Bullard suspended by Hull for 2 weeks

JIMMY Bullard's Hull City future has been plunged into fresh doubt
after he was suspended by the Tigers for a breach of club discipline.
The Mail understands the 32-year-old incurred the wrath of
manager Nigel Pearson during City's six-day training camp in Slovenia
last week.City's strong response was to suspend Bullard and
although he travelled back to England with the rest of the first-team
squad on Friday, he has since been ordered to stay away from training
for two weeks.
The playmaker was absent from the side that won 2-1 at Winterton
Rangers last night and appears unlikely to be considered for any of
the Tigers' three remaining friendly fixtures.
The exact details of Bullard's misdemeanours remain unclear but
City are thought to be treating the disciplinary matter behind closed
doors.
When asked about Bullard's absence and suspension last night, Pearson said: "I've got no comment to make on that."
Neither vice chairman Ehab Allam nor head of football
operations Adam Pearson were available for comment when contacted by
the Mail yesterday but the latest twist is a new low in a strained
relationship between club and player.
Bullard has been keen to end a nightmare stay at the KC Stadium since he returned from a loan spell at Ipswich last season.
Premier League new boys QPR have been the only club to have
declared an interest in the midfielder but they were only willing to pay
£30,000 of his £45,000-a-week wage packet.
That deal was refused by City's owners and led Allam to claim no player would be allowed to leave on a subsidised loan.
It is a stance that will now be forcefully tested as Bullard's future looks interminably bleak under Pearson.
In contrast to 12 months ago, where he was left behind when City
made a pre-season trip to Portugal, Bullard's inclusion in the
travelling party to Slovenia had been seen as an olive branch from the
Tigers.
The opening week of pre-season training had encouraged the
coaching staff that the £5m club record signing could remain part of
City's plans.
However, falling short of club rules late last week, Bullard's stock has never been lower.
The breach of club discipline will also test the section of
supporters who have consistently called for Bullard to play a lead
role.
City will hope to see interest from QPR renewed in the coming
weeks or face up to the playmaker becoming an unwanted distraction
around the camp.
With almost two full years to run on an eye-watering contract,
Bullard still stands to earn around £5m in wages with the Tigers.

James wrote:We offered him another chance, despite many not wanting to. Took him with the first team to Slovenia and fucks up again. Why can't he for 45k a week, have a quiet life for the next couple of years, retire when he's pocketed his 45k a week for the next 2 years then do whatever he wants?

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I feel sorry for him being trapped at Hull like that, he can't leave because he'll have made financial decisions based on receiving £45k p/w for the next few years and at this stage he knows he's never going to achieve anything in his career. It's no wonder he's turned to the bottle.

James wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I feel sorry for him being trapped at Hull like that, he can't leave because he'll have made financial decisions based on receiving £45k p/w for the next few years and at this stage he knows he's never going to achieve anything in his career. It's no wonder he's turned to the bottle.

Was known to like a drink before he moved here actually. Already made £7m out of the club Be nice if he put a bit of effort in, we shouldn't even need to give him 2nd chances for him to sort out of his attitude when he is on that amount of money.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

James wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I feel sorry for him being trapped at Hull like that, he can't leave because he'll have made financial decisions based on receiving £45k p/w for the next few years and at this stage he knows he's never going to achieve anything in his career. It's no wonder he's turned to the bottle.

Was known to like a drink before he moved here actually. Already made £7m out of the club Be nice if he put a bit of effort in, we shouldn't even need to give him 2nd chances for him to sort out of his attitude when he is on that amount of money.

He's only human though, anyone on a particular level of wages which are constant isn't going to put in a lot of effort if they don't have to unless there's some way in which the club can punish them. I don't know if you work, but if you were working and you were unhappy at your workplace, and weren't trying as hard and your boss says 'Hey, Pine, I'm not happy with how you're working, you're fucking around turning up drunk, but we're going to keep paying your very high wages anyway. Please rectify your behaviour' you're not going to come in the next day and work your fingers to the bone are you.

Football's an unusual industry in that you can't sack a player for poor performance and you can keep players against their will, usually that favours the club, but in this case it's working against you. You should be criticising whoever signed him up to such a fucking huge contract.