......the falling number of English players in our top flight I mean. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/19/england-qualified-players-premier-league A sad state of affairs. The comment from Scudamore about it not being the premier leagues fault is quite ludicrous.
The whole premier league is ludicrous and is a complete pi$$ take...how can they say that foreigners are better value? You now have 30 million, 40 million, 50 million being thrown around like confetti. More and more clubs will crash and burn, and the game in this country will explode as the everyday supporter will be priced out of the game. A cap on wages (already kind of being done) and foreigners needs to be introduced in this country if it is to flourish. we need to stick two fingers up at Brussels and govern the game ourselves. We need to get back to the 5 foreign player max rule....for starters.
I'm certainly not going to disagree with you there stretch The thing is we (by which I mean the Premier League and the limp wristed flannels at the FA) have gone too far down the current path that it would be almost impossible to make such a dramatic u-turn without the Premier league falling apart. Steps do need to be made although I think the Premier league cash cow is now just too strong that it would be far too difficult a task to try and stop that freight train, even if it is heading for disaster for anyone else around it.
totally agree with the cap suggestion for players, but you know the EU will start bleating on about freedom of movement and work!
The sad thing is the premier league seemingly just accepting that foreigners are 'better value'. The FL, PL and FA should all be working together to ensure that in the future Foreign clubs are falling over each other to buy the best English talent.
Nobody is going to do anything about it whilst the 'best league in the world ever' hyped bull**** is shouted every year. They dont care if they are killing the 'England' game (ie national squad) because the 'English game' (premier league) is apparently the envy of the world and a joy to us all. The more big names sign then the more cash Sky will chuck at it to ensure they get to broadcast the best players. Whats best for the game will not be best for the bank balance of the FA and therefore nothing will happen until football implodes. Clubs get millions chucked at them from the TV deals so think why bother taking a chance on a promising youngster - we can sign a proven talent for ONLY £20m. When there is a talented youngster he will be priced out of a move to a club where he can play regularly so will take the money and move to a very large club and is likely to be forgotten. Butland is the only player I can think of in recent times that has chosen not to go to the top 4 so he has a better chance of playing yet he still doesnt get many opportunities. The players need to look at themselves aswell. You could play for 5, 6 or 7 years proving yourselves at a 'lesser' team and move when you are 23-24, still become a millionaire and win trophies yet the seem to move after only a handful of first team games.
Obviously the FA/premier league will not do anything to upset Brussels, i.e in regards to freedom of movement, etc...but they can do, is make it worthwhile for clubs to purchase home grown players. Maybe give them some kind of tax incentive if they purchase British players.
I like the austrian idea of giving clubs a certain amount of money per appearance of a domestic player.
Unfortunately it seems money talks and noone at the FA or PL seem to be bothered as long as Sky continue to pump money into it whether that is detrimental to the lower leagues, the national team and the list could go on. Unfortunately the PL is a cash cow (even more so now) and noone seems to have the balls to stand up and say this is wrong aslong as the money is there. It seems like we've had the financial crash with the banks and I thought it was starting to be the same in football, where it was all about making the quick buck at the detriment on long term stability but the PL just continues to get more obsurd. The football league seem to be getting themselves in order with FFP etc but whilst the PL is like it is it will weaken the lower league teams considerably!! I read somewhere that the team who finishes 20th in the PL this season will recieve £100 million, that's only £4 million less than Man Utd got last season for winning the title, that is obsolutely disgusting!!! IT WILL RUIN FOOTBALL
It doesn't stop Germany from having more than 60% german nationals in their starting line ups though, or Spain averaging around 50%.
I don't agree in any way. The problem is not with foreigners coming into the league, it's with our academies and grass roots only now catching up with the elite nations, the way the FA is run and some appalling choices of manager and it's also down to the attitude and culture of our top players. Why Wayne Rooney was picked the other day is completely beyond me, his attitude stinks - it's not an ability problem. He could have been one of the world greats, but compared to Van Persie, Messi, Soldado, Aguero - he thinks he's a God but he's not near those players because of his arrogance. I don't buy this argument amount the numbers of players either - Ian Marshall, Steve Palmer, Simon Milton - they would all be Championship level players now whereas the players who have got a chance of getting anywhere near the England squad will still be playing in the top flight - and against the best in the world. How did Ian Marshall playing for Ipswich ever help the England cause?! That consistent Man United team of the early 90s by the way when the rules were different only had four English players - Schmeichel, Irwin, Pallister, Bruce, Parker, Kanchelskis, Ince, Keane, Giggs, Cantona, Hughes. In other words, it's about the players we develop before they get to 20 years of age and I think that is getting better. It could easily be argued that our top players should be better - because they have to compete harder and come up against stronger players. There is no evidence whatsoever that our league being populated by the best players in the world is detrimental to our national side. The number of games we have to play, without a winter break and loads of other factors all contribute, but I just don't think our average players all playing in the Champ instead of the Premier League is one of them.
I would say it isn't an issue whatsoever, IF loads of English players are playing abroad for top teams. There is nothing wrong at all with great talents coming into the Premiership, and making it a better league. Think 93 - 97, it was hardly Serie A! However, while Spain for example have a very high %%%%, which is commendable, the set up in Spain is COMPLETELY different to England and incomparable. For example - Atletic Bilbao playing ONLY basque players. - LOADS of clubs having reserve sides, such as Barcelona B playing at the second tier of football. Until English sides are allowed reserve sides playing at such a high level, to me we cannot compare the premiership with Spain. Although we do loan players out, they may not be coached how the club wants. It's no surprise to me Barcelona have a continued cycle of very talented Spanish players, due to the C then B set up, where the clubs play the same football as the top league. Currently in England, we have several issues effecting young talented players. - Paid WAY too much WAY too soon, losing motivation, becoming egotistical and self imploding. - Many are very poorly advised by agents regarding moving on loan, and feel they are " way too good ". Take Jake Livermore - he was absolutely horrific for us/ Leeds, yet he's played for England and has a move to Hull. I do not get that! - Transfer fees for promising players way too high. There are countless other issues with English players too. Take Michael Carrick REFUSING to travel to Euro 2012 because he may not have got picked. Seriously, back yourself Carrick, go to the tournement and prove you are good enough. We have so many damn arrogant players, and until the attitudes in the English game change, we can produce some of the most talented players. However, they are very unlikely in my eyes to ever amount to what they are capable of.
The rules are the same in Spain as they are in England when it comes to players - you have loads of foreigners at Real and quite a few at Barcelona, but you also have fierce regionilism that we don't have here. There you have two major clubs and a handful of biggish clubs who negotiate their TV deals separately from the rest of the league. You can't compare a Brie with a merlot either with other countries or with the past - and England haven't won a trophy since 1966 so if it was just a question of the law and everything else was right in our set up we would be seeing a sharp decline at International level. What we're seeing is a steadyimprovement and some exciting players coming through. I do think the problem is with your last set of comments. It's not just been Carrick either.
I agree with some of what Hamps says, whereby like the Spanish League is completely different whereby they have reserve teams in the lower leagues. Whilst this might be better for the national team if it happened over here I really wouldn't like that, the competitiveness of our lower leagues sets our league apart and is great. Obviously one of the main problems is coaching at grass root levels, with kick and run preffered over technical skills. But also it's the shortermism which comes with the huge financial rewards of being in the PL and Championsleague etc, clubs want instant success so don't develop players as much anymore because they buy players who already are first team players. Although some of the top clubs stockpile young players they then send them out on loan most go by the wayside and will never get the chance at their parent club, sending players out on loan is not neccessarily a bad thing because it gains them experience but sometimes you think at a crucial stage in a players development not playing for your parent club and going to a club who aren't as interested in your development may not be good for you!! Add to all this due to the financial pressures managers come and go all the time both meaning there is a lack of consistency and as we've seen probably certain youngster would be kept on had a new manager not come in and knew the players better!!! You can't blame Sky for pumping money into football but the FA and the PL need to have some balls and make some changes on the way it's distributed (throughout the leagues) and the structures of clubs (academies and wages etc) as currently the financial rewards are so great clubs make to many short term decisions!!
I remember when AVB first went to Chelsea one of the first things I remember him saying was that the top English clubs should have B & C teams within the lower leagues... ala Barcelona. I was very against the statement and still am today (although I can certainly see it has it's merits) but ultimately it will lead to clubs like Macclesfield becoming Manchester United C or Tranmere becoming Liverpool B etc. and naturally football fans (of anyone outside of the big teams) would be so vocal in their disapproval that it won't be happening any time soon.
I also don't agree with having reserve teams in the lower leagues, especially now there has been a revamped system for the reserves (U-21s), although saying that steps do need to be taken to ensure the competition remains competitive.
I also don't agree with having reserve teams in the lower leagues, especially now there has been a revamped system for the reserves (U-21s), although saying that steps do need to be taken to ensure the competition remains competitive.
It is a travesty there isn't more English talent coming thru. Part of the fault lies with parents and schools not pushing kids out to play proper sport and not just FIFA on the x box. I pissed my folks off no end banging a ball against the side of the house everyday for years. Then you get the schools with their idea of its ok to just take part in sport. Isn't the idea to win. There's no competitive edge or will to win as kids get older. Then we come on to overpriced English players. Lower league clubs need to stay alive understandably but when you can pick up a Michu for 2 million its no wonder clubs shop abroad. The fa need to support the academies,invest in them so good young English talent is brought thru the ranks and when they hit the first team they are ready to step up. The English national team will continue to suffer until something is done. Our so called golden generation couldn't cut it internationally so what hope do we have.
Interesting discussion on England @ around 15-20mins... not only because Noel Gallagher agrees with me.... [video=youtube;gCEbF4vCDdg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCEbF4vCDdg[/video]
