Heidstra said:
I couldn't agree more with bowser. I think that we ourselves have created a culture that is becoming of this problem, so now we have to sleep in it or eat it... or something like that.

As it is now, when two managers want to make a deal all they actually do is ask a fiscal to come up with a price for them. Essentially, we ask someone completely removed from the situation, who does not know the environment at each club or the circumstances of the deal, to offer a fair price. When this happens, prices as always going to be incredibly generic... it's only possible to base decisions on the most similar transfers, leading to a very sterile market. As soon as a ruling comes from a position of authority, it immediately and severely limits our negotiations, regardless of its accuracy (yes, general users with an @ sign before their name, who are completely removed from a situation, can make mistakes...surprise, surprise). Basically, we are foregoing our rights and capacities to manage our own teams.

How should it be? Managers should negotiate their own transfers. This means that you and your buyer discuss the parameters of your transfer, exchanging arguments and counterarguments for a price, until you can come to an agreement. In this situation, you may start with relevant similar transfers as a baseline but you are able to accommodate the environments at each club and adjust things to include the circumstances surrounding the deal. With this, you get a deal that is fair and fulfilling for both parties and a more representative and flexible marketplace overall. THEN you go to a fiscal with your agreed price and explanation and they will give it a yes or no answer. Now we actually have an justification for our price and some, which means that 9 out of 10 times the fiscal will still approve it (save for the cases of an obvious circumvention).

More importantly, we have more of a defence to fall back on then the rubbish "a fiscal told me this price was fair" cop out. If this is your only defence for a fine, you're going to have a bad time. Fiscals are already over worked and they are human; sometimes they don't have the time, energy, resources...or intelligence (@illex, @StarWars)...to make a proper, informed ruling. As managers, it is entirely our responsibility to understand the market and use prices that fall within its parameters. If a fiscal gives us a price, we should know if that price is fair or accurate because we know what is fair and accurate ourselves. Not only do we want to be able to give and get good prices to advance our tea, but because fiscals can make errors and deals are never set in stone. Just because a terrorist with a bomb strapped to his chest got past border patrol doesn't mean that local PD couldn't/shouldn't still nab him. Take care of yourselves!

Just my nickel (because we don't just pennies in Canada anymore).