Stendel has shown otherbossesHowe todotherightthing

EDDIE HOWE and his coaching staff have earned plaudits for voluntarily agreeing to take wage cuts to help ease Bournemouth’s financial problems.

Yes, it is good to see someone of Howe’s standing do something off his own back. But if you have to take your hat off to anyone it should be Daniel Stendel.

The Hearts head coach immediately agreed to forfeit his wages when Ann Budge first said a prolonged period of no matches would put their club in serious financial difficulty.

The former Barnsley boss has hardly been a roaring success in his short term in Gorgie but he must have gone up in everybody’s estimations the day he agreed to give up his salary.

It shows a man who is not motivated by money, has a general affection for Hearts and can see the bigger picture.

Stendel is one of the few at Tynecastle who can walk out of this cash crisis with their head held high.

The Hearts players were asked to take 50 per cent cuts or to walk away from their contracts by owner Budge, the same person who sanctioned the majority of the deals to bring them to the club.

Most of the Hearts players, at least, have shown willing and gone back and said they would be prepared to take wage deferrals to help the club.

Football is all getting a bit messy just now. It all comes down to money and that is when “the beautiful game” tag goes out of the window.

Yes, you get the occasional story like Stendel, Howe or Norwich players agreeing to give a substantial amount of their earnings to the National Health Service that can be a real positive. But these are few and far apart and it all comes down to pounds and pence.

That was summed up by Tottenham’s diabolical decision to furlough all non-football staff.

Basically, they want the government to pay the majority of their wages while they are able to use the money to safeguard their prize assets to stop them walking out for nothing over contract breaches.

I’m pretty certain that wasn’t in the thinking when Boris Johnson and

It shows a man not motivated by money and who can see the big picture

his government put this plan in place.

Yes, there are clubs who will be in dire straits and are in need of financial support.

But a club who pocket around £200million from the English Premier League and Champions League. Come on now! Jose Mourinho or Stendel? On this occasion it’s clear the Hearts manager has been the Special One!

We also have to remember that when clubs are playing then the players can be heroes but today our heroes are the NHS workers and those who really are on the frontline.