The death of the agent?

With only a few days left in the summer transfer window there seems to be a theme that is prevailing throughout the European leagues, a theme that’s been missing for nearly a decade.

The contract.

In layman’s terms the contract is something that must be fulfilled and can only be broken when both parties agree it would be the best course of action.  In football the contract has two different definitions for the two parties.  For the team it is something that must be maintained, updated and extended whenever possible in order to get the maximum value out of every player.  When you sign a player, you want it to be for its maximum length, baring older players, for the smallest amount possible.  For the player you think it would be logical to sign short contracts for the most money possible but in reality it becomes 5 year deals with as much as they can get by threatening to not sign when their current contract gets down to one or two years remaining.  With the huge caveat that if they want they can hand in a transfer request, and due to the ridiculous spending that some of the top teams have been accustomed to in the past decade or so, most of the players get what they want.

But it seems that a lot of that has changed this year.

It could possibly be due to financial fair play, possibly due to the major shift in managers that the biggest leagues in Europe have seen this summer, possibly because it’s a world cup year, but it seems the power has shifted back to the clubs for a little while. The biggest leagues have all seen its effects, even if it’s not as much as it should be.  Wayne Rooney seemed intent on going to Chelsea but has had his hopes wiped out by a consistent (in this respect) David Moyes. Robert Lewandowski was perhaps the most public about his desire to move and was quickly stifled by Borussia Dortmund.  The Luis Suarez affair took a little longer to deal with but in the end Liverpool caged their dog. And even Real Madrid had some caging to do as Fabio Coentrao handed in a transfer request, only to be told to shut up and play, unless he’s a make weight for the Garreth Bale deal.

One of many who were bitch slapped into place.

In the end it seems as though the teams have put the players in their place for once. I do not have a problem with players leaving on a Bosman, that is the nature of a contract, but I do have a problem with them using that threat as leverage for a better contract.  Instead the players seem afraid that if they are too obvious about their desire to move they won’t get a lot of playing time and will end up watching the Brazil 2014 from their couch.

I for one couldn’t be happier.  The mercenary has become far too common in the European game and there seems to be a lot more players that listen to their agents than to their hearts. They piss and moan when they feel they need to be paid more and then sign 5 year deals for higher wages, only to hand in a transfer request a few months later (see Rooney/ Gerrard).

That’s not to say that I think transferring is bad, sometimes you do have to move in order to fulfill a dream (Cristiano Ronaldo), reach your potential (Anyone who’s left Benfica since 2010), or just avoid bad management (see Rafa Benitez), but if you’ve played for more than 3 teams in your senior career, you’re probably not going to be remembered for much at any of them (see Carlos Tevez).

Remember these days? Don't feel bad.

And while I’m at it, even from a Manchester United fan, the Fellaini/Baines deal from Everton to United is not a classy proposal. If you've agreed to not raid your old team maybe stick to it or else forget about your legacy. Your word should be your word, almost like a verbal agreement or, god forbid, a contract.

Predictions for my "Soccer Following"

Back for what should be the best season yet.  And I can’t get around to watching it because my life has been overwhelmed by the lives of three young children.  What I can offer you is a little glimpse into what I might believe will happen this season, but the likelier story is that I will be wrong about everything.  Oh well.  I won’t have the time to watch it unravel anyway.

English Premier League:

The three most entertaining stories of the off-season are coming to their conclusion rather soon.  It’s amusing how all three of them come from the media gauntlet that is the English Press.  Will Wayne Rooney join Chelsea?  Will Gareth Bale head over to Spain?  Will Luis Suarez find a dentist in London?  I honestly think all three will stay with their current clubs for one more season, but I won’t be surprised when they all make moves in 2014.  Wayne should have a little more negotiating power when his contract winds down to its last 12 months.  Bale probably needs Real Madrid to move out one of their expensive midfielders before the price tag is finally met (Ozil, Di Maria, Modric)?  Suarez won’t be sold to London it appears, but Monaco might realize they need just a little more firepower to tackle the best teams in Europe.  Well, as I’m sure you are getting tired of these three dilemmas, it should be time to make some guesses.

Champion:  Chelsea – Won’t be as easy as last year was for Manchester United, but their midfield could be the world’s best.

Top 4:  Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City – Mancini was really good, and I don’t think they got that much better.  Spurs only 3rd if Bale stays, but it’s a deep and talented squad.  United looks the same, but the continuity should be enough to get them 2nd.  It’s a hungry group.

Rest of Europe:  F.A. Cup winner: Chelsea; League Cup winner: Everton; 5th and 6th place spots: Arsenal, Liverpool. -  Chelsea was listed at 14/1 to do the domestic league and cup titles, and I seriously would consider taking that bet.  Arsenal and Liverpool have the resources to move into those places if they happen to be a bit lower by Christmas, and I think Roberto Martinez’s magic continues in the other cup this time.

Safe mid-table clubs:  Southampton, Everton, Swansea City, West Ham, Aston Villa, Norwich City.  No one here should be threatened by relegation.  Maybe the Hammers, but they look good for a top half position.

Nervous mid-table clubs:  Newcastle, Fulham, Stoke City, West Bromwich, Crystal Palace. I think West Brom and Newcastle should have it wrapped up before the final weekends, but neither club really showed ambition to stay mid-table.  Stoke, Palace and Fulham all may have to sweat for a little while.

Relegation teams: Cardiff City, Hull City, Sunderland.  Cardiff and Sunderland definitely have the financial wherewithal to stay up in the league, but I think both managers are probably a little above their heads to stay around.  I don’t think Cardiff fires Mackay, unless they are Derby poor near the end of the season.  Sunderland spent, and if Jozy scores a ton, they will be safe.  I bet he doesn’t.  Hull is managed by Steve Bruce which is a plus, but with the extremely small squad they have, any injury crisis probably knocks them back down for a year.  

Promoted teams from the Championship: Bolton, Leeds United, Charlton Athletic

Spain:  Barcelona, Real Madrid....um... hmm.

France:  PSG, Lyon, Monaco, Marseille

Germany: Dortmund, Bayern Munich, VFL Wolfsburg, FC Schalke

Italy: Juventus, Napoli, Fiorentina, Milan

Europa League: Fiorentina v Tottenham

Champions League: Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

5 new stars to watch for:

GK – Simon Mignolet.  Could push Liverpool to that 4th spot.

CB – Alvaro Dominiguez. Borussia Monchengladbach are on an up tick, and he’s one of the reasons why.

CM – Paul Pogba. Juventus won’t be able to leave him out soon.

CAM – Jonas Hofmann. Should seamlessly step into Mario Gotze’s shoes for Dortmund.

ST – Diego Costa. Should get the 25 goals that Falcao used to get for Atletico Madrid.