Football News: Was It Too Soon For Neil's New Norwich Contract?

Image from: edp24.co.uk

Last season Alex Neil lifted a struggling Norwich City team and took them to the play offs and through them into the Premier League once again. On the back of that achievement he was given a bumper new contract as a reward for his work.

To me it seemed too soon to judge him and reward him in such a way. After all, this was a team that had been favourites to go back up anyway, so what he did was merely get the team to perform to their potential for a few months.

Has he really done enough to deserve a big new contract, when he has barely stepped into the role, no matter how well he did. It just seems to be typical of the craziness that is infesting modern football, where everything is knee jerk and no one wants to step back, take a deep breath and think about what they are doing.

Neil may well be a great manager in the making, but he should surely be willing to prove himself worthy of the big contract over the course of the new season before he gets it. I know Norwich are worried about losing him for nothing later, when he has proven himself, but is that risk any more than the millions being spent on his contract?

It is this kind of muddled thinking, that clubs have to pay big money straight away and there is no need for anyone to actually earn their pay rise through proven performances over a period of time, that has seen wages spiral out of control in football. Managers are getting huge pay for one good season, then complaining when young players like Raheem Sterling are asking for big money after one good season.

I believe the manager sets the example to the players, a great leader will not just talk the talk, he will also lead by example and take a bumper contract only when he has earnt it. If you were a Norwich player, you have a few good months playing well, would you not now expect to be rewarded too?

Would you listen to a manager, who has got a big reward for a couple of good months, when he tells you that you need to earn a pay rise by playing well for a couple of years? I am not convinced I would listen, I would think him a hypocrite and my interactions with him from then on would always have that as an issue.

Written by Tris Burke June 18 2015 07:45:00