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Don't blame Arsenal for England's lack of talent – blame the FA
Trevor Brooking and Co need to look closer to home for the causes of the damage being done to the national side by too many foreign players.
by Claire Bee on 28 March 2008
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As England laboured around the pitch in Paris on Wednesday night, no doubt there were many looking on, wondering why we were losing to a team comprising of many Premier League players.It's only a matter of time before Trevor Brooking and the FA appear once more lamenting the lack of English players in the Premier League, and there can be no denying that the majority of the top players have been sourced from abroad.But to suggest that this is somehow the clubs' fault seems like lunacy. They simply want to recruit the best that they can and don't really care where they are from. In other words, if there was a supply of top-quality talent in this country they would want it!Other countries seem to have no problem producing it – just look at the number of Frenchmen plying their trade here, or Spaniards.Forcing the teams to play a minimum number of homegrown players would (apart from being illegal) simply weaken our club sides without benefiting the English team either. It's all well and good saying "If we had more English players competing in the Champions League they would be better prepared for international duty", but the prime reason that we have any English players competing in the latter stages of the competition is the number of foreign players our clubs employ.History is against the notion, too. Since winning the World Cup in 1966 England have achieved nothing of note at all, and the top teams weren't awash with imports throughout the '70s and '80s.The problem is a simple one, and that is we fail to produce enough quality players. Who you seek to blame for that is a complex question, but a large proportion of the responsibility has to lay at the feet of the FA themselves. After all, they have the responsibility for the development of grassroots football in this country.They are also the ones that have implemented the rules that prevent our top clubs from developing our most promising youngsters, by limiting how far away from the clubs' academies young players can live. It is easier for Arsenal (for example) to recruit a youngster from abroad than it is to recruit from this country!So before the FA begins once again to blame our clubs, perhaps they need to take a long look at themselves, and the environment they have created for the development of youth players. I'm sure that if the clubs were allowed to develop them, they'd play them.
Comments (7)
by n n on March 28, 2008
as a matter of fact the FA were planning on creating a national youth academy but they over spent on wembley an had to cancel the plans for the youth academy, they definitely have their priorities in the right places don't they.
by wayne on March 28, 2008
its simple really, the english are xenophobic, which english player do you know playing football outside the uk? no continental experience in the english team, the only way england will get better is to send more players and coaches abroad, duhhhhh!
by A L on March 28, 2008
It is time everone stopped having a dig at Arsenal with regards the England team. Arsenal developed David Bentley, Ashley Cole and also had a major part in the development of Matthew Upson. Steve Sidwell another Arsenal academy player was also knocking on the door recently of an England call up. Arsenal consistently have a number of players in the englands under 21's and under 18's squads and teams. Whilst a lot of other clubs seem happy to have a go at Arsene Wenger especially chairman and managers of other teams with regards the number of english players playing for Arsenal hopefully the next time Arsene comes looking at one of there players they will request a reasonalbe price rather than letting the world know Arsene Wenger is interested and hawking the player round at at ridiculous over the top price.
by Essexian76 on March 29, 2008
Wenger for doing his job, the EPL is littered with every nationality,irrespective of which team you care to mention.The simple fact is good English players are overpriced, and none are really 'Top Drawer'. Lampard, Cole (any,or either) Terry et-al, Ferdinand are not 'world class, neither is Rooney in my opinion, yet their salaries are astromomical, which prohibits any team other than those of a similar status going for them, should they become available.Its easy for fans to critisize others until its their club thats highlighted, but you cut you cloth accordingly.
by johhny foreigner on March 31, 2008
Arsenals players and indeed most prem teams players are not local lads playing their hearts out for their local team. the only thing thats arsenal about most of the present team is the fact they get paid by them. no lifelong fan boyhood dream etc. and this is why football is a joke nowadays. how the hell can arsenal fans identify with their current squad? arsenal fans along with every other prem teams fans are to blame. they should not stand for it and support teams that field local lads giving it their all. but they wont be in the champs league and vying for the league title will they? win at all costs even if it means fielding a team of money grabbing mercaneries. why cant football be about a game between the best of arsenals home grown talent versus anothers local talent. just like schools footy ie only fielding their pupils and not from elsewhere. wouldnt you be more passionate supporting 11 local lads? they would be representing your home town club. so i say 5 must be from within say 20 miles of ground. and the manager should be local too. lets try and slowly take the money out of the equation and get football back to where it began. its so damn obvious.
by Jonny Dickins on March 31, 2008
Former Arsenal players: Muamba, Sidwell, Harper, Upson, Bentley, Pennant, Cole, Campbell. They all play in the Premier League and are all English. Arsenal may have a more foreign influence now but they are responsible for all of these players (bar Campbell) being at the standard they are at.
by Andrew Lamb on May 07, 2008
If all these English players were developed by Arsenal which they're not Campbell came from Spurs and if anyone is going to try and tell me that Fabrice Muamba is English they should have their head examined first. Anyway back to the point, if arsenal develope so many good young english players why do none of them play for arsenal anymore? They are all premier league quality players, some such as bentley and cole are champions league quality players so could somebody please explain to me why they don't play for arsenal anymore? Getting champions league experience and better equipping themselves for international duty. I agree many english players are over rated and over priced but if you get a gem of a talent who is also english why sell them? keep them like Manchester united have with Neville or Scholes or even Brown
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