Berbatov contract

[kempkong]

Everyone seems to be moaning about berbatov and whilst I agree he drops too deep and often goes missing for long periods and can have a very poor attitude has it occurred to anyone that his contract prohibits him being dropped from the squad regardless of form. I was speaking with a friend who supports stoke and when crouch signed he had a clause which said he will play every league game unless injured.

[Berserker]

I've often wondered if that was the case, but people who have more football knowledge than me say that no manager would accept that clause

[dgnffc]

Ok, so just sub him off in the first minute claiming he was injured!

[kempkong]

You may accept a contract like this for someone like berba (prior to his dip in form)
Imagine man city signing messi but only if he plays every game...would you turn him down? I'm not saying berba is as good as messi but at our level it's probably the equivalent.

[ross_bamping]

Look at Schwarzer, when ever he was fit, he played. Bad form, he played.

[God The Mechanic]

Look at Schwarzer, when ever he was fit, he played. Bad form, he played.

There was more often than not no replacement of note - Stockdale was on loan for the majority of the time.

[The Enclosurite]

Well, he's been walking around all season like he's got two pulled hamstrings so time to activate the clause I say!

[RaySmith]

Crouch hasn't been a first team regular for Stoke this season.

I don't believe this story.

Maybe Jol is wrong to keep picking Berba - but I think that he genuinely thinks he  will do a job, and there is noone in the squad to replace him - rightly or wrongly.

Managers have to stick to their guns, and not be influenced by fans opinions in picking the team, or else you'd have a different team every week. Even though the fans might sometimes be right.

I think that it is hard to replace Berba, but he hasn't been performing, but the team has generally been  terrible, and the front men have had no service.

Berba and Ruiz are't the type of players you'd pick for  a relegation scrap, that's for sure - someone like the Pog up front would be better, with nine Parker and Sidwell types behind him.

[LBNo11]

...Marlet had a clause that when fit he would always play, irrespective of how bad (was it ever good) his form was - it depends on the relationship the player or agent has with the manager - perhaps...

[cmg]

I've heard this business before, most recently about Schwarzer, but I don't really see how it could work, although nothing surprises me (much) in football.

If a bloke's ego needs massaging that badly then I guess some arrangement might be made, if the manager wants to drop him, to say he was injured. But if an out of form player insists on playing...well, it's not that difficult to injure him.

If Berbatov has such a clause (which I doubt) and the manager wants to out him (which I also doubt), just double-team Sidwell and Amorebieta against him in training. Anyone who can escape that without injury deserves a first team spot.