Eddie May: Hibs and Aberdeen's efforts to land Darren Barr a disgrace

[mizer]

Saw the story about his rant on mad:

 

FALKIRK boss Eddie May last night launched a scathing attack on Hibs and Aberdeen, branding their efforts to land Darren Barr a disgrace.

 

Both clubs have gone public on their attempts to lure the Bairns skipper who is available on a Bosman in the summer.

 

But Mark McGhee and John Hughes have both tried to tempt Falkirk into dealing the 24-year-old away in this month's window by offering fringe players on loan for four months in exchange.

 

That has infuriated May - especially as neither club has managed to agree personal terms with the Scotland stopper.

 

The Bairns gaffer fumed: "They claim to be big clubs - if they are big clubs you'd think they would show a bit more respect to a player they are trying to sign and to us.

 

"Any club is entitled to speak to Darren because of his contract situation and that's not a problem.

 

"What's not fine is the way they've gone about it, using him as a pawn to make themselves look good to their fans in the papers when they've not even so much as agreed a thing with him.

 

"Then to offer me fringe players in exchange for a few months is a disgrace.

 

"If they're not good enough to get a game for Aberdeen or Hibs they're not good enough for us.

 

"I heard who they were offering and laughed.

 

"The players they offered would not get us off the bottom of the league. McGhee is talking in the press about Darren anyway - even though he has admitted the Dons don't have finance to buy anyone.

 

"And they've not offered Darren a thing which should be the first thing they do, not the last."

 

May refused to reveal the identity of the players he had been offered - although MailSport sources tell us Scotland Under-21 cap Chris Maguire and Michael Paton were on the list.

 

However, May's wrath wasn't reserved for McGhee - Hibs were just as culpable in his eyes. And he warned both to either put up - for Barr's sake - or shut up.

 

He said: "The problem is both clubs know they've not a hope in hell of getting him if they let it go to the summer.

 

"Once he's out of contract I fully expect English clubs to pay him serious attention.

 

"And then Hibs and Aberdeen will be out of the equation because they won't be able to afford him.

 

"Darren is a realistic lad. He won't be greedy.

 

"He has already turned down two offers from Hibs - one of which was actually less than we offered him in the summer to sign a new deal here.

 

"Listen, I expect Darren to leave in the summer and to go with our best wishes.

 

"We won't get a penny for him but I want the fans to look back and regard him as a player who always gave full commitment.

 

"But these clubs are putting ridiculous pressure on him in the eyes of supporters and making a mockery of his worth.

 

"I can assure our fans Darren is focused, happy to be here and will continue to give us everything he has."

 

 

[Superstar Tradesman]

"I heard who they were offering and laughed"

 

 

Hope Maguire reads that.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Falkirk reckon who they've been offered aren't good enough for them. Fair enough.

 

It does also look like who they already have aren't too.

 

I also thought that players are free to speak to anyone after January 1st for signing in the summer but if anyone wants to sign the player during the window then they would clearly have to speak to the club first, which McGhee has done. Where that makes his approach disgraceful I don't know.

 

Eddie May = greeting cunt.

[glasgowdon]

Falkirk reckon who they've been offered aren't good enough for them. Fair enough.

 

It does also look like who they already have aren't too.

 

I also thought that players are free to speak to anyone after January 1st for signing in the summer but if anyone wants to sign the player during the window then they would clearly have to speak to the club first, which McGhee has done. Where that makes his approach disgraceful I don't know.

 

Eddie May = greeting cunt.

 

Agree x 2.

 

Probably trying to deflect attention from their league position and the prospect of losing their best player and captain.

 

Dickhead.

[tsr]

Think May's point is the clubs are talking about his players in the press and it lacks class, so instead of rising above it he's joining them, I think he's also right in the sense that there is an aspect of the story being released to give in certainly AFC case a bit of positive PR.

[Madbadteacher]

May is just a whiny git!

 

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Think May's point is the clubs are talking about his players in the press and it lacks class, so instead of rising above it he's joining them, I think he's also right in the sense that there is an aspect of the story being released to give in certainly AFC case a bit of positive PR.

 

As opposed to simply McGhee being asked about any deals being done and him replying honestly?

 

It isn't entirely positive, we cannae pay a fee for the guy either and offered other players on loan to "pay" for him.

[tsr]

Most fans will be looking at it from the viewpoint that previous signings were the ilk of Dave Bus and now we're going for Darren Barr, I think that's good PR regardless of the ins and outs of the actual deal.

[tsr]

I know the feeling.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Most fans will be looking at it from the viewpoint that previous signings were the ilk of Dave Bus and now we're going for Darren Barr, I think that's good PR regardless of the ins and outs of the actual deal.

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

I know the feeling.

 

I would doubt that.

[dave_min]

It might be positive if we sign him but I very much doubt we will.

 

I wouldn't get too excited by paper talk or angered for that matter. It is all bollocks.

 

Exactly, we all know he'll end up in the Championship.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Exactly, we all know he'll end up in the Championship.

 

Which is pretty much the size of it.

[rocknroll]

Think we have a decent chance of signing Barr, two or three years at us and he could go to a top Championship team instead of going now and ending up at a team that goes down to league one and ending up back at Falkirk.

[Ajja]

Think we have a decent chance of signing Barr, two or three years at us and he could go to a top Championship team instead of going now and ending up at a team that goes down to league one and ending up back at Falkirk.

 

Only problem is that sort of sensible, medium to long term thinking simply does not exist in the minds of any agents and very few footballers. As a career, football is all about now and agents have to be some of the most myopic fuckers in any business context.