Football Agents..

[DiggerBlade]

Does anyone else hate the idea of footballers having " Agent's " to represent them?

I watched the Sky " Transfer Window " updates and one of the guest's was an agent talking about certain players moving here or moving there blah blah blah.. Personally, I see these agents as vultures circling around a carcas ready to feed off it. I preferred the good old days when players played at a club for many a season before moving on etc.

I can understand a player having a representative if he couldn't read or write but these vultures are the main cause of player unrest at clubs world wide. I'd like to see players texting their agents saying " Sorry pal but in future I'll be dealing my own business thank you very much "

Maybe if one high profile did this then the rest may follow.

Just my two peneth like.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Does anyone else hate the idea of footballers having " Agent's " to represent them?

I watched the Sky " Transfer Window " updates and one of the guest's was an agent talking about certain players moving here or moving there blah blah blah.. Personally, I see these agents as vultures circling around a carcas ready to feed off it. I preferred the good old days when players played at a club for many a season before moving on etc.

I can understand a player having a representative if he couldn't read or write but these vultures are the main cause of player unrest at clubs world wide. I'd like to see players texting their agents saying " Sorry pal but in future I'll be dealing my own business thank you very much "

Maybe if one high profile did this then the rest may follow.

Just my two peneth like.

They are a strange phenomenon in football. My daughter has an agent (well agency) but within the acting/performing world they find roles/parts to audition for. The football agent doesn't seem to do the same, the work comes to them and the role seems to be get the biggest amount of money. Given that the PFA will provide qualified legal representation for free for any player, you wonder why any bother with an agent. Some don't, James Milner and Paul Scholes are two that have no agent and have done OK.

 

[DiggerBlade]

James Milner & Paul Scholes I wasn't aware of SEB.

It's a start I suppose. Hope more may follow.

 

[ashsufc1889]

Ever read The Secret Footballer book? Theres a whole chapter in there, by an agent, justifying there existance. Some of it a agree with i.e getting the best deal for a player with sponsership/commercial deals. But when it comes to transfers i wish they'd fuck off

 

[jt64]

Ever read The Secret Footballer book? Theres a whole chapter in there, by an agent, justifying there existance. Some of it a agree with i.e getting the best deal for a player with sponsership/commercial deals. But when it comes to transfers i wish they'd fuck off

You don't expect players to negotiate multi-million pound deals by themselves surely?

 

[ashsufc1889]

You don't expect players to negotiate multi-million pound deals by themselves surely?

If Milner and Scholes can do it, why not?

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

You don't expect players to negotiate multi-million pound deals by themselves surely?

If Milner and Scholes can do it, why not?

Players don't. The PFA supply a solicitor specialising in employment law to negotiate for them. They all pay their subscription, so they can all have the service, very few do.

 

[Revolution]

I have no problem with people who aren't well versed in financial matters using agents to do the negotiating for them.

The problem is not the agents. It is United's inability to negotiate properly with them. We are a soft touch.

 

[Silent Blade]

Given that the PFA will provide qualified legal representation for free for any player, you wonder why any bother with an agent. Some don't, James Milner and Paul Scholes are two that have no agent and have done OK.

Neil Shipperley didnt have an agent too

 

[Cyprus Blade]

I think the issue re agents is the way they are rewarded and the behaviours that triggers - seems to me there is a financial incentive for them to unsettle a player into wanting a move so that they can increase their own profits, sometimes to the longer term disadvantage of the player's career development (HM comes to mind).

 

[super_pig]

i'm a software engineer and i hate having to have them represent 'me' fwiw.. sponging bastards

 

[Tyler Durden]

Gary Neville was very much against the idea of agents. I remember him speaking about it on telly once. And for once I agreed with him.

It's mind-boggling that some clubs spend millions on agents' fees per season. They're essentially paying these parasites to fuck them over.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I have a friend who's an agent, nothing big time but he has a few youth players from the "big 4" on his books as well as some local more established pro's in league 1 & 2. I don't by any means agree with what they do in fleecing clubs out of money but when I've had proper conversations with him about it it's not all £££'s.

He was a school teacher, then did a law degree then his agents exams all off his own back whilst working as a scout and "pitch tester" for UEFA. The initial outlay not even taking the cost of the law degree and exams into consideration was £25k to register as a football agent and although he isn't destitute he's by no means earning a fantastic living.

I think the difference being he has a passion for football rather than just money, it's a very hard industry to break into as he'll testify and he scraps for these young clients hoping that one will make it big one day and it will all pay off. He still scouts as well and I think he does a bit of work for Opta from time to time.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Gary Neville was very much against the idea of agents. I remember him speaking about it on telly once. And for once I agreed with him.

It's mind-boggling that some clubs spend millions on agents' fees per season. They're essentially paying these parasites to fuck them over.

I think the issue you've touched upon is that clubs should employ someone whose negotiating skills are beyond 'OK'. When we sold Kevin McDonald to Wolves it seems there was a clause in his agreement that was activated at a fairly low figure. Of course, no one knows whether this was what made the deal between KM and SUFC possible, but it struck me as odd, not to say a shoddy oversight on United's behalf. In principle a higher figure should have been negotiated to reflect the value of the player and his importance to the club. I hope that this level of weak negotiating skill is no longer present in United's dealings.