ATK Thread

[mattyq]

As Xerxes said, it was also put out by journalists, as I see it you are either wrong or theirs a massive conspiracy to make it look like Aquilani was on a lot more than he was, which benefits nobody at all.

 

That's the point - it benefits FSG a lot.

They make the previous owners/management look like twats; not difficult in H&Gs case.

It makes FSG look good and thrifty ie clearing away all the dead wood.

It also excuses FSG from spending a lot on transfers as they can claim the kitty is empty.

 

I'm not one of those doom mongerers or conspiracy fuckwits who claim that we're going to be shafted again by the owners as you have to give them time and the benefit of the doubt to begin with but i am begining to wonder about them a little

[Ezekiel 25:17]

It benefits people at the club now. They're being seen to do something about the waste, they've got an effective shield against people wanting to know why we're selling a midfielder who a number of people think is better than all but two of our regular starters and, of course, instead of asking "why the hell have we only signed one player when our season starts in 11 days?!?" we're discussing the past.

 

Over the last three years, we've had Christian Purslow, who called himself the Fernando Torres of the finance world, took half-time interviews and a series of other self-aggrandizing things. Then Commolli came in, sold a lot of squad players, did considerable briefing about their prices, wages, signing on fees and how much this was saving us before being given lavish praise.

 

If Alberto Aquilani was really on 125k a week, then don't you think these two men would have spent hours on the phone leaking it to anyone who would listen? You don't think it's a little convenient this inflated, obscene number comes out, just as we're selling him?

 

It's not a conspiracy, it's just fairly standard spin.

 

 

Nobody said he was on that a week, and anyone who thinks Aquilani was good enough to stay here is an absolute cretin.

[ritchie]

Funny how Aquilani was a Liverpool player for 3 years and never once was a 100k+ a week wage quoted from a media source. And then the week he was due to leave the club releases to favoured journos that he's in fact on 125k a week so he's too expensive to keep (a day after Aquilani said he wanted to stay and it was the club that forced him out the last two years).

 

Of course the club would never lie, or spin things around, would they? Not saying he wasn't on that - i've no idea what he earned - but why was that never quoted while he was here? It was around 70k that was always mentioned, including by Fiorentina and Milan when discussing his contract.

 

If he was on anything near 125k a week then will those who defended Purslow finally admit the guy was a complete moron? If he wasn't on that then let's wait for the spin on Agger's sale.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

doesn't 6.5mil per year equate to about 125k a week? or was he on getting big bonuses too?

 

I am sure it was in The Times article when he signed that was posted in the Aquilani thread.

[Kevin D]

For the most part, weren't the character attacks initiated by people who don't use this forum, but do use RAWK? How do you defend yourself on there? From what people say, this type of thread wouldn't be allowed to exist over there, which doesn't seem fair.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Didn't benitez sign him in the summer of TOTAL CONTROL ? alludes to the fact he would have had a lot of say in the contract and transfer fee.

[The Dude Abides]

They are tackling an incredible wage bill, its amazing how much rubbish is spoken on the internet regarding wages. Facts are Aquilani was costing the club £6.5m a year, no ifs,buts or maybe's pure fact. Maxi was costing £5.5m a year, and the wages some players are on is frightening. And for the lies spread about Carragher the truth and 100% fact is he earns 60k a week and got that the day before the owners arrived from the 40k he had been on for donkey's years.

 

We're supposed to believe that Carra was on 40k/week? Must have the worst agent in football, not that i believe it for a second.

 

But well done you anyway.

[Kevin D]

I am sure it was in The Times article when he signed that was posted in the Aquilani thread.

 

I doubt that. Not because I remember the article, or even the thread in question; but because if it was true, Trucker Paddy would have it in his avatar, written about 20 times in his signature and may well have legally changed his name to "Aquialni is on £6.5m a year".

[gingerhulk]

If AA was on 125k from 2009-2010 what is Gerrard on?

[Walton Park]

Whatever it is it is well deserved.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I doubt that. Not because I remember the article, or even the thread in question; but because if it was true, Trucker Paddy would have it in his avatar, written about 20 times in his signature and may well have legally changed his name to "Aquialni is on £6.5m a year".

 

He He.

 

I remember reading in the article that Aquilani was on more than what Xabi was on when he signed for Madrid which blew a lot people's theory that Xabi left for tax/money reasons as he could have gt the same money here.

 

Not re-entering this debate by the way just pointing out what was in the article.

[The Dude Abides]

He He.

 

I remember reading in the article that Aquilani was on more than what Xabi was on when he signed for Madrid which blew a lot people's theory that Xabi left for tax/money reasons as he could have gt the same money here.

 

How much tax do players pay? And when they say, 'so and so is on whatever a week' is that before or after tax?

[ritchie]

We're supposed to believe that Carra was on 40k/week? Must have the worst agent in football, not that i believe it for a second.

 

But well done you anyway.

 

That's partly why it'd seem so strange. Carra's agent is one of the best in the business and always gets good deals for his clients. Particularly with regards to Liverpool. Robbie Keane and Downing coming here on big money, for example, and with massive transfer fees.

 

It seems completely unrealistic to me that Carra would be stuck on 40k a week while loads of players were coming in on double that, and crap players earning the same or more - or why Purslow would be able to get away with bumping his wages up by a third with a two year extension a day before the club was sold.

 

Something doesn't add up on that one.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

How much tax do players pay? And when they say, 'so and so is on whatever a week' is that before or after tax?

 

I couldn't tell you as I don't work with tax regulations.

 

If the players agent had any nous, he would negotiate after tax.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

That's partly why it'd seem so strange. Carra's agent is one of the best in the business and always gets good deals for his clients. Particularly with regards to Liverpool. Robbie Keane and Downing coming here on big money, for example, and with massive transfer fees.

 

It seems completely unrealistic to me that Carra would be stuck on 40k a week while loads of players were coming in on double that, and crap players earning the same or more - or why Purslow would be able to get away with bumping his wages up by a third with a two year extension a day before the club was sold.

 

Something doesn't add up on that one.

 

More so when if I remember correctly JAR was on 30k a week in 2007 wasnt he. Remember seeing that pay slip that was doing the rounds.

[The Dude Abides]

That's partly why it'd seem so strange. Carra's agent is one of the best in the business and always gets good deals for his clients. Particularly with regards to Liverpool. Robbie Keane and Downing coming here on big money, for example, and with massive transfer fees.

 

It seems completely unrealistic to me that Carra would be stuck on 40k a week while loads of players were coming in on double that, and crap players earning the same or more - or why Purslow would be able to get away with bumping his wages up by a third with a two year extension a day before the club was sold.

 

Something doesn't add up on that one.

 

Exactly. After Rafa came in, Carra's stock went through the roof, our second most important player after Gerrard. To expect anyone to believe that when he renegotiated his deal around that time, that he only came away with 40k/week, is insulting. He then manages to bump his deal up from that, once he'd become a liability for us?

[The Dude Abides]

I couldn't tell you as I don't work with tax regulations.

 

If the players agent had any nous, he would negotiate after tax.

 

Presumably it's before tax as otherwise what the clubs are paying their players would be nearly double what gets reported. Maybe that's where this stuff with Carra is coming from, 40k after tax would be somewhat more believable than 40k before tax.

[Tony Moanero]

Whatever it is it is well deserved.

 

Steven Gerrard is boss. However, all players earn obscence wages. Modern football is shite.

[The Guest]

I remember hearing an hilarious story about a Liverpool player ringing up the payroll dept and going mental on the phone at them "Why the fuck have you taken 40% tax out of my wages?" "That's the tax rate here in the UK if you earn over £35K" (or whatever it was at the time) "Yes I know that, my accountant told me but it's only every pound after £35K, not before it as well, that's 22%. I'm only on £60K and you've taken £25K.

 

The wanker thought the tax bracket was £35K a week, not a year. How separate from reality some of these dickheads are. I think it was Diouf but I can't remember.

[Walton Park]

Steven Gerrard is boss. However, all players earn obscence wages. Modern football is shite.

 

I agree with you but if there is 1 player in the squad who deserves to earn on par with the Lampards, etc it is Steven Gerrard.

 

For Aquilani and Maxi to be on anywhere near Gerrards wages is fucking ridiculous. Thats my point.

[Tony Moanero]

I agree with you but if there is 1 player in the squad who deserves to earn on par with the Lampards, etc it is Steven Gerrard.

 

For Aquilani and Maxi to be on anywhere near Gerrards wages is fucking ridiculous. Thats my point.

 

Fair enough. I agree.

[ritchie]

I agree with you but if there is 1 player in the squad who deserves to earn on par with the Lampards, etc it is Steven Gerrard.

 

For Aquilani and Maxi to be on anywhere near Gerrards wages is fucking ridiculous. Thats my point.

 

It was always reported at the time that Gerrard and Torres (rightly) were the two players who were comfortably in our top wage bracket. Now all of a sudden in the week building up to Aquilani's sale his wages - as spun to journos from the club - are 125k a week. And way more than Alonso was on here.

 

Sounds like bollocks to me, but maybe we're telling the truth. I just don't believe anything that comes out of the club these days.

[Walton Park]

Anyway all threads end with the same subject so lets jib it.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

 

It was always reported at the time that Gerrard and Torres (rightly) were the two players who were comfortably in our top wage bracket. Now all of a sudden in the week building up to Aquilani's sale his wages - as spun to journos from the club - are 125k a week. And way more than Alonso was on here.

 

Sounds like bollocks to me, but maybe we're telling the truth. I just don't believe anything that comes out of the club these days.

 

Aquilani signed a contract for a weekly wage (not including add ons) that was more than what Alonso got while he was here and also when thab when he went to Madrid.

 

Now throw in ridiculous bonuses and/or just his signing on fee spread over his contract, then £125k a week is not impossible.

[ritchie]

Aquilani signed a contract for a weekly wage (not including add ons) that was more than what Alonso got while he was here and also when thab when he went to Madrid.

 

Now throw in ridiculous bonuses and/or just his signing on fee spread over his contract, then £125k a week is not impossible.

 

The reason it wouldn't surprise me was Christian Purslow was involved, so I could believe it if he was signed up on a 100k a match contract to go with the 120k a week wages if Purslow negotiated the terms.

 

But it's just the fact that those figures (or anything close to them) were never quoted anywhere until the club decided to spin the sale the day before he went.