is it just me...

I miss the English core of players, but the squad is still fairly English, and Cabaye is better than any English player we could afford/attract to play CM.

 

We still can field a team of British players

Harper

Simpson, Williamson, Taylor, Ferguson

R.Taylor, Guthrie, Gosling,

Ranger, Best, Sameobi

 

Hang on you've missed the final tag line "that would get humped every week in the PL and be relegated"

 

He looks to be but it all depends on how he can adapt, dont get us wrong I hope and think he will be a class act for us but I remember a certain jon dahl tomasson lookin like he was the real deal in pre season

 

Perhaps, but did you see Cabaye v Leeds? Throwing himself into tackles, he'll be fine with the physicality of the league, just needs to adjust to the pace. But then Leeds were very sharp and I never saw him give the ball away once.

 

I think Cabaye will be fine. Looks a good player. How long we'll have him is anyones guess! After the latest episode in our sordid little soap opera, he's probably already asked his agent if the contract is binding!

 

I know this doea kinda go against my original point I do believe that more often than not inter have won the scudetto with hardly any italians in the squad, as the club was started by foreign workers for foreign workers and still follows that tradition today

 

Maybe Newcastle are targetting foreign players (especially French) so much because they know British players are too well informed about the way Newcastle is run.

 

Inter probably are like Arsenal an exception to the rule. Obviously I mean generally. Recent winners in England (most relevant to subject): Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Blackburn all bar Arsenal had an English/British core. Even Arsenal's initial success under Wenger was based on the likes of Adams, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown, Parlour, Bould etc. And the invincibles had Campbell, Cole and Parlour. Recent winners in Spain: Barca, Real. This needs no explanation. Even Real in the crazy Galactico years still had a spanish core. Italy: Roma, Juventus, Inter, AC, maybe Lazio one year? All italian core with exception of Inter. I think they still had a smattering of italians too like Materazzi, Toldo. Throw in their core was made up of players who had played several years in the country and were almost adopted Italians, this balances out the core italian aspect. I'm thinking of Walter Samuel, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Chivu, Cruz, Maxwell, Cordoba etc etc. All stalwarts of the italian game.

 

best is irish

 

Na couldnt make it as I had a game on the mornin. I know what you're sayin and agree, I dont think he'll have any problems in the prem, he should more than hold his own, but as a truly great man once said 'if you count your chickens before they hatch they wont lay an egg'

 

He only qualifies on a technicality. He's as English as they come.