[Standaman]

Stripping this back to the facts as best as we can tell given that nobody knows exactly what anyone is thinking nor exactly what is in any given players contract.

In August 2019 Pereira signed up to a deal which was reportedly something like £20k a week in the Championship and £40k a week in the Premier League. The club committed to pay Sporting something in the region of £9m roughly £1m for the loan fee and the balance when the the deal went permanent 2020.

The deal gets done because it is the best deal on the table. The player's got a pay increase (fringe players at Sporting don't earn £20k a week) the club gets a good fee for a player they want to sell. Although Pereira had done well for Nuremberg and maybe there was interest from other Bundesliga clubs but none that would offer him more than £20k a week and absolutely none of those that routinely pay £40k a week.

The player tears up the Championship (this is not preordained and there were alternative paths available) Albion get promoted everybody is a winner. Well not quite. The contract that was the best available 12 months ago is no longer the best available teams that routinely pay more than £40k a week would now be interested but then again Albion won't be selling their best player for £9m that value has easily doubled and it has accrued to the club not the player. Equally he is not even the best paid player at the club and while he might not have known that 12 months ago he for sure does now.

It is a situation that is almost designed to breed discontent. It does not matter that he has been less than stellar this year. That one golden season will retain enough of a glow to get him a better deal somewhere and while £20k a week was good 2 years ago it will look less good this summer.

The comments re the Portuguese market and Wolves are spot on. The whole Wolves model works because of the way contracts are structured in Portugal. Players are relatively poorly paid but have big release clauses many of which have big agent fees built into them.

I first twigged this when we were interested in Carvalho. At that point he was widely regarded as one of the best young defensive midfielders in the European game was a full International. He was paid 10k euro's a week and had a release clause of 28m euro's. He latter signed an improved contract which elevated his earnings to 15k euro's a week but the release clause ballooned to nearly 40m euros. Any player going for that sort of fee in England would be earning 4 or 5 times that amount.

Returning to Pereira I am not sure what to do for the best, I don't think we should be paying much more than £20k a week for any player in the Championship and I don't think he is of the temperament that will knuckle down to another season in the Championship so I suspect when we are relegated he will move on.   

[smethwickw]

Pereira looks a bit like how Maresca and Sneekes looked at times. On a different wave length to anyone else. He would shine with more quality around him. I actually thought he put a great shift in yesterday too and played some nice passes.

[richjonawba]

He does put in a shift, certainly more so than a lot of similarly attack minded players. Yesterday the effort he displayed was more than basically every one of the 16 we fielded, his ability is clearly miles above every one bar perhaps Gallagher. I have no problems with how he has performed this season, he must be finding it incredibly difficult playing in this side.

For me he deserves ten times what the rest of them are being paid. If anyone in that squad is earning more than him then he has grounds for asking why.

[TheJacko2000]

Pereira looks a bit like how Maresca and Sneekes looked at times. On a different wave length to anyone else. He would shine with more quality around him. I actually thought he put a great shift in yesterday too and played some nice passes.

Agree with this noticeable yesterday players constantly on their heels receiving the ball from him. Some of our lads are technically very poor players. Furlong, Ajayi, Livermore, Peltier, Kipre, Edwards from yesterday for example.

[alex1]

He is playing in the same side as he was last season but he wasn't this bad last season. Imo he as done nothing so far in this league.

Thought he was our best player yesterday by a country mile, so it doesn't say much for the rest.

[TheJacko2000]

Thought he was our best player yesterday by a country mile, so it doesn't say much for the rest.

He's our best player virtually every week. His wages should reflect that. Stans post was very good explaining the fiscal position he finds himself in relative to his talent and that of his peers.

[boinging_along]

Agree with this noticeable yesterday players constantly on their heels receiving the ball from him. Some of our lads are technically very poor players. Furlong, Ajayi, Livermore, Peltier, Kipre, Edwards from yesterday for example.

Reminded me when we had the real Kanu and he'd play passes that were amazing but the receiving player didn't read at all.  Then it made the pass look like it was rubbish when it was just on a different wavelength.

[baggie82]

I'd be looking to move on in the summer if I'm Pereira and try and find a club with a decent manager that wants to play a bit of a football, not a circus like our place that has no continuity or patience.

[Gilsey 56]

He is the one ray of light we have had in a long time, the way everything is turning out he will sign for the Vile and that will be me done.
You couldn't write the last 12 months, surely there must be a bottom to this barrel?

[Aztech]

Things are not always as they seem or how people portray them to be.
It’s true I’m not happy! Not happy because of what our team is having to endure, not happy because of the lack of positive results, because we try and try however have not achieved the results...

[Aztech]

But this doesn’t not change or shift focus. I’m here I’m focused on doing my best to help the team in every way possible. I’m a professional, I have a winning spirit and winning will always be my main goal.

[Aztech]

I love and respect each one of you fans that embraced me since my arrival at the club. Every drop of sweat I pour is for you. The fight is on! 🙏🏾💙

Post on Twitter tonight by Pereira

[Dexy]

Just seen that on Twiiter , great credit for that from me.

[TheJacko2000]

Also a stark reminder that opinion pieces shouldn't always be taken at face value.

[AlbionFan]

“West Brom star Matheus Pereira explains why he's 'not happy' in passionate address”

Source: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-star-matheus-pereira-19606685

[Gilsey 56]

great piece that, exactly what we want to hear in these dark times from our best player.

[Gilsey 56]

https://twitter.com/MatheusPereira/status/1348733872951930880/photo/1

[lewisant]

Excellent from him. Give him the armband and let him lead by example a la Grealish.

[Hull Baggie]

He's hardly going to come out and say I'm unhappy because the club won't pay me an extra £5K a week.
Imagine how that would have gone down? Seems a bit cynical to me to mention the fans.

I hope he is being sincere and that it acts as a form of catharsis for him but I'll wait for him to improve before I start celebrating.

He needs to start doing it on the pitch first, paper talk is all good but it doesn't impact on results. No doubt he's finding the league hard but he looks a shadow of the player we saw last season, maybe Diangana struggling hasn't helped. Some games he has looked like he can't be bothered (under both Bilic and Allardyce).

[TheJacko2000]

Jesus wept, we've got some absolute dross at this club. Character assassination piece in the press which he rebuts on social media and we get posts like this. 

Why don't these journos go after some of the actual wasters in the squad?

[ex coseley kid]

Jesus wept, we've got some absolute dross at this club. Character assassination piece in the press which he rebuts on social media and we get posts like this. 

Why don't these journos go after some of the actual wasters in the squad?

You know what Jacko you're dead right. I've removed my post. It's not his fault that almost no one else around him is prepared to put up a fight.

[wodenson46]

Jesus wept, we've got some absolute dross at this club. Character assassination piece in the press which he rebuts on social media and we get posts like this. 

Why don't these journos go after some of the actual wasters in the squad?

Well said theJacko2000
 
Might add that Periera's better games have always been when Krov is in the team and when there is a decent wide player able to run on to the ball played through and then provide a cross or strike. These are the only creative players we need. The rest  - Gallagher whilst he is here provides good link up, when he gets his shooting boots back from the cobblers. We need a strong quick decent in the air central striker, a good defensive midfielder a competent commanding goalkeeper and a few well drilled defenders. Ajayi and O'Shea, might develop into 2 of those but the rest need immediate upgrades. It ought to be possible, but this is The Albion

[baggie82]

What the hell is happening ? I'm in full agreement with the legend.Well said theJacko2000
 
Might add that Periera's better games have always been when Krov is in the team and when there is a decent wide player able to run on to the ball played through and then provide a cross or strike. These are the only creative players we need. The rest  - Gallagher whilst he is here provides good link up, when he gets his shooting boots back from the cobblers. We need a strong quick decent in the air central striker, a good defensive midfielder a competent commanding goalkeeper and a few well drilled defenders. Ajayi and O'Shea, might develop into 2 of those but the rest need immediate upgrades. It ought to be possible, but this is The Albion

Creativity has been banned in favour of organised defence, have you not noticed how much more solid we have looked since we got rid of Bilic and his tinkering?

[tommcneill]

Creativity has been banned in favour of organised defence, have you not noticed how much more solid we have looked since we got rid of Bilic and his tinkering?

This is completely untrue......

Creativity has not been banned. I like listening to people who actually played under him who say the complete opposite of what you say about Allardyce.

We were not solid defensively under Bilic either, in either the championship or the Prem....doesnt fit the narrative though does it.

Its quite obvious the players are to blame for this, unable to execute Allardyce's plans or unwilling to because they 'liked' Bilic.

[matt_wba912]

I'm glad he's upset, they all should be

last year MP was at his best when Diangana was in the side as he had someone else on the same wavelength to partner up with. When Diangana was injured that was when MP looked less effective and during games you'd see the frustration coming out via snapping at opposition players / increased diving and complaining to the ref.  This side of his character isn't new, during his time at West Brom he's always been hyper competitive and reacted when things don't work out

Diangana is struggling this year and there's no one else stepping up, MP started the season well but like everyone else the longer this season goes on the more he looks beaten by the downward momentum around the club but I don't think you can point to many games where he hasn't at least given 100%.  Add to that I don't imagine he has anything in common with Allardyce when it comes to football and the reports that Krov is available for other clubs in the transfer window its not hard to imagine he may not be happy about multiple things at the moment.  Add in the fact that players who aren't pulling their weight are reportedly on over double his current wage and I think he's being quite restrained!

Given the way this season has panned out the only thing I regret about the fact we cant attend games is the fact that for many of us we probably wont have the opportunity to watch Pereira live in a West Brom shirt again.  He's a cut above the rest of this team, if we could have a few more players of his quality and fight we might be in a better place