Pilko Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 As frustrating as this summer has been, if we made a quality signing this week then I'd suddenly feel so much more optimistic. It's because we've added precisely 0 to our pool of our best 14 or 15 players that the situation feels so incredibly grim at this moment in time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Incredibly grim. I'd like to see some movement, but that's a little overdramatic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattypnufc Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Fucking hell man. Howay lads. Go outside and get some fresh air and have a pint or something. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RR15 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Something will happen, SOON. Just have to relax man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Incredibly grim? Are you for fucking real? We haven't sold any of our first team players, which I was certainly bracing myself for, and we've added a few youngsters to the squad. Yes, we could do with a better full back and some more bodies in central defense and centre forward, but if we go into the season as it is I wouldn't be unhappy about this summer's business for once and be confident we have a squad more than capable of challenging for Europe again and stronger than this time last season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 chill the fuck out. In terms of first team signings, you can't call this summer anything else at the moment. It's great there's been no high profile departures, sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketsbaia Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 The sky isnt falling - we've sold no-one and will still end up buying two or three. Patience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Flash Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 The only first team signing we need is a right back, which has clearly been our priority and, as much as I hate to admit it, it wouldn't be the end of the world if we don't get one this window. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenige Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Has realised this is all part of Ashley's masterplan. The later we leave the signing in this 'non-playing' period the less we have to pay overall in wages. By not signing a player until say a week before the season starts we've saved ourselves thousands! What a guy. Seriously though, we've not lost anyone and have got a few promising players in. Relax. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bimpy474 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I'm running my wrist under the hot tap as we speak i'm so depressed. Mind you that might have something to do with Mrs Bimpy asking me to loofer her stretch marks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JS Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I'm running my wrist under the hot tap as we speak i'm so depressed. Mind you that might have something to do with Mrs Bimpy asking me loofer her stretch marks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowlingcrofty Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Calling this window 'incredibly grim' is probably the most damning indictment of the modern day football fan I've ever seen. Whinging, 'I want everything now' bullcrap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toon25 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I'm running my wrist under the hot tap as we speak i'm so depressed. Mind you that might have something to do with Mrs Bimpy asking me loofer her stretch marks. I'd love it if Mrs B ever happened to stumble across a discarded open laptop with your posting history Bimps. You'd be in for a proper hiding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I'm running my wrist under the hot tap as we speak i'm so depressed. Mind you that might have something to do with Mrs Bimpy asking me loofer her stretch marks. I'd love it if Mrs B ever happened to stumble across a discarded open laptop with your posting history Bimps. You'd be in for a proper hiding. think that also goes for myself, MKSC, GM and many many more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bimpy474 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 All she has to do is use Firefox when opening a webby page. This lovely place is my homepage on that....lucky for me she will only use IE9. If i ever just stop posting you will know she has finally stumbled on this..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 The only first team signing we need is a right back, which has clearly been our priority and, as much as I hate to admit it, it wouldn't be the end of the world if we don't get one this window. Back of the net. While a centre-back would be nice, 10 + Debuchy and the first XI is sorted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dontooner Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Would just like a good quality right back tbh (would help HBA up his game), a young striker with potential will be a bonus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stephen927 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Obviously the earlier you get the players in the better, give them time to bed in and have a few weeks worth of training with the squad .. But I'm not too concerned right now. I think we'll end up filling the positions we need even if it means moving onto other targets in search for value. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 The only first team signing we need is a right back, which has clearly been our priority and, as much as I hate to admit it, it wouldn't be the end of the world if we don't get one this window. Back of the net. While a centre-back would be nice, 10 + Debuchy and the first XI is sorted. Exactly the rest of the signings we want are merely to add quality competition, so say if a key player gets injured then the back up isn't a lot worse say with like Marveaux and Jonas. Of course right now the window is disappointing, but if we were to sign 3 players like Pardew said by the end of the window well anyone really care? I know i won't, which is why i'm not going to go completely nuts until the window closes, which is why it's pointless judging until the window closes. We could go out and agree a fee next week for Debuchy and the mood will completely change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 An interesting read (probably not related to us though): http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12040/7967920/Secret-agent There seem to be more and more outlandish and bizarre job titles within football clubs these days, all of which hide the actual level of influence they have behind the scenes when it comes to conducting transfer activity. A few years back when I first got into this business if I wanted to offload one of my players the main point of contact was always the chief scout. Away from the field this person was the manager's right hand man when it came to player recruitment. They were the old school type who would always complain about the club they worked for, the money they were paid, the miles travelled and the time spent writing up match reports. Find a good player for them to present to their manager though and they were your mate for life. At least until their boss got the sack and the club brought in a new backroom team. Then they'll probably ignore your calls until the next gig. This is far from the norm these days. With the advent of the "director of football", which a lot of clubs have tried and failed to execute to varying degrees, the widespread addition of random people having influence on the ins and outs at a football club is astounding. To do a deal now I'll give the director of communications a bell, stop for a brief chat with the chief executive, have a brew with the head of recruitment, and the assistant head of recruitment of course, before shooting off to a meeting with the head of football strategy & club communications, before a little 'face-time' with the club liaison officer. I've not had to negotiate with a programme seller as yet but there's still plenty of time before the window slams shut. When you add into the mix brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers it's no surprise transfers are often such protracted and often tedious affairs. My little black book looks like a Dom Jolly prop these days but, in truth, it's no better for being crammed with characters who've often got a PHD in being a pain in the derriere. If interfering was an Olympic sport China and USA wouldn't have a prayer. At several clubs it's become a closed shop in terms of getting your foot in the door. To justify their presence in the corridors of power they need a 'trusted' list of 'go-to-guys' to show their bosses and, if your name's not on the list, you know the score... An example of this reared its ugly head last week (apologies again for not naming names but you can imagine the trouble I'd be in). A well-known, experienced Champions League player from a club in Italy was on the market. His current club had over-spent on their playing budget and was looking to off-load a few players to enable them to pay for their new signings. It's common practice in an industry that seemingly prides itself on a buy-first worry later business model. We had all the necessary paperwork in place - an exclusive mandate to sell the player in England - which is vital if you're to stand any chance of fending off agent sabotage. Working with our partner agent in Italy, who was negotiating with the selling club, a move looked as though it could be ironed out with relative ease. With paperwork in place you've reached first base. We worked out which clubs would be interested and had the money to pay the significant wages the player demanded, not forgetting the agent's commission of course. We targeted three clubs and contacted our usual go-to person at each outfit. After a few returned calls we had got one club very interested. They were happy with the player, his wage demands, the agent commission and paperwork. Most importantly the player was more than happy to move to England and why wouldn't he? Three years on huge wages to play on the biggest stage in the world, sounds okay to me. Third base reached, I felt like Usain Bolt easing to the line. I kept the archer drawing back a bow celebration in the locker but had readied my bank details to send to our man in Italy. I receive a phone call from the club in England: "For this deal to go ahead you need go through someone else at the club. "No problem, who? "Mr X, he's the head of Football Consultancy for the club. He conducts all our deals and he needs to take 50 per cent of the commission or the deal is off." Like a Bolt from the blue, I am now Asafa Powell. This was my Devon Loch at the Grand National moment. Lengths clear of the chasing pack on the home straight and my bloody legs inexplicably give way. There was no way the other parties involved in the deal would agree to taking such a hit and the transfer was over quicker than the Specsavers appointment made for whoever who got the North and South Korean flags mixed up. A deal collapsing at the last minute is hardly unheard of, but when it collapses because someone 'working' for a club won't sanction its completion until they're paid a huge commission for the square root of nothing then you know it's not for 'football reasons'. If the club want the player why would they possibly allow for such a scenario to play out? Madness. I'm not naive to the fact things like this regularly go on in football but when a potential marquee signing fails to come off on the grounds the middlemen aren't being fed (yes, I'd have got a pay day but it was nothing like what this guy was demanding) it does become disheartening. We move on and try again... I've just about got enough space to give an update on the potential Del Boy deal I talked about in my last column. A week or two is a (very) long time in football. During the last column I was all primed and ready to move a former England international to a new club and a new country. Well that one has hit the buffers to the extent my mobile released an air bag last week. The player's agent wouldn't play ball with the necessary paperwork to even get the deal on the table from the interested club. I knew the player was keen to try something new via various mutual acquaintances but his agent sat tight, expecting offers to flow in without our input. As we break into August they still have nothing in place. I'm hoping for a phone call in the next week to see what I can do to help. The temptation would be to tell them that the ship has already sailed, but in all likelihood I'll do my best Captain Birdseye impersonation and welcome them aboard. More on that story in the next column. I'll also be talking about another big deal in the pipeline that is simmering nicely. It's all under the radar at the moment, but the paperwork is in place to get it done. Could I finally be there? I'm not getting carried away. As an agent you become naturally pessimistic and while everyone seems on the same page for now, I wouldn't be surprised to learn the player in question isn't even reading the same bloody book as the rest of us further down the line. So forgive me if I don't book my holidays in Cape Verde just yet, maybe a weekend in Capel Curig, the wettest place in the UK, will suffice for now. This time the year after next Rodney, we'll be... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 We need a bigger squad than what we have currently, no way will be able to compete on 3-4 fronts next season effectively with the current squad. I'm more concerned about a new striker than the RB at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 We need a bigger squad than what we have currently, no way will be able to compete on 3-4 fronts next season effectively with the current squad. I'm more concerned about a new striker than the RB at the moment. Of course we do and Pardew has noted that already, he seems convinced we will get 3 players in before the deadline so who am i to argue? It's not like the deadline is tomorrow we have around a month left to secure the deals we need, no point panicking just yet. As already mentioned as well by many people the team's around us are not exactly ready for the new season either. City, Man Yoo, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea all have a decent amount of business to complete, we are not alone here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Still cb, rb and fw fer me lyk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belfast Mags Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Very interesting article Dave, just goes to show all the various strands that can balls up a deal for a club. Seem incredible on the one hand, but then again, maybe not. There's still a lot of money flowing about though. Does anybody know what you need to be a football agent? (or than being a twat) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shays Given Tim Flowers Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Very interesting article Dave, just goes to show all the various strands that can balls up a deal for a club. Seem incredible on the one hand, but then again, maybe not. There's still a lot of money flowing about though. Does anybody know what you need to be a football agent? (or than being a t***) Had a look at this the other day. There is now a non-refundable £300 fee for the application. Seems to be competency based now to a point with Fifa asking for indications as to your ties and experience within the game. You also have to sit an exam which covers domestic and international regulations. There is no need for any formal qualification prior to applying though. EDIT it used to be free up until 2010 IIRC and only required an examination on regulations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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