what I hear.

He's also got problems with his knees that mean he'll never play professional football again - apparently he's been trying very hard over the last eighteen months to two years to prove his body wrong and continue playing, he's tried Doctors, quacks, specialists, alternative therapies and everything in between and is now facing up to the fact that his career is over. The knee went in October 2012 and he had his first operation on it then. He's spent half of his career playing crocked and in pain and has struggled to come to terms with a career where he probably should have been retiring when he joined us. Now, what that says about us as a club taking him on I don't know - I'm guessing there have been times where his knees have looked like they might make a football future possible, but I don't recall there being a queue to take that risk. We took it, it hasn't worked out. The player can try all he likes, but when you can't run and you can't turn, you end up just being a Lescott of a player. 

Football finished with him before he was finished with it - maybe, as is sometimes the case, he'll go on to be a successful coach.

 

Its a sad situation for both concerned Micah Richards and Aston Villa.

but realities of business exist.....what is the situation in terms of Insurance?

surely we insure against these situations?

not to be too merciless, but we bought a pig in a poke.

Folk employed by Aston Villa are responsible for that and its not the first time and it won't be the last.....but surely we have to have indemnities in place for things like this?

I guess there is no league table for sucker punches.....but we do seem to have had some duff decision makers over the years at our club.....i hope that too, has been acknowledged.

I am looking forward to the day, where we have the odd bad decision as opposed to an avalanche.

Edited December 31, 2018 by TRO

[TRO]

9 hours ago, TrentVilla said:

 

I'm a little conflicted on Micah Richards.

On the one hand there is the account from OBE, which I don't dispute as I know its the opinion of some within the club.

But on the other I find it a little hard to see it as a positive about him as an individual as frankly that is my expectation of any player, that some fall short of that doesn't for me mean that those that don't should receive praise.

We pay him a significant amount of money each week for a job that he isn't able to do, that isn't his fault but I'm not about to praise the guy for not being problematic around the place while picking up huge wages for doing next to nothing.

The reality is he was told, I believe, a long time ago his career was over and options were discussed. I was led to believe he refused to take them because he still believed he could get another contract elsewhere after Villa. As a Villa fan I find that hugely frustrating in the era of FFP, the money we are paying him could be put to better use (or wasted as is so often the case) but I don't blame him for not retiring or walking away from his contract. Clubs enter these agreements, they can't then expect players to walk away from them when things go wrong, I'm fairly sure 99% of us wouldn't do so in their position either.

I do though question the view of Richards the great pro, that wasn't what I saw from him in our relegation season. I saw a player that gave the impression much like Lescott that he wasn't all that bothered.

He isn't in the Lescott or N'Zogbia category, not even close but I would be lying if I said I can't wait to see the back of him and to have him off the wage bill.

He will go down as one of the worst signings we've made.

I don't know all the details, but until i do , i will make this judgement.

for those that think football is nothing short of a gravy train.....he epitomises that view.

He is not on his own, but he knew what his situation was before he joined us, we should have been more savvy than to have fell for it...due diligence was absent here.

its very typical of years of mismanagement of Aston Villa that this situation exists.

lets hope its coming to an end.

The last 10 years is absolutely no surprise with exhibits like this.

I feel sorry for the fans, they deserve better.

[sidcow]

23 hours ago, villa89 said:

Anyone know how injury insurance for players works? I assume with his previous injury record he was uninsurable. 

Generally there is a lump sum payable for a career ending injury. 

Pre existing conditions will be excluded. 

So either he does not actually have a career ending injury or it's a Pre existing condition which is excluded. 

Clubs do not insure for players wages for lengthy lay offs as it would be ridiculously expensive. 

[AJ]

Just putting a possible option out there.

Rather than collecting his 70k per week, how about he retires as a footballer on the condition that he officially joins the coaching/training team?

I think OBE is on to something that there may be indications he may make a decent future manager, or at least a good training coach. He is good with the kids, and he has had quite a bit of experience abroad, playing for big clubs, and under quality managers. While he is with Villa, maybe they can assist him getting his coaching badges? If he is involved with training already, why not nurture something that is potentially beneficial to both Villa and Micah?

On the money side, yes, he will take a pay cut, but that is short termism. 70k per week for 6 months then walk away, or, significantly less but keeps him involved in football for potentially decades to come. Whichever he chooses, his decision will reflect what maketh the man. Hopefully, he chooses football.

[TrentVilla]

 

Micah Richards won’t be a coach.

[AJ]

49 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

 

Micah Richards won’t be a coach.

If that's the case, then that's a shame.

A matter of Micah being all about Micah then?

[MaVilla]

In reality, if any of us were getting paid 35k a week, and were unable to do our job, i doubt any of us would say "dont worry boss, dont pay me" out of the goodness of our heart, money is money at the end of the day, and although footballers are rich, wealth is relative, big salary, big tastes, as the old saying goes, everyone lives to their means, more incoming money, usually peoples lifestyles increase to match it.

At the end of the day, AV are/were to blame for giving him a) such a long contract, and b) not taking in to account historic known injuries (cant imagine how he flew through the medical).

What is even more damning is that this hasnt just happened once (where we commit to an expensive as hell transfer and/or long term contract for little or no return), so the fault is clearly with the club, once is a mistake, twice and more is probably incompetence. (Richards, McCormack, Tshibola, De Laet, Samba, Lescott, Lansbury, Traore, Gestede, Bennett, Luna, Helenius, Amavi, Vertout etc etc etc).

Granted some of those are or were or are decent players, that for some reason went or are going sour, the money wasted is mind boggling, and smacks of a high level of incompetence, or just stupidity, who knows. (some of those players have even gone on to have good careers or greatly increase their value since it imploded at Villa, which further points to our historic incompetence)

I dont think tbh, anyone can say we havent invested money as a club, add up all our transfers and contracts over the last 3-4 years, and its a hell of a lot i bet, the trouble is we spend poorly, and thats an understatement, hopefully the new regime can rectify these types of long standing issues.

Im not keen on Richards, the signing was and is a joke of epic proportions and we have been paying for it for a long time (similar to McCormick and others), but in fairness, he's doing what anyone of us would do, getting all the pay cheques he can before the gravy train stops, cus tbh.....who is going to possibly offer him anything after his Villa contract expires? (other than possibly a pay as you play, or a coaching role which wont pay him anywhere near what hes on now).

However much we as fans love the club, to most players these days clubs are just a pay cheque and/or a stepping stone to future success (or to milk while they chill with their A grade lifestyle), a true fan playing for the club he loves is a rarity in this day in age.

 

Edited January 1, 2019 by MaVilla

[tomav84]

amazed i had to go to page 3 to find this thread...i was expecting a multitude of excitable posts at the mere thought of him leaving to join celtic. or is everyone just past caring now?

[Adam2003]

On 01/01/2019 at 06:20, sidcow said:

Generally there is a lump sum payable for a career ending injury. 

Pre existing conditions will be excluded. 

So either he does not actually have a career ending injury or it's a Pre existing condition which is excluded. 

Clubs do not insure for players wages for lengthy lay offs as it would be ridiculously expensive. 

I think the player also has to accept it's a career ender which he probably doesn't. Didn't Man United try to persuade Paul McGrath not to sign for us because they could get more on the insurance than we paid if he retired on injury grounds? He says something like that in his autobiography I think, but I may be way off on detail in which case apologies.

[hippo]

Thing is this was all so predictable when we signed him. You have to look at the fate of the 2 clubs who were stupid enough to meet his wage demands (Villa & Sunderland).

He had a poor injury record before villa - (played about 20 games in 4 years) - Man City didn't offer a new contract - neither did his loan club (Florentina) 

There were enough red flags to give this player a wide berth - let alone stick him on 70k pw contact for 5 years. - We really only have ourselves to blame. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by hippo

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, Adam2003 said:

I think the player also has to accept it's a career ender which he probably doesn't. Didn't Man United try to persuade Paul McGrath not to sign for us because they could get more on the insurance than we paid if he retired on injury grounds? He says something like that in his autobiography I think, but I may be way off on detail in which case apologies.

Not come across that, these things are usually settled by medical opinion, probably with a second opinion as well.  Maybe McGrath got some credible evidence that his career was not over (as it patently wasn't)