I wish the young man all the besr whatever happened,but looking at the standard in the chelsea midfield(Billy Gilmour the other night)and loads of others,he is going to struggle to get in their squad.
I wish the young man all the besr whatever happened,but looking at the standard in the chelsea midfield(Billy Gilmour the other night)and loads of others,he is going to struggle to get in their squad.
my mates's, boy Lewis Bate, got motm in the chelsea v millwall u18 cup game last week - he's a centre mid, plays for England, lives in sidcup and watches Charlton quite a lot - he's been offered a loan to Mallorca i think it is - shame we can't get him down with us - bet he'd jump at it although his dad who i was with last night quite fancies a bit of time in Mallorca helping him settle in - i might edven go myself, help them both settle in!!!!
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
Have you ever met a football agent?
With the amount of contacts DOUCHER has in this club, West Brom, and most likely a plethora of others, I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually a football agent himself.
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
Have you ever met a football agent?
Yes. They're right up there with marketing and advertising people when it comes to being snake oil salesmen.
But, like those people, they normally work for their client - not the other way around.
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
Have you ever met a football agent?
Yes. They're right up there with marketing and advertising people when it comes to being snake oil salesmen.
But, like those people, they normally work for their client - not the other way around.
You could have added recruitment/search people, which is what I've been earning from the last 25 years. But the differences as well as the similarities, are exactly what has got me so wound up about them.
Here is the basic problem: They extract revenue streams from the clubs too. Cracking example: the absolutely grotesque revenue from the recent Haaland transfer. And then there is the variant of third party ownership, the most high profile proponent is Kia Joorabchian, and Matt Southall has told us that KJ was his first major employer - but he now seems to have decided that he didn't like what he found about the agent world; and apparently one ESI goal is to put agents firmly back in their boxes at the Valley.
That was told to me by the same person who told me about the agent's role in the Gallagher case. Even I had not suspected it when the news first broke; I had assumed Flo and Cudicini had concluded that the battering and targetting he had been receiving in recent matches was becoming a bit dangerous for their asset.
I wouldn't trust my source 100% but for sure he is in better position to know than anyone on Charlton Life, and I don't see any advantage to him in making up a story for my benefit, especially as he introduced the word "agent" in the conversation, and has no idea of the extent of my obsession with them.
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
Have you ever met a football agent?
Appreciate this question was not for me but I was good friends with one for some time. Decent, honest, professional fella. Couldn't say a bad thing about him. Looked after some relatively high profile players and did it well and with integrity.
Like all jobs you get nobs and you get good ones. There are probably more nobs than good ones as agents is the issue and it clearly needs regulating better, but I strongly believe agents are required (just not in their current form).
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
Have you ever met a football agent?
Appreciate this question was not for me but I was good friends with one for some time. Decent, honest, professional fella. Couldn't say a bad thing about him. Looked after some relatively high profile players and did it well and with integrity.
Like all jobs you get nobs and you get good ones. There are probably more nobs than good ones as agents is the issue and it clearly needs regulating better, but I strongly believe agents are required (just not in their current form).
Well I could agree that players need professional support. However some years ago the PFA proposed that agents would work for and be paid by clubs (like exec search consultants are) and the PFA would look after the players' interests. The club chairmen wouldn't support it. I believe that's because many agents play club chairmen very well, they help them feel they "understand" the game. Look at Duchatelet, claiming he was going to do away with agents and then falling completely under the spell of the Israeli agent.
I would like to find out more about how exactly the PFA plan would have worked, as I can see many issues. But anyway it failed. Of course in any field you get good and not so good. You can find good estate agents. I tried to be a "good" exec search consultant, and agreed with many of the criticisms of the breed on the thread on here. But the completely un-regulated and shadowy nature of the football agent business, and the huge financial rewards, attract a higher than average number of unscrupulous arseholes, IMO.
I, too, have met a football agent. (It was nothing to do with football but I spent around four hours in his office.) While I was there, a manager of a club phoned, and spent some time ranting at him about him manipulating a player to leave his club. Said player was club captain, a well-known highly-regarded international with a top drawer playing record. It was the player that wanted the move - he wanted to go and play in the same team as his best buddy who was also best man at his wedding. (Aah, bless). The agent told me it was nothing to do with him and he thought the player was better off staying where he was. But he knew who paid his bills and did what he was instructed to do and part of the whole deal with players was that he'd take all the flak to take the heat off them.
I stick with the view I had right from the start; all parties would have been signed up to the change (bar us).
Gallagher come here to get first team exposure and experience of being away from Chelsea. He did better than perhaps all parties were expecting. I suspect by the end of it he was personally getting frustrated playing in a depleted losing team where he was being targeted, other clubs like Swansea saw an opportunity and his agent, Chelsea and Gallagher acted upon it.
If Gallagher really didn’t want to move then it wouldn’t happen, and people forget that his agent works for him, not the other way round.
100% spot on - its convenient to blame the agent - yes, they can put ideas in a players head but as you say, they work for the player, not the other way round and that is that
if you were a footballer, you would be mad not to have an agent - your skills are in football, not business - you let them do the dirty work in getting you the best deals possible and they take the blame and flak for everything - very useful
if you were a footballer, you would be mad not to have an agent - your skills are in football, not business - you let them do the dirty work in getting you the best deals possible and they take the blame and flak for everything - very useful
I agree with the first part of your post. Footballers need representation. The issue is how exactly the current agent business model rewards agents. That model is hugely skewed towards players moving, not staying. At the very least it needs tough regulation (which, unfortunately means global too, which means FIFA, so we can forget that :-( )
As for the second part, I totally disagree. Agents are highly skilled at avoiding flak for anything. Who can name an agent of a Charlton player, other than the clown working for Bonne who introduced himself to us, and who is clearly right at the bottom end of the agent earnings league? I still cannot name Gallagher's agent, although the agency is Elite Player Management, and they look big enough to be more than one person. We can of course name Willie McKay, if we followed the grim tragedy of Emiliano Sala. He has offered a masterclass in avoiding blame and flak for anything to do with that tragedy.
I feel bad for Conor. He probably thought that after a decent half season in the Championship where he was a team's best player he might have a sniff at making the Chelsea team next season. Then some 18 year old kid turns up in March and proceeds to play like bloody Xavi straight away. No closer than he was at the start of the season now.
Out of curiosity, what is the objection to agents earning high fees out of the world's 'biggest' transfers?
My objection is that the fees bear no relation to the value created, still less the actual work done. They are the worst example of the modern phrase "rent seekers". They are sucking money out of football that should stay within the clubs. That includes your money, whenever you visit the Valley.
Out of curiosity, what is the objection to agents earning high fees out of the world's 'biggest' transfers?
My objection is that the fees bear no relation to the value created, still less the actual work done. They are the worst example of the modern phrase "rent seekers". They are sucking money out of football that should stay within the clubs. That includes your money, whenever you visit the Valley.
Don't disagree just interested in the argument. You could say the same for most finance jobs!
I suppose their value as the sole representative of an elite footballer is high. You pay for the relationship. Bit like hiring a PR firm. They only call their journo mates and go out for lunch but still charge you a fortune.
Out of curiosity, what is the objection to agents earning high fees out of the world's 'biggest' transfers?
My objection is that the fees bear no relation to the value created, still less the actual work done. They are the worst example of the modern phrase "rent seekers". They are sucking money out of football that should stay within the clubs. That includes your money, whenever you visit the Valley.
Not disagreeing just interested in the argument. You could say the same for most finance jobs!
Well take executive search. The consultant works for the client. Never for the candidate. Taking any money at all from a candidate would be a complete no-no. And the fee is generally pre-agreed in advance, based on the seniority of the position and the salary attached to it. The market is quite competitive and companies know what such fee levels are among the search companies.
Football agents can and do work for clubs and players at the same time. Take a look at the Haaland transfer. Did the player pay the agent his obscene €15m fee? of course not.
Agents can and do get decent retainer fees from players, they can provide services like doing their shopping for them at a ridiculous mark-up. However their big pay day is when there is a transfer. That's why the business model is all wrong. Agents have every interest in seeing players move as frequently as possible, and very little in having them stay put. I firmly believe that without the influence of agents playing squads would be much more stable and wages and transfer fees less inflated.
Give it a rest ffs. We get it. You don't like agents. You've said - countless times on this thread alone.
Unfortunately you're telling people who by and large have no love for agents, they just don't rank anywhere near the top of their list of worries and there's basically fuck all any of us can do about it even if we wanted to.
Jeez, I bet you're a great guy to go down the pub with, saying the same stuff over and over again ..... and again .....
Give it a rest ffs. We get it. You don't like agents. You've said - countless times on this thread alone.
Unfortunately you're telling people who by and large have no love for agents, they just don't rank anywhere near the top of their list of worries and there's basically fuck all any of us can do about it even if we wanted to.
Jeez, I bet you're a great guy to go down the pub with, saying the same stuff over and over again ..... and again .....
I wasn't "talking" to you. I answered a question from @Chunes.
Regardless of the move to Swansea, hes a long behind Gillmore at the moment
i agree and this isn't sour grapes as I've always said i don't think he quite has what it takes to get into a side of Chelsea's quality - great engine, great attitude, good player but not top top draw - not good at all when asked to play in the deeper lying playmaker role and if he was rated that highly at Chelsea, he would have gone somewhere better on loan than to us at the start of the season - having said all that, i'd take him him back to us for the next 2 months like a shot.
Where has this Gilmour kid been all season? Has he just returned from a half-season loan or just been under the radar in U-21s?
If Lampard was after some fresh midfield talent for remainder of the season, seems strange he wouldn’t have just brought Gallagher back in Jan to fit in to the squad. Makes you think Gallagher possibly doesn’t have a Chelsea future.
Comments
But, like those people, they normally work for their client - not the other way around.
Here is the basic problem: They extract revenue streams from the clubs too. Cracking example: the absolutely grotesque revenue from the recent Haaland transfer. And then there is the variant of third party ownership, the most high profile proponent is Kia Joorabchian, and Matt Southall has told us that KJ was his first major employer - but he now seems to have decided that he didn't like what he found about the agent world; and apparently one ESI goal is to put agents firmly back in their boxes at the Valley.
That was told to me by the same person who told me about the agent's role in the Gallagher case. Even I had not suspected it when the news first broke; I had assumed Flo and Cudicini had concluded that the battering and targetting he had been receiving in recent matches was becoming a bit dangerous for their asset.
I wouldn't trust my source 100% but for sure he is in better position to know than anyone on Charlton Life, and I don't see any advantage to him in making up a story for my benefit, especially as he introduced the word "agent" in the conversation, and has no idea of the extent of my obsession with them.
Smith is so much better than Gallagher
Like all jobs you get nobs and you get good ones. There are probably more nobs than good ones as agents is the issue and it clearly needs regulating better, but I strongly believe agents are required (just not in their current form).
I would like to find out more about how exactly the PFA plan would have worked, as I can see many issues. But anyway it failed. Of course in any field you get good and not so good. You can find good estate agents. I tried to be a "good" exec search consultant, and agreed with many of the criticisms of the breed on the thread on here. But the completely un-regulated and shadowy nature of the football agent business, and the huge financial rewards, attract a higher than average number of unscrupulous arseholes, IMO.
As for the second part, I totally disagree. Agents are highly skilled at avoiding flak for anything. Who can name an agent of a Charlton player, other than the clown working for Bonne who introduced himself to us, and who is clearly right at the bottom end of the agent earnings league? I still cannot name Gallagher's agent, although the agency is Elite Player Management, and they look big enough to be more than one person. We can of course name Willie McKay, if we followed the grim tragedy of Emiliano Sala. He has offered a masterclass in avoiding blame and flak for anything to do with that tragedy.
I suppose their value as the sole representative of an elite footballer is high. You pay for the relationship. Bit like hiring a PR firm. They only call their journo mates and go out for lunch but still charge you a fortune.
Football agents can and do work for clubs and players at the same time. Take a look at the Haaland transfer. Did the player pay the agent his obscene €15m fee? of course not.
Agents can and do get decent retainer fees from players, they can provide services like doing their shopping for them at a ridiculous mark-up. However their big pay day is when there is a transfer. That's why the business model is all wrong. Agents have every interest in seeing players move as frequently as possible, and very little in having them stay put. I firmly believe that without the influence of agents playing squads would be much more stable and wages and transfer fees less inflated.
Unfortunately you're telling people who by and large have no love for agents, they just don't rank anywhere near the top of their list of worries and there's basically fuck all any of us can do about it even if we wanted to.
Jeez, I bet you're a great guy to go down the pub with, saying the same stuff over and over again ..... and again .....
i agree and this isn't sour grapes as I've always said i don't think he quite has what it takes to get into a side of Chelsea's quality - great engine, great attitude, good player but not top top draw - not good at all when asked to play in the deeper lying playmaker role and if he was rated that highly at Chelsea, he would have gone somewhere better on loan than to us at the start of the season - having said all that, i'd take him him back to us for the next 2 months like a shot.
Wouldn't surprise me.
If Lampard was after some fresh midfield talent for remainder of the season, seems strange he wouldn’t have just brought Gallagher back in Jan to fit in to the squad. Makes you think Gallagher possibly doesn’t have a Chelsea future.
We needed bodies to help the likes of Gallagher.
Lampard did exactly the right thing getting his top lad away from this impending shit show!