Arsenal, Chelsea - and the British game that Manchester United strive to protect

Every time Arsenal turn in a performance that is merit-worthy, the usual suspects have to start banging on the old xenophobic drum again. So you say you would find it hard to support a team like Arsenal, well I guess that's why you and your ilk do not, so guess what, you're NOT Arsenal's target market, and seeing as the new ground is packed out and there are queues waiting for tickets, I guess they're not missing your and your ilks' patronage too much either. Why don't you find something interesting to write about YOUR team (who incidently are benefitting from Arsenal's generosity and Englsih talent right now), instead of expecting everybody else to subscribe to the same neanderthal views you hold so dear?

I think that this article must surely have been written by some rookie. The simple reason because English players dont make it to Arsenal or Chelsea's squad is that they dont have the requisite talent. And all those Englishmen who are talented are available at such huge prices you wonder whther you are buying a player or just being stupid. Man U fielded 5 Enlishmen.. carrick for 15 million pounds, ferdinand for 30 million pounds, rooney for 27 million pounds.. the total cost of the arsenal squad would be less than just the three of these players.. and we all know whta these players are capable of.. look at curtis davies.. he's being valuead at 10 million pounds.. but if u can get players like toure for 500000 pounds and eboue for 1 million pounds.. why would you go for english players who are highly overrated and overpriced?? Man U has so any englishmen only because they can afford them.. but if u look at a club like arsenal who doesnt spend even half of that amount and look at what they have achieved.. you

You say you love what you saw in the Arsenal-Blackburn match. Name me a contingent of English players that could play that way? There are very few that could even make a first XI. This is not Arsenal's fault. Arsenal is just a reflection of the fact that the world left England behind with regards to technique and pernache. 1966 was the last time the english won the World Cup. Furthermore, Man Utd's English players are all the previous, mid-30s generation. There is no generation that has come through presently. Arsenal cannot afford the overinflated wages of English players (note, the foreigners are far more affordable, which you wrongly stated otherwise) or their transfer fees, but are raising talent such as Walcott, Muamba, and linked with Lleyton Baines. They did try to buy SWP, but Chelsea ruined all that. Stop blaming Arsenal, and blame the FA's mismanagement at not installing the correct youth development, like the rest of Europe, even Ivory Coast, did.

Yuo havw to face the fact that in the League or in any other lower or foreign leagues, winning IS what it's about. Sad as it may seem, many great talents are found in other countries. By the way, why just involve the Gunners and the Blues? We're not the only teams almost completely foreign, are we?

I'm sorry but that's absolute rubbish. How much did united pay for wayne rooney. Wenger CAN NOT AFFORD THAT. How much for Carrick. A ridiculous sum for a player who doesn't deserve to lace Keano's boots. Likewise Ferdinand. If you are suggesting that o'shea, brown, fletcher are the future, then good luck man united. I'm Irish and I just have to laugh. Obviously fair play to united for bringing giggs, scholes, beckham, neville et al thru the ranks together to build a great side but those days are gone. As for Arsenal, Wenger knows that the only English players worth buying are either at another club in the top four or command a ludicrous fee. Wright-Phillips:20m. Tomas Rosicky:6m. Easy choice. You English overrate all of your players, their inflated egoes in turn engender your continued lack of success as a national team. I saw trevor brooking talking on telly lately about the need to change the culture in english football academies cos english players are not brought up to same level of technique as the cont

I think top managers have been put off buying overpriced and in many instances overrated English players. Couple that with the problems many of them also cannot cope with, ie. drinking or bar brawls just to name a few it's no wonder managers are reluctant to invest money in them. Now Chelsea on the other hand can of course buy up the cream of ready made English talent because money is no object, they even paid over the odds for Shaun Wright Phillips just to stop Arsenal from getting him, and in turn, by hardly playing him, have ruined a good England prospect. Even Fergie is now buying mostly foreign apart from Rooney who is an exceptional talent, well worth taking his problems aboard in the bargain. The problem is, when top clubs are charging £1000 for a season ticket then you expect to see the best. Until English players can learn to behave and concentrate on what they're paid to do the influx of foreign players in the British game will continue.

We are all people, London is a very cosmopolitan place, more so than Manchester. British or not, if you can play football, it doesnt matter. You talk a load of rubbish.. so much i dont even want to go in to it... Bollocks

This is so old way of thinking. Football is an international business, and that wount be changed. What difference does it make whether the players are from the hood around the stadium? This is just stupid. As Wenger says, why should we deny a good player from playing just because he isn't Brittish? Stop thinking regionally and start thinking globally, think your Israelians should look outside your walls more often, the rest of us valuate ppl on where they are from.

The article is not about who spends what on whom. I love overseas stars - they add tremendously to the British game and have skills we cannot match. However, I happen to think that clubs in England's national league should try to field a reasonable number of homegrown players. In Arsenal's case, I don't think they are making much of an effort. Do Gunners fans really think the situation is ideal as it is?

1) to pay silly money just because a player is english is stupid. 2) if the english players are good enough there are still loads of teams where they can show their talents, not necessary at arsenal. 3) as for team identity; no problem at arsenal, since they sell out every game thay play. all this makes you just a smallminded british brat.

Donna Gee is spot on and all those sad Gooners who rush to criticise her miss a very important point - football should be about community, identity and nurturing local talent. This is an important debate and Sonna is right to air it.

Why should there be a need for British players? Does it make a difference where the player is from or what he looks like? This is a new millennium and its based on a global perspective. If you only feel comfortable supporting your fellow countrymen, then watch the World Cup and Euro competitions. Don't complaint about a more diverse, increasingly expanding and developing club football system. These foreign players made what the EPL is today. Without them, with the current Brits playing in the EPL, no English club would stand a chance against European opposition (Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Lyon, etc.). The English side in the World Cup showed the world what they are capable of - absolutely nothing. Maybe if England started producing better footballers, there wouldn't be a need for foreign influence. And by British means, the only non-English players with world class talent would probably be Ryan Giggs, who is now playing well after his prime. Cheers!

Of course Donna's right. The crazy cockneys have just gone overboard in their pursuit of buying their way to success in the transfer market. The current sides bear no connection to their youth programs.. .. they might as well just ditch their youth teams. They don't care about anything but results. They pretend to serve the community but there is is a total disconnect. These two clubs stand for nothing but money and trophies and that is why what they win is irrelevant.

Well said. The game should be based on local pride and connections. The Spanish, Italian and German leagues manage to nurture domestic talent. These London teams are selling out for success at the cost of their local roots. I hope they don't prosper.

We can't take as an excuse the fact English players are not good enough or not affordable. Man United is number 1 at the moment with a lot of UK-born players. And not affordable? But did you see how much the Russians spend in the likes of Shevchenko or Drogba? Sounds like poor excuses for me.

Chelsea have no London fans. They are a total waste of time. West Ham, Millwall, and Charlton are real London -- not the blue or red foreign legion.

All those who think this article is worthy simply dont understand football.. for once.. just clear your mind and read as to what i have to say.. Pick a player 1. eboue 1m or curtis davies 10m 2. toure .5m or ferdinand 30m 3. henry 10m or rooney 27m 4. rosicky 6m or SWP 21m 5. fabregas free or carrick 15m(dont even compare those.. carrick s*cks) just to name a few.. and if you look at the youth setup as many people commented on.. arsenal's is easily the best youth setup in the whole wide world.. simply because young gunners arent able to make the grade doesnt mean its arsenal's or chelsea's fault.. all it means is that foreign players are much more better than their english counterparts.. any people reading this would thoroughly agree that there is hardly an english player who could make it to the arsenal side which played the way they did against blackburn.. english players are just bullies who dont know crap except for playing negative and physical football(seen on many occasions this season at t

You make a good point, but the problem with your logic is that by ignoring local talent Arsenal and Chelsea are perpetuating the inability of young British talent to make it into the higher levels. The writer is simply suggesting that these clubs should not be based on foreign talent alone. It would at least seem that Chelsea's owner now recognizes this. Surely you must be pining to see young local players in gooner shirts like the old days??

how many youth systems can provide a truly great team any more?? The level of foootball is so high that at best a clubs youth set up might provide 3 world class players for the first team every generation and a hand full of squad players but this wont win you too many trophies. If you wont to see local talent as a fan go watch a lower division, the beautiful game is about winning not sentiment

ferdinand cost man u as much as shevchenko give or take a few pounds and i think drogba was slightly cheaper than carrick so man u pay for english talent through the nose

Neither Arsenal or Chelsea have produced a home grown English first team player for a good while. Ashley Cole was the last Arsenal player. UEFA are to impose sanctions to ensure this happens, I for one am totally in favour of any restrictions which help protect the longer term interests of the national game. IF it carries on like it is now we wont be producing any English players - which reflects all aspects of British industry - we don't produce anything any more including footballers.

the article on too many foreigners in the EPL is a shame. why does it matter; the situation is that cole and campbell decided to continue careers somewhere else and every other english player costs rediculous amounts (carrick:18.6mill) and either way, arsenal don't need anymore footballers . Arsenal is a north london club and will always be a north london club. TH14's primary reason for staying is because of his admiration for the EPL and because he considers london as his home. Obviously Wenger doesn't feel that football is just about winning because he wouldn't field such a young and inexperienced side if he did. If anything arsenal defines what more there is to football than big transfer buys, getting goals, big names and trophies. i'm a blackburn supporter but i'm extremely proud to have a club like arsenal in the EPL to display the quality of football we represent here in England. too me their not foreigners, they're gunners, and after saturday's fixture, i bloody hate them.

walcott,ho