Real 'Bottled It'

[Ted Hughes]

Probably..


http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 48,00.html

[Wooders]

just goes to show you we don't have anyone behind the scenes who knows what they are doing with transfers - pathetic

[ant london]

just goes to show you we don't have anyone behind the scenes who knows what they are doing with transfers - pathetic

Sorry....how on earth does that story lead us to your conclusion???

Per my interpretation of the Gago affair vs Real all along, we had gone in for Flamini (who, incidentally, is still the player I'd like us to go hard after in the summer) and as a back-up had sounded out Les Meringues about Gago.

We then got to the point where we were being quoted something daft like Euro 25million for Gago and we had the chance of getting McDonald for GBP 8 million or something.

The club had done (mainly) everything they could to progress the MM deal and were ultimately stymied on the work permit farce.

Yes you can argue that we should have got to the permit application earlier but bear in mind that the speed at which any acquisition can proceed is not fully in our control. I can tell you quite clearly that in any acquisition with a hard end point in terms of timing, the selling party will often try to take it to the wire so that they can try to up the price a little at the end and leave the buyer with little choice but to stump up the additional fee.

It is very naive IMO to assume that we would just be letting the transfer drift along at its own pace.

Once McDonald's deal was torpedoed by the Home/Foreign Office we could have then just accepted that that was that....instead we tried a cheeky last minute bid for Gago. Such deals have happened before...for us and for other clubs. If Madrid had wanted to do a deal they could've done so. However, it was clear throughout that they did not really want to sell...unless we offered silly silly money.

We're being painted as villains....by Madrid. I couldn't give less of a fuck but I find it astounding how quickly some City fans are happy to believe that their club is guilty, stupid or incompetent and not consider the alternative analyses.

[Beeks]

just goes to show you we don't have anyone behind the scenes who knows what they are doing with transfers - pathetic

Sorry....how on earth does that story lead us to your conclusion???

Per my interpretation of the Gago affair vs Real all along, we had gone in for Flamini (who, incidentally, is still the player I'd like us to go hard after in the summer) and as a back-up had sounded out Les Meringues about Gago.

We then got to the point where we were being quoted something daft like Euro 25million for Gago and we had the chance of getting McDonald for GBP 8 million or something.

The club had done (mainly) everything they could to progress the MM deal and were ultimately stymied on the work permit farce.

Yes you can argue that we should have got to the permit application earlier but bear in mind that the speed at which any acquisition can proceed is not fully in our control. I can tell you quite clearly that in any acquisition with a hard end point in terms of timing, the selling party will often try to take it to the wire so that they can try to up the price a little at the end and leave the buyer with little choice but to stump up the additional fee.

It is very naive IMO to assume that we would just be letting the transfer drift along at its own pace.

Once McDonald's deal was torpedoed by the Home/Foreign Office we could have then just accepted that that was that....instead we tried a cheeky last minute bid for Gago. Such deals have happened before...for us and for other clubs. If Madrid had wanted to do a deal they could've done so. However, it was clear throughout that they did not really want to sell...unless we offered silly silly money.

We're being painted as villains....by Madrid. I couldn't give less of a fuck but I find it astounding how quickly some City fans are happy to believe that their club is guilty, stupid or incompetent and not consider the alternative analyses.

Completely agree Ant

We just don't know how to play the publicity game yet...lets face it...we have never been under the media spotlight

The Reals and AC Milans of this world know every trick in the book to make themselves come out in a positive light in any situation that arises...they have been doing it for years

Us on the other hand...well...it's a steep learning curve!

[Alex Sapphire]

just goes to show you we don't have anyone behind the scenes who knows what they are doing with transfers - pathetic

Sorry....how on earth does that story lead us to your conclusion???

Per my interpretation of the Gago affair vs Real all along, we had gone in for Flamini (who, incidentally, is still the player I'd like us to go hard after in the summer) and as a back-up had sounded out Les Meringues about Gago.

We then got to the point where we were being quoted something daft like Euro 25million for Gago and we had the chance of getting McDonald for GBP 8 million or something.

The club had done (mainly) everything they could to progress the MM deal and were ultimately stymied on the work permit farce.

Yes you can argue that we should have got to the permit application earlier but bear in mind that the speed at which any acquisition can proceed is not fully in our control. I can tell you quite clearly that in any acquisition with a hard end point in terms of timing, the selling party will often try to take it to the wire so that they can try to up the price a little at the end and leave the buyer with little choice but to stump up the additional fee.

It is very naive IMO to assume that we would just be letting the transfer drift along at its own pace.

Once McDonald's deal was torpedoed by the Home/Foreign Office we could have then just accepted that that was that....instead we tried a cheeky last minute bid for Gago. Such deals have happened before...for us and for other clubs. If Madrid had wanted to do a deal they could've done so. However, it was clear throughout that they did not really want to sell...unless we offered silly silly money.

We're being painted as villains....by Madrid. I couldn't give less of a fuck but I find it astounding how quickly some City fans are happy to believe that their club is guilty, stupid or incompetent and not consider the alternative analyses.

Completely agree Ant

We just don't know how to play the publicity game yet...lets face it...we have never been under the media spotlight

The Reals and AC Milans of this world know every trick in the book to make themselves come out in a positive light in any situation that arises...they have been doing it for years

Us on the other hand...well...it's a steep learning curve!

"torpedoed", "farce", No.
The qualifcation for a WP was clear and he didn't comply. We HAD to know this.
We must also have failed to present compelling evidence to an FA appointed panel who's job was (fron FA OS)...
- To consider whether the player is of the highest calibre.
- To consider whether the player is able to contribute significantly to the development of the game at the top level in England.
City did not persuade them of this and could only have reasoanvble thought they could sign him if they had a case built.
Cups for Cock Ups

[ant london]

I disagree Alex.

The fact that it is alleged to have ultimately been granted a permit after the entreaties of the Kenyan PM show that there were grounds to expect that he had a fighting chance of having his application accepted (and that's before we even get into the cases of other players for other clubs who have been successful).

The ten minute hearing to consider the application points at a farce for me, a fait accompli and us indeed being torpedoed.

If you think that it is members of staff within the club who would have taken this view without taking serious specialised legal advice both on the grounds for application and preparing the application then...well, I'm surprised at you

[Wooders]

the fact that we went for Gago with 40 minutes left of the transfer window without any paperwork is pathetic and makes us look very amature
why when we were in for Mariga for weeks did we leave it until the last day to arrange WP etc?
Why when that fell through did we not have a backup plan in line for Gago?

Questions that cannot be ignored or glossed over imo

[Beeks]

the fact that we went for Gago with 40 minutes left of the transfer window without any paperwork is pathetic and makes us look very amature

Seriously Wooders...how the fuck do you know that?

Do you believe everything you read?

[ant london]

the fact that we went for Gago with 40 minutes left of the transfer window without any paperwork is pathetic and makes us look very amature
why when we were in for Mariga for weeks did we leave it until the last day to arrange WP etc?
Why when that fell through did we not have a backup plan in line for Gago?

Questions that cannot be ignored or glossed over imo

I think all of the above are points I have addressed above mate

Are your eyes and brain on strike today?

Amature is quite a good word tho...is that like amoral and asexual for someone who is kiddylike? ;-)

[avoidconfusion]

While I am not particularly happy about the way we fucked up the Mariga and Gago transfer I think that Agent can fuck off.

How can he say we USED them? If Madrid had not fucking asked for 20m and been trying to mug us but would have accepted our offer the deal would have been done ages ago.

[Alex Sapphire]

I disagree Alex.

The fact that it is alleged...

I'm surprised at you Ant.
the only facts I have access to are that the Kenya national team fails to meet the criterion of being average 70 or better in the FIFA rankings. That there is a clear process for a panel to meet to consider exceptions and an opportunity for a club to make representations.
The terms "torpedoed" and "farce" imply that the FA (the HO would have had no involvement) either behaved in a surprising way, or inefficiently. There is no evidence of either.
City either failed to understand the process or failed to build a compelling case. Since the published criteria suggest a case COULD have been made, City don't come out smelling of roses.
The intervention of a head of state, however does (I agree) take us to the realms of farce.

[HunsburyBlue]

Is this just another 'COOK-UP' by our man Gary.

Should have knowledge of WP requirements and therefore shoudl have known that we would not get MacDonald. Why waste what little transfer window there is by chasing a lost cause. Gago on the other hand was available (at the right price), and willing to come to City. I don't know about everyone else but Mr Cook is certainly tarnishing our reputation with the way he tries to do business on our behalf. Someone should tell him he is in the UK now and not the USA where the biggest gob gets the result!!!!

[Ted Hughes]

Gago's agent doesn't work for Real & doesn't sound that impressed with our methods. He's not the 1st, in fact quite a lot of the transfer deals we try to do seem to either fall through or involve a lot of acrimony & criticism from one side or another. That doesn't seem to be the case with most other clubs. We can bury our heads in the sand & put it all down to spin but it's happening too often to be coincedence imo.

If the rags were getting the same problems & arguments about so many of their transfer deals we'd be slagging them on here.

[Beeks]

Fuck it then

I'll tell you what...lets NOT defend our club and back it to the hilt

Lets fucking jump on the media bandwagon and put the boot in too

fucking unbelievable

[ant london]

I'm surprised at you being surprised Alex

My allegation referred to was put forward by a head of state....I took it with the pinch of salt I believe that it deserves, whether or not it was reported on the BBC.

"I would like to assure soccer fans and all Kenyans that with the British High Commissioner, I've done what I could to get Mariga into Man City," Odinga said.

"I spent a minimum of three hours on phone talking to Gordon Brown's office, the Africa Office, office of Culture and Sports, the Home office, the FA president Lord Treisman and to Mariga himself."

Odinga said that 22-year-old Mariga had eventually obtained a UK work permit but only after the transfer window for the English Premier League had closed.

All of the remainder of my comments I stand by in their unfettered form.

I do get what you are saying Alex but I don't think such applications, or the grounds for application/appeal are as black and white as you are appearing to paint them. The experience I have observed of other clubs previous applications convince me of that much.

In short; I disagree with you.

[Ted Hughes]

Fuck it then

I'll tell you what...lets NOT defend our club and back it to the hilt

Lets fucking jump on the media bandwagon and put the boot in too

fucking unbelievable

Out of all the deals that fell through without even a whisper, is it realistic to think that Gago's agent got together with Real Madrid as part of some worldwide conspiracy to slag off City or more likely that something we did has pissed them off?

[ant london]

Gago's agent doesn't work for Real & doesn't sound that impressed with our methods

Fact is, his client was second choice Simon

Fact is, he has just missed out on a juicy commission

Fact is, yes we were "using" him and his client to hedge our bets

Final fact is that if this deal had gone through you would have heard him slagging Real for dragging their feet and jeapordising the "move of a lifetime" for his client (translation..."I nearly missed out on my phat phee").

[Ted Hughes]

Gago's agent doesn't work for Real & doesn't sound that impressed with our methods

Fact is, his client was second choice Simon

Fact is, he has just missed out on a juicy commission

Fact is, yes we were "using" him and his client to hedge our bets

Final fact is that if this deal had gone through you would have heard him slagging Real for dragging their feet and jeapordising the "move of a lifetime" for his client (translation..."I nearly missed out on my phat phee").

Possibly but we seem to be leaving disgruntled people slagging us off after every transfer window. I'm not noticing it happening as much with other clubs. Our methods don't seem to be doing our reputation a lot of good.

[Beeks]

Fuck it then

I'll tell you what...lets NOT defend our club and back it to the hilt

Lets fucking jump on the media bandwagon and put the boot in too

fucking unbelievable

Out of all the deals that fell through without even a whisper, is it realistic to think that Gago's agent got together with Real Madrid as part of some worldwide conspiracy to slag off City or more likely that something we did has pissed them off?

Ok Ted

Say if it is true

Do we really need to rub their faces in it when the rest of the footballing world are doing a good job on their own?

Jesus...you would think our club has never made a cock up before the way some of you go on

I will defend the club to the hilt...regardless...blood is thicker than water...and City are as part of my family as anyone

[Wooders]

the fact that we went for Gago with 40 minutes left of the transfer window without any paperwork is pathetic and makes us look very amature

Seriously Wooders...how the fuck do you know that?

Do you believe everything you read?

"They had nothing prepared, not even one document signed," Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano told El Pais. "They had not reached an agreement with the player and they would have had to have done everything in 40 minutes."

Does that not sound a bit amateur to you ?
Ok I suppose its fine that we fucked up 2 transfers in one day and its all over the press.