Shrimpsvoices

An honest opinion from Troy

“
Troy Deeney is talking about the transition from Premier League to League Two and, as ever, does not hold back.

“I spent a bit of time in Dubai in the summer and I saw a few lads (footballers), I won’t name names, who can’t get a club, who have been out for two years because, in my opinion, of their ignorance,” he explains.

“They are used to earning a certain amount of money; used to playing at a certain level. Everyone thinks they have quit. They have been offered to clubs and thought, ‘I am too good for that’. But it’s ignorance. Ignorance. We are just so up our own a----- now, footballers.

People think we are entitled. We are not entitled. I think we have just got so comfortable with the luxuries that are Prem and now Championship that it’s like, ‘Oh, I am not going to League Two’. Well, think about when you started? It was your dream. You would have done anything to say football was your job.”

Deeney is living the dream. An outstanding 11-year career at Watford, largely as captain, largely in the Premier League, was followed by two campaigns at his beloved Birmingham City and – now – the player-coach at Forest Green Rovers and the start of his “journey” towards, one day, hopefully being a top-flight or even an England manager.”


Think he’s got a lot of players 100% right
They think they are too good
They were happy to play L2 on the way up in their career’s

I'm sure there is some truth in Troy's comments but surely it's not just the stigma of League 2. There is the large drop in wages it entails. Also pressure from their agents will come into it.

I wonder how many players fall out of love with the game? Connor Ripley said he was on the verge of quitting before he came to us, and only rediscovered a passion for football when at Morecambe. For some players, if they have enough money in the bank and don't actually need to work, then it may be easy to drift away. Others would play for as long as possible, and are heading in to coaching, because they love the sport so much. A decent comment from Deeney. Let's hope he has an off-day when we meet him!

Charlie Austin was a joy to watch yesterday. Clearly his best days are well behind him and he ran with a limp but his touch and movement was top quality. He hit a stunning pass on the volley with the outside of his boot, it was so good that people around me were saying that there was no way he meant it. Like Deeney, he has probably made enough money to retire comfortably but still enjoys the game. He did have to work his way through non league so he might appreciate more than most.

Fair play to him. He was on circa £65K at Watford. FGR peaks around £5K, maybe he gets paid in energy or vegetables?

marky No.1 wrote:Fair play to him. He was on circa £65K at Watford. FGR peaks around £5K, maybe he gets paid in energy or vegetables?

And a free bicycle?

black morse wrote:

marky No.1 wrote:Fair play to him. He was on circa £65K at Watford. FGR peaks around £5K, maybe he gets paid in energy or vegetables?

And a free bicycle?

That would make it a wheelie good deal

Keith wrote:I wonder how many players fall out of love with the game?

I was reading the other day about David Batty.

By all accounts he never even LIKED football and only played it because "he was good."

He never followed the leagues etc - still doesn't - and now lives completely out of the game with his family in Filey