The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

Rio Ferdinand has hit out at the number of foreign players in the Premier League and believes the progress of England players is being hampered.


Earlier this week, FA chairman Greg **** highlighted the "frightening trend" of the lack of English players starting for their clubs, and his views have been backed by the Manchester United defender.

Ferdinand, 34, singled out the recent clash between Manchester City and Newcastle and said it was "a disgrace" that only three home-grown players were in the starting line-ups.

The former England international also called for new regulations that limit the number of imported players in each team's squad.


Mick Dennis questions FA Chairman Greg ****'s proposed solutions to England's lack of young talent, describing them as flawed.
"Having so few English players in the Premier League diminishes the English team, of course it does," Ferdinand told The Mail on Sunday.

"Look at the Manchester City game recently against Newcastle. There was barely an English player on the pitch, three out of 22 starters.

"That is a disgrace.

"If you look at it and ask whether there should be a stipulation that you have a minimum number of players who are English, even just in your squad, I think that should happen.


FA chairman Greg **** spoke to Sky Sports News to discuss the state of the English game, and how he plans to improve the national team.
"If you look at a lot of teams, there are England players who aren't playing for their clubs - yet we're hoping to go to a World Cup and do well!"

Although it would be nigh-on impossible to implement, Ferdinand would look to copy the example of Turkey, adding: "I would do what Turkey do, and have limits.

"In that country, clubs can have a maximum of 10 foreign players on the books, and no more than six in any 18-man matchday squad.

"I know that European laws won't let a legal quota happen. So you can't do that. But if you want to protect English football and its heritage and its future, something like that has to be done."
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:lol
 
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I'm sick of hearing excuses for a lack of high level english talent. Between not getting a shot and transfer fees being too high.

Every club in Europe tries getting the upper hand by scouting abroad for talent, and Italy, Germany, and Spain are all still doing just fine on the international level. Not every club operates under Athletic Bilbao's model of only getting the best local talent.

They act as if City, Newcastle, or any British club purposely discriminates against British players. It's the best man for the job and if it happens to be a non-brit then that's who deserves to play. It's not like there are great English players playing on bottom half teams either that deserve to be brought in by top sides. And that excuse of British talent commanding higher transfer fees being the reason they don't move and start for better teams is bs to me too. If they're really THAT good, a team will spend the funds on them, or they'll demand a transfer because in their heart they truly believe they should be on a better team.

Edit: and rio is complaining, but in less than a season ManU puts one of the best English players on the bench for a Dutchman who carried the side on his back en route to a title.
 
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I mean if the players are good enough, they'll go through regardless :lol English youth setups are full of foreign talent. You're right those reasons are just that, excuses
 
Another problem IMO is that while other sides have evolved and can interchange between creative football and direct practical football, England and a majority of the BPL never cared for the creative aspect of the modern game.

People also gotta stop buying into the hype that the EPL is the best league. You always hear that so and so isn't athletic or strong enough to play there, but it works the other way as well in that Brits aren't skilled/creative enough and are too stiff to fit into La Liga and other leagues.
 
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I agree, even when the premiership was like 99 percent English in the 70's', 80's, and some of the 90's - England still sucked and missed major tournaments. It's an excuse they like to use now. The problem starts way before players enter the premier league. Just funny Rio talking about it lol.
 
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So Rio, foreigners are the reason why the youth teams were so trash at international tournaments this summer? :lol

Two articles I came across earlier

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ey-sums-up-the-greg-****-dilemma-8803547.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-Unsworth-to-realise-his-England-vision.html

But English football needs to be revamped. The creativity aspect is really a big issue as was point out. I was reading an article about some of the future players of England, the ones that look promising. It brought up Eric Dier, defender who plays the U21 national team. But it pointed out that among the national teams he is the only players to be playing abroad, in Portugal for Sporting CP. Since it was a list, they kept it brief but it seemed like it was trying to make the point that him playing abroad would give him a sort of edge. Does anyone think that will be the case? I would like to see more British players go abroad.

Also speaking of internal issues, France has a lot of issues to work out
 
Since it's inception in 1930, England has only won 1 WC & that was in 1966. Since then, they haven't been in one final. I think there's been a semi final & a quarter final. Even when the Prem first started back in '92-'93 (back when 69% of all rosters were English players), the 3 Lions didn't even qualify for the WC in '94.

I think people like Rio & the FA chairman need to focus less on the foreign players & more on what they can do to bolster the youth programs in England. They also need to address the lack of good coaching available. I can count using a couple of fingers the number of good British coaches there are today.

Without the foreign players, the Prem wouldn't be ish. Shoot I would argue English players are better off having played with foreign players. it's made them better players if you ask me. I find it laughable that the best footballer the British Isles has produced in a while went to La Liga & said they play better football.

Rio's a loud mouth anyway. Always has been. Great footballer, but a loud mouth none the less.

Edit - Lost among Gary's too many foreigners in the Prem press conference is this gem quote about English coaches, “We simply haven’t got enough coaches trained to a high enough level.”
 
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Pep Guardiola was a 'spineless coward' at Barcelona
• Striker reveals how Guardiola made him feel like an 'alien'
• Swede also gives his opinion on Wenger and Mourinho

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has described his former manager Pep Guardiola as a "spineless coward" in his new autobiography, while revealing how José Mourinho became someone that he would be "willing to die for" during his time at Internazionale.

The charismatic striker talked of how former the Barcelona manager Guardiola was a "brick wall" during his time in Catalonia and how "every hour with the club I wished I could be out of there".

Following Barcelona's semi-final exit in the Champions League to Mourinho's Internazionale side in 2010, Ibrahimovic spoke of how he confronted his manager in the dressing room. "I yelled: 'You haven't got any balls!' and worse than that I added: 'You can go to hell!' I completely lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he's a spineless coward. He just picked up the metal box, like a little caretaker, and then left, never to mention it again, not a word."

The 31-year-old, who moved to Barcelona in a deal worth £57m in 2009, had been expected to compliment the then-European champions, but revealed in an extract in the Daily Mail how he was at odds with not only Guardiola, but the club philosophy as well: "I'd already got the impression that Barcelona was a little like being back at Ajax, it was like being back at school. None of the lads acted like superstars, which was strange. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, the whole gang – they were like schoolboys. The best footballers in the world stood there with their heads bowed, and I didn't understand any of it. It was ridiculous.

"Everyone did as they were told. I didn't fit in, not at all. I thought, just enjoy the opportunity, don't confirm their prejudices. So I started to adapt and blend in. I became way too nice. It was mental. I said what I thought people wanted me to say. It was completely messed up. I drove the club's Audi and stood there and nodded my head. I hardly even yelled at my team-mates any more. I was boring. Zlatan was no longer Zlatan."

After falling out with Guardiola, the Swedish striker subsequently left Barcelona 2011 but while he "knew all about the incredible things that had happened at Manchester City", he went on to join Milan after a successful loan spell. Ibrahimovic also mentioned how he could have Arsenal in 2000 but was put off when Arsène Wenger demanded that he have a trial, the deal fell through.

"You can have a trial with us," he said. "You can give it a try. You can test things out. No matter how much I wanted to behave, those words set me off."

However, Ibrahimovic was full of praise for the current Chelsea manager Mourinho: "That guy says whatever he wants. I like him. He's the leader of his army. But he cares, too. He would text me all the time at Inter, wondering how I was doing. He's the exact opposite of Pep Guardiola. If Mourinho lights up a room, Guardiola draws the curtains. I guessed that Guardiola was trying to match up to him. Mourinho would become a guy I was basically willing to die for."
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Mastamind89 said:
So Rio, foreigners are the reason why the youth teams were so trash at international tournaments this summer? :lol

Two articles I came across earlier

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ey-sums-up-the-greg-****-dilemma-8803547.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-Unsworth-to-realise-his-England-vision.html

But English football needs to be revamped. The creativity aspect is really a big issue as was point out. I was reading an article about some of the future players of England, the ones that look promising. It brought up Eric Dier, defender who plays the U21 national team. But it pointed out that among the national teams he is the only players to be playing abroad, in Portugal for Sporting CP. Since it was a list, they kept it brief but it seemed like it was trying to make the point that him playing abroad would give him a sort of edge. Does anyone think that will be the case? I would like to see more British players go abroad.

Also speaking of internal issues, France has a lot of issues to work out
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Eric Dier moved to Portugal when he was 10 years old, he was groomed and taught football at Sportings academy. He should play for Portugal but he decided against it. He's an exception.

I don't think English players need to play abroad to get better. The Germans, Italians, and Spaniards for the most part play for there respective countries and they do just fine.

It all starts with English football and the mentality, it needs to be changed. Tactically and skill wise, they're low on the totem pole. They see and play the game in there "own" way and have been way to arrogant to change. It's not progressive.

Once the mentality is changed then the youth systems and coaches can develop these youngsters. They're years behind. I doubt it happens. Arrogance is pride, the English take too much pride since they invented the game.
 
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I remember reading about his beef with pep and the Wenger thing a while back, the Mourinho thing is new to me.

Also, I actually think its cool for dudes like Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi to be humble. Although its perfectly understandable why Ibra's over the top ego and (imo awesome) personality didn't fit in at Barca, i don't think it's right to call them "like schoolboys." Those "schoolboys" were the engine of what many called the best club side ever, and their humility despite their success most likely was important in them maintaining their dominance.
 
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Man I don't want to be that guy but Vela playing for Mexico :x It's over, CONCACAF is ours again.
 
LilJRDN said:
Does Vela truly makes Mexico that much better?
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Yes. The boy is in his PRIME right now. The boy is cooking. Best thing that can happen is he secretly gets called up to play the US and shows why he is that missing piece. Then Canelo takes the W on Saturday.
 
IMASOLEMAN18 said:
rio doesnt like the foreigners yet his line and keeper are foreign:rolleyes
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That's not what he's saying.

Technically he's right, the Spanish, Portuguese, Ligue 1, Bundesliga all have boatloads of players from their own country.

England's top teams often don't.

Then everyone wonders why England as a NT don't perform well.

You can't argue with these numbers: "Look at the Manchester City game recently against Newcastle. There was barely an English player on the pitch, three out of 22 starters.

If you look at United:

Ferdinand
Cleverley
Young
Welbeck
Jones


Arsenal:

Wilshere
Oxlade-Longnamberlain
Walcott
Gibbs
Jenkinson

Tottenham

Walker
Defoe
Lennon
Dawson
Rose
Naughton

These clubs are at least trying to have English players while implementing their chosen systems. I won't even bother posting the likes City, Newcastle, Chelsea....

Now look at the Germany and Spain NT's, look where most of their players are playing, they're playing in their country. A bunch of them are on the same club teams! So of course they'll gel and perform better than England.

I don't think Rio has a problem with foreign players, I think he like many England fans have a problem with a league that boasts so much international talent, but a national team can't replicate the league success. But it's plain as day as to why...
 
In regards to the lack of English talent coming through I can speak first hand as to why this is happening as I watch it through my very own eyes living here,
The MAIN issue we have is that kids are not playing football on the streets anymore or outside like they have always done in the past, h3ll that was all I did as a kid, Now this generation of youngins sit indoors playing FIFA, These kids would rather be the best on FIFA a video game then go out and try to be the best in real life :{
The kids that are coming through are the ones in under privileged areas mainly and this has become more and more the case since Video Game consoles have became more popular over the last 10 - 15 years.

This article somes it up perfectly from former Premier League player Clarke Carlisle:

''There were big-time Charlies when I was an apprentice, but even the biggest showed a modicum of respect for the senior pros.

Not these boys. They had travelled down on one of those five-star luxury coaches, and afterwards they all plonked themselves back on it with their iPods plugged in. While they settled into their seats, the skips of dirty kit were pushed along the path below by Peter Beardsley. Yes, the former England great Peter Beardsley.

Generations before me would have carried an iconic figure like Peter on to the bus, let alone push the skips themselves, but that respect isn’t there any more.

It was one of the most disheartening sights I’ve seen''
 
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eiddyfouw said:
That's not what he's saying.

Technically he's right, the Spanish, Portuguese, Ligue 1, Bundesliga all have boatloads of players from their own country.

England's top teams often don't.

Then everyone wonders why England as a NT don't perform well.

You can't argue with these numbers: "Look at the Manchester City game recently against Newcastle. There was barely an English player on the pitch, three out of 22 starters.

If you look at United:

Ferdinand
Cleverley
Young
Welbeck
Jones


Arsenal:

Wilshere
Oxlade-Longnamberlain
Walcott
Gibbs
Jenkinson

Tottenham

Walker
Defoe
Lennon
Dawson
Rose
Naughton

These clubs are at least trying to have English players while implementing their chosen systems. I won't even bother posting the likes City, Newcastle, Chelsea....

Now look at the Germany and Spain NT's, look where most of their players are playing, they're playing in their country. A bunch of them are on the same club teams! So of course they'll gel and perform better than England.

I don't think Rio has a problem with foreign players, I think he like many England fans have a problem with a league that boasts so much international talent, but a national team can't replicate the league success. But it's plain as day as to why...
Click to expand...

Yea but England wasn't doing well in tournaments even when the premiership was 90 percent English during the 70's, 80's, 90's. More English players on top teams would make the league worse. This situation started decades ago.

But yea, Rio has a point. Having a bunch of foreign players in the league is adding gasoline to a bigger problem. Catch 22.

Maybe it's the weather's fault :lol
 
I'm pissed Ronaldo is missing tonight's Brazil and Portugal friendly :{

If I was going to the game in Boston I'd be heated. Wish Bruma or Quaresma would take his spot, make it somewhat entertaining on the wing. Guess we'll just have to deal with Nani. :rolleyes
 
An in-season cash grab friendly across the Atlantic?

I could have told you two months ago that he wouldn't play. :lol
 
CoupeIt88 said:
I'm pissed Ronaldo is missing tonight's Brazil and Portugal friendly :{

If I was going to the game in Boston I'd be heated. Wish Bruma or Quaresma would take his spot, make it somewhat entertaining on the wing. Guess we'll just have to deal with Nani. :rolleyes
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Quaresma I love, One of my favorite all time players but he is 1 million miles away from a NT recall
 
eiddyfouw said:
IMASOLEMAN18 said:
rio doesnt like the foreigners yet his line and keeper are foreign:rolleyes
Click to expand...

That's not what he's saying.

Technically he's right, the Spanish, Portuguese, Ligue 1, Bundesliga all have boatloads of players from their own country.

England's top teams often don't.

Then everyone wonders why England as a NT don't perform well.

You can't argue with these numbers: "Look at the Manchester City game recently against Newcastle. There was barely an English player on the pitch, three out of 22 starters.

If you look at United:

Ferdinand
Cleverley
Young
Welbeck
Jones


Arsenal:

Wilshere
Oxlade-Longnamberlain
Walcott
Gibbs
Jenkinson

Tottenham

Walker
Defoe
Lennon
Dawson
Rose
Naughton

These clubs are at least trying to have English players while implementing their chosen systems. I won't even bother posting the likes City, Newcastle, Chelsea....

Now look at the Germany and Spain NT's, look where most of their players are playing, they're playing in their country. A bunch of them are on the same club teams! So of course they'll gel and perform better than England.

I don't think Rio has a problem with foreign players, I think he like many England fans have a problem with a league that boasts so much international talent, but a national team can't replicate the league success. But it's plain as day as to why...
Click to expand...

That's funny considering Chelsea has just as many England NT players as anybody outside of United.
 
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