http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/opinion/columnists/gordon-waddell/2008/04/06/two-games-to-earn-me-a-deal-78057-20374367/

 

ALAN MAYBURY is out to make himself a star of the big stage AND the small screen this week in a bid to land a new contract.

 

The full-back's loan spell at Aberdeen ends in seven weeks with his deal at Leicester City folding just five weeks later.

 

But with nothing on the table from either club yet the Irishman wants to put on a show while he still has the chance.

 

And two live games on the box in the space of six days - tomorrow night against Falkirk and Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final with Queen of the South - won't do him any harm if bosses are on the hunt for next season.

 

Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood insists he want to keep the rock-solid 29-year-old at Pittodrie if he can.

 

But Maybury shrugged: "I'm still in the same boat as when I came here - just trying to get games and do my best.

 

"It's not a desperate situation because I have a bit of slack. My contract with Leicester runs until the end of June and the season here finishes, hopefully, with the Cup Final at the end of May.

 

"Guys who have been at Aberdeen longer than me are still trying to sort deals out like Barry Nicholson and Lee Miller.

 

So I know I'm not a priority "But the main thing is I'm playing instead of kicking my heels in the reserves at Leicester. In fact I might not even have been getting that down there.

 

"So purely for selfish reasons this isn't doing me any harm.

 

"And the more people see me on TV in games like these the more chance I have of someone seeing I can do the job.

 

"Not that you can ever drop your standards. I've witnessed guys playing in reserve matches and not giving their all then finding out someone was watching in the stands.

 

"That's not me - I give it everything every time I play anyway."

 

Former Hearts star Maybury is also hoping he can overcome his two biggest jinxes in Scottish football.

 

He said: "Hampden hasn't exactly been great for me and neither has the Scottish Cup.

 

"I've been to the stadium twice. The first time was when I was called up late by Brian Kerr for his first Irish squad against Scotland.

 

" I was right on the doorstep at Hearts and Brian had known me from my days in the youth set-up. So I hoped I'd get on the pitch after a couple of days training with the Irish team.

 

"But I ended up spending the game on the bench. My other visit there was when Hearts played Rangers in the CIS Cup semi and we were soundly beaten that day.

 

"The Scottish Cup has also been a bit of a nightmare.

 

"At Hearts we had a disaster against Falkirk when we were four down inside half an hour.

 

"In the other two seasons I was there we lost to Inverness at Tynecastle and went out to Celtic really early.

 

"So a little change of luck would be nice this time."

 

Unless you sign for the top 2 or 3 teams in your league then chances are you're not going to achieve very much.  We had a great season in comparison to the past 10 years but we still achieved fuck all really.

 

We blew 2 semi-finals this year. We could quite easily have been in two cup finals, with a genuine opportunity of winning at least one. Who's to say that next year will be any worse? What professional footballer doesn't want to win silverware? Let's not forget that we played well below our capabilities for much of the season, and that next year could hopefully be much more consistent.

 

Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't.  The fact he's came out and said it won't put AFC off of signing him but it has got his name in the paper and advertised himself in the process.

 

As you rightly recognise, football players routinely do anything or say anything in order to get their faces in the press when they're looking for new contracts. If he had any real interest in signing for us, he would have done so by now.

 

It's not any different to what Nicolson has done.

 

Nicholson has said that it's not about the money, and I'm inclined to believe him. He could easily have sat in the Rangers reserves instead of going to Dunfermline when he did. He's clearly stated that he wants a new challenge, not more money. Perhaps I'm overly gullible, but I do believe that there's some truth in that. If I was a professional footballer, I'd want to try my hand at different styles of football.

 

Maybury has had his shot down south, and he didn't do particularly well at all. He's now found a fairly cushy number up here, but he's prepared to sacrifice that for the sake of an extra few grand a year.

Recent football transfers from Scotland to England are littered with guys going south, enjoying the cash but not getting to play and not settling in England and as a result, not enjoying it.

 

Then returning north for less money, some regular football and better social and family lives.

 

Players must have seen this being replicated over and over again.

If another company were offering me better wages i would jump at it in a second, i think most of the people on here would always be looking for more money!

 

No, actually I wouldn't.

You are an idiot then. 

 

Nope.

 

I just value quality of life and am very happy at my current place of work

Nope.

 

I just value quality of life and am very happy at my current place of work

 

We know, you never stop telling us how happy you are.

We blew 2 semi-finals this year. We could quite easily have been in two cup finals, with a genuine opportunity of winning at least one. Who's to say that next year will be any worse? What professional footballer doesn't want to win silverware? Let's not forget that we played well below our capabilities for much of the season, and that next year could hopefully be much more consistent.

 

Shoulda, woulda, coulda......

 

I'm sure the same thing is said on any of the chat sites that Maybury might plum for.

 

As you rightly recognise, football players routinely do anything or say anything in order to get their faces in the press when they're looking for new contracts. If he had any real interest in signing for us, he would have done so by now.

 

You mean like Lee '11th hour' Miller?

 

Nicholson has said that it's not about the money, and I'm inclined to believe him. He could easily have sat in the Rangers reserves instead of going to Dunfermline when he did. He's clearly stated that he wants a new challenge, not more money. Perhaps I'm overly gullible, but I do believe that there's some truth in that. If I was a professional footballer, I'd want to try my hand at different styles of football.

 

Nicolson is slightly different in the fact he's nearing the end of his career and has played in the SPL for all of it.  Maybury is still to make a name for himself and perhaps he thinks he's a better chance of doing that in the lower leagues down south where the scouts will be out in force.  Perhaps it's not all about money?

 

Maybury has had his shot down south, and he didn't do particularly well at all. He's now found a fairly cushy number up here, but he's prepared to sacrifice that for the sake of an extra few grand a year.

 

I'm sure he can have as many 'shots' of it as he wants.  Maybe he's not that impressed with the set up at Pittodrie, maybe he thinks the staff are arseholes, maybe he doesn't like the bog roll, maybe he's already as bored of the league as the rest of us, maybe he thinks the women of Aberdeen are howlers or maybe we're not offering enough and he's just chasing the Yankee dollar.  Who is to say?

 

If he is fucking off for more money then he won't be the first and I don't blame him.  He won't be getting more money than Hart or surely we'd have kept Hart?  Who himself left for more cash because we offered him peanuts.

 

Put yourself in his shoes.  You're a young lad who is trying to make as much money as you can over a short period of time.  You've no ties to family or emotional tie to any club.

 

Why would you pick Aberdeen over anyone else?

 

Because they might win something 15 years after they last lifted some silverware?

 

 

Shoulda, woulda, coulda......

 

I'm sure the same thing is said on any of the chat sites that Maybury might plum for.

 

Is that so? Name me one other cub in the UK which blew not one but two semi-finals this year when they had a realistic chance of going all the way.

 

You mean like Lee '11th hour' Miller?

 

You think Miller genuinely wanted to sign for us again? Not a chance. If there was a bigger, better offer on the table, he would have been gone in a flash. He's more canny than Maybury though: he's been through the same thing - move down south, get found out, move back north - and is clearly slightly more picky about who he signs for down south. He at least didn't fanny around with the fans though, making ridiculous statements about how he liked the club and wanted to stay, despite also stating that he, er, wanted to leave.

 

Maybury would to well to follow suit.

 

Nicolson is slightly different in the fact he's nearing the end of his career and has played in the SPL for all of it.  Maybury is still to make a name for himself and perhaps he thinks he's a better chance of doing that in the lower leagues down south where the scouts will be out in force.  Perhaps it's not all about money?

 

Nicholson is only two weeks older than Maybury, who has already played down south and flopped. If he knows he couldn't cut it before, how ambitious is it to try again, when he must know deep down that he'll never be at clubs as big as Leeds or Leicester again? In any case, Maybury is far more well-known down south than Nicholson is, so the idea that Maybury needs to make a name for himself whilst Nicholson doesn't is a strange one indeed.

 

I'm sure he can have as many 'shots' of it as he wants.  Maybe he's not that impressed with the set up at Pittodrie, maybe he thinks the staff are arseholes, maybe he doesn't like the bog roll, maybe he's already as bored of the league as the rest of us, maybe he thinks the women of Aberdeen are howlers or maybe we're not offering enough and he's just chasing the Yankee dollar.  Who is to say?

 

In that case, why is he constantly talking about how he'd be prepared to stay? Front up and sign, or admit that all you're interested in is the bigger pay-packet down south.

 

If he is fucking off for more money then he won't be the first and I don't blame him.  He won't be getting more money than Hart or surely we'd have kept Hart?  Who himself left for more cash because we offered him peanuts.

 

Yes; he will be getting more money than Hart. As you stated, Hart was one of the lowest paid members of the first-team squad. Maybury is reputed to have been offered roughly three times as much money as Hart was earlier this year.

 

Put yourself in his shoes.  You're a young lad who is trying to make as much money as you can over a short period of time.  You've no ties to family or emotional tie to any club.

 

Why would you pick Aberdeen over anyone else?

 

Because they might win something 15 years after they last lifted some silverware?

 

I've already answered that question above, and if you needed to ask it again, then you've misunderstood my point. I'm not saying that Maybury should sign for Aberdeen. What I'm saying is that Maybury is being disingenuous and that he should be honest about why he's dithering, and stop fucking around with the fans' hopes.

I've already answered that question above, and if you needed to ask it again, then you've misunderstood my point. I'm not saying that Maybury should sign for Aberdeen. What I'm saying is that Maybury is being disingenuous and that he should be honest about why he's dithering, and stop fucking around with the fans' hopes.

 

On a note about the fans hopes. I think it is apparent that players and management don't really care much about the opinion's of supporters these days. The average supporter is seen as a pain in the arse. This attitude is true of football journalists as well, I know this through a friend who writes independently for a number of the Scottish papers. In days gone by the football club would be closer to the local community and players used to revel in the hero worship heaped upon them. Now that money is king this attitude seems to be disappearing amongst even a club the size of Aberdeen.

Is that so? Name me one other cub in the UK which blew not one but two semi-finals this year when they had a realistic chance of going all the way.

 

My statement wasn't as hemmed in as 'two semi-finals' but the likes of Dundee United are probably feeling the same way about their cup final loss and also their final game against the Huns that finished their Euro hopes.

 

QotS will be sure they coulda, woulda, shoulda in the cup final.

 

Etc, etc.

 

There's no teams outwith the O.F., Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool......add name of top 2 or 3 from each league these days.......who has a realistic chance of silverware.  The other 9 teams in our league have as much chance as any of picking some up because the Dons just aren't bridging that gap yet either.

 

 

Sheesh an awful lot of strong opinions about a player who hasn't exactly made us much better.  If we can all forget about his previous reputation at Hearts and take his performances for Aberdeen in isolation I'm not so sure that he deserves any of this adulation/anger etc.  The Alan Maybury of Hearts I'd roll out the red carpet for.  The Alan Maybury of Aberdeen is a player you'll get ten a penny of and I'd chuck him out with the other rubbish.

 

In other words, let him go his own way and make up his own mind, he hasn't been good enough in a red shirt to deserve to be idolised nor castigated.

 

Maybury has been an excellent addition our defence has looked much steadier with him in it!

I agree with Jimmy Conners. Maybury is a steady defender. Calderwood seems to be in the market for steady players.

I’d have said get him signed after a couple of game at all costs but after the way he and most of the players got ripped against QOS then only sign him on the terms AFC would give any standard 1st team squad player. He’s never performed as a back bone player for us like diamond (1st half of the season), miller, Nicolson last season.

If we sign this Dixon lad from Dundee who I believe is a left back then stick Foster at right back.

 

Maybury is not bad but seems to lose his man a lot.

Agreed 100%

 

Supposedly it's a done deal and all of the money from the friendly is Dundee's as a sweetener + a few grand since he's still only 20/21

 

Agreed 100%

 

Supposedly it's a done deal and all of the money from the friendly is Dundee's as a sweetener + a few grand since he's still only 20/21

 

 

Pretty happy if thats true

Maybury heading for Dons exit door

Reds losing patience with Irish defender

 

By Andrew Moir

 

Published: 07/07/2008

 

ABERDEEN are preparing for life next season without Irish international defender Alan Maybury.

 

The Dons have been hit by a wall of silence throughout the close season in their efforts to convince the right back to sign on again.

 

And Pittodrie chief Willie Miller today revealed he has given up hope of persuading Maybury to stay, with the former Hearts man now expected to pursue his career in England.

 

“We have basically forgotten about the idea of keeping Alan,†said Miller.

 

“He knows what the offer is but hasn’t accepted it so far so we’re now pressing ahead with other targets.

 

“If all the slots in the squad are filled then he turns round and says he wants to stay then it will be too late.

 

“We have to get our plans in place for the new season and both Jimmy Calderwood and I believe he won't be with us.

 

“He did well for us last season but we can't hang on forever in the hope of him staying so we're moving on.â€

 

Maybury joined on loan from Leicester City in January and impressed after winning a place in Calderwood’s defence.

 

But his contract runs with the Foxes until the end of the month and has so far refused to give any indication of whether he wants to commit to an Aberdeen contract.

 

Several English clubs are reportedly in the frame for the Republic of Ireland cap who kicked off his career at Leeds United.

 

One player who could take his place in Calderwood's squad is Tim Bakens.

 

The Dons boss has held talks with the Dutchman's agent and is believed to have offered the towering defender a deal.

 

It looks as if Bakens will join fellow new Mark Kerr at the Dons this week.

 

Kerr will be officially paraded at Pittodrie this week as long as he passes a club medical.

 

And with Karim Touzani now back home in Holland after signing for Sparta Rotterdam there could be further scope for more new signings.

 

Miller added: “Jimmy has been dealing with the Bakens situation and it's not yet clear what he wants to do with the money we would have been spending on Touzani's wages.

 

“But that could be used to bring another player in and we'll certainly be active in the transfer market over the next few weeks.

 

“We have specific targets we want to bring in and will continue to work towards securing them.

 

“There is still a lot of hard work ahead but we’re pleased with the progress we have made.â€

Let the moaning begin. 

Let the moaning begin. 

 

Hardly surprising is it?

 

He's been offered more money by other teams.

Hardly surprising is it?

 

Exactly, but some will still blame JC, Miller, Mackie or Young... 

Of course, he should have been asked to sign after his first few games when he was immense, no sense leaving it till every scout worth their money has seen him play and knows his contract was going to be up.

 

Bit stupid leaving it so long if you ask me.

Of course, he should have been asked to sign after his first few games when he was immense, no sense leaving it till every scout worth their money has seen him play and knows his contract was going to be up.

 

Bit stupid leaving it so long if you ask me.

 

 

I dont believe that would have made a difference. His agent would have told him to hold off and see what other interest he could attract.

It wouldnt have hurt to have put in an offer - you never know what might have happened!

Oh well, I'm sure they've known this for a while and haven't been hanging on until now. Hopefully the Bakens transfer will be completed this week. As for Touzani's wages, they better use them for another player, because we have a puny squad for a team that has aspirations to be challenging at the right end of the table and on the cup front.

Don't know that there will be that much moaning about this.

It seems most of the complaints have been about "the management" setting deadlines and then letting them slide.

I'm all for saying there's your offer - take it or leave.