All This Foreigners B*llocks Has To Stop Right Now!
This is really getting on my nerves now.
I’m not sure who is more retarded. The media for overhyping the issue, or the majority of the public who eat all this drivel up.
Yes, the England team is potentially looking at disaster by not qualifying for Euro 2008 and it seems quite obvious that a lot of people are looking to blame everyone else except themselves.
Quite pathetic really.
It can’t be because the manager is a shitter version of Sven can it? It can’t be because McClaren is a yes man and the FA are stupid in appointing an unproven manager in the first place can it? It can’t be because all the England players are so overhyped and overpaid can it?
Look at yourself instead of passing the blame so easily.
Am I the only one who sees that foreigners have improved the game?
Before players from abroad came over to the Premier League the standard was okay, but technically not the best. Hell, it took Arsene Wenger to arrive from Japan to instil proper eating and training methods for Christ’s sake!
No-one mentions that contribution from a ‘foreigner’ do they?
There are so many reasons why a quota on English players in Premiership teams would not work, and if people even think for a minute it would improve the standard of the national team then they are seriously deluded.
The REAL reason the national team is only average is because English players are too scared, too lazy or can’t be arsed playing overseas. Look at the most successful National teams of recent years. If you look at Brazil, most of their squad play in Europe, and a lot of the French squad play in Italy, England and Spain. And it’s the same with Argentina.
And Spain, a country which has a lot of homegrown players in their league has a consistently under-achieving national team!
The only real exception would be Italy, who are the latest world champions. Although thinking about it they have a lot of foreigners playing over there, albeit it not as many.
Do you want to know what will happen if we introduced player quotas in the Premier League?
The overal quality of the league will fall, and the top 4 will become even stronger.
All the best English players will be bought by the top 4 - as they will be the only ones who can afford them - and in turn all the other Premier League teams will have to make do with recruiting English players from the Championship.
So is lowering the bar going to improve the standard of English talent?
Surely having the chance to play with the best players in the world in the Premier League would improve the standard of the English players?
I dread to think how Theo Walcott would turn out if he trained alongside Emily Heskey instead of Thierry Henry over the last few seasons!
The FA have to look at themselves because one of the other main problems is at grass roots level. If they looked after children and their footballing development like they did in Holland, France and Italy then England wouldn’t struggle like they are now.
Seriously, the stupidity in regards to this whole issue is amazing.
It really annoys and quite frankly shocks me the idiocy of a lot of people. Someone comes up with the idea of the foreigners ruining the national team and it snowballs beyond belief.
The Premier League is so great because it is a place where only talent, skill and desire prevails. It doesn’t matter what your race, nationality, age, height, whatever - football is the beautiful game because absolutely anyone can watch, participate and to risk sounding overdramatic it brings people together.
If you’re watching Arsenal you don’t care where your fellow fans come from do you? The only thing that matters is that he or she supports Arsenal Football Club.
And it should be no different on the pitch.
November 15th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I totally agree with you, go and look at our site at http://www.le-grove.co.uk and you’ll see we are saying much of the same thing.
Irritating isn’t it?
November 15th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Couldn’t agree more - it’s very easy for people to jump on the bandwagon and blame foreigners and in particular Arsenal for the England team’s failure. If English players were good enough (or not so overpriced) they’d get in the Arsenal team. And what of the English players who left Arsenal - Wright, Jeffers, Pennant, Upson etc how many of those have gone on to achieve anything? NONE!! In fact Wenger did them a favour by letting them leave rather than rotting in the reserves.
November 15th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I find this issue absolutely disgusting. Whatever next? Will Gordon Brown say there is too much crime in London, so let’s stop letting in Indians, Polish and Germans? DISGRACEFUL.
November 15th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Two words: Spot On!!
November 15th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
My analogy was a little off there - I should have said Gordon Brown would be concerned about the lack of English people taking jobs… which is true because there is high unemployment. What idiots.
November 15th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Not only that the top 4 teams will take all the ’slightly-better-than-average’ English at hyper inflated price, foreign clubs will suck all the money from English teams because less teams will be willing to take risk on unproven foreign players due to the quota & will be willing to play a king’s ransom for them. Talented Africans will stay in their country & we will never see the emergence of the next Toure or Eto’o. It will adversely affect the football development of the poorer countries & exacerbates the proverty of those nations. Hire a panel of economist to analyse the implication before making a fool of yourselves! Wenger has a master’s degree in economics & he knows better. The situation is akin free trade. Comparative advantage makes everyone better off & protectionism promotes inefficiecy, in the case of football complacency. English players will think that it is their birth right to play even thought they were not good enough and it will lead to further deterioration of English football.
November 15th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Well said, some common sense at last, why cant we listen to opinions like this on sky sports, instead of the finger pointing witch hunt which the media are pointing at arsenal & Liverpool. Seems like they brain wash everyone to believe that foreigners are the problem with British football, I would rather pick players from championships or league football, at least they have passion, aggression, pride. Not the over paid models we have today.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
There is no way FIFA and Platini will ever be able to force these kind of measures through. As someone has already pointed out if you imposed quotas on players in certain countries what would happen to those players like Toure, Drogba and Kaka. While some of them would qualify to play others would miss out, stagnating the development of their international teams.
This is just a simple bandwagon people have jumped on to avoid telling the real truth that our players arent that good. We put too much emphasis on strength and power and not enough on using footballing brain. Look at the current England squad and all you see is “power” players, Rooney and J Cole aside. The only way we will see England playing good football again is when the club sides start changing the way the train their youth teams.
You only need to look at the example of the three Arsenal players who made the England U-17 squad this year who found it hard to adapt to a team that didnt play the ball on the ground to feet.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Also the standard will drop, the premiership cannot command the revenue that it does now. even in this country now we have had a taste of quality football we would view the Spanish, Italian or French leagues. Attendances will drop. THEN SO WOULD GERRARDS, FERGIES, COPPELS, TERRYS, LAMPARDS WAGES!!!
November 15th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I will quit watching EPL if Gordon Brown get his wish. I only enjoy watching Arsenal play, the rest of the teams would make me fall asleep. Fan of Pro Arsene Wenger of HK.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I’ve not read many comments that support player quotas!
November 15th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Agree with everything you said.
For example,Matthew Upson would be playing for Arsenal spending every week marking the likes of Nugent,Jerome,Howard etc and is on the basis of playing superbly against them picked for England and finds himself having to play against Henry,Torres,Eto etc.
So this improves England!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 15th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Can someone tell me, just how many cups England won, during the years 1968 - 1996, when there weren’t all these horrible “Johnny Foreigners” in our country, messing up our game?
IT’S THE MOST PATHETIC UN-EDUCATED ARGUMENT I’VE EVER HEARD!
“England are shit! Who shall we blame…?”
Errruuggh…
Beckham? Nope!
Lampard? Nope!
Gerrard? Nope!
McClaren? Yeah, a bit!
Wenger! YES… BINGO!!!
LET’S BLAME HIM & ALL HIS FOREIGN BUYS!
This country will never win anything until every one realizes England are just not that fucking good anymore & they nation team needs some serious shaking up!
November 15th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Whatever you say about Sven at least hes is a qualified coach who has seen success in previous jobs. What the fuck has McClown ever done ?
So if England do fail to qualify will the FA look to what the French FA did all those years ago and make the changes needed - better football academies , better coaching courses to make sure that the youngsters are coached properly right from the beginning by fully qualified coaches ….
Probably not. They will believe the media hype and unqualified, underachieving managers and blame the overseas players for the standard of coaching and players in England.
Not to mention that most England national team players are more concerned with modeling underpants and spit roasting page3 girls then actually giving their all for the national team.
November 15th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Its funny how this whole ‘buyin foreign players disrupts the growth of english players’ issue never came up when england were actually qualifiying for tournements and now that they stand basiclly no chance of qualifying they try to blame someone else. Pathetic really..the only people to blame is the players and management. Yes england have quality players but they need to show more heart and determination…just like scotland!
November 15th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I think its ironic that the last England manager was foreign.
I am also beginning to think a lot of people in England are racist. maybe racist isn’t the right word. but certainly a dislike of foreign people. Arsenal have never been respected outside of our own confines mainly beacuse we have so many foreign players. the recent comments against foreigners has shocked me.
November 15th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
mind you it will be funny when in five years the national team is ranked 40th in the world. I can see the Sun ‘Please bring the foreign players back’ campaign now.
does anyone seriously think our league could attract the likes of cesc, Henry, Torres etc if this rule comes about? absolutely definitely not is the answer. why the hell would they want to play in a very average team? we will have second rate foreigners as well as second rate English players. the entertainment value will drop like a stone. enjoy it while you can lads.
November 15th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Are Foreigners The Problem?
The Top 4 clubs Arsenal, Liverpool, Man U & Chelsea are managed by Foreigners. Why not English men as Fergie is Scottish because english men are not good enough.
England chose McClaren as a compromise, they prefered a Brazilian. Why not an English man, simply because they are not good enough.
Why is it that serious teams never go for English men? Simple they are not good enough.
Now England is not doing well and everybody is blaming the foreigners and Arsenal.
But Arsenal is just one team, how can one team be blamed for lack of good english boys.
Mark you, it’s the foreign manager backed with the foreign players that made Arsenal top.
November 15th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
The Independent today is full of shit about introducing quotas. They are convinced they are right because they have the backing of none other than Steven Gerrard! Yes, the same Steven Gerrard who could not pronounce ‘continuity’ in his interview yesterday.
Whichever way you look at it, there are myriad sound arguments against quotas but the intellectual basis behind the arguments for them are gossamer thin. It boils down to the belief that it could not possibly be our fault, so let’s blame the foreigners. The comments above are spot on; the quality of the Premier League would drop like a stone; the interest in the EPL overseas would evaporate and the TV money would dry up. It will be interesting to see how Gerrard reacts to taking a massive pay cut!
There have been some very interesting and sound articles on this subject published in the past couple of days. Try these:-
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/07/07/five_years_to_save_english_foo.html
and
http://arsenal.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=880&p=2&stid=8461534
Finally, I would just like to say that Reading’s Dave Kitson has soared up the rankings of my favourite non-Arsenal players, following his comments earlier this week.
November 15th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Recently, the media latched on to a story that, on the first day of the Premiership season this year, only 37% of the players starting were English, compared to something like 75% fifteen years ago. This shows how the foreigners are taking over and the damage that it is doing to England’s prospects.
They clearly did not stop to consider how well England were doing 15 years ago. This was the era of Taylor’s Turnips 1 Swedes 2 and was quickly followed by England’s failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Oh, to get back to those glorious days!
The truth is, there has never been a golden age of English football. We won the WC in 1966, largely down to the advantage of playing at home, with some favourable refereeing, and several games where we scrpaed through. We have had a couple of semi-finals and that is it. We have never played the kind of football in this country that is likely to win these tournaments; the rest of the world knows it; it’s just us who can’t see it.
If the FA were really smart, instead of trying to destroy Arsenal, they would look to learn how to get their own players capable of reaching such standards.
They also neglected to mention that the Bundesliga started this year with 37% German players too - exactly the same % as in England. Of course, we all know that Germany have been persistent under-achievers on the international stage!! LOL!
November 15th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
also, correct me if I’m wrong but dont the other three top team all have at least 4 english players playing in their team already? and yet the england team is still crap. how can one team get all the blame when there are 20 teams in the premiership and quite literally hundreds of English players playing in it.
I think if a rule is brought in, then something like 2 or 3 English players in the SQUAD would be more than enough. not that it would change a great deal overall. any more than that and you end up with a weaker team, which repels good foreign players - that of course will lead to a very low chance of English clubs winning the European cups.
November 15th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
The fact is overseas players ARE having a negative effect on the quality of English players, but the media are barking up the wrong tree and missing the two key points.
It isn’t clubs like Arsenal who don’t have English players who are undermining the quality, it is clubs like Chelsea who buy up the best ones at ridiculous prices and then keep them on the bench or in the reserves. In contrast, wenger has let Bentley, Upson and Pennat go and increase their international aspirations.
And it’s clubs like Reading who buy in average foreign players who add little to the overall standard by blocking English players from playing at a higher level.
Isn’t it therefore ironic that Mourinho and Coppell have been criticising Arsenal this week.
Why should fans be deprived of the seeing the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira or Fabregas? It’s players like Ingimarson, Gunnarsson and Hahnemann who prevent opportunities for English players and coaches like Mourinho who reduce promising stars like SWP, Johnson or Bridge to bit part players that should be in the dock.
November 15th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
It’s a type of Racism. ‘Racism lite’ maybe. It ties in with the whole ‘immigration’ screaming that is popular among some people over the last few years.
People have come to understand how ignorant racism is seen and so (subconsciously or not) they join in this ‘immigration’ argument, thinking that because lots of people are saying it, then it is acceptable.
The reality is that more foreign players come because the standard is higher and the money is better.
And anyway, quotas for EU nationals are illegal under EU law, leaving 2 options: live with it, or leave the EU…
November 15th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Spot on. Instead of the English set-up getting on to the basics,they are mouthing too much.
The kids are spoilt by the law and quick money. The English blokes are simply not professional enough. Sad
November 15th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I remember when England failed to qualify for the World Cup finals in 1994, a Conservative MP said it was the fault of British primary school teachers.
I also remember that when I was a kid we used to talk about how Arsenal players should be from London, Liverpool players from Liverpool, etc.
November 15th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
this is pissing me off too. you hit the nail on the head with your comments mate. its the majority of the idiotic public going along with it that really gets on my tits.
Its not all come about just as an excuse for england - its also jealously at our success built on a shoestring.
November 15th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Great article and some excellent responses
The problem is not Arsenal’s or any othe clubs buying policy its the fact that this country has the wrong ideals on success.
English/British players tend to have the wrong mental approach to football take SWP for example playing week in week out at MC. Then gets a chance to take a commission on his 23mill move to Chelsea and sit on the bench. Ponker!
Us Brits feel like the world owes us something and we seem more concerned about what car or phone we have rather then how successful we came become. Beckham had Paul Smith design the suits for the last world cup. What did we win, Sweet FA!
Now the kids at Arsenal have the right mental approach, which can only be a credit to Mr Wenger. Mature above the years, no. I say that they are focusing on what is important. That being, playing to the best of your ability and enjoy it. The result is great, entertaining and successful football, and I am a spurs fan!
So what do we Brits do, we complain its unfair, because we cant compete, stupied, stupied, stupied.
As for the national set up Macca shouldnt have the job, just because he is English doesnt mean he is good enough. Lamps, Gerrard, Ferds, Cole to name but a few arent fit to wear the national shirt. All of them have along the way lost sight of the game, maybe when their bank balances burst through the million mark.
Keep up the good work Mr wenger, if that is the bench mark to aspire to, good on him and us. If only we could find some english players willing to step up to the plate and try to aspire to it!
November 15th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
To back up my theory on poor approach to football, look at my team
Robbo, Dawson, Lenon, Jenas, Defoe, Huddlestone, all english, mostly talented, cant be arsed!
and we wonder why we have just scrapped out of the drop zone
November 15th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
And! When all these “stars” like rodney (copperplate Del) Lampard, and even our Theo they must know they are not training with the quality of Henry, Essien, Drogba, Ronaldo etc They must know the training isn’t as good because the manager has only won a mickey mouse cup.
But we still hear the same shit ” we can win” “we can go all the way” They must know that Gerrard suits Wimbeldon in the eighties, Beckham was a one trick pony who needed van nisterooy whatever his name was to look good. Does the wide mouth sweat? Why do we put up with Rooneys attitude because he cries and fouls when he’s up front on his own? Take out the stars and put team players in like Barry, J Cole, Micha Richards. Then i’ll support England not France or Holland (one lion on my shirt) Thanks all!
November 15th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
totally right-the relatively low number of English players coming through at the top level is nothing to do with the number of foreigners in the premiership- they are a consequence of the real problem , not the cause- this stupidity is staggering. it is entirely due to the failure to teach young English school age kids sufficient technique and skills and tactical preparation-there is still far too much selection based on power. rather than skill. at all levels of junior football in England. Hell if the Swedes, Danes and Norwegians can develop kids with skill, why can’t we?
November 16th, 2007 at 3:54 am
I think the reason the media is overhyping this whole issue of ‘foreigners’ in the EPL and blaming the likes of Arsenal, is because firstly, they got it all wrong in the beginning when they said that Arsenal would fall flat on their faces and would end up outside the top four, but where are they now? Sitting pretty at the top. Secondly, I agree when someone said that because England may be on the brink of elimination, that’s why they are finding a scape goat. So by doing this they are actually two birds with one stone. Each and everyone here has their opinion and they are very valid. it is sad the the English FA, Gordon Brown, Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini, Alex Ferguson doesn’t see the repercussion of implementing ‘quotas’ in football. Whatever happened to “kick racism out”? I wonder what Platini would say in those days playing in Italy for Juve and the Italian FA had told him the same thing just because he was French.
November 16th, 2007 at 10:53 am
I don’t really know why the downfall of a country’s football could be related to a club out of manys. Why are the fingers pointing to Arsenal-Wenger? Which of those clubs (big or bigger or biggest) have retain their ownership as English? Thiery Henry is great footballer, playing along side him has really and in no measure geared up Theo. He knows that. Ask him. Ask anyone in your club. Having Peter Cech isn’t better than having Robinson. If Robinson he’s the best for England, What do you call it if you have the likes of Cech? To have the best foreigner alongside you makes you feed confident and improving. If you look up and all you can see is you and no one, and you look down and you see people saying you are the best. You will come down in no time because you can’t be there alone.
Let’s see if we can tell the English people to stop selling their clubs to foreigners. That’s not done. They sell clubs. They sell their heritage. They sell their names to foreigners. They sell their country’s improvement and futures to foreigners. We are here blaming the foreigners who bought the clubs instead of blaming the English who sold their clubs.
Do you think these English who sold their clubs should be blamed? Believe it or not. NO. And I say capital NO.
Blame your media. Media says a player worths 16M pounds while the more quality from another land cost 3M pound. The club owners are forced to buy in 16M instead of 3M. They run into debt because they don’t want to offend the media. Debt makes them sell the clubs. Who put them in debts? English media. Who damages English Heritage? English Media. I can continue to name lots and lots. The Question I will want you all English to ask yourself is this.
Please be sincere. Who controls the English Media? If you know the answer, you know where your problem lies.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:01 am
I don’t really know why the downfall of a country’s football could be related to a club out of manys. Why are the fingers pointing to Arsenal-Wenger? Which of those clubs (big or bigger or biggest) have retain their ownership as English? Thiery Henry is great footballer, playing along side him has really and in no measure geared up Theo. He knows that. Ask him. Ask anyone in your club. Having Peter Cech isn’t better than having Robinson. If Robinson he’s the best for England, What do you call it if you have the likes of Cech? To have the best foreigner alongside you makes you feed confident and improving. If you look up and all you can see is you and no one, and you look down and you see people saying you are the best. You will come down in no time because you can’t be there alone.
Let’s see if we can tell the English people to stop selling their clubs to foreigners. That’s not done. They sell clubs. They sell their heritage. They sell their names to foreigners. They sell their country’s improvement and futures to foreigners. We are here blaming the foreigners who bought the clubs instead of blaming the English who sold their clubs.
Do you think these English who sold their clubs should be blamed? Believe it or not. NO. And I say capital NO.
Blame your media. Media says a player worths 16M pounds while the more quality from another land cost 3M pound. The club owners are forced to buy in 16M instead of 3M. They run into debt because they don’t want to offend the media. Debt makes them sell the clubs. Who put them in debts? English media. Who damages English Heritage? English Media. I can continue to name lots and lots. The Question I will want you all English to ask yourself is this.
Please be sincere. Who controls the English Media? If you know the answer, you know where your problem lies.
Anyone chew and not swallow will realize what foreigners have done to the development of good football in this country’s league.
If you love good football, you love watching the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Man U, and likes.
November 17th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I find the English quota argument distasteful in the extreme. Last night I sat through 90 minutes of absolute shit in the form of Austria vs England. Glenn Hoddle and Ray Wilkins creaming themselves over the performances of Beckham and Lumplard. Wake up and smell the coffee boys, England are shit, McClaren is a yes man, he will revert to his favoured Gerrard-Lumplard midfield axis on Wednesday night regardless of the fact its never fucking worked and never will. Gareth Barry sitting on the bench regardless of his recent performances. We wont qualify, we dont deserve to. The dust will settle and the media will continue to point the finger at Wenger. Un-fucking-real.
Ferdinand plays alongside Vidic at Man U is half the player and earns double. Terry/Carvalho at the chavs? Terry is reported to earn £130,000 a week!! I doubt his Portugese counterpart earns half that (poor thing). Terry is the new Tony Adams I’m told. Fuck off! He’s a CUNT!
Who would Wenger take from this current England set up? Micah Richards, thats it. It will never happen because being Engish the lad is now in the £20m bracket. He is an absolute gem and I believe could be truly world class, working with Wenger he would become “Super” world class.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:06 am
That’s truly said Chppy but the fact is that Wenger wont go for him at that price. This is the problem english game face internationally. A good place like Arsenal for Richards but the price too much for the place to put Micah. Can you imagine Micah in that 20M. If all clubs continue to pay that amount, don’t you think they will surely run into debt?
The Media and politician should be held responsible for the downfalling of the English football. And believe me, if attention is not shifted to where it should, the downfall will continue.
The Media and the politicians wont want the attention focused on the right channel, hence, the clubs, the foreigners. And the ball boys