Slightly worried (if the rumours are true)

[QPR Richard]

You keep mentioning his injury record but where is the evidence of this??

They should offer a deal which suits the club he then takes it or leaves it. Other then financing the deal and saying what they can and cannot afford and what they think rio or any other player is worth to us they should not get involved in my book. A players injury record is the concern of the manager, medical and coaching staff that's why we employed them

If the deal is too expensive then by all means step away from it but that should have nothing to do with injuries etc abd should be cost based alone

Come on mate, you know full well his injuries have been well documented. You can't bury your head in the sand over this one.

I understand some people's desire to sign big names, but I just don't believe it's the right thing for us.

[West Acton]

Come on mate, you know full well his injuries have been well documented. You can't bury your head in the sand over this one.

I understand some people's desire to sign big names, but I just don't believe it's the right thing for us.

This is not actually about rio so let's take his name out of it it's about some posters obsession with age without justification

So if we got chance of signing Theo Walcott or Jack Wiltshire on a free you would say no thanks???

It's not burying head you have a hang up over age and what ifs I don't

[Del]

Let's suppose Rio wants a two year contract at 80k a week. Would that be acceptable or would the board be right to veto this? Age would surely be a factor as would his injury record. I don't think the board would question his footballing ability, just his ability to play 25-30 games for a year or two. Bear in mind the fact he's averaged 21 prem games a season for the last two seasons. I'm sure the board have considered this too.

I just feel the risk is too high and there's probably fitter and younger alternatives.

The fact he's averaged 21 games for the last 2 seasons is irrelevant. He was fit and available for a lot more but wasn't selected. If he played whenever he was fit and then only managed 21 games a season the statement would have some weight.

[QPR Richard]

The fact he's averaged 21 games for the last 2 seasons is irrelevant. He was fit and available for a lot more but wasn't selected. If he played whenever he was fit and then only managed 21 games a season the statement would have some weight.

Neither of us know what was going on at Old Trafford under Moyes. I just gave you the facts.

[stainrodisalegend]

You keep mentioning his injury record but where is the evidence of this??

They should offer a deal which suits the club he then takes it or leaves it. Other then financing the deal and saying what they can and cannot afford and what they think rio or any other player is worth to us they should not get involved in my book. A players injury record is the concern of the manager, medical and coaching staff that's why we employed them

If the deal is too expensive then by all means step away from it but that should have nothing to do with injuries etc abd should be cost based alone

He hasn't gone on about his injury record he has simply given you a statement of fact that he has not played for roughly 50% of the matches for which he might have played for the last two years.

I don't think for one minute it is "simple" about letting the manager make multi-million pound decisions, in football or in any other industry, decisions of that magnitude have to be group decisions. In fact I can't think of a single industry where people with the IQ level of the typical football manager are given as much freedom as Harry seems to expect to make decisions all on his own. If I had worked as hard as Fernandez to earn the money to buy a football club, then have - as Harry has said - managers "pull his pants down", would I leave the manager to get on with it? Not likely. And given how passionate - and contradictory - a lot of the fans are on here, I doubt they would either.

[West Acton]

Neither of us know what was going on at Old Trafford under Moyes. I just gave you the facts.

But you never gave facts you gave an opinion as you have no idea if him missing the other games was due to injury or not being selected. Only fact is number of games; cause of absense is speculation

[QPR Richard]

But you never gave facts you gave an opinion as you have no idea if him missing the other games was due to injury or not being selected. Only fact is number of games; cause of absense is speculation

I gave facts. The fact is that Rio has played 42 prem matches in two seasons. Whether his absence was due to selection or injury none of us know.

[dsqpr]

I'm slightly worried that the board are interfering in transfers. It's hugely important the manager brings in the players he wants, as long as it fits in with his budget.

The latest news that our board have changed the terms of the Rio deal at the 11th hour is worrying and yet again shows the **** poor negotiating skills of Mr Beard!

TF needs to wake up and sack the clown, not restrict Harry in the transfer market. We should be offering players a deal once and once only. If they don't like it (within reason), move on. The one thing we can't do is agree a deal with the player and then move the goalposts, this smacks of being unprofessional and will put off players in the future.

Quite frankly, Beard's messed up yet again. The man is a million miles out of his depth and should be replaced with someone up to the job.

I understand TF being wary bringing in players after the Hughes disaster but you have to trust your manager. It's up to Beard to agree contracts that suit the club and if a deal can't be made then that's fine but the rumours that TF doesn't want Rio, should never come into the reckoning, let the manager do his job.

Well, I don't pretend to be an expert in football management but I'm sure the Board should have some say. After all, they would be fools to just give Harry a blank cheque.

I think a good way to go about transfers is for the manager to identify the players he wants, with an indication of importance for each player, and the backroom staff to try to work out a deal that makes sense. In other words, the backroom staff should be controlling the purse strings and determining what wage is acceptable for, say, an injury prone 35 year old former international defender.

[brightonr]

Agree to an extent rich yes manager gives the name but for me they should not veto it because they think player is to old etc rather as you say they should make offer that fits their financial view of the player. Manager names players board decides there worth

Rumours are that board are saying he's too old and questioning ability which for me is outside their remit. Offer him deal if he don't accept then they have done their job

For the record I think he will sign and papers are stirring

We appear to have come full circle, because the other way of putting that is "It's all Phil Beard's fault".

[brightonr]

Well, I don't pretend to be an expert in football management but I'm sure the Board should have some say. After all, they would be fools to just give Harry a blank cheque.

I think a good way to go about transfers is for the manager to identify the players he wants, with an indication of importance for each player, and the backroom staff to try to work out a deal that makes sense. In other words, the backroom staff should be controlling the purse strings and determining what wage is acceptable for, say, an injury prone 35 year old former international defender.

I'm assuming you meant the board or owners, rather than the physio, the kitman and the tea lady.

[Del]

Neither of us know what was going on at Old Trafford under Moyes. I just gave you the facts.

I'm pretty sure there were plenty of games he was on the bench and therefore fit, so your comment, which was questioning his fitness is inaccurate.

[dsqpr]

I'm assuming you meant the board or owners, rather than the physio, the kitman and the tea lady.

Good assumption! Not necessarily the Board or Owners but certainly somebody acting on their behalf. Obviously Tony Fernandes or indeed the Board cannot be expected to know what a reasonable deal would be for an injury prone 35 year old former international defender. But they should certainly have somebody on staff who does - somebody whose responsibility is meeting financial targets rather than points targets.

[vanhoop]

Would anybody care to explain what poor old Phil Beard has done this time?
Seems to me that some can't wait to blame him whilst knowing absolutely nothing about how the club go about their business. If there were any truth in this rumour at all, the one certainty is that it definitely was not Phil Beard who decided upon it.

Unbelievable!!

My thoughts too,only read up to your post blue.we've got some numpty fans.

[QPR Richard]

I'm pretty sure there were plenty of games he was on the bench and therefore fit, so your comment, which was questioning his fitness is inaccurate.

You're pretty sure are you? You seem to know a lot about this fella and Man Utd's team selections.

How many games was he on the bench for then?

You might also want to take a look at this:

http://m.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/playerprofile.html/rio-ferdinand

According to this, over the last five seasons, Rio Ferdinand played 104 prem games, an average of around 21 games a season. There were 190 prem games he could have played in but didn't. Perhaps Fergie did the same as Moyes and benched him regularly too? For whatever reason, Rio has missed the equivalent of over two whole seasons out of the last five. Fact.

Guys like you, Brightsparx and Westie can argue all you like, and of course you're all entitled to your opinion, but facts are facts. Whatever way you look at it, and for whatever reason, he has missed around 17 prem games a season over the last five. Because of his injury record, alleged or otherwise, I do not expect his appearance record to suddenly rocket this coming season, and as he gets older, I can't see this improving. Some have said it would be good to get 25-30 games out of him next season, but the stats show it's unlikely. Is it possible that we can squeeze more games out of him and succeed where Man Utd failed?

It is for this reason that I think he is too much of a risk for us.

[West Acton]

You're pretty sure are you? You seem to know a lot about this fella and Man Utd's team selections.

How many games was he on the bench for then?

You might also want to take a look at this:

http://m.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/playerprofile.html/rio-ferdinand

According to this, over the last five seasons, Rio Ferdinand played 104 prem games, an average of around 21 games a season. There were 190 prem games he could have played in but didn't. Perhaps Fergie did the same as Moyes and benched him regularly too? For whatever reason, Rio has missed the equivalent of over two whole seasons out of the last five. Fact.

Guys like you, Brightsparx and Westie can argue all you like, and of course you're all entitled to your opinion, but facts are facts. Whatever way you look at it, and for whatever reason, he has missed around 17 prem games a season over the last five. Because of his injury record, alleged or otherwise, I do not expect his appearance record to suddenly rocket this coming season, and as he gets older, I can't see this improving. Some have said it would be good to get 25-30 games out of him next season, but the stats show it's unlikely. Is it possible that we can squeeze more games out of him and succeed where Man Utd failed?

It is for this reason that I think he is too much of a risk for us.

That's a start Rich now what you need to do is go and make that comparison against all the Man Utd players for that period to see what there all averaging for that period as without doing that what you raise to some extent is pointless as that could be the average for prem games for all Man Utd players it could even be more then others in the squad as football is now about rotation not many players play week in week out. How many games in that period did he and others play in FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and England etc as that will tell you how many games he played over all.

Your looking at a snap shot just checking prem stats also if your that confident that his record is due to age and injury do the same for Wiltshire, Walcott and other younger players who are deemed to have poor injury records and make the comparison of if its age related.

I know the point your making and it is valid but for me this is not a row about age = injuries as he could sign for us and never suffer one injury and play more or less every game like Dunne did last season equally he could pull a groin first training session and never kick a ball for us (but that could apply to us signing an 18 to 40 year old)