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Lack of English

Discussion in 'Chelsea' started by JAMJAR, Jun 23, 2017.

  1. JAMJAR

    JAMJAR Member

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    Recent transfer talk has got me a little concerned about the lack of Englishmen in the squad/team.
    I think it's essential to have one or two in the team at all times.

    As I've always said: to compete on 4 fronts you need 2 quality players for each position. With recent transfer talk I can see our squad looking a little like this:

    Courtois, Caballero, Eduardo.

    Luiz, Azpilicueta, Van Dijk, Cahill, Ake, Christensen

    Moses, Sandro, Alonso, Aina

    Kante, Bakayoko, Fabregas, Chalobah

    Pedro, Willian, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek

    Lukaku, Batshuayi

    Plus 1/2 others

    With only 4 English in the whole squad and none likely to start, I'm left a little concerned.
    Don't get me wrong, that looks like a great squad, and I can't really explain why I think there HAS to be one or two englishmen in the starting xi but it just doesn't look right...

    What's everyone's thoughts?

    I'm Welsh by the way
     
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  2. Bullet tooth Tony

    Bullet tooth Tony Well-Known Member

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    Lack of Welshmen in the squad for me boyo. What the hell has nationality got to do with being a good football player.
     
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  3. Gareth1808

    Gareth1808 Well-Known Member

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    I agree that it's nice to have a core group of English players but I just don't think there are enough good ones who'd get in our squad.

    If you look at the market now, realistically, who would you buy who's English? Some would say Barkley (i think he's rubbish) but besides Bertrand as a wing back I can't think of anyone who's available who i'd want.
     
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  4. Super_Chelsea_Blue_Boys

    Super_Chelsea_Blue_Boys Well-Known Member

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    Maybe I need another 5 years when the English youth have had a chance to catch up will we see them make more first team appearances.

    They will all of a sudden become cheaper than their foreign imports and on par to boot.

    Give it time. They will come.
     
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  5. Bodinki

    Bodinki You're welcome
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    Agreed.
    The only other English players who I can think of who would get anywhere near our squad, as it stands, are Kane and Delli Alli.
    And we have 0% chance of getting either of those in the near future.
     
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  6. Chelsea Pensioner

    Chelsea Pensioner Well-Known Member

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    Recent English players like Lampard, Terry, Ashley Cole were right up there with the better imports, but now I also can see only Kane or Alli that I would spend my money on. We've got a couple of excellent young ones on the brink, so in the next year or 2 I can see a few regular home grown appearing. English players do bring a certain grit to the team, guess that's the " bulldog spirit " that went missing against the All Blacks ??
     
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  7. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    I'm a Leicester fan just haven't been arsed to change my username but actually I've forgotten how to but anyway, I'd like to chuck my twopennarth in.

    Firstly congratulations on winning the league again, I wanted you to do it so well done.

    Out of the top teams I always had a soft spot for Chelsea because of your English core and I agree that it's a shame that more English players aren't playing regularly for the top clubs but I do agree with the comments here as to why.

    I really like the fact that our team is primarily English, even Huth has been here that long that he's practically English and obviously Schmeichel and Morgan too. The thing it does bring is that British mentality and direct style of play and that's a huge part of why we're so good and why we did so well in Europe.

    Our teams in Europe have struggled since they've changed their style and personnel to continental and I don't see anyone getting close while insisting on playing them at their own game. English teams used to be direct and play 4-4-2 and did well in Europe and to me that's what hey need to do again but it won't happen without a core of British players.

    But as you say how many of them would be good enough to play for Chelsea? I'd agree with Alli, Kane and Bertrand but can't even think of many more at the top clubs.

    I'd say a few Leicester players might have a shout, Drinky in a three would be brilliant, his passing is equisite and when he has a little bit of time he's really dangerous and he'll spot runs and find them (he was carrying an injury all last season so don't judge him on that) and Gray not having to defend as much would be lethal on the break and he beats men with ease. It looks like his final ball is improving too by the looks of the U21's game, he was guilty of not looking up but he did that game and if he does that consistently he'll be top quality. I think possibly Maguire too, get him in a three alongside two experienced players and he'd be good, as would Gibson or Keane.

    So I think there's a few who could get in your side on the basis of those alongside them and you'd still be a very good team.
     
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  8. Chelsea Pensioner

    Chelsea Pensioner Well-Known Member

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    Trouble is , you bring them along, and Teams like us take them from you. The only way things will change is if the regulations require all teams to play home grown players a certain percentage of the seasons game time. That would bring on youngsters, increase home players chances and about as likely as me winning Euro millions. Meanwhile keep doing what you do best, your Club will always be the one which beat the odds.
     
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  9. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    You're absolutely right about that but I'm hopeful the future will be a little different because of the extra money clubs like us have now and our unwillingness to sell.

    Take Gray and Chilwell for example, in years gone by I'm sure we would have lost them to the likes of Liverpool and Spurs because we couldn't afford to turn the money down and because joining one of those clubs was a massive career jump but now I don't believe it is, especially knowing our owners plans for the future and they're huge.

    My old man is head of security at the KP and has worked at LCFC since 1971 and he's privvy to certain information relevant to his job and what he's recently been told is going to change LCFC forever. They're seriously looking at you and City and thinking "why not us?". They look at you two and think money and ambition is the reason for your success and they have both.

    They've had a taste of CL football now and want more. The changing rooms aren't up to CL standard apparently, not big enough. They plan to extend capacity to 42k next summer, with the aim of playing CL football with the new changing rooms switching to the other side and being up to spec. Their five year aim is to establish us as a top six club, chasing titles and competing in Europe and then increase to 60k. The five years after that are about winning titles and consolidating top four and seriously competing in Europe and increasing to 72k. Plans for these extensions have already been drawn and witnessed during a presentation.

    As crazy as it sounds for Leicester to be a regular big club, there's nothing stopping us from achieving it because we have loads of money and they want it more than anything.

    With this in mind, I don't see anyone being able to cherry pick our players for much longer because we'll be one of you boys :)
     
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  10. Chelsea Pensioner

    Chelsea Pensioner Well-Known Member

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  11. Chelsea Pensioner

    Chelsea Pensioner Well-Known Member

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    that all sounds positive in principle and I hope it works out. there is a bit more to it than just money, ask PSG and City.
    first you need the money (tick), then you need a plan (tick) then you need a squad, a manager ( a really big problem) patience ( another huge problem) really, really good, experienced business management, and someone to pull and hold it all together for the 10 years it takes now, to get to, and STAY at the sharp end. Lots get there but dont stay there,(not putting LC in this catagory, you did that on a shoestring) others never quite get there( fill in )
    so best of luck, it can be done and hope you do it
     
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  12. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Yep totally agree with all of that and I do believe we have a lot of those in place already. The stadium (once extended) and our training facilities will be up there with the best in the country. Our new training ground has a 9 hole golf course attached to it (it's currently an 18 hole course but we're turning half into the new training ground) which is definitely going to bode well in terms of attracting players, especially now that we can sort of compete paying over £100k/week.

    I don't ever see us spending money like City and Chelsea have though to be fair because I see us following this current plan that we have of our team being more than the sum of its parts. Our team spirit and style of play is what won us the league mixed with some quality but not world class players by any stretch and this is what I think will bring us success in the future. As much as teams think they've figured out how to play us, truth is they haven't. The only team who seem to be able to stop us are Arsenal, everyone else we can beat or at least take points off.

    Shakey has played a bigger part in our success than anyone realises too and I am hopeful of him becoming a SAF figure here. I don't mean in the sense of us being as successful as SAF because that's ridiculous but United continued to produce quality teams with him in charge and I think Shakey can do that for us.

    We've also invested heavily in our youth academy and we've got some top players coming through like Chilwell and Gray who are both 20. Harvey Barnes is 19 and looks a really good attacking midfielder/forward, we're hopefully going to sign Ilheanacho who again is 20 and we have Ndidi too. These are all top quality young players and the future of our club and I think this is how we will grow as a club and become more successful. Of course we'll still spend money but I'd say they will be quality players a level down from what the top clubs would pick, like Sigurdsson for example, and our team spirit and style of play will make us better as a team than we are individually. I see this being our plan anyway but of course I'm only speculating.

    No matter what happens though we're definitely going to have a brighter future and the old days are over. I'm glad we had them though because it makes me appreciate what we've got now, as I'm sure you are too when you look back at your time in Division 2?

    One of my favourite games was against Chelsea actually when Kerry Dixon missed a penalty at the kop end and we won 2-0. I think you went on to win it if I remember rightly or at least you went up. It was my first game in Pen 3 with the City fans because I used to be in Pen 2 on my own when I was too small so yeah a memorable day for me.

    Also cheers for being able to have a decent conversation, that's something not always easy these days either so cheers.
     
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  13. Bullet tooth Tony

    Bullet tooth Tony Well-Known Member

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    You bought Gray from Birmingham, he used to play for Cadburys youth team before being spotted by the B'Ham scouts.
     
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  14. Chelsea Pensioner

    Chelsea Pensioner Well-Known Member

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    You get no arguement from me regarding team spirit, we had it this year but not last. Apart from Costa who seems to be a selfish self promoter and not a team player. And you also hit the spot regarding success, unless you have struggled, success doesn't mean as much. Some young fans of Utd and Arsenal have never known even the bottom half of the table, nor have Barca, Real, Bayern etc. Guess that's the way it is, but I like to see the guard change a bit more often like it does in Cricket, which seems to go around every decade or so.
    Still, prefer to be in the top half rather than the bottom !!!!
     
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  15. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    I guess that's why he's out the door then, can't blame Conte for that. Got to say I do like him a lot, he comes across as a really genuinely decent bloke and he goes about his business quietly and not in the media all the time like some others. Yeah I'm a fan of the way he conducts himself. A top addition to the PL I reckon.

    Yeah success is certainly sweeter when you've been used to the darker times and especially when it's out of the blue. The first time you won it would have been the best I'm sure? Of course it's great to keep winning it but I can't imagine anything ever eclipsing 2015/16 no matter how many times we end up winning it in the future and I do believe we will again "one day".

    People are getting a bit bored of Chelsea and Man City in the top four now because of the money but I'm more than alright with it because it's broken up the traditional United, Liverpool and Arsenal that I remember dominating for decades so now to have a couple of clubs up there who've been down in the dumps while they dominated and are now dominating them is a good thing for me. I am fancying Leicester to join you and City in mixing it up around that top four/six, would be good if half of the top six had clubs with fans used to the crap times.
     
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  16. Bristol Blue

    Bristol Blue Well-Known Member

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    Apparently, it was the Norman-French that brought the early form of football to England after their conquest of England in 1066. I'm more than a little concerned that we have no true Norman-Frenchies in our side to give us some real footballing pedigree. <cool>
     
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  17. Chelsea Pensioner

    Chelsea Pensioner Well-Known Member

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    It's the Norman Wisdoms we need to watch out for !!
     
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  18. Bristol Blue

    Bristol Blue Well-Known Member

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    ...yeh, the ****bag Pompey supporters. :1980_boogie_down:
     
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  19. DferPolarBear

    DferPolarBear Well-Known Member

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    Judging by the baseball caps, music and instagrams with NBA players I thought our entire squad was American. Global economy innit.
     
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  20. DferPolarBear

    DferPolarBear Well-Known Member

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    If Brexit also means resignation of the European Social Charter then minimum foreign player rules could become legal again. The freedom to move for work within the EU for all EU citizen wouldn't strictly apply to the UK anymore hence the headlines in today's newspaper on "settled status" after 5 year domicile for EU citizens in the UK. As far as I am aware all non-EU players have to be approved a work permit by the foreign office to ensure they are of sufficient caliber unable to be found within the UK (EU). Blimey it is going to be a right mess. Brexit does threaten the Prem League's dominance. We could see a swing back to Spain and Italy and God forbid the French league as players dictate their moves with their agents and won't like the fact the UK will make that sort of thing so much harder.
     
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