The Man Who Does The Talking On The Pitch - Gonzalo Higuain Thread

Giving him an increase would be idiotic. We would be basically setting a precedent that every other player would then do in order to force the club to get what they want.

Higuain earns 5 or 6 million (before taxes). While not the best that IS what he agreed to... what? A year and a half ago?

In this situation, Higuain is very wrong. He is the one unsettling the situation and has been from the beginning. The club and staff has been on the same page.

I don't think he's the only one in the wrong, and I do see why he would be concerned. At times this season, it seems that Benzema would be the default starter up front, irrelevant of his form or the opposition.

I think he feels under-appreciated, coming in for garbage minutes in the big games and starting many games on the bench when he can be an undisputed star in many top teams. Giving him a pay raise would keep him happy and appreciated, making him feel his status as a top striker is guaranteed (you dont pay your backup striker 5M) while still keeping him in competition with Benzema.

That's was possibly do to how well Benzema combines with Mesut and Cristiano, opposed to Higuain who is more of a lethal finisher.

Spare me this "under appreciated" stuff.

He is more than appreciated. Did you not see our crowd? Did you not see Mourinho, Karanka and the other management/front offices speeches about his importance?

Then to equate not feeling appreciated by staff/management/front office due to playing time all the way to getting paid more money.... how? How does how much you're paid come into not being played as a starter when you want to?

This is a very simple situation. He wants another pay raise and the management said, "No". He then has tried to pressure the management by his camp leaking meetings with other clubs and then his dramatic farewells (which weren't but insinuating so the media grabs on to it).

The club has been resolute. He will not go. These dramatics about how he must stay and the damage it would leave make me laugh, because unless someone pays his buyout or something near it; he will not go.

Like Pepe or Ramos, he can throw a fit and use all the media pressure to galvanize fans to press the management, however the management won't bend right now. They can't just give a player a pay rise every year or other year when they want them and if they did set that precedent now, guess how many more players will be coming in to get huge pay increases??????????

Think about it.

There were quite a few games that were begging for Higuain to start, but he was benched. It's unfortunate that Mourinho skipped those pressers because I would have loved an explanation as to why he chose one over the other. I'm not going to sit here and pick and choose between the two because I like both of them a lot, but I think each has their own strength and probably suitable for certain types of games. Mou did a good job rotating between the two in his first year, but went away from that this year.

I'm not sure where the salary raise thing is coming from, I have not seen anything in the media about this. The only thing I've heard from Higuain and his reps is that he's happy here and he's a long contract.

No it wouldn't Clubs do it all the time.

No he doesn't.

How is he wrong? Players do this all the time and at the end of the day I don't think it's more money he wants anyway, it's just what people are assuming despite the fact this goes against "type" as far as everything we know about the player. I think he just wants some clarity on his future that he will have the opportunity to be the starter, a chance to fight. If "convincing" him of his value to the Club means a pay bump I'm all for it.

Thats all fine, but even Granero gets ovations from the crowds and a nice speech from management. All that matters at the end of the day is playing time, and I recall many over here predicting him being upset before any of the rumors started, because Benzema seemed to start most games even when Higs was the one in form. I dont think he wants a pay raise, but giving him one would show more intent on our part instead of simply giving him a kind word every now and then. FFS he played like what, 10 mins in the 3 weeks with our biggest games in the season?

Yup

And can we stop with the, "Benz links up better with Cristiano and Oezil" bit? It's getting almost as tedious and overstated as Blondie being a "far better defender" than Marcelo

Agree with everyone. Higuain deserves a lot more than he is getting right now.

But if things don't turn out the way we want them to, are Cavani(EL qualification) or Falcao(EL) realistic transfers? Falcao is obviously playing for Atleti, and that'll be tricky, and I don't know anything about Cavani's contract, wages or price tag.

Higuain: "I've been here nearly six marvelous years and I've always had to fight. No one has given me anything for free."
Under appreciated , I thought exactly the same thing after I heard this.
It can't be a money issue , a talented player like him just wants to play.

How many games were begging for something different? Every time we lose, draw or struggle to win it is always a game which was "begging for something different". Yet in some of these games, "something different" still played and the result was the same.

People act like Higuain never played or started. Could he have gotten more? Of course, however this is getting out of hand.

Akram you have to be kidding me. Since when has Granero ever gotten as much support as Higuain? I am not just talking about the past weeks which have been SUPER pro-Higuain support related.

What nonsense. That isn't the same thing, it is actually a fact. Higuain is the better scorer, Benzema is the better link up man.

Unless you feel there is some ulterior motive to why Benzema is played so much. Maybe he doesn't provide Cristiano with all those assists.

Since when has "clubs" been Real Madrid? Answer that.

After you answer that, tell me how many times Florentino has let one of our players hold him captive in negotiations for a contract, ESPECIALLY after he has just renewed said players contract?

Then elaborate. Tell me exactly what he earns.

After you're done, tell us how much everyone else earns as well. No point in exaggerating everyone else's wages as well.

How is he wrong? Are you kidding me?

Are you not the same person who bitches about Pepe, Ramos, etc doing the same damn thing..... JUST not pressing this far doing so?

It is one thing to want a pay raise, everyone wants that. However to continue to threaten your position publicly in order to force the managements hands is hardly "Madrid-loving". That seems more "self-loving" than anything else. Especially when the management, front office and everyone has been consistently saying he won't go, yet he and his camp (through the media) have continually tried to leave doors of doubt open in order to get responses from the fans.

Ha. It is ALL about money.

People are assuming it because the leaks from his camp talks about him receiving twice as much money and how that is one of the catalyst for the move.

If it isn't about money, then please answer exactly what it is about?

Please not this below is not a real answer to this question, because...

... the club has given him every bit of clarity. The management has. The front office has. Everyone has been on the same page; Higuain won't leave unless the club willing to pay for him buys him out.

On one hand you say it isn't about money, then you say giving a guy you just gave a pay bump another one less then two years after the first one is what could solve the situation.

Does anybody not see how hypocritical this is?

It is about money; period.

It is why Kaka says he never wants to leave, yet Higuain says he doesn't feel supported and may leave even though everyone at the club says he has no choice but to stay.

Marcelo should leave before Higuain. If there is ANY and I mean ANY fuucking body on this team that gets disrespected and under-appreciated, it is Marcelo.

He should immediately tell his camp to contact other clubs and say he doesn't know about his future anymore.

Quite a few times, actually, myself and other people wondered when the lineups, before the result was even known, why Benzema was starting ahead of Higuain. Again, it's unfortunate we never got an explanation what his thinking was at the time; either poor journalism or the question was avoided all together.

The fact is you have two quality players that play one position. As a manager, part of your job is to keep the squad happy. Say Higuain leaves, you're left with the choice of either bringing a lesser quality player who's going to accept less playing time but the team's results might suffer, or a high quality player and you're back in the same situation next summer with Benzema.

Marcelo is under-appreciated by people here, but by no means is he under-appreciated by the coach. Mou knows full well what Marcelo's impact on this team is, and that was reflected by the playing time he got.

I have too. Does that mean that the result would have automatically been different? I still wonder why in the hell Marcelo was benched for Coentrao for Bayern's first leg.

As I said earlier, Marcelo should immediate call his agent and tell him to get "moving". He is paid less than Higuain, is far less appreciated and gets benched at time for another player who costed the club 30 million euros.

He should have came out yesterday and said "I hope things work out for me to stay here", instead of "I love this club and its fans and want to stay here".

Keep them happy? People make it like the guy never played. He did though; could have played more? Yes.

Say Higuain stays, because he just signed a new contract and which will take more than riling up the fanbase to turn against management for him to get out of.

I will restate it, he will be here.

Seriously, you have got to be kidding me. I love you like white loves rice, but you are making no damn sense in that quote.

On one hand you say Higuain is under-appreciated by the coach because Mourinho benches him (especially in big games), yet on the other hand you say that the coach appreciates Marcelo and knows Marcelo's impact on the team when the manager BENCHES HIM (especially in big games).

I'm sorry man but that makes no sense. At least Higuain has ALWAYS felt the love of the fans.

Marcelo? Ha.

He gets benched for Coentrao who isn't as good as him, doesn't complain, doesn't go to the press, no words of his unhappiness or discontent. Nothing about his head turned by PSG, Citeh or some other club (Bayern FFS!) projects. He just took his chance when given to him.

Marcelo, I will repeat is BY FAR the most under-appreciated and he isn't even paid as much as Higuain. He sucks that shit up and doesn't want to leave his club or try to pit his club's fans against the front office, just to force what he wants.

When Pepe does it? It is bad. When Ramos does it? It is bad. Di Maria just tried it and he gets paid probably half of what Higuain gets. It was still received as bad.

However when Higuain does it, now we are making him a victim (which should be insulting), because he has been and always will be an important piece of our future and this club.

I will repeat, he isn't going anywhere.

I am with YS87. Everyone at Real Madrid is happy with Higuain and wants him to stay. I do not see the logic behind behind throwing money at him considering that he signed a new contract a year and a half ago. This would undoubtedly set a ridiculous precedent.

I also do not buy this nonsense about him being under-appreciated. He has almost played as many matches as Benzema; although he has been substituted in far more many times; but he has seen chance. The thing is that Benzema is been slightly better. There are players in the squad that have gotten far far less playing time and have more valid reasons to feel under-appreciated.

Keep one thing in mind though, this is Marcelo's first year where he has to legitimately compete for a spot, and I think it's clear to say, he's won the battle. I think the Bayern first leg is probably the only outright puzzling decision to bench Marcelo. The times Marcelo was left out, the reasoning behind the move was clear.

A few times, that wasn't the case for Higuain. A few times, we were left scratching our heads as to why he was on the bench, and if I'm as talented and as passionate about the club as Higuain is, I'd be a little ticked off. Especially if the coach did not explain why he made that decision (which we don't know if he did to the players).

Higuain has had to fight for his spot every single year, and what he said yesterday was telling. Nothing was given to him for free. I think he wants to be given assurances that it's going to be a fair battle next year, and I do think he'll stay. He may be pouting and making a fuss now, but when it comes to making the decision to leave, he doesn't have it in him to leave given the mutual love and respect there is between him and the club and its fans.

The thing is, I don't think he is a money hungry ********. He wants his money, he deserves to be paid higher but you can't expect the club to upgrade your pay so soon after just signing a renewal. This would literally be the crack which would open the flood gates.

For me it's about the club first, then the player.

Then your memory is faulty.

Bro, Marcelo has 31 starts this season in La Liga, 5th most after Cris, Sergio, Xabi and Iker. Higuain has 18. I dont know a site with the amount of minutes, but I bet you the difference would be as clear. Also, who is Marcelo under-appreciated? He has completely won over the Bernabeu, gets a good ovation and has been called the best LB in the world by Mou as well?

Plus, about your point on Granero not getting as much crowd support as Pipa, I am guessing you havent been watching many of the games we have played in the Bernabeu? Mourinho has had some very high praise for him in a couple of pressers too...

I think to use the celebratory event as a mean to your own end in a way was tasteless. If Gonzalo decides to leave he will surely get the time and place (audience as well) to say his bit.

As much as I am a Benzema fan, I have to admit that playing next to a world class striker like Higuain has made it easy for him. Benzema to me has stamina problems even now when mins are split between him and Pipita, he is clearly fatigued at the end of games. Should Higuain leave, it will be imperative to get another quality striker.

I think it would be a mistake to let go of Higuain if the issue is in regards to another raise. Finding another quality striker negotiating and paying above market rate (its always the case with Real) and hoping that the new player will gell and produce at the same rate as that of Gonzalo, is a very ambitious, costly and unecessary scenario. Same should be avoided even if it means giving him another raise. When a Bank realizes that their entire investment in a project maybe lost they would be more willing to lend a few extra bucks to salvage the whole.

Hehe, don't trust the horse.













Seriously.

Yes, and Marcelo got benched for some big matches in both La Liga and the Champions League. One of the excuse I hear is he doesn't like when he is benched for the big ones; well Marcelo is as well.

How the hell is Higuain under-appreciated? He had the Bernabeu in his pocket since what his first season and has been called irreplaceable, a symbol of Madrid and one of the best in the world/the future of Madrid by that same Mourinho.

You do realize that this same Mourinho has had very high praise for Higuain as well right? You are seriously trying to make him so kid which is a victim, when the reality is he is a star footballer, who has had a great year but isn't on the pay he desires (or something else) so is obviously using the recent public club situations to move the fans to pressure the club to give him whatever it is he wants.

The club has said they feel he is irreplaceable, countless times. His response was to bring doubt about his continuity (after it was erased) during our 32nd league championship presentation. You then have Pastore again pushing the notion that Higuain is negotiating with PSG.