Barclays’ bonuses give the City a say on banking values - FT.com

FT.com makes the Rooney analogy:

"It is the Wayne Rooney answer. Weekend reports say that the Manchester United football star is negotiating an extended, improved contract even though the team is enduring the worst season for years. His employers could respond to poor results by cutting wages but would then lose their star players, have to pay nearly as much for replacements who are not nearly so good and risk falling into a downward spiral. So it is in investment banking, where the worst of all possible worlds is to have an A-grade cost base and B-grade revenue potential. Thus, while Barclays sticks to its big league investment banking strategy, it has little choice but to pay up."