English Football Needs Foreigners!
This debate has been raging over the blogosphere, and I thought I’d put my 2 cents in. As England fall flat in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, typically, they need a scapegoat.
No, England isn’t on the verge of not qualifying because they’re a bunch of lazy, greedy wannabe tabloid-fodder. No, no, no, they aren’t qualifying because some clubs aren’t producing enough English players. As with all frustrating crap, this saga begins with FIFA.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says:
“The European Union does not cover this issue in its constitution at the moment but sport will be mentioned for the first time when they change their laws in December,”
“There are a number of processes coming together to stop the overwhelming presence of non-national players in club leagues.”
So Sepp sees this rosy image in his mind, where the English national team is full of great young talent brought from clubs all over England, just waiting to take the world by storm. These players are hard-working, committed, loyal and proud to be on the team. Someone please take off his glasses and crush them into rose-coloured dust. If Sepp got his way of restricting foreign players to only 5 a team, English football would look something like this:
- The price of English players, already overpriced, will go up dramatically. Though please, don’t expect their work-ethic to improve…now that English players get paid even more, what’s to stop them from spending it on booze, partying and women?
- Only the top 4-6 clubs in the country will be able to afford these overrated fat-asses. What joy we’ll get by watching pure, raw talent like Jermaine Jenas and Kieron Dyer trying to get the ball to the predatorial Dave Nugent before collapsing into a wailing mess, insisting that they’ve been crippled for life by that knock on the ankle.
- Lesser clubs will have to buy up players from the Championship and talents such as Kolo Toure and Cherno Samba would never have been discovered, why waste your precious foreigner slot on an untested African?
Yes Sepp, I totally see where you’re coming from. The game of football is in disarray and this is the only way to fix it. Nope, you’re right…foreigners do ruin the game. That’s why people go to see the blundering oaf Wes Brown instead of the man-mountain that is Nemanja Vidic. Jermaine Defoe is definitely going to work harder now that Berbatov isn’t around to put him off. And why pay ₤16 million for a Thierry Henry when you can get the stylish Darren Bent?
Sepp’s right people, money is much better spent when it’s English.
Editor’s note:: If the topic of Foreigners in the English Premiership interests you, check out Sam Adriance’s “Oh No! The Big Bad Foreigner Is Coming to Ruin English Football!” excellent discussion on the subject, here on Soccerlens.
Topics: English Premier League, Help Football
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Well, since when was Englishness the reserve of people of African descent? Why use Defoe, Bent, and Brown as your examples? When you have truly rubbish and proper English players like Stewart Downing littered all across this country. It is not the Defoes or the Browns that are the problem of the English game, those guys are decent players, not the best, but very decent players, it is players like Stewart Downing and Francis Jeffers that epitomize the lack of talent in England.
November 17th, 2007 @ 11:54Ovie – Stewart Downing has talent. I assume you’re either from the South or Newcastle? And your entire opinion of Stewart Downing is based on tabloid trash?
Anyway, onto the article. These cheap, young Africans may have worked for Arsenal, but they haven’t really worked for anyone else. Indeed, several other clubs are triumphing because of the local English lads – look at Middlesbrough for a prime example. When clubs invest in their academy, which is what would invariably happen should this quota come in, the talent will shine.
Tony McMahon (deposed Reiziger and Xavier before his injury), Stuart Parnaby (now of Birmingham, still in the Premiership), Jonathan Woodgate (technically not ours, but a testament to a previous great academy at Leeds United), David Wheater (already regarded as the next Gary Pallister), Andrew Taylor (an extrememly mature full back who excels week in week out), Lee Cattermole (the youngest ever Middlesbrough captain, and a decent holding player), Stewart Downing (England international, and a superb player) and Adam Johnson (who has just finished shredding the Championship at Watford). Not only these, but several youngsters waiting in line for their chances.
Now, we’re fairly small spenders. Imagine a quota is brought in, and the big clubs have to start using academies. They’ll pump literally MILLIONS into it, and will no doubt unearth some real gems, quite possibly even more than they need, who will filter out into the lesser sides.
This influx of English talent will soon sort out the flogging national side, and will most definitely restore the balance of muscle and passion against trickery and flair that make the Premiership one of the best in the World.
As for the final dig from the article – surely, if we do continue this swarm of foreigners in the side, we will soon play the football of a foreign league? We will play like the Italians do, or like the Spanish do, and we will soon lose the appeal as the ‘best league in the world’, thus losing revenue, thus getting worse, until we ultimately go full circle and are forced to rely on local talent.
I’m sure you’ll agree enforcing some quota rules is much quicker and easier than any other alternative.
November 17th, 2007 @ 22:14Anyone who thinks that limiting foreigners will improve the England team must be of the opinion that:
a) There are some players in the Championship who are as good as Rooney or Gerard but no one has noticed them.
b) There are some teenagers in the Championship who, with the right help at the best clubs in the country, could develop into world class players but because the big clubs buy foreigners they stay average.
c) Decent players like Downing and Wright-Philips would be would be better than Ronaldo or Giggs if only they played for a top 4 team.
Well, if that what they think they are deluded. Limiting foreigners will raise the average English player but not make the best better. That’s what you need to win a world cup. Cream rises and so as long as at least 50 or so English players are playing in the Premiership (or La Liga etc) they will be the best we have. We should be able to pick the best squad of 24 with some spare. There will be too many foreigners when we have to pick half the England team from the Championship.
We should be asking how can we make the Gerards and Lampards into Zidanes and Figos.
What I will say is that foreigners in the Premiership will affect the other home nations. Darren Fletcher is a bit part palyer and Man Utd and one of the regulars for Scotland. There are 2 reserves at Utd (Gibson and Evans) who have already played for their country. In years gone by they would be playing for the first team regularly. Of course, a quota on foreigners would restrict them too so the home nations are in a no win situation.
November 18th, 2007 @ 11:24Whilst I don’t disagree with your claim that restrictions on the amount of foreign players would make managers less likely to take risks on unknown African players (some of whom have since become the best players in the EPL), I find your other claims untenable.
Surely if we have more local talent in the EPL the price of English players will not rise, most likely it will go down. Look at how much ManU spent on Rooney, a ridiculous price. The reason for this ridiculous price is because it’s not often that an English player of his capabilities comes along. The fact that he is a rare commodity, combined with the fact that English players will – generally – provide more marketing opportunities than non-English players, makes his price sky rocket. With more English players ‘getting a go’ I imagine the idea is that we will have a higher number of English players coming through the system and thus managers will not be forced to pay ridiculous amounts at the behest of their marketing team.
Your second claim, again, I find quite problematic. Surely the idea behind restrictions on the amount of foreign players a side can have is to increase amount of good local footballers so that the national team has a vast range to select from and that we’re not left with 11 players who must be selected because of their elite status. If such a rule is enforced, this will not restrict the top English players to a handful of top clubs any more than they are right now. If anything we will given more talent to choose from, talent to vast to be contained just to the top clubs.
I’m not in any way a supporter of foreign player restrictions, but I also feel we should not be so dismissive of the arguments above. I won’t fully express my views, since they’re actually quite similar to Ian’s excellent post above, but moreover I think that restrictions on foreign players would be a bad move even if we did accept that they would have a positive impact on the natonal team. This solution seeks only to cover-up the larger problem English football faces. The reason England is falling behind is because the football it teaches at a grass-roots level has failed to evolve.
P.S Am I the only one who, when presented with the notion of ‘giving the local players a go’ can’t help but think of that one-armed kid from the team I played for as a youngster that our coach insisted on making goalkeeper?
November 19th, 2007 @ 03:53Restrictions and quotas are not the true virtue of this non – religious and passionate global game. I want to specifically draw all your attentions to the era of the English league before the advent of the non English players (specifically Africans)to the league. You would quite honestly agree with me that the league wasn’t worth its salt today.
The “Merit – First” formula of the rejuvenated Premier League is the sole reason why we can unbiasely say that the English Premier League is the most watched and technically innovative of all Leagues.
If you so much love to build your Players then do so in the Academies. A true talent would always show itself.Its not going to be aided by nepotism, favoritism and selected extravagant money splashes on incompetent Bent – like players.
If you truly want a quota form of your league then why sell exensive TV rights to the whole Globe.You could simply close your doors and go ahead and watch Phil Neville better than Fabregas,Essien,zakora Midfielders.Its a shame that instead of a standing ovation to the efforts of Non UK players that have rekindkled your hitherto inexisting dull League, you guys are busy trying to finger the world for your overrated and out of focus England Three Lions squad incompetency.All you guys do is sit with you big fat asses and beer belly and assume you are best footballing nation.I ve always been supportive of you guys but honestly you guys are nothing better than bunches of overpaid street urchins trying to learn how to kick a football.No indepth talent, no team spirit.Only Selfish and ego maniac players. Aside from now rusty Joe Cole, England had never really had a geniune talent. Yes, go hang yourself if it sucks, who cares! Shame to you for your stupid colonial mentality that fools you that even a successful team game like football could be done by you guys alone. Booze off you ingrates.
U cld as well sent them all back home and see your league crash and better yet worse off than the Iranian league.
ITS THE TRUTH AND IT HURTS.OF COURSE I KNOW IT DOES
November 19th, 2007 @ 18:05Ian you obviously dont watch Gerrard or Rooney enough do you?
Both of them are on great form at the moment (despit Rooneys Injury) and are shining in the toughest league in the world.
Stevie is in great passing mode he just doesnt make mistakes nobody is getting past him and he is clinical infront of goal. Rooney is an absolute killer in front of goal probably the best striker in the world on his day.
Zidane and Figo havent even experienced the rough and tough of the EPL. Not saying they wouldnt make it but you could at least use proper examples. yeh no players who have played in england.
All i want is atleast 3 english players in every starting line up for every english team that wont effect the team much will it?
Liverpool could use: Crouch, Pennant, Gerrard and Carragher
Man U: Rooney, Ferdinand and scholes.
Chelsea: Terry, Swp, Lampard
The only team this would really change would be Arsenal so unless your an Arsenal fan you shouldnt be complaining!!
November 19th, 2007 @ 20:12You could sort of say Kewell for Liverpool too. He is half English (and actually wanted to play for England when he was like 10-12).
November 20th, 2007 @ 04:21Liverpool_Fan, you get my point though that we need to improve the best not raise the average. This is not new. It’s what Lilleshall was supposed to achieve.
Actually, I didn´t mention anyone was better than Rooney!
You must admit that Zidane was a better player than Gerard is, even if he hasn’t played in the Premiership.
November 20th, 2007 @ 09:08England has better individual players now than perhaps anytime in the previous thirty years. Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney, Owen, Terry, Beckham, Ferdinand – these are all players regularly nominated for major world awards(http://soccerstatistics.blogspot.com/2007/11/coppel-wants-premiership-quotas-and-why.html). When else could England offer such talent.
November 27th, 2007 @ 10:27