No footballer is worth £2 million a month. I'm sorry. That's a mentality that's destroying football. The market rate has been completely distorted by a couple of clubs with limitless resources - and a few fools who are trying to keep up.
Mo is the best footballer in the world at the minute and seems a great lad, no question - but the same heads that are saying pay him what he wants are also in the transfer forum screaming to pay whatever it takes to get whichever flavour of the month liked an instagram post yesterday.
Barcelona are the case in point here. They paid Messi a million a week - everyone else in the squad accepts they aren't Messi but suddenly they think that's the market rate so I must be worth 500k a week or half a Messi. It's absolutely stupid. Who's going to tell Virg, or Trent, or Mane they aren't worth half a Mo.
It's not my money - but I can remember the things we said after the campaign to get rid of H&G - we just wanted the chance to be a viable business with a bit of savvy in the upper echelons of the club. And look at us now - best manager in the world, best player in the world, kept a squad together for the first time since the 80s, a helluva ride for 7 years now. And all done with feet firmly in some kind of reality.
I can accept that for the best player in the world that reality has shifted a bit. But we aren't being scabby if we say we can't spend it.
Mo says he wants to retire here - I hope so, and I hope to fuck he stays - but not at the cost of upsetting everything. It's not just 'up to the club' - he's not a passive partner in this. Personal happiness, or collecting capital - make the choice, you're set for life either way. Sometimes you can't have both and you don't get to say you're the victim.
Probably sounds a bit ranty - not aimed at anyone, not even aimed at Mo to be honest, I love him - but man, football is depressing. All we do is sit around talking about is money these days.