Tonight's football thread

[biara]

Check out
http://www.transferleague.co.uk/prem...transfers.html

shows all the transfers in and out, think IainR, you can do pretty well with Arsenal players still in decent level of the game, Anthony Stokes at Celtic isn't bad, Steve Sidwell is doing okay and I'd say the ex Arsenal keeper Mannone played well vs Everton on boxing da. In fact quite a few keepers leave arsenal and don't do badly, Marshall, Stack and Almunia, never hit the heights but have okay careers.

Look at that website and you can see the shocking level of spending from City and Chelski!!

[Richard Head]

Iain, you've got to bear in mind that the lad supports a Lancashire club so football knowledge obviously won't be his strong point

I think you are getting a bit confused darling, geronimo supports the scousers and we got shot of them 40 years ago along with the mancs

[Stagger]

78 games since utd last conceded a penalty.
You decide.

[IainR]

Agree Diara.. when you look at money spent.. the fact that City and Chelsea won so little is incredible..

Wenger has done superb, the fact he was questioned was a disgrace... a great manager.. United fans have hated him but you cant fault his belief in youth and passing football. Him, Fergie, and Jose forced the league to another level.. despite what is said I think the English game is far far better for him and jose,,

[Miss July]

I think you are getting a bit confused darling, geronimo supports the scousers and we got shot of them 40 years ago along with the mancs

Whatever.

Anyway Lanky Lad, I'd like to have your thoughts on this. Mourinho and Wenger may have brought on the English game, but wouldn't you agree there are too many foreign players in the Premier League these days?

[IainR]

There is, however I think thats the failing of our youth system. We just don't bring through technical intelligent players, all we'd do by banning or restricting numbers is take the english game back to the 80's.

I watched Brechin yesterday, one touch football.. hoof... hoof.. brechin had a front line of nice technical players, young lads, slight, short but fast... yet the were still hoofing balls at them... everything wrong about the British system was highlighted.. they had a freekick, 10 mins to go one nil down, you looked across the bck line and every player gave 2-3 inches on his marker, and the centre back just floats a high ball up.. just incredible.

I like the 4 home grown players in the squad rule, encourage the development. However Wenger has changed and realises the value of english players and those that make it are far better now.. wilshere et al. Strangely the best thing to happen has been the stupid prices, its forced clubs to invest in youth. At the moment I think the english gave is healthier than is made out at the 20-25 level. Maybe not in numbers but in quality technical players.

[Richard Head]

Whatever.

Anyway Lanky Lad, I'd like to have your thoughts on this. Mourinho and Wenger may have brought on the English game, but wouldn't you agree there are too many foreign players in the Premier League these days?

Perhaps you'd want to go back to the days of the 1880's when players had to live within 4 miles of their club's ground for 3 years before they could play in the FA Cup. That was brought in to stop the Lancashire clubs dominating by bringing in players from Yorkshire and Scotland. Just as in those days as long as they were winning Preston fans weren't bothered that half the team were jocks, Arsenal and Chelsea fans aren't bothered where the players are from as long as they win some silverware.

[IainR]

Thing is when a team is winning people rarely care who the players are, where they are from and how they play..

When you start losing it matters if you at least have players who care for the shirt, players brought up in the club playing good football.. Chelsea were a perfect example under Jose first time around, it was when they started losing Roman suddenly wanted better football..

Its why City go through so many managers, when they win they don't care they are paying £45 to watch 11 mercenaries with no link to the club, when the lose they easily turn on the players and manager.. and the manager goes... then the pantomime starts all over again..

Compare and contrast with United.. we are going through a bad spell yet Moyes still gets sung about and has the OT support...

[Derby Tup]

I loved it in the 90's when the Rams has some local-ish lads playing. iirc Lee Carsley was a Derby fan, born in domtown

[Richard Head]

all we'd do by banning or restricting numbers is take the english game back to the 80's.

You mean back to the era where English teams won 4 European Cups in 5 years, that would be a backward step wouldn't it.

When was the last time a team won a trophy with a team of local lads? Starting with Blackburn Olympic winning the FA Cup helped by players poached from Sheffield, then the Scottish influx in the late 1800's, through to modern days where most of the great teams I can remember were boosted by Scottish, Welsh and Irish players. What's the difference between those imports and those of today. As long as they are of the right character and quality players who gives a shite where they are from