Ayala refuses to play

[indeedido]

Anyone would do the same in his situation, it's his job FFS and he's only got about 3-4 years left in his career at the most.

1. The club is not delivering on what it said it would when he signed his last contract
2. The new manager is a rookie
3. There's a fair chance the club could get relegated
4. The current club don't/ can't spend more money in the near future
5. Some of your teammates could also leave
6. A short term contract is exceptional risk, as if he got badly injured he would not get another good contract with us or anyone
7. Why should he take a pay cut, when he's pretty much at his peak?
8. Why not leave and try and help his new club get set up better for next year, which would get him a big bonus?
9. Why risk a potential 3-4 year contract for what 30k per week?
10. Would you gamble a £6m contract to try and help your current employer who has moved the goal posts?
11. The "he's not worked for 6 months" is meaningless, he's been injured and then there's been a pandemic. It's not like he's been the only player off since mid March, so take that out of the equation.

OK I will bite Wev.
Points 1-5 have nothing to do with why the vast majority of posters are livid with his conduct. We are aggrieved at him refusing to see his contract out to June 30th and just sitting on his bony ārse avoiding playing since January.
6. Many of us I think feel that given his history with the Club, he could have signed an extension for a month and seen the season out, given how precarious our position is. I would have been disappointed, but understanding if he had played only until June 30th.
7-10. Ayala has no divine right to a contract just because he was lucky enough to get one on those terms years ago. MFC's position is seismically different to when he last signed - and he has been part of that demise. Frankly he is not worth a 4 year contract at his age, ability, injury record and commitment... and certainly not on improved terms. If he can get that elsewhere then go get it sunshine.
11. The "he's not worked for 6 months" reference is not at all meaningless, it is crucial. The medical experts do not think he has been injured and he has several prior episodes of exactly the same shadow injuries in the past.

Ayala has revealed himself to be a very unappealing bloke.
As a player, he is enormously limited. A good old fashioned stopper who has occasional purple patches in the opposition area. To say he made Gibson look good is very silly. Boro looked defensively strong in the Prem when Gibson and Chambers played together at the back.
Karanka knew what Ayala was; a cry baby with major limitations against good players, which is why he didn't play him. Ayala sulked about that then and has always been ready to knock Karanka since he left.

Personally I would rather him gone and totally support the Club's actions - some thing I haven't always been able to say over the last 3 years.

 

[McBrid]

OK I will bite Wev.
Points 1-5 have nothing to do with why the vast majority of posters are livid with his conduct. We are aggrieved at him refusing to see his contract out to June 30th and just sitting on his bony ārse avoiding playing since January.
6. Many of us I think feel that given his history with the Club, he could have signed an extension for a month and seen the season out, given how precarious our position is. I would have been disappointed, but understanding if he had played only until June 30th.
7-10. Ayala has no divine right to a contract just because he was lucky enough to get one on those terms years ago. MFC's position is seismically different to when he last signed - and he has been part of that demise. Frankly he is not worth a 4 year contract at his age, ability, injury record and commitment... and certainly not on improved terms. If he can get that elsewhere then go get it sunshine.
11. The "he's not worked for 6 months" reference is not at all meaningless, it is crucial. The medical experts do not think he has been injured and he has several prior episodes of exactly the same shadow injuries in the past.

Ayala has revealed himself to be a very unappealing bloke.
As a player, he is enormously limited. A good old fashioned stopper who has occasional purple patches in the opposition area. To say he made Gibson look good is very silly. Boro looked defensively strong in the Prem when Gibson and Chambers played together at the back.
Karanka knew what Ayala was; a cry baby with major limitations against good players, which is why he didn't play him. Ayala sulked about that then and has always been ready to knock Karanka since he left.

Personally I would rather him gone and totally support the Club's actions - some thing I haven't always been able to say over the last 3 years.

Very well said and if I wasn’t at work I would of posted something similar. Nailed it mate

 

[Wev1]

OK I will bite Wev.
Points 1-5 have nothing to do with why the vast majority of posters are livid with his conduct. We are aggrieved at him refusing to see his contract out to June 30th and just sitting on his bony ārse avoiding playing since January.
6. Many of us I think feel that given his history with the Club, he could have signed an extension for a month and seen the season out, given how precarious our position is. I would have been disappointed, but understanding if he had played only until June 30th.
7-10. Ayala has no divine right to a contract just because he was lucky enough to get one on those terms years ago. MFC's position is seismically different to when he last signed - and he has been part of that demise. Frankly he is not worth a 4 year contract at his age, ability, injury record and commitment... and certainly not on improved terms. If he can get that elsewhere then go get it sunshine.
11. The "he's not worked for 6 months" reference is not at all meaningless, it is crucial. The medical experts do not think he has been injured and he has several prior episodes of exactly the same shadow injuries in the past.

Ayala has revealed himself to be a very unappealing bloke.
As a player, he is enormously limited. A good old fashioned stopper who has occasional purple patches in the opposition area. To say he made Gibson look good is very silly. Boro looked defensively strong in the Prem when Gibson and Chambers played together at the back.
Karanka knew what Ayala was; a cry baby with major limitations against good players, which is why he didn't play him. Ayala sulked about that then and has always been ready to knock Karanka since he left.

Personally I would rather him gone and totally support the Club's actions - some thing I haven't always been able to say over the last 3 years.

Point 1-5 is very important to him though, it's his life, he's an employee, not a wheelbarrow.
There's zero proof he not injured, if the club don't believe it then sack him or don't pay him.
History means nothing, when you're two weeks from the end of your contract, especially when it effects 25% of his future working career as a footballer, maybe he would want to try and help a new club (the employer for his final contract), his new club might insist on this?
He's now effectively on gardening leave.
He's contract is a result of his ability, if we didn't give him one, somebody else would.
Maybe he would have helped them get promoted, and if so they might have actually played him in the premiership, unlike how we didn't.
He's been free to agree terms with another club for the last 5 months, maybe he's been hoping for a decent offer from the club. Maybe we offered him a load of crap so he's told us to ram it.
His ankle might feel weak or in pain, I don't think a doctor could be able to see this pain. Ankles are bad for this and he keeps getting blatantly obvious ankle injuries. Maybe his ankles are $hit and not the norm?
The UK's medical experts and their employer said don't wear masks to prevent coronavirus, it doesn't mean they were correct.
Why are you trusting people who are sharing an employees medical/ personal information, with little proof that it's actually true?

If he's unappealing or so limited then why did we give him another contract?
If he's that bad then why are you even bothered?

 

[indeedido]

Points 1-5 have nothing at all to do with whether he should finish his contract or not.
What on earth has a wheelbarrow got to do with anything?
You are obviously obsessed with workers rights. They are important, but please don't equate Ayala with the ordinary working man as the apparent cornerstone in your entire argument.

Daniel Ayala has been paid very very well in a contract coming to its end. He should see that out professionally.
He hasn't.

 

[atypical_boro]

What do you mean by similar club though?
We're a decent sized club but we're not in a good location (as it's perceived), not in a good position in the league, are not spending and have an unporven/ cheap manager, so it's unlikely to get drastically better any time soon.

I'm not even criticising the club, not in the slightest, we have to do what we have to do. That probably doesn't suit Ayala, but that's fair enough.
The same with the location, most people out of the area would not want to come or stay here. I like it but I'm not a top level championship footballer.

I mean he’ll probably find another mid-table Champ club at best who won’t be able to afford anymore than us.

 

[Wev1]

Points 1-5 have nothing at all to do with whether he should finish his contract or not.
What on earth has a wheelbarrow got to do with anything?
You are obviously obsessed with workers rights. They are important, but please don't equate Ayala with the ordinary working man as the apparent cornerstone in your entire argument.

Daniel Ayala has been paid very very well in a contract coming to its end. He should see that out professionally.
He hasn't.

It's determining whether he signs a new contract though!
The knock on effect of that is having a massive impact on the last two weeks of the current one, as in the club don't seem to want players around that aren't renewing, or are definitely going.

You're treating him like an asset, not like an employee.
We don't own him, so he's not an asset.
He's in the last 6 months of his contract so can leave for free, so there's no "value" in owning his registration.
We pay him in accordance with a time duration contract so he's an employee, for the length of that contract, with the last 6 month being an easy get out.
We can't get him to sign a new contract (probably as we're offering lower than his going rate)

Why should his rights be less than yours because he has a better paid job, doing something you probably tried to do but couldn't?
It's not for you to decide who deserves workers rights and who doesn't, thankfully.

 

[Wev1]

I mean he’ll probably find another mid-table Champ club at best who won’t be able to afford anymore than us.

So, if he can't get more money or a longer contract then why would he be leaving? Just moving his family for the hell of it?

Also a mid table club is pretty safe, we're not.
The mid table club might be committing to spending cash in the near future, we probably won't for a couple of years as we're balancing the books (rightly).

 

[atypical_boro]

So, if he can't get more money or a longer contract then why would he be leaving? Just moving his family for the hell of it?

Also a mid table club is pretty safe, we're not.
The mid table club might be committing to spending cash in the near future, we probably won't for a couple of years as we're balancing the books (rightly).

Taking his chances isn’t he? But I suspect he came to this Conclusion before covid. I would be amazed if he ends up in the PL or even at a “better” Championship club. I think we’re honestly about the best he can do in the post-Covid world, unless he’s willing to work for a lot less and not as first choice.

 

[Wev1]

You're all just getting miffed because he's a good player that appears to be leaving us when we need him. I agree with that, but at the end of the day he's doing what's best for no 1, which is what anyone would do as an employee. Our thoughts on it carry zero weight compared to his.
It's not even like he's a boro lad, that might somehow want to do what's best for the club as a fan, even if it means personal sacrifice. But saying that look what happened to the best 2 prospects we had in years, Downing and Gibson.

We didn't want to play Donwing, so as to not activate his contract, which was pretty $hitty.

I don't recall as many players going bananas when Gibson left to sit on Burnley's bench, and he's more tied to the club than any of us are.

 

[hopesoboro]

**** me are you Hannah Ayala, Wev? Could you be bothered to bend over backwards to defend a player who has done the club over the way he has. Not debating this anymore . My opinion won’t change.

Wev and St Erimus don't know facts - but give their sympathy to Ayala - not the club!

 

[coluka]

Still dont understand how that makes him a selfish, mercenary footballer, did the club actually tell him he cant move, if that was the case, how come this wasn't highlighted in the gazette, why wasnt a club fine issued, we will never know how the negotiations went on in January regarding him wanting to saty or not, we've heard rumours all year that players will have to re-sign on lower wages, would you if someone was after you, of course you wouldn't
If Ayala comes out & publicly states, I just didnt want to honour my contract because I couldnt be bothered then yes, I would jump down his throat, would I then call him a mercenary, no
So after 7 years he then decides to move on he's a mercenary

I do get where you are coming from Erimus74, he has been a great player for us, but imho, even if the club knew he was leaving as of a right on a free transfer (which would have been fine), he has shown a total lack of professionalism for me. He (imho) has put his chasing of a new contract and money before honouring his existing contract. That is my belief anyway as to why I feel he has behaved in a mercenary fashion. He could easily have left all this to June, bearing in mind at the time (Jan 2020), the pandemic as we know it was not expected. From the information reported, the following things are why I feel as I do

1. Ayala rejected advice from his original agent to accept a 3 yr deal from Boro.
2. Ayala changed his agent(s) in January (He appears to have had his head turned back then)
3. He showed no loyalty to agent or Boro (not that thats a crime mind but it is part of the context)
4. Stories emerged of Leeds interest, promotion was not guaranteed then as they were wobbling a bit.
4. He had an ankle injury that was a 3 week recovery, not 6 months
5. He has moved house down south against club policy.
6. He has failed to respect the clubs training regime by not carrying out his GPS monitored routine in Lockdown
7. He has history for making out his ankle is worse than medics, equipment and all the sports science knowledge in the world can fathom. He did this under AK.
8. All the above whilst he is on a Premier league level contract signed in 2016, where Middlesbrough FC showed loyalty to him and others and the clubs thanks following promotion. At a time when we hope for a tiny bit of understanding In return, for about an additional 3 weeks presumably at the same salary, he did not want to know. He bit the hand that fed him for nigh on 7 years

Had the pandemic not hit, He would still not have played out his existing contract. He has strung out an ankle injury whilst under said contract. I hope Boro have had the good sense to fine him for every possible breach of contract, but i doubt it. Had he played out his contract and gone on a free, he would have done so with his head held high, fans thanking him for the memories and welcoming him back at any times with open arms. The reported actions in the Gazette, if true, paint a very different story. I believe they will turn out to be true. I think the leaked info could even well have come with approval from the very top.

The club know the esteem Ayala was held in and would not want to be accused of not making every reasonable attempt to keep a fans favourite. The leak is in the clubs interest and although it is only one sides story, we know a lot of it is factual. Maybe there is some spin, but lets be honest, what has been published indicates a breakdown of trust and shows a player failing to honour his contract in at least the spirit of it. He was most likely fit to play in February and March up till suspension of football. That is why my respect for a former idol has drained away.

I am sure we will all find out from Mrs Ayala‘s twittergrambook social media account the alternate story post July 1st. Whatever the truth, he is best kept away from the main squad, we saw what happened when Ramirez was included, we do not need a repeat imho. (Just a personal interpretation). #UTB

 

[Wev1]

Taking his chances isn’t he? But I suspect he came to this Conclusion before covid. I would be amazed if he ends up in the PL or even at a “better” Championship club. I think we’re honestly about the best he can do in the post-Covid world, unless he’s willing to work for a lot less and not as first choice.

Maybe, but less chances if he's likely not going to get injured, which may mean him getting to sign another 3-4 year contract.
He could have already signed a pre-contract with another club if he wanted to, that leads me to think that he wanted to stay with a decent/ similar contract, but the club can't afford him or get value. The club might have offered him PAYP, but he might know his ankles dodgy.

 

[Wev1]

Wev and St Erimus don't know facts - but give their sympathy to Ayala - not the club!

Nah, I just respect workers rights and think that anyone should be able to do what is best for them or their family, no matter what they're doing.

No point blindly sympathising with the club, we could have offered him a contract 2 years ago and not been in this position. We could have got a better manager in and maybe done better. We could have spent a load of cash and done better, but then we could have also gone bankrupt.

I just don't think we can afford him, or don't want to risk his contract with his injury record, he's no doubt got options elsewhere, so fair play to him, let him go (you have to, it's the law) and stop crying about it.

 

[coluka]

Nah, I just respect workers rights and think that anyone should be able to do what is best for them or their family, no matter what they're doing.

No point blindly sympathising with the club, we could have offered him a contract 2 years ago and not been in this position. We could have got a better manager in and maybe done better. We could have spent a load of cash and done better, but then we could have also gone bankrupt.

I just don't think we can afford him, or don't want to risk his contract with his injury record, he's no doubt got options elsewhere, so fair play to him, let him go (you have to, it's the law) and stop crying about it.

Wev, is it ok for someone to fake injury, fail to honour the last 6 months of a contract? Employers have rights too you know, employees seem to forget that. MFC will have not been wanting to rock boats amongst the squad given the mess we are in, Ayala has played the club for fools and the club have probably had no choice but to lie down and let him till now (the club is greater than one man).

 

[festa5]

Maybe, but less chances if he's likely not going to get injured, which may mean him getting to sign another 3-4 year contract.
He could have already signed a pre-contract with another club if he wanted to, that leads me to think that he wanted to stay with a decent/ similar contract, but the club can't afford him or get value. The club might have offered him PAYP, but he might know his ankles dodgy.

It does feel like he must have something lined up. If not he's taking a big risk.

Reminds me of Matthew Bates a bit. I know the circumstances are different and not aware of Bates being unprofessional. But after the club stuck with him through two significant injuries he turned down a new contract and a January transfer gambling on a big payday by thinking he'd be moving on a free at the end of his contract. And we all know how that worked out for him.

 

[Wev1]

Wev, is it ok for someone to fake injury, fail to honour the last 6 months of a contract? Employers have rights too you know, employees seem to forget that. MFC will have not been wanting to rock boats amongst the squad given the mess we are in, Ayala has played the club for fools and the club have probably had no choice but to lie down and let him till now (the club is greater than one man).

You don't know he's faked injury, how could you?
If he had and boro were remotely sure he wouldn't have been paid or he would have been sacked, and he certainly would not be offered a new deal.

He's played 200 games for us, been here 6 years, for multiple managers and has captained the side, it's not like he's played a few games and then downed tools or gone missing (which has happened a lot). If he was anything like you lot make him out to be he would have been long gone years ago.

Which is this more likely?
1) The club bought, played and retained an absolute mercenary, who fakes injuries for 6 years, then made the mercenary captain and offered him a new contract, which is probably his third or fourth contract or variation of.

2) The club and player don't agree on a new contract, so the club/ player part ways. The club see little point in having him around for 2 weeks out of the remaining season, and the player doesn't want to risk his future so they both call it a day.

 

[Erimus74]

Wev, is it ok for someone to fake injury, fail to honour the last 6 months of a contract? Employers have rights too you know, employees seem to forget that. MFC will have not been wanting to rock boats amongst the squad given the mess we are in, Ayala has played the club for fools and the club have probably had no choice but to lie down and let him till now (the club is greater than one man).

The club is greater than one man

We agree on that mate, we've together posted on the old forum for many years & now the present one & in all that time that I can recall we've probably failed to disagree with each other only the once, maybe with me being a saint , which I quite like, you feel the need to bow to my superior opinion

On promotion the club did look after him with an improved contract, that he earned & proved worthy in the PL as he played well, he also stood by the club when we were relegated, with some outstanding displays & vital goals, his agent is there to advise him, not sign the paper for him, he thought the noises coming from inside the club, the signings, the wage structure etc that he thought he was better than that, I dont know, he has a history of injuries, if the club thought he was feinging injuries that bad the club wouldnt have offered him a contract, as I said if he comes out publicly to clear the air & stated he couldnt be bothered to play those couple of games then I would sign up on twitter & tell him my piece, all about opinions mate but I just cant see him after 7 years being called a mercenary, I just cant

 

[indeedido]

And of course they are the only two possible scenarios.
Hope you stay in touch with him at his new club, you seem really close.

I don't care he's going, as I don't think he's all that. His absence record also makes me care little about his departure.
I just care about how he's going and think its a shame.
I really wish him no well.

 

[oldman]

Some players play out of their skins in the last year of their contract to get a new contract or to attract a new club. Ayala decided to not play at all. Sadly for both Boro and for him this has backfired on both sides. We are losing a very good player and his options for an improved contract with a new club are disappearing fast due to Covid19 and his own actions. We all lose.

 

[coluka]

You don't know he's faked injury, how could you?
If he had and boro were remotely sure he wouldn't have been paid or he would have been sacked, and he certainly would not be offered a new deal.

He's played 200 games for us, been here 6 years, for multiple managers and has captained the side, it's not like he's played a few games and then downed tools or gone missing (which has happened a lot). If he was anything like you lot make him out to be he would have been long gone years ago.

Which is this more likely?
1) The club bought, played and retained an absolute mercenary, who fakes injuries for 6 years, then made the mercenary captain and offered him a new contract, which is probably his third or fourth contract or variation of.

2) The club and player don't agree on a new contract, so the club/ player part ways. The club see little point in having him around for 2 weeks out of the remaining season, and the player doesn't want to risk his future so they both call it a day.

The club have stated the injury was around a 3 week recovery. They stated that their medics, their scans, all their expertise showed up nothing. He has history of doing this under AK. As for your reliance on employment law, well perhaps, in the middle of a relegation battle and with several others contracts expiring, they did not want to start going down the HR route that might have unsettled teammates and future signings into thinking we were a different type of employer.

The other factors I listed In earlier posts all add weight to the balance of probability (civil law) imho. As for your two options, I do not agree with either being likely, frankly. To suggest it is just a simple recent parting of the ways is pure folly in light of other things. How do you know the club have not fined him for breaches of contract, like moving south and failing to keep to a GPS monitored regime? You don’t, I hope they did though. Making it all about Ayala’s employee rights is a joke, you are ignoring some of his actions, I dare say we all know a few people who play or have played their employer and colleagues therein, as mugs. Ayala is not just letting the club down, he is letting his teammates down and imho, himself in terms of professionalism, leaving the fans to one side. As I said earlier, the employer has rights, but sometimes it is best to just take an employee taking the mick on the chin, for organisational stability.

I would put money on the fact that he has used this last 6 months to negotiate a new contract elsewhere, move house, I read somewhere it was a new build too, if so, that usually takes a bit of further advanced planning, then he moves during a pandemic in order to get his family settled!

Far too much advance planning in all this for it to be a recent not being able to agree terms situation for me. You do not move to the opposite side of the country on a whim.

I suspect he is moving to a Southern based club or making sure his family is settled before taking a more lucrative option abroad. Ordinarily nowt wrong with that but if you ignore the last 6 months of your contract to do it, as some evidence points toward, then that to me is unprofessional. I am sure more will come out in the wash come July.