Toxic club - an inconvenient truth about our fans

[smudgerfox]

23 hours ago, SafewayFox said:

From the BBC -

 

Leicester City FC paid £5.87 million to football agents and intermediaries in the most recent reporting period (February 2025 to February 2026), according to figures released by The FA. This ranked as the third-highest agent fee spend in the Championship for that specific period

I think the accusation is not that we pay a lot to agents. That is inevitable if you're buying and selling players with EPL pedigree. They're going to have agents who will want a slice of the financial action of incoming and outgoing transfers. And for all we know their payments may not all be up front - they could well be in instalments.

 

The more specific accusation is that the club is over-reliant on a very small number of agents. They, allegedly, have far too much influence on transfers in and out, effectively controlling who we buy. 
 

If true, that would be game-changing and explosive.
 

It would help explain why we have signed so many complete duds - ill advised and poorly researched players who have been quickly dismissed by our managers: Aribo; Carranza; Coulibaly; that second keeper; the Chelsea striker/winger ; Edouard. 

 

For a club with no money that's a lot of dosh out the door (wages, signing fees)  for no return at all. 
 

it would also destroy Top's assertion that he, head of recruitment, director of football and manager all have to agree a transfer for it to happen. 
 

This already seems highly dubious when you consider that Coulibally, Carranza and Edouard were discarded so quickly by their managers.

 

So the over influential agent is a very enticing theory - the only trouble is, there's little evidence to date that it's true.

 

[SafewayFox]

14 hours ago, smudgerfox said:

I think the accusation is not that we pay a lot to agents. That is inevitable if you're buying and selling players with EPL pedigree. They're going to have agents who will want a slice of the financial action of incoming and outgoing transfers. And for all we know their payments may not all be up front - they could well be in instalments.

 

The more specific accusation is that the club is over-reliant on a very small number of agents. They, allegedly, have far too much influence on transfers in and out, effectively controlling who we buy. 
 

If true, that would be game-changing and explosive.
 

It would help explain why we have signed so many complete duds - ill advised and poorly researched players who have been quickly dismissed by our managers: Aribo; Carranza; Coulibaly; that second keeper; the Chelsea striker/winger ; Edouard. 

 

For a club with no money that's a lot of dosh out the door (wages, signing fees)  for no return at all. 
 

it would also destroy Top's assertion that he, head of recruitment, director of football and manager all have to agree a transfer for it to happen. 
 

This already seems highly dubious when you consider that Coulibally, Carranza and Edouard were discarded so quickly by their managers.

 

So the over influential agent is a very enticing theory - the only trouble is, there's little evidence to date that it's true.

 

I actually appreciate your reply.

 

I wrote a long response but it still boils down to two key points.

 

We didn’t sign a single player in that time period yet had those insane agent fees - to remind you, we weren’t in the PL during that time so stating “that’s what happens when buying and selling players with EPL pedigree” doesn’t really stack up.

 

Also, another fact that suggests that we’re lazy and sign players from agents rather than traditional or data based scouting - look at the dates of our signings last season.

 

They were all on deadline day (summer and winter windows) - that screams of agents dealing, rather than a considered approach.

Edited 23 June by SafewayFox

[smudgerfox]

1 hour ago, SafewayFox said:

I actually appreciate your reply.

 

I wrote a long response but it still boils down to two key points.

 

We didn’t sign a single player in that time period yet had those insane agent fees - to remind you, we weren’t in the PL during that time so stating “that’s what happens when buying and selling players with EPL pedigree” doesn’t really stack up.

 

Also, another fact that suggests that we’re lazy and sign players from agents rather than traditional or data based scouting - look at the dates of our signings last season.

 

They were all on deadline day (summer and winter windows) - that screams of agents dealing, rather than a considered approach.

Yes happy to continue discussing...maybe by DM to spare others !! ..I think you're discounting loan signings , assuming agents are not involved in those, but I'm not sure that's true.

 

And I take your point about signing at the very end of the transfer window but I've assumed that's to do with our declining attractiveness and players waiting for a better offer. Hard to know I suppose...

 

[Manwell Pablo]

1 hour ago, smudgerfox said:

Yes happy to continue discussing...maybe by DM to spare others !! ..I think you're discounting loan signings , assuming agents are not involved in those, but I'm not sure that's true.

 

And I take your point about signing at the very end of the transfer window but I've assumed that's to do with our declining attractiveness and players waiting for a better offer. Hard to know I suppose...

 

Im enjoying it Smudger, please do carry on. 
 

its better than 80% of the nonsense points on this forum. 

[shen]

10 hours ago, SafewayFox said:

I actually appreciate your reply.

 

I wrote a long response but it still boils down to two key points.

 

We didn’t sign a single player in that time period yet had those insane agent fees - to remind you, we weren’t in the PL during that time so stating “that’s what happens when buying and selling players with EPL pedigree” doesn’t really stack up.

 

Also, another fact that suggests that we’re lazy and sign players from agents rather than traditional or data based scouting - look at the dates of our signings last season.

 

They were all on deadline day (summer and winter windows) - that screams of agents dealing, rather than a considered approach.

But couldn't some of those agent fees be staggered payments due from previous periods, but reported in latter periods? Maybe the reporting rules surrounding agent fees are different to player fees.

[SafewayFox]

19 minutes ago, shen said:

But couldn't some of those agent fees be staggered payments due from previous periods, but reported in latter periods? Maybe the reporting rules surrounding agent fees are different to player fees.

Let’s say (not that I fully believe it though) that is the case.

 

If we had a proper scouting network, would all of our signings have happened on deadline day in both windows?

[shen]

4 minutes ago, SafewayFox said:

Let’s say (not that I fully believe it though) that is the case.

 

If we had a proper scouting network, would all of our signings have happened on deadline day in both windows?

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. The period covers a full calendar year, including a summer and a winter transfer window. 

Also not sure what you mean by us not having made signings in that full year. We made numerous signings like Begovic, Vieites, Lascelles and all the loans, which also incur agent fees.

[SafewayFox]

2 hours ago, shen said:

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. The period covers a full calendar year, including a summer and a winter transfer window. 

Also not sure what you mean by us not having made signings in that full year. We made numerous signings like Begovic, Vieites, Lascelles and all the loans, which also incur agent fees.

Sorry, what part was not easy to understand.

 

If you read my message exchange with @smudgerfox which has been done respectfully, even though we have different views.

 

I merely answered his question about any evidence in the “we make lazy agent signings rather than scout like other clubs”.

 

So highlighting that all of our loan signings were made on deadline day (summer and winter window) suggest agent signings rather than due diligence and scouting.

 

 

[Uncle Monty]

I think there is an element of toxicity within the fanbase but it's not helped by the ownership making insane decision after insane decision.

 

It's no real surprise we've turned on each other, I think everyone is angry at our demise but we can't agree on what to be angry at so we turn on ourselves.

[shen]

1 hour ago, SafewayFox said:

Sorry, what part was not easy to understand.

 

If you read my message exchange with @smudgerfox which has been done respectfully, even though we have different views.

 

I merely answered his question about any evidence in the “we make lazy agent signings rather than scout like other clubs”.

 

So highlighting that all of our loan signings were made on deadline day (summer and winter window) suggest agent signings rather than due diligence and scouting.

Right, my apologies. I needed to read it through again. I started another topic on the matter as I think it deserves some separate attention and I think you both bring valid points.

 

There could be multiple reasons for the late conclusions of the loan signings this past year.

We were not in a position to buy and players like Aribo, Carranza and James were likely touted as permanent transfers on the market and when it was clear they weren't going to be sold, the next best thing was loaning them out.

Mukasa and Richards were maybe holding out for PL/top half CHL moves - or maybe they were just desperate late attempts at strengthening the side and avoid the drop. It's difficult to say without some inside knowledge. Then we also had the situation of not having a manager in place when we made the winter loan signings - there may have been a reluctance to back Cifuentes and we didn't want to be stuck with players that the next manager wouldn't use.

We were forced to gamble on them anyway and as it proved, Rowett wasn't keen on using either Aribo or Richards. This would dismiss the thought that the manager has much input, but it's still not quite evidence that it's agent-driven rather than a recruitment-led call. 

[Chrysalis]

So the two guys I responded to havent come back, looks like a hit and run on here from some of the facebook crowd.

[Narborough Road Fox]

I love this club with my heart and soul, don't we all?

Hate what we've become - spineless, lazy, lack of fight. 

I don't attack my fellow supporters but I'm not clapping relegation to League One either.

[Globalfox]

19 hours ago, Narborough Road Fox said:

I love this club with my heart and soul, don't we all?

Hate what we've become - spineless, lazy, lack of fight. 

I don't attack my fellow supporters but I'm not clapping relegation to League One either.

Totally with you I think the useless failures that are our players have been allowed an easy ride through this. I like supporters being different but we have been divided by selfish self indulgent players. The 23000 who have purchased season tickets have stepped up admirably now we need to dump the remaining dross of players to unite us.