Tonight was a reminder there isn't enough English talent coming through...

[pastafarian]

I would support a limit of foreign players in English clubs that would see a higher ratio of English players.

not possible

 

[Gwylan]

I would support a limit of foreign players in English clubs that would see a higher ratio of English players. Who really gives a fu#k? English football needs to evolve.

Changing the rules to promote more mediocre players will do nothing to improve the team. It doesn't matter if there are only two or three English players per team if those who do play are genuinely world class.

What needs to be done is to improve matters so that those players do emerge but I see little sign of any progress there

 

[blockhseagull]

We have had a better squad than we have for a long time but we didn't have Hannibal playing for us!! But on a serious note; money talks and sky make the calls...English players don't have enuff flair!

Have we ? Really ?

I don't believe that for a second they just haven't massively underperformed like the squads before them. We have the worst back 4 than we have had for a long long time.

 

[Kevlar]

we have never been consistently successful in international tournaments
many teams have a far better record than us
this time drawn in a group with 2 other top 10 sides
we all knew it was going to be difficult
there again many Albion fans think 2 years in the
championship play offs is failure

 

[Albion Rob]

Changing the rules to promote more mediocre players will do nothing to improve the team. It doesn't matter if there are only two or three English players per team if those who do play are genuinely world class.

What needs to be done is to improve matters so that those players do emerge but I see little sign of any progress there

I think it needs to be a balance. I think the youth coaching issue has been talked about a lot and you'd have to hope that it is being addressed. Certainly the touch and skill of some of the younger players suggests it is but we won't know for sure for 5-10 years.

For me thought the young English players need to be getting more game time and that's not going to happen all the time PL clubs can buy a 26 year old African who is slightly better and stick him straight in to the team with less risk that it won't work out. I think playing more in big matches is what develops players - average players become good, good players become very good, very good players become excellent etc - and the important thing is decision making. Making choices quickly under pressure can't really be replicated in training. Most of the side plays fairly regularly for their clubs but where are the next 11 players putting pressure on their places. A small talent pool means the options are limited. We can't even drop Jagielka because who the hell else would replace him.

My other point would be a crude one about our culture. A lot of foreign players come here and generally settle in, give interviews etc. it just doesn't work the other way round because as a country we're so crap at languages so, crudely, our lads go to Italy, France, Spain etc and spend an unhappy year to 18 months before coming home (I know there are honourable exceptions). If there was an option for our lads to go abroad and play for mid table Serie A teams at least they would be getting experience but why would Verona or Parma take a chance on a LSD who only just grasps English let alone Italian?

I think it's all a vicious circle sync to some extent it goes further than what happens when the players step onto the pitch.

 

[mikeyjh]

The gokeeping position is where it really stands out. Hart has no real competition. Just 4 Premiership sides had an English keeper as first choice last season (Fulham only later on) and two of them (Fulham and Norwich) we're relegated. Sure he was at fault for Ronaldinho's free kick in 2002, but Seaman was steets ahead of Hart and look at the keepers we had. Yes we had a bad period with only Chris Woods at the top, but he had a hard act to follow on from Peter Shilton.

Yep, absolutely. Oddly I don't have much of a problem with our midfield/forwards, but defence and keeper is a crap area.

 

[Igzilla]

U20 World Cup 2013. We finish bottom of a group involving Egypt, Iraq and Chile. I don't see things getting much better any time soon.

U17 European Champions though. Let's hope the PL doesn'tt break this lot.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Tonight was a reminder that Suarez is currently one of the best players in the world. He's top five, and probably top three.

Two chances, two very good goals. And he worked hard to be in the right place or to create the chances as well - they weren't just presented to him on a plate.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Yep, absolutely. Oddly I don't have much of a problem with our midfield/forwards, but defence and keeper is a crap area.

What happened to your Lee Grant? I had virtually forgotten about him until he turned up for you against us. When he first started out I think he was an England Under 21 international and set for big things in the game. Part of the problem as well it seems to me is today's keepers are so slight. Look at Shilton - built like the proverbial brick garden building. The nearest equivalent is Brad Friedel, who sadly is American. If he had been English he would surely have been our Number 1 for years or at least have competed with Seaman. The only English keeper with anywhere near that stature is John Ruddy, but he didn't exactly have the best season with Norwich.

 

[beorhthelm]

When in the Premier League, average players (on an international level) are able to earn £150k per week or more we're never going to win anything

thats bollocks though isnt it, as players from all over the world are earning that money here and in other leagues, and winning things.

 

[mikeyjh]

What happened to your Lee Grant? I had virtually forgotten about him until he turned up for you against us. When he first started out I think he was an England Under 21 international and set for big things in the game. Part of the problem as well it seems to me is today's keepers are so slight. Look at Shilton - built like the proverbial brick garden building. The nearest equivalent is Brad Friedel, who sadly is American. If he had been English he would surely have been our Number 1 for years or at least have competed with Seaman. The only English keeper with anywhere near that stature is John Ruddy, but he didn't exactly have the best season with Norwich.

He was looking good as a youth and when he broke in to the first team but was then (wrongly) usurped by Lee Camp as he broke through. Then went off and did really well for Wednesday and Burnley. Didn't look all that at the beginning of the season but since Eric Steele joined he's been getting better and better, don't think there are too many better English keepers around.... Agreed on your wider point though.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Some good young players coming through, but lets not fool ourselves. The PL is a great training ground for foreigners but not good for our national side. The one good thing about an early exit is the cracks can't be papered over..

Well the problem actually starts at home here at the Amex. With overseas players getting spots in our academy already, over local lads its not surprising that we are not bringing talent through. I cannot believe that our scouts are travelling to Eastern European countries and Scandanavia to spy 14 year old talent that are not available locally. In fact some of the very junior teams under the wing of the club are starting at age 8 so are we failing these young potetnial talents or is it easy for scouts to go abroad