Its probably a ploy from Fulham to make us pay a bit extra. Didnt a similar thing happen when we bought Keane from Spurs. Spurs had made a complaint about us approaching Keane and we paid them a little extra to make them withdrawl the complaint when we completed the deal.
I'm not saying you're bankrupt, and I'm not saying that you can't afford players- I'm referencing sources which would suggest your owner only wants to spend what is generated. These two links give an insight- http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2012/05/lfc-grossnet-transfer-spending-2010-12_04.html ¦ http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/may/23/premier-league-accounts-profit-debt Running on a deficit is not unusual- look at City and Chelsea. My thoughts are that it will be difficult for the owners to spend what they generate and challenge with the top teams, for some fans this might be quite frustrating.
You do have a point for further transfers. So far it has been around £24/25m net spend, which is the rumoured amount to be made available to BR. I would be surprised to see any further net spent.
Couple of points for you to consider. Firstly Henry used the phrase "in the long term". He therefore did not rule out the possibility of using short term funding from external sources should the need arrive. I would also remind you that FSG wrote off over £50 million last financial year and we still have had funds to conduct our business. As our revenue streams are set to grow even further this season then we could have a potential pot of over £80 million available by this time next year. I'm almost certain that if the right player cam along then FSG would at least consider funding the purchase on the basis of 'living within our means' in the long term. As for Dempsey. Firstly I don't think he's what we need or good enough. Secondly he does not fit he age profile set down by FSG. As for picking up his wages as a penalty then you can go and swing for that. If Dempsey did talk to somebody in the US without the prior approval of Fulham then he is a breach of contract. So sue your own player. As for Johl mistaking an enquiry for an offer, that does not wash. He has been around long enough to be able to understand the difference. If Dempsey is unsettled then Fulham can and must sort that out with him.
Where is the £24-£25 million net spend? Liverpool made £8 million out of the sales of Kuyt(£2.5 million) and Aquilani(£5.5 million). So thats £20 million net. I do however believe that if we want to sign Dempsey, Adam and Spearing would have to be sold. Which in itself is a good thing.
What a joke. Liverpool enquried about Dempsey, we didn't agree with the price so we backed off. Dempsey is obviously unhappy that Fulham have set the asking price too high, in what way is any of this Liverpool's fault?
Lets look at the facts. The issue here is not with Liverpool, its with Liverpools owners as they are the ones that mistakenly put up the article that Liverpool signed Dempsey when they didn't. So why are the FA attacking Liverpool? All Brendan Rodgers ever did was say Clint Dempsey was ''a player that interested him and he wouldn't comment any further on another clubs player''. What is the difference between that and what Pardew and Allardyce did with regards to Andy Carroll? If Liverpool tapped up, then both of those did too.
I dont get what the complaint is all about. Dont the rules apply to things like tapping up, when a club contacts the player without the owning club knowing anything about an initial enquiry? As far as the Dempsey thing goes, I understand we asked Fulham how much he would cost (no official bid was made), they came back with a price which we said was too high. Then at a press conference Rodgers was asked if Liverpool were interested in Dempsey, Rodgers complemented Dempsey as a 'good player' and that Liverpool would be interested if Fulham were to sell. And since then nothing from us and Dempsey has gone on strike. I dont see what we've done thats wrong. Managers and clubs are always saying they would like to buy certain players and isnt this a similar situation we were in when Masc left for Barcelona. How are we responsible for Dempsey being a cock and trying to force a move. Fulham are just looking for someone to blame.
The art of tapping up has no better exponent than this fella. June 1st, 2008, 16:49 How can Ferguson and Man Utd complain about Real Madrid trying to tap-up and unsettle Ronaldo when they have been doing it for years. What do use think? Put simply, if Madrid were to ask FIFA to turn the same spotlight on Fergie it would open up a can of worms big enough for Bob Nudd to empty every river in the land of its pike population. The only question to be asked about Ferguson and tapping-up is where do you begin? Let's stick with the last decade and start with the most publicised example: Jaap Stam detailing in his autobiography the precise methods employed by Fergie in 1998 to tap him up when he was still at PSV Eindhoven. Ferguson wasn't investigated but Stam was shipped out, according to the Dutchman, for spilling the beans. Remember in 2003 when United tried to sign Ronaldinho from Paris St Germain? Here's what their president Francis Graille said: "Manchester have not played the game in line with FIFA regulations. "They have negotiated directly with the player. Even if they have got agreement from the player, they haven't got agreement from his club." In the January of that year Sunderland chairman Bob Murray described Fergie's approaches to David Bellion as "shabby, despicable, disrespectful, arrogant and unprofessional". And the previous summer United were accused of tapping-up Rennes full-back Julien Escude, after the France Under-21 international player claimed Ferguson had spoken to him on his mobile phone. Ask Leeds and Everton about the behind-the-scenes connivance with Rio Ferdinand's and Wayne Rooney's agents before they moved to Old Trafford. Ask Fulham's Mohammed Al Fayed why he raged about Fergie "constantly unsettling my players" as he pursued Luis Saha. Ask Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge why he said in 2006: "We have told Manchester United that they should stop trying to tempt Owen Hargreaves. If they don't, then we will have to turn to FIFA." But best of all, ask PSV Eindhoven's chairman Harry van Raaij about Fergie's behaviour in courting Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2000. Specifically his quote "he has crossed the line of decency". Then ask him why, in 2004, when Arjen Robben was given the red-carpet treatment at United's training ground while still a PSV player, van Raaij flew into a rage and said: "It is Ferguson's way of doing business. A leopard never changes his spots." I could go on but you get the picture. Before Ferguson conjures up images of the Madrid dictator Franco he should look hard into his mirror. For him to question the morals of another club when it comes exerting psychological pressure on a player he's set his sights on, is laughable. To think a FIFA inquiry into deals which haven't gone strictly by the book would put another club in a worse light than his own, is dangerously deluded. It must be down to the ease with which he has run rings around the petrified English authorities (as currently exemplified by the FA appealing against themselves for bizarrely letting Fergie and his assistant Carlos Queiroz off an improper conduct charge after attacking referee Martin Atkinson and his boss Keith Hackett). Fergie knows better than anyone that one of the major reasons for his phenomenal success has been an ability to tie up deals with some of the world's best players. Deals which, for every club in the world, often mean stretching the rule-book to the limits. Hypocrisy, eh? Bloody hell. "Fergie knows better than anyone that one of the reasons for his success has been an ability to tie up deals with some of the world's best players" http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/reade/ The last Prem club that got done for tapping up another Prem club's player was i believe us over Christian Ziege? But this kind of **** goes on all the time ie;agents talking before the clubs get involved.
In his presser yesterday, Mancini spoke briefly about Javi Martinez, in addition to several others. If we have a case to answer for with the ONE sentence Rodgers has spoken about Dempsey, then there are literally hundreds of cases to be opened.
I ask this question again about Alan Pardew telling Liverpool how much to sell Andy Carroll for in not so many words. He said ''Brendan should suck it up and accept a loss''. Now is that direct tapping up?
I find this article you've highlighted complete and utter rubbish. they quote directly jol but never quote what rodgers said... hilarious. Rodgers only spoke after the FSG sports channel website published a wrong story saying we signed dempsy... NOT LFC EVEN, though obviously close enough.... a journo not our own website asked rodgers waht the story was and rodgers ismply said yes dempsey was someone we were interested in.... Clint is a player we’ve enquired about. Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club to see what the position is. He’s a very talented player but we don’t like to talk about other clubs’ players.’ this is actually a statement of fact clarify a poistion others out him in. I find the whole thing ridiculous on its face.
Indeed surely both west ham and newcastle are totally guilty if fulham can play this game? neither club have made a real bid... if we "formally approach" fulham with a £1 offer then talk all yeat about him is it ok then?
I wish to make an official complaint about Liverpool's pursuit of Dempsey. It's a stupid idea. A poor man's Dirk Kuyt with a flying elbow.
