England are going to be SHITE in 10 years...

[Easy 10]

Why? What divine right have we to be world-beaters?

I'm not saying we have a devine right. What I AM saying is that we SHOULD be achieving so much more. We should be one of the most feared teams in the world.

We have some of the wealthiest clubs on the planet.

We have some of the best and most modern facilities of any country in the world.

We have probably the strongest national League structure of any country in the world, with 4 fully professional divisions.

We have MILLIONS of youngesters at grass roots level dreaming of making it to the top of our very own NATIONAL sport.

And yet, despite all this, we have the likes of James Beattie, Emile Heskey and Darius Vassell as our backup strikers if Owen and Rooney are injured. We have NO world class goalkeepers. We have NO left-sided midfielder. And outside of Gerrard, Owen, Scholes and Beckham, we have very little in the way of genuine world class talent.

We should have world-class talent all over the pitch with what we have in this country for footballers. We don't. THAT, in my opinion, is an absolute DISGRACE.

 

[CAFC Matt]

Don't delude yourself.

England have 3 good teams.

Arsenal (mostly foreigners)
Chelsea (mostly foreigners)
Man U. (mostly foreigners)


There isn't the quality across the board like there is in Spain or Italy.

What I am saying though is the majority of our England squad play for these teams or week in week out agaisnt teams that are very good in the prem (Otherwise they wouldn't be there) so we should be better.

 

[Brovion]

I'm not saying we have a devine right. What I AM saying is that we SHOULD be achieving so much more. We should be one of the most feared teams in the world.

Ah but that's my other point, you've just got to accept the fact that we're crap at football. I dunno why, the weather, national character, wrong teaching in schools, I dunno. Whatever it is (and it's probably a combination) it has resulted in the fact that anyone born in this fair country is almost incapable of playing football to a decent standard.

 

[aussie gull]

Ok just curious, what would be your preferred starting XI for the next England match?

 

[Easy 10]

Ah but that's my other point, you've just got to accept the fact that we're crap at football. I dunno why, the weather, national character, wrong teaching in schools, I dunno. Whatever it is (and it's probably a combination) it has resulted in the fact that anyone born in this fair country is almost incapable of playing football to a decent standard.

So should we just shrug our shoulders and accept that we're shit ? Or should we do something about it ?

IMHO, the solution is that FIFA need to incur a law across the board. And it is this.

Clubs are to have no more than 6 foreign nationals on the pitch at any one time. Clubs can sign and employ as many foreign players as they like for their squads, but when it comes to fielding a team, they can only play a maximum of 6, which is, I think, a fair blend. This will improve the game on two fronts.

1. Clubs will be more choosy about the foreigners they sign, meaning we're LESS likely to have our top division infested with the likes of Postiga, Cheyrou and Diouff, and MORE likely to have the better class of foreign players who do actually bring something worthwhile to our game.

2. Clubs will be forced to invest in their own youth teams, and make use of the players coming through, giving them valuable experience in the first team. That, and make use of the domestic transfer market and sign good young players from the lower divisions, meaning that the smaller clubs can once again start benefitting from transfer fee's from the big boys. Either way, the knock-on effect is that we have a far more productive system designed to channel the best of the English talent to the top of the profession.

It would take time, but I think the benefits to our National game by doing this would be huge in the long run.

 

[CAFC Matt]

Ok just curious, what would be your preferred starting XI for the next England match?

It's too hard to choose. We ain't really got any really good players who must be included

 

[bhafc99]

So should we just shrug our shoulders and accept that we're shit ? Or should we do something about it ?

IMHO, the solution is that FIFA need to incur a law across the board. And it is this.

Clubs are to have no more than 6 foreign nationals on the pitch at any one time. Clubs can sign and employ as many foreign players as they like for their squads, but when it comes to fielding a team, they can only play a maximum of 6, which is, I think, a fair blend. This will improve the game on two fronts.

1. Clubs will be more choosy about the foreigners they sign, meaning we're LESS likely to have our top division infested with the likes of Postiga, Cheyrou and Diouff, and MORE likely to have the better class of foreign players who do actually bring something worthwhile to our game.

2. Clubs will be forced to invest in their own youth teams, and make use of the players coming through, giving them valuable experience in the first team. That, and make use of the domestic transfer market and sign good young players from the lower divisions, meaning that the smaller clubs can once again start benefitting from transfer fee's from the big boys. Either way, the knock-on effect is that we have for more productive system to channel the best of the English talent to the top of the profession.

It would take time, but I think the benefits to our National game by doing this would be huge in the long run.

But doesn't that immediately run into problems with EU competition/fair trade/right to live and work anywhere in the EU legisaltion? Not disagreeing, just raising the issue.

 

[Easy 10]

But doesn't that immediately run into problems with EU competition/fair trade/right to live and work anywhere in the EU legisaltion? Not disagreeing, just raising the issue.

Well, like I say, clubs are quite at liberty to sign as many foreign players as they like. And just like any other player, they'll train with the club, be paid by the club, and be part of the clubs squad. If selected, they'll play in the team as one of the 6 allowed, if they're not, then they won't. Whether or not they feature in the 1st team is not a matter for employment laws - the club are still employing them, they've just got to be good enough to get in the 1st team. And in that respect, its surely no different from any other player.

 

[Albion Rob]

I think England are fine and will continue to be fine for many years to come. I think we all get very concerned aboit how great other sides are and don't concentrate enough on our own abilities.

Every Brazillian that can score a goal is the next Pele, every German that hits the net is the new Gerd Muller (read that Carsten Jancker) and every new French cap is the nxt Platini (ok, they're good at the moment).

I agree there are far too many very average foreign players over here earning ridiculous money and I too worry that none of our lads ever seem to make it on the continent, but I DO think we are still a force.

No-one wants to draw us in any group be it qualifying or finals stage and not just because of our fans. We have players of exceptional quality as well as those who are able raise their game in a big way when they need to.

And this carries on too. Joe Cole, Jonathan Woodgate, Chris Kirkland, Paul |Robinson, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson and Wayne Rooney will all be world beaters in three to five years and that's about half a team (plus a sub keeper) I've named there.

Whenever I worry about young players not developing fast enough, I think about Gazza (not the best example as he grew up, but there you go). He didn't make it big until the 89-90 season, before that he was a lad with potential who would be bullied out of games and was too erratic and indisciplined. He wasn't even a certainty for the squad for Italia 90 until he had a stormer against Czecholovakia. He was 23 by the time he actually began to realise his potential. Unfortunately it was downhill from there though, but that's another story.

i honestly believe that young players simply don't get the chance to develop like they used to, maybe it's all the exposure on TV or something.

 

[Icy Gull]

Maybe it comes down to the "get stuck in" attitude of football in Britain that doesn't encourage skillfull players to devlop their skills at a young age. I'm pretty sure that Ajax have a policy of minimal competitive football for all their youngsters allowing them to develop without getting kicked around the pitch. Unlike England where there are so many huge young lummoxes who are in the team the team because they cripple or intimidate all the skillfull players around them.

 

[Giant Seagull]

Quite right, i mean Campo?, what a crock of shite. I just what to dunk his big Perm in a bowl of Flash Lemon Fresh and clean the Kitchen floor with it.

Houllier seems to think that the Liverpool youth system should be filled with failing french talent, Cheyrou, Le'tellac? WTF

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Look at the choice of strikers Italy, France, Holland and even Spain have then look at ours. We've got Owen, who on his day is world class - unfortunately his day seems to be getting rarer and rarer, and even then he's not in the same league as Henry or Van Nistelrooy - and Rooney, who although a real talent is not the finished article by a long way yet. 2 decent strikers! Plus if Beckham gets injured we're f***ed, face it.

 

[Giant Seagull]

Weve always got Phil Neville

 

[balloonboy]

Interesting debate. I had always thought that the influx of foreigners to the Premiershite would mean the trickle down effect of the good English players having to play Div 1 or Div 2 footie. Yet this hasn't happened - look at the standard of Div 2 this season. Even David Lee can get a few games, FFS! Many of the decent-ish English players seem to be on the books of the Premiershite big money clubs, but just playing reserve team football (or not even that - some clubs don't even have a reserve team). Teams like Arsenal invest millions in youth development, then Wenger goes and buys a few Frenchmen. The youngsters may get a chance to train with Thierry Henry, but do they ever play a match?

 

[Yorkie]

I think these things run in cycles. I don't know why but it does.
We do well for a few tournaments and then seem to struggle to find class players (someone has already mentioned 74 & 78)
Then the next crop of youngsters do well for about 8 years or so.

We will rise again and have heroes again.

Btw Brovian, our 66 team were class. I won't have it said we only won the World Cup because we were at home. Players like Bobby Charlton were renowned the world over.

 

[Brovion]

.... Btw Brovian, our 66 team were class. I won't have it said we only won the World Cup because we were at home. Players like Bobby Charlton were renowned the world over.

The '66 side were good, no doubt about it but I still maintain it was a one-off, a bit like Wimbledon winning the FA Cup. The '66 team never went on to win anything else (unlike the German or French teams) and it's commonly agreed that the 1970 side were better. Still, at least we have won it, Spain and Holland would love to say that.