Should we limit the number of foreign players in the English Football?

[tomasjj]

In fact I'd go even further. I'd even ban foreigners from our football forums !!!

I thought Anfieldanfield was Welsh, if I am right that means you can start looking for the door... .

[Howard_lfc]

No.

How about improving the coaching of young players by learning from other countries that do well in developing young players technically (where English players are lacking)?

And they should also set up Academies where you can combine school and football from a younger age.

Much better alternatives, instead of letting mediocre players fill the teams just because they are born in one nation.

oh pleeeeaasseee.

Most of the players from the big clubs are already coached by top top coaches and yet the national team is cack.
Take your skando tinted glasses of Tommy.

[tomasjj]

oh pleeeeaasseee.

Most of the players from the big clubs are already coached by top top coaches and yet the national team is cack.
Take your skando tinted glasses of Tommy.

Well, then you are fecked.
So that would mean that the youngsters aren't talented enough from the start then, or they don't work hard enough then?

Do you honestly believe that the England team is ****e because young English players aren't getting a look in at their regular team due to the foreigners?

Or do you reckon there are some other reasons as well?

I'd be interested to hear, as I think the blame the foreign talent influx is a much to simplistic and fitting argument. So easy to blame others, especially when they are foreign as well.


Oh, and you don't think that English players are lacking in technical ability on a general level compared to foreign ones, say Spanish, French, Italian ones?

[Howard_lfc]

Well, then you are fecked.
So that would mean that the youngsters aren't talented enough from the start then, or they don't work hard enough then?

Do you honestly believe that the England team is ****e because young English players aren't getting a look in at their regular team due to the foreigners?

Or do you reckon there are some other reasons as well?

I'd be interested to hear, as I think the blame the foreign talent influx is a much to simplistic and fitting argument. So easy to blame others, especially when they are foreign as well.


Oh, and you don't think that English players are lacking in technical ability on a general level compared to foreign ones, say Spanish, French, Italian ones?

Yes I belive this. How anybody can say otherwise beyond me actually.

I take your point about technical ability though as our youngsters are not as technically gifted as those you mention but that is due in most part to the way football is played in this country - at all levels - including grassroots.

[PTP]

i'm sure i read somewhere (or maybe i am just making it up ) - that the SPL created their own ruling on number of home grown players. It's something like every team in the SPL needs to have at least 3 home grown players aged 21 or under in their match day squad. Apparently it has worked really well -

maybe something similiar here might work but change it slightly so the age limit is say 25 or something. It doesn't necessarily mean they will have to play in every game - but it does mean the likes of Hobbs, Martin, Anderson etc etc will be fighting for a 'guarenteed' place in the squad and more of a chance to play.

[tomasjj]

Yes I belive this. How anybody can say otherwise beyond me actually.

I take your point about technical ability though as our youngsters are not as technically gifted as those you mention but that is due in most part to the way football is played in this country - at all levels - including grassroots.

So....how about looking into this then?

[AFII]

A PL player must be stronger than in Spain for example because of the style of play in England.

That means that more training will be based on stamina and fitness than technical ability from a lower age.

I think myself that the refs allow far to much in the games even if it make the games look better and quicker. Change that and you will also change the way a young player need to train.

Some of the yellow cards are clear cut red ones but just because the games are played in England then the player get away with a yellow for example.

That means that a young player must be stronger before he gets a chance in the league for a top club if he isn't as good as Fabregas.

You don't need to be as strong in Spain because of the refs so more training is based on other things.

[PTP]

A PL player must be stronger than in Spain for example because of the style of play in England.

That means that more training will be based on stamina and fitness than technical ability from a lower age.

I think myself that the refs allow far to much in the games even if it make the games look better and quicker. Change that and you will also change the way a young player need to train.

Some of the yellow cards are clear cut red ones but just because the games are played in England then the player get away with a yellow for example.

That means that a young player must be stronger before he gets a chance in the league for a top club if he isn't as good as Fabregas.

You don't need to be as strong in Spain because of the refs so more training is based on other things.

i remember reading an interview with Pongolle - he was talking about how when he first signed for liverpool, went training etc and he was just snapped all over the park. He couldn't believe how tough even training was. Anyway the first time he went back to france (about 2 months later) with the under 21's, he was running around in training crunching absoloutly anything that moved. they had to stop him and calm him down and all his teammates were looking at him like "****in 'ell - who is the physco"

[dww]

i'm sure i read somewhere (or maybe i am just making it up ) - that the SPL created their own ruling on number of home grown players. It's something like every team in the SPL needs to have at least 3 home grown players aged 21 or under in their match day squad. Apparently it has worked really well -

maybe something similiar here might work but change it slightly so the age limit is say 25 or something. It doesn't necessarily mean they will have to play in every game - but it does mean the likes of Hobbs, Martin, Anderson etc etc will be fighting for a 'guarenteed' place in the squad and more of a chance to play.

I think the plan is sound with the under 21 limit, I would however increase the number of subs allowed in a match day squad by two. I think it is important that any scheme aims to and appears to be a way to increase opportunities for young English players rather than a xenophobic policy to limit those of foreign players.

I would in fact be tempted to make the regulations more strict on importing young players (say under 18) and then not specify the nationality of the under age players in the match day squad. Although the best way to regulate the market in young players is probably at European level - but I suspect there would be a lot of support for the measure particularly in France and Spain.

[Slim]

It's interesting that this debate has been going on ever since the huge influx of foreigners into the game when the Premier League started in 92.

We have constantly been warned that the amount of foreign players in the game will lead to a lack of success at international level, but yet at the same time the current crop of England players in the last few major tournaments have been the so called "Golden Generation" and it's been argued they are the most talented since 1966?

Back in the 70s there were hardly any foreign players in domestic footbal, yet the English national team didn't qualify for the World Cup in 74 or 78 despte English club sides dominating European competitions.

Surely bad coaching has a lot to do with this as I think the talent is there, despite the amount of foreigners in the game. Italian football may not have as many foreigners in Serie A as it once did, but it used to be the place for big names foreign players to go and it never harmed the Italian national team.

[dww]

It's interesting that this debate has been going on ever since the huge influx of foreigners into the game when the Premier League started in 92.

We have constantly been warned that the amount of foreign players in the game will lead to a lack of success at international level, but yet at the same time the current crop of England players in the last few major tournaments have been the so called "Golden Generation" and it's been argued they are the most talented since 1966?

Back in the 70s there were hardly any foreign players in domestic footbal, yet the English national team didn't qualify for the World Cup in 74 or 78 despte English club sides dominating European competitions.

Surely bad coaching has a lot to do with this as I think the talent is there, despite the amount of foreigners in the game. Italian football may not have as many foreigners in Serie A as it once did, but it used to be the place for big names foreign players to go and it never harmed the Italian national team.

I'd agree with that. I think that people have too high expectations of the national team. Italy and Spain have leagues with comparable amounts of foreign players in their leagues and both produce highly talented individuals themselves but look at the complete contrast in national team fortunes.

I tend to believe that the problems with the national team is a lack of tight control and technique and poor tactical awareness and instincts. Partly I think that is a function of national character and the way we play the game here at a young age and partly a function of the fact that the current generation were educate by coaches who were isolated from the innovations in Europe. Obviously the latter criteria has now mostly changed and I would expect an improvement in future generations.

I think it is worth looking at the situation as it is not obvious that players who need time to develop like say Carragher would get the opportunities to do so at most clubs at the minute. I suspect that currently there would be an avenue for most players with any hope of making it to get games but it is worth questioning whether this will continue to be the case.

It is also worth asking if we care. If we support LFC above England should our goal not be to bring through players who love the club and perform at the top level for us irrelevant of nationality (in the style that say Barca did with Messi)?

[fred_plasticine]

It's interesting that this debate has been going on ever since the huge influx of foreigners into the game when the Premier League started in 92.

We have constantly been warned that the amount of foreign players in the game will lead to a lack of success at international level, but yet at the same time the current crop of England players in the last few major tournaments have been the so called "Golden Generation" and it's been argued they are the most talented since 1966?

Back in the 70s there were hardly any foreign players in domestic footbal, yet the English national team didn't qualify for the World Cup in 74 or 78 despte English club sides dominating European competitions.

Surely bad coaching has a lot to do with this as I think the talent is there, despite the amount of foreigners in the game. Italian football may not have as many foreigners in Serie A as it once did, but it used to be the place for big names foreign players to go and it never harmed the Italian national team.

the whole discussion is based on the argument that a limitation will improve the national team. history shows it cleary doesn't. as in every other matter in life, some will never learn the lessons.
when it's time to take a hard look at yourself and accept that the way you've always done things mightn't be the only way, let alone the best one, then it's always much easier to point you finger at someone and let him take all the blame. again, history teaches us that that's ususally foreigners or other minorities.
i'd rather have alsono and mascher in my team at the moment that one hyped up john welsh who didn't even make it to a prem team.
football would be about the only sports where a less competition would be beneficial.

[spud_gun]

Stevie G should have a look around our dressing room and then think twice before making ill informed comments about quotas on foreign players.

[Nic83]

We should limit it to 15 per squad.

[the rev leeroy brown]

to limit the amount of foreigners in the EPL would be ridiculous!! the arguement about helping the national team is laughable....the reason england has a **** national team is obvious - you think you are better than you actually are!!

england doesn't have an embarrasement of riches as has so often been claimed.

1. paul robinson is a mediocre goalkeeper at best
2. only john terry is a world class defender - the likes of ashley cole, rio ferdinand, gary neville, sol campbell are good players but not great ones
3. gerard and lampard are the only great players in midfield and have shown in every game they have played together that they cannot operate in the same team effectively
4. rooney is the only great forward you have - owen is past his best, crouch isn't good enough and the likes of defoe and bent would struggle to hold down a regular place in the welsh national teams

to limit the amount of foreigners would damage the quality of the league, it would bring down the quality of english players playing in the league and to be honest who cares about the national situation that much anyway. every week we see great players in great games in the EPL but you only get 4-5 national games a year. i say bring all the best players in the world to the EPL regardless of if they are foreign or not!!