Man Utd and Liverpool reported to the Premier League

[Wullie]

I always find it curious when foreign agents say Club X (usually Newcastle) have been in discussions with them. Usually a sure fire way to tell that it's nonsense because neither players nor agents should be talking to anyone until a bid has been accepted.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

So you're not allowed to say you want a player now or have made a bid for them?

 

This loose, loose definition of 'tapping up' is bordering on the pathetic. Basically now whenever a team's best player is on the shopping list of someone else its automatically tapping up. I don't know whats gone on behind the scenes but hasn't Benitez just said that Keane is a player they are interested in signing? Whats wrong with that? If the player's head has been turned then so be it, get over it.

 

That doesn't excuse the hypocrisy of Ferguson btw, but surely tapping up is when the likes of Ashley Cole have sneaky meetings with Chelsea while playing for Arsenal?

 

Sense at last 

 

I feel for Spurs fans losing their best players, but I have no sympathy for the club as a whole.

 

Levy as always come across as an incompetent snide. His treatment of Jol was a disgrace.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

"I like him, Kaboul," Redknapp told Sky Sports News. "He's a young player I tried to sign before and I'm interested, but the price has got to be right.

 

"We can't be paying over the top, you've got to pay what you consider to be a fair price for players.

 

"I think clubs, like us, need to do a deal where if you go and play games and they're successful, great, you pay the money.

 

"If players come and they don't do the business, I think you've got to be more creative with doing transfers.

 

"If they're successful you don't mind paying. That's the type of deal we need to do with one or two players - pay a decent up front fee and more money if they're successful and more money if you sell them on, that type of deal."

 

I mean look at this from Harry Redknapp tonight. Is this tapping up or just being honest? Seems to be a lot of grey area as to what is tapping up these days depending on who the player is and what he's worth.

[Guest kingdawson]

We told both clubs very early on that we had no interest in selling Robbie or Dimitar, respectively, and that they should refrain from pursuing the player. Both clubs arrogantly chose to ignore this request and we now have evidence that both clubs have systematically been working to prise the players away from us, outside of PL rules of conduct.

 

"Our subsequent position has been severely compromised by both clubs making their intentions widely known and indeed making contact with the players and their agents, without the Club's permission.

[Guest Badhead]

I doubt there's a club anywhere that hasn't approached a player/employee of another club when technically they shouldn't have - who gives a f***? If you're Manure and you fancy Berbatov, it's not going to be too difficult to let him know; likewise if you're Spuds and you want to bin Jol and get Ramos. Absolute hypocrisy on Spuds part to make this sort of complaint, as it is on Manure's part to get all huffy about Ronaldo/Madrid. Spuds are more than likely in the process of 'tapping up' a couple of players to replace Keane and Berbatov should they leave. It's all bollocks.

 

 

All very well. Until it happens to you.

 

Ferguson is a c***, but at least he's not a delusional c*** like Benitez, who has done it several times this transfer window.

 

...and, being the age I am (old), I've seen it happen plenty. And it's not funny when it happens to your own players. But I'm not going to confuse my emotional reaction to us losing a good player with the realities of what happens all the time in football: it's a dirty business. I don't believe any club is guiltless as far as this stuff goes, and I think it's rank hypocrisy when this club or that cries 'foul' whilst doing exactly the same things themselves.

[madras]

all a manager should say is " player X is a good player but i couldn't comment about any further"

 

 

 

about EVERY player they are asked about.

 

never used to happen, may have more to do with the power of the press.

[Guest Redknapp]

All very well. Until it happens to you.

 

Ferguson is a c***, but at least he's not a delusional c*** like Benitez, who has done it several times this transfer window.

So "delusional" he will end up with both the players he has so called "done it" to this window.

[brummie]

"I like him, Kaboul," Redknapp told Sky Sports News. "He's a young player I tried to sign before and I'm interested, but the price has got to be right.

 

"We can't be paying over the top, you've got to pay what you consider to be a fair price for players.

 

"I think clubs, like us, need to do a deal where if you go and play games and they're successful, great, you pay the money.

 

"If players come and they don't do the business, I think you've got to be more creative with doing transfers.

 

"If they're successful you don't mind paying. That's the type of deal we need to do with one or two players - pay a decent up front fee and more money if they're successful and more money if you sell them on, that type of deal."

 

I mean look at this from Harry Redknapp tonight. Is this tapping up or just being honest? Seems to be a lot of grey area as to what is tapping up these days depending on who the player is and what he's worth.

 

Hardly tapping up - Spurs have tried to flog him to Sunderland, and then informed him he has no future at the club.

 

Keane clearly wants to play for Liverpool, they're his club. Benitez drops into an interview that Keane is one of the players on his list.

 

That's absolutely fucking outrageous behaviour, and not the first time he's done similar this summer. Two weeks ago he was doing the same with David Villa. Before that it was him then his captain doing the same about Barry.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

...and, being the age I am (old), I've seen it happen plenty. And it's not funny when it happens to your own players. But I'm not going to confuse my emotional reaction to us losing a good player with the realities of what happens all the time in football: it's a dirty business. I don't believe any club is guiltless as far as this stuff goes, and I think it's rank hypocrisy when this club or that cries 'foul' whilst doing exactly the same things themselves.

 

[brummie]

All very well. Until it happens to you.

 

Ferguson is a c***, but at least he's not a delusional c*** like Benitez, who has done it several times this transfer window.

So "delusional" he will end up with both the players he has so called "done it" to this window.

 

The issue being with Benitez that he hasn't actually got the money to buy the players he wants, so he has to resort to this kind of behaviour to put Spurs and Villa in an untenable position.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

"I like him, Kaboul," Redknapp told Sky Sports News. "He's a young player I tried to sign before and I'm interested, but the price has got to be right.

 

"We can't be paying over the top, you've got to pay what you consider to be a fair price for players.

 

"I think clubs, like us, need to do a deal where if you go and play games and they're successful, great, you pay the money.

 

"If players come and they don't do the business, I think you've got to be more creative with doing transfers.

 

"If they're successful you don't mind paying. That's the type of deal we need to do with one or two players - pay a decent up front fee and more money if they're successful and more money if you sell them on, that type of deal."

 

I mean look at this from Harry Redknapp tonight. Is this tapping up or just being honest? Seems to be a lot of grey area as to what is tapping up these days depending on who the player is and what he's worth.

 

Hardly tapping up - Spurs have tried to flog him to Sunderland, and then informed him he has no future at the club.

 

Keane clearly wants to play for Liverpool, they're his club. Benitez drops into an interview that Keane is one of the players on his list.

 

That's absolutely f***ing outrageous behaviour, and not the first time he's done similar this summer. Two weeks ago he was doing the same with David Villa. Before that it was him then his captain doing the same about Barry.

 

So you're saying every time a manager mentions a player he's interested in from now on it's tapping up?

 

Getting beyond the joke all this.

 

I don't see the difference whether the player is surplus to requirements or not. A reporter asks him if he's interested in a player, he says yes, big deal.

 

It's only when he approaches him without the clubs consent is it real tapping up, IMO.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

All very well. Until it happens to you.

 

Ferguson is a c***, but at least he's not a delusional c*** like Benitez, who has done it several times this transfer window.

So "delusional" he will end up with both the players he has so called "done it" to this window.

 

The issue being with Benitez that he hasn't actually got the money to buy the players he wants, so he has to resort to this kind of behaviour to put Spurs and Villa in an untenable position.

 

They'll probably end up paying around 38 million for both Barry and Keane even after 'tapping them up'. Hardly peanuts is it?

[Guest quklaani]

quklaani...we aren't taking spurs side. on this occasion they are right

 

Except in our case, it doesn't seem like they are.  We've not apparently done anything underhand, we've just made a bid they obviously don't think is enough and they've decided to act the victims to drive the price up and placate their fans.  Exactly the same as with Carrick, we'll end up paying loads and Spurs will have done really well out of it.  The problem is that they spent the Carrick money on a load of rubbish.  I honestly think with Ramos they won't miss Berbatov that much.  Don't know what Keane is playing at though, hes practically their captain and coming fourth is hardly a massive step up (hes clearly got the same delusions Barry has).

 

We've tapped up players like nobodys business at times, but in this case I think we're clean.  Don't know why Spurs are that annoyed, he wanted out anyway, and we invariably pay them ridiculous fees.  Thats one thing you can say about United, we never ever pay under the odds...ever.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

Thats one thing you can say about United, we never ever pay under the odds...ever.

 

All part of your arrogance.

[madras]

quklaani...we aren't taking spurs side. on this occasion they are right

 

Except in our case, it doesn't seem like they are.  We've not apparently done anything underhand, we've just made a bid they obviously don't think is enough and they've decided to act the victims to drive the price up and placate their fans.  Exactly the same as with Carrick, we'll end up paying loads and Spurs will have done really well out of it.  The problem is that they spent the Carrick money on a load of rubbish.  I honestly think with Ramos they won't miss Berbatov that much.  Don't know what Keane is playing at though, hes practically their captain and coming fourth is hardly a massive step up (hes clearly got the same delusions Barry has).

 

We've tapped up players like nobodys business at times, but in this case I think we're clean.  Don't know why Spurs are that annoyed, he wanted out anyway, and we invariably pay them ridiculous fees.  Thats one thing you can say about United, we never ever pay under the odds...ever.

made a bid...ok...manager goes on to say "we expect a satisfactory conclusion" after the bids knocked back...its unsettling the player and doing at least what real madrid have done re ronaldo.

[Guest Badhead]

United. Cocksocket 

 

 

[Guest Mcdonald36]

I can't get my head around how expressing an interest in a player and then making official contact with their club can be considered tapping up, which is all United have done to be fair.

 

Players heads have always been turned by bigger clubs, just the way it goes. We've suffered from it ourselves...and also benefited.

 

 

[Coxaux]

It was the whole Tevez issue that got me...

[Guest Badhead]

I'm now fully understanding why I used to get wrong off my mam for referring to all vaccuum cleaners as 'hoovers'.

 

 

[madras]

I can't get my head around how expressing an interest in a player and then making official contact with their club can be considered tapping up, which is all United have done to be fair.

 

Players heads have always been turned by bigger clubs, just the way it goes. We've suffered from it ourselves...and also benefited.

 

 

so you dont see ther problem when team a's manager announces to the press he'd like player y. then player y starts itching for a move and players y's club.club q have a choice of having a player who wants away or giving in to club a at probably below the market value ?

[Guest quklaani]

Thats one thing you can say about United, we never ever pay under the odds...ever.

 

All part of your arrogance.

 

Hardly, its not me bragging its whinging.  We paid 18 million quid for Owen Hargreaves...we'll end up paying 30 for Berbatov.  We just tend to get taken to the cleaners.

 

made a bid...ok...manager goes on to say "we expect a satisfactory conclusion" after the bids knocked back

 

Except for the fact that he didn't...

 

edit: I should probably emphasise that as everyone has ignored my first post.  All Ferguson has officially said is ""We have made a bid for one player who would enhance us a great deal".  The Sun has lifted some quite probably fabircated quotes off a random website and run with them.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

I can't get my head around how expressing an interest in a player and then making official contact with their club can be considered tapping up, which is all United have done to be fair.

 

Players heads have always been turned by bigger clubs, just the way it goes. We've suffered from it ourselves...and also benefited.

 

 

so you dont see ther problem when team a's manager announces to the press he'd like player y. then player y starts itching for a move and players y's club.club q have a choice of having a player who wants away or giving in to club a at probably below the market value ?

 

Honestly? No.

 

It wasn't like he made an official statement anyway. He was asked if he was interested in Berbatov, he said yes, and will be making an offer. If the player is unsettled by that, well, that's just tough shit. If the club we're desperate to keep him they would, like Southgate has done with Downing for example.

 

Too many chairman and managers hide behind this tapping up charade, which has always been a part of football, and any other business for that matter. Firstly to squeeze the buyers out of more money by kicking up a fuss, and secondly; shifting the blame onto players and agents and away from themselves in the eyes of the fans.

[Guest mandakin]

Maybe Levy should remember this:

 

Martin Jol, the Tottenham coach, revealed after his side's 2-0 defeat to 10-man Everton at White Hart Lane that they have made another bid for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing.

 

Middlesbrough rejected one bid from the Spurs in the summer, but the north London club have returned with an offer of £10million for the England player. Jol said: 'We made a very good bid for him. Our highest bid, to be honest.

 

'We've made a firm bid for him - our last bid - and hopefully they will accept. If not, we will have to leave it like that.

 

'He is the number one player we want. We want the best and for us he is the best player.'

[Guest mandakin]

It is not the first time Tottenham have been caught out in clandestine talks with a candidate for the manager's chair at White Hart Lane.

Just over three years ago the Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was pictured leaving the Hilton Hotel near Heathrow Airport after meeting former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri as the club sought a successor for Glenn Hoddle.

advertisement

 

At least Spurs had a vacancy to fill back then, having sacked Hoddle 10 months earlier.

 

This time around Martin Jol is still very much in the hot seat. But it is growing abundantly clear that he is facing the same fate as the former England manager. The meeting with Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, at the Hotel Rey Alfonso last Friday is the firmest indicator yet that Jol's days are numbered.

 

Tottenham were unable to provide any satisfactory explanation yesterday for the pictures of the meeting between Spurs vice-chairman Paul Kemsley, club secretary John Alexander, Ramos and his agent Alvaro Torres, published by Seville newspaper Estadio Deportivo on Saturday.

[James]

I can safely say that Mike Ashley has never tried to tap a player or manager up via the media.