Because, as previously mentioned, your example of lawyers/bankers in my opinion was a bad one. Firstly they still (in the vast majority of cases) earn considerably less than Premiership footballers. Secondly they will have had to study at University and embark on a long climb up the career ladder for in some cases decades to reach the top of their profession. Thirdly, they often work 16 hour days to justify their salary. Finally, because of 1,2 & 3 they have the discipline and dedication to justify what they earn.
You can talk to me till you are blue in the face but there is no way you will ever convince me to feel sorry for a Premiership footballer that is just 22 years of age, works no more than 3 hours a day (plus gets a free massage at the end of it), gets a whole summer off and is still paid 100k a week and is feeling picked on because he doesn't want to take a paycut because his club have no income coming in and are still having to pay the wages.
That's before even mentioning us normal people in the real world who might have lost their business, be self employed and have no money coming in, be working like a dog on the front line of the NHS/care sector.

I’ve been supporting Palace for long enough to see what players are about. The last group we had real bonds with was the last promotion team and a few after that. God even Zaha treats us like idiots for 3 months a year.

COYP

Very well said. Prem Footballers have a sense of entitlement because they’ve earned fortunes the whole way through. A big reality check is hurtling towards all involved right now and they’re trying to resist doing something to ease the financial pressure on clubs. Tax lost to the NHS, deferments, not wanting the club to spend money on transfers after their cuts, wealthy owners or not. These are all ridiculous and illogical reasons to duck out of doing anything.

If they wanted to get their money back if they clubs don’t end up needing it they could have that easily written into contractual agreements between the players and the clubs but they won’t. Instead it’s deferments or Arsenal players’ 12.5% pay cut while their executives take a 33% pay cut. I expect former players or media people relying on future contact with players to defend them but nobody else.

COYP

PL clubs wont have issues, lower down the pyramid yes, but palace wont have problems during this time...it just means we wont spend money on transfers, which quite ironically we have been practicing for years 😂

‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’ Ian Holloway

If these prem players don’t want prem clubs to be making transfers if they take a pay cut then they’ll all have to stay put. I was going to say they’ll have to stay on the same pay when extending contracts but all that will achieve is no contracts are extended, only for the players’ agents to take the clubs to the cleaners further down the line.

How anyone can defend people making multi millions and not take a cut to prevent problems coming from and to the very thing and people that pay their wages is truly beyond me it really is. Especially when people defending them are in the mass group of people the players are effectively taking the p1ss out of.

I seriously doubt the players have thought this through beyond:

What can we use to make people not want us to take a pay cut? We know. Tax paid going to the NHS.

Our owner is richer than us. He can pay us.

They sound like children, because they are.

COYP

As I said, the only people taking the footballers’ side are former players or media people who rely on football players favour and cooperation in the future. Oh and a few people taking a contrarian view for the sake of it.

Arsenal players taking a 12.5% cut and their executive team taking a 30% cut says it all. Again they’ll be looking at their richer owner and those directors taking millions every year instead of trying to run a competitive football club that is incidentally better for shareholders long term. But that isn’t how business works. The football clubs’ revenue is the issue, not the bank accounts of owners from previous years when they were all making lots of money.

And Ian Wright is probably the last person to ever take notice of unless it’s about striker instinct.

COYP