The media have really started banging the drum about this one, especially now that Steve Copell and Steven Gerrard have chipped in with their tuppence worth. The argument goes, that the poor state of the English national team, is a direct result of the amount of foreign players in the Premiership.
Now, am I missing something, but are England no better, or worse than they have ever been?
Sir Alf Ramsey failed to take England to the World Cup in 1974. In 1978 Ron Greenwood failed to repair the damage done by Don Revie, and they again failed to reach the World Cup. Not even Bobby Robson could take England to Euro 84, and 10 years later Graham Taylor famously “did not like that”, as England once again failed to qualify for the World Cup.
So, how many foreigners were playing in England’s top division in 74, 78, 84 and 94?
As ever, it’s more comfortable to pick on the easy target, than actually address the real problems. Not only is Johnny Foreigner coming over here and nicking all our jobs, he’s also turning us into shit footballers.
Geat real. England are simply not producing good enough footballers.
So, why are England, or indeed Wales not producing? Well, ok, that’s a bit harsh. We are producing talent, just look at Micah Richards, Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney. The problem is we are not producing enough talent. Anybody who works in the academy system will tell you, that the talent is there, but standards need to improve. The bar needs to be raised higher.
What the media appears to be ignoring as well, is that we are still playing catch-up. We will produce these players, but the modern academy system has only been in place for the last ten years. The model in Holland, for example, has been around for a lot, lot longer. A very successful junior & youth system that was influential in the development of our own, and is held up today by our coach educators as an example of how to develop young talent.
Yes, undoubtedly, there is some talent in the lower leagues that is being overlooked, and the scouts at the top level have a lot to answer for. I’m sure they prefer to be sitting in some La Liga team directors box watching the Spanish kids perform than standing on the terraces at Barnet. The small pool of talent that we do have in England and Wales may not be getting their chance, but I’m not sure this is because Fernando Torres and Christiano Ronaldo are squeezing them out.
Right now, England, you just do not have enough quality. Owen, Gerrard, possibly Joe Cole, and still even Beckham have what it takes, but as for the rest of the squad, put them man for man up against their counterparts at France, Italy, Spain, Brazil & many, many others, and they just don’t stand up.
Why is it that the British media believes that English players are surely, naturally gifted, that they don’t have to improve what they do, just boot out all the foreigners and they’ll miraculously produce a world beating team?
Over the next ten years we will see a flood of talent come through, as the academy system finally bears fruit, but ironically, by then we will probably have a “foreigners quota” in place, which will no doubt be hailed the saviour of British football.