Alex Pearce

[Mike Hunt]

Just bring back Khizanishvili.

Do let's

[Albert Spangler]

Kudos on the name winnersh.

winnersh is the bastion of the loyal royal!

You know, I actually hate it that loyal and royal rhyme.

[rhroyal]

People just quoting figures are taking them out of context I imagine.

Pearce deserves to be on at least the same wages as Fedders, and is watching Pog and Guthrie take home far more than he is probably being offered and adding very little to our squad.

He's our player of the season and he has belief that he can add something to the team; he is entitled to hold out for what he thinks he is worth. This is why breaking the wage budget just for 1 or 2 players simply doesn't work - it's not fair on the rest of the squad unless they earn it.

[Rsince67]

Next two games are huge. Pearce needs to be back in the team there is no question about it.

Mariappa and Morrison have done ok, but the lack of organisation is clear. I am beginning to think that it was Pearce and his 'footballing brain' (a term i dont like) that carried Gorkks last season. This season without Pearce next to him Gorkks has been found out. I think with guidance from Pearce Morrison would get even better. He has to return to the team there can be no more messing about

[Royal Ginger]

Weren't 2 of the last 3 games (which we lost) also huge? How many "must wins" do we get in a season?

[Rsince67]

Weren't 2 of the last 3 games (which we lost) also huge? How many "must wins" do we get in a season?

The same games we managed to score 6 but lost the games because we conceded 8. its always the same pattern

[Vision]

So Pearce looks at that list and sees a 34-year old striker with maybe a year left in him, a midfielder who can't get in the matchday squad, our current second choice keeper, and a defender with a career at Watford, and thinks, reasonably, I'm worth that too.

Or he might look at a more relevant peer in Karacan and see what deal he signed.

I've no idea what the situation is but if I had to hazard a guess that with his connection to Rodgers, he's pretty certain as a free agent he can get a deal for a certain amount there and is using that as a bargaining tool. You can't blame him for that but likewise you can't expect the club to cave in just because Liverpool (or whoever) can afford it. We can't set our wage structure to that of other clubs and certainly not a club that values Joe Cole at 100k a week.

Not that anyone else knows at all what's on the table or what he wants. Strangely though it hasn't seemed to stop people either accusing the player of being a greedy bastard or the club of being tight and lacking ambition. Viva Le Hob Nob Mob.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

In all of this let's not forget the odious characters known as players agents ...

...yes it's an agents job to get his client the best deal but at the same time the size of that deal also lines the agents pockets

...the sooner players start paying their agents fees rather than the clubs having to, the less these stand offs will occur IMHO...

[noelgallagher]

Not a player with quality that warrants £30-£35k per week.

Personally I don't quite understand why some individuals think that having him back in the team will make a whole lot of difference to our league position or the quality of our back four. In my opinion, Mariappa & Morro are our two best CBs.

[noelgallagher]

£35K a week. He can fook off. He has not done anything near enough to deserve that. £20-25k a week at the very tops.

That is still over a £1M a year and you are happy to pay him that?!

No bloody wonder Madejski goes ape shit at salaries.

There is no one, no one in that team that currently deserves £25,000 a year.

£25k a year? So you're saying that not one player should be earning more than a department manager does each year at John Lewis?

OK...

[Woodcote Royal]

He's being frozen out on the basis he's not signed a new deal.

I know that for a fact (whether you trust me or not is up to you) that no deal has been done with Liverpool. Even if I didn't know that, you simply wouldn't see a player like Pearce tapped up all the way back in September.

The club made barely any effort to sit down with him and thrash out a new deal until recently. They were far more worried with recruiting new players then tying up Federici, then Karacan and just expected Pearce to sign on the cheap and be done with it. Problem was, Pearce wasn't just going to sign like a good little academy lad and instead wanted a fair wage based on what others were earning in the first team, not the top wage just a fair one for a player who had been loyal and been voted player of the season last year.

I don't know the exact figure but I'm told he isn't even after Federici's level of cash. It's true he changed agents this summer and that's probably pushed up the asking price a little and delayed negotiations, but as others have said why isn't a young defender coming into his prime and seeing others given big deals, entitled to ask for similar terms?

To be fair I think the club has handled this all wrong. Why on earth they waited until this season to start serious negotiations is beyond me and how they've let it affect team selection is poor beyond words. There should have been a serious offer on the table 18 months ago or at least at the start of the season.

My own theory is that perhaps Brian or Nick Hammond just doesn't rate him long term and they're hoping somebody else emerges. They've dropped Pearce plenty of times before and just don't want to gamble on giving him a serious Premier League wage as they don't rate him quite that highly.

I think you, finally, hit the nail on the head with that last sentence and.................................it's been my view for a long time that he has yet to show he's got what it takes to become an established top flight player, with a serious lack of pace being a significant shortcoming that age is only likely to make worse.

The club has a history of handing long term contracts to those they really rate and by dropping he who is refusing to sign, a younger player, with far less experience and in just a handful of matches has, indeed, "emerged" as the best centre half at the club.

Pearce thoroughly deserved his Player Of The Season in our Championship winning campaign but that doesn't make him a top flight performer. I agree with those who say others haven't justified their Mega Bucks contracts but neither has Pearce shown he's worth that kind of money.

On their respective debuts (at a similar age, I believe) Morrison was a better player in the top flight than Pearce was in the Championship.

On that basis, if I were Nick Hammond I would see us as, having one central defender in the bag, needing to prioritize spending in January to find a quality partner and, in Pearce, a reluctant signer who is expendable should push come to shove.

If I were Pearce, it's decision time. He should either, sign a realistic contract and hope to make a similar impact on the pitch as Morrison (which would see the club jumping through hoops to give him an improved offer) or, make plans to move by the end of the season.

[Ian Royal]

Weren't 2 of the last 3 games (which we lost) also huge? How many "must wins" do we get in a season?

about 22?

[noelgallagher]

Weren't 2 of the last 3 games (which we lost) also huge? How many "must wins" do we get in a season?

about 22?

Can't disagree with this. Hate the cliche, but to be fair, every game is a cup final.

[maffff]

On that basis, if I were Nick Hammond I would see us as, having one central defender in the bag, needing to prioritize spending in January to find a quality partner

That's Mariappa,

Originally brought in to take over from Gorkss at some point and partnering Pearce, with Morro third choice. Morro pushed his way in and has given us another option/decision. Even better.

[cmonurz]

Given the number of goals we are letting in, it's clearly not going to be Mariappa, is it.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Thought Morrison and Cummings were mostly to blame for defence on Saturday.

[ZacNaloen]

Thought Morrison and Cummings were mostly to blame for defence on Saturday.

Seems they just aren't talking to each other. Or if they are aren't all listening to each other.

Shorey played Van Persie on side when everyone else had stepped up etc etc etc

[Isaac Hunt]

Thought Morrison and Cummings were mostly to blame for defence on Saturday.

Seems they just aren't talking to each other. Or if they are aren't all listening to each other.

Shorey played Van Persie on side when everyone else had stepped up etc etc etc

Not Cummings' greatest fan, but Robson-Kanu did oxf*rd all to help him out on United's 1st & 3rd goals. Half-arsed logging back whilst the man he was tracking continued to run beyond Cummings.

[maffff]

Thought Morrison and Cummings were mostly to blame for defence on Saturday.

Seems they just aren't talking to each other. Or if they are aren't all listening to each other.

Shorey played Van Persie on side when everyone else had stepped up etc etc etc

Not Cummings' greatest fan, but Robson-Kanu did oxf*rd all to help him out on United's 1st & 3rd goals. Half-arsed logging back whilst the man he was tracking continued to run beyond Cummings.

Agreed. Morrison's positioning has been a little suspect at times along with some of his decision making. But his tacking, pace, aerial threat and how comfortable he is on the ball goes a long way towards making up for it. Still raw but great potential.

[maffff]

Given the number of goals we are letting in, it's clearly not going to be Mariappa, is it.

Yes.