[RMCF]

Over the last couple of years UEFA have been making noises about teams in Europe having to have a certain number of home-grown players in their team (or players that have come through a youth system in the country).

This was originally going to start at around 2, then have to go to 4, then on to 6 by 2010 or something (can't remember exact details).

Now, I have just been watching a bit of the Arsenal v Portsmouth game and I see that Arsenal have Walcott as the sole Englishman playing for them today. I know at times that it is not uncommon for an all-foreign team to play in the EPL.

As a Madrid fan, I would hate to see a team with no Spaniards in it. I feel that the team would not have the same identity and passion. I realise that UEFAs idea is probably against labour laws and will probably be challenged by the bigger teams, but I would love to see a rule of 6 home grown players in every team in all of UEFAs leagues. It would put an end to this nonsense of foreign players gaining nationalisation and thus not taking up a non-EU place in the team (eg how is Roberto Carlos NOT A foreigner? He's from Brazil!!).

Thoughts?

[Steven]

I get UEFA have good intentions. But forcing domestic sides to support the National side will not benefit national teams! Do UEFA really think top sides wouldn't buy domestic if the talent was there?

If UEFA wanna be honest, they would only want to do it to the EPL, but can't so inc the whole of Europe. Not so much the spending power of the EPL, but more indicative of the youth system in this country

Or I've lost it again and so far off the mark, I'm not even on the same sport anymore!

[CFC1]

Good points... As a Chelsea fan, I was disappointed a few years back, when under Gianluca Vialli, we were the first PL team to field all foreigners. While it is the success of the team that is ultimately important to me, I am happier now that we have a core of English players at the club and would welcome more... Having said that, we have lost Scott Parker, Glen Johnson (on loan at Portsmouth), and of course Damien Duff, recently, which is annoying.

5or 6 home grown players would work for me, but as you say, labour laws withstanding... the genie is already out of the bottle... might be hard to implement now.

Added to that the fact that we would end up with one or two clubs with the very best of home grown players, the gulf between teams would increase more. For example, Liverpool would have Gerrard and Crouch, but would then have to weaken the team by dropping four proven, foreign internationals and drafting in four average home grown players! .... Hey, that would work for me... Who do I need to lobby for the change?

[Steven]

Originally Posted by CFC1

For example, Liverpool would have Gerrard and Crouch, but would then have to weaken the team by dropping four proven, foreign internationals and drafting in four average home grown players!

Carragher and Pennant have been frequently in the first team Don't get too excited just yet as that's still more than your team

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by CFC1

Good points... As a Chelsea fan, I was disappointed a few years back, when under Gianluca Vialli, we were the first PL team to field all foreigners. While it is the success of the team that is ultimately important to me, I am happier now that we have a core of English players at the club and would welcome more... Having said that, we have lost Scott Parker, Glen Johnson (on loan at Portsmouth), and of course Damien Duff, recently, which is annoying.

5or 6 home grown players would work for me, but as you say, labour laws withstanding... the genie is already out of the bottle... might be hard to implement now.

Added to that the fact that we would end up with one or two clubs with the very best of home grown players, the gulf between teams would increase more. For example, Liverpool would have Gerrard and Crouch, but would then have to weaken the team by dropping four proven, foreign internationals and drafting in four average home grown players! .... Hey, that would work for me... Who do I need to lobby for the change?

Duff English !!

(but I know what you mean )

[CFC1]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Carragher and Pennant have been frequently in the first team Don't get too excited just yet as that's still more than your team

Right... I'll give you Carragher, but it balances itself out as I did mention Crouch initially, but Pennant..

As for Chelsea, once we get Glen Johnson back from loan at the end of the season to solve our right back problem, then added to JT, Lamps, Cashley, Joey Cole, Wayne Bridge, SWP and maybe adding Gerrard next season, we'll be fine!

Hey... great result today BTW ..... we are starting to look over our shoulder!

[CFC1]

Originally Posted by RMCF

Duff English !!

(but I know what you mean )

I see what you mean ... I deliberately left mention of him to last, as a home grown player, rather than English!

[overkill]

The argument runs that it's easier to pick up foreign players cheap than to sign English lads from lower leauges or reserves. Look at Walcott as the example. Would Wenger have paid that amount out for a foreign star of his age? Unlikely. English players have English agents by and large, and a species they are second only to the press as the lowest form of (human) life on Earth. They hold out for the biggest fees (Rooney) and biggest wages (Cole). Whereas you can pick up some Spaniards late in their career, but still pretty good, or some younger African players for a song by comparison.

It's not down to a lack of quality, but poor coaching (you wouldn't believe what some kids with talent are told), greedy parents, and greedy coaches. This means that English talent either prices itself out of the big clubs orbit, or is too narrow in it's abilities by the time they reach the first team. So, useless for adapting to CL football. None of that is going to go away because of a FIFA/UEFA ruling.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by CFC1

Right... I'll give you Carragher, but it balances itself out as I did mention Crouch initially, but Pennant..

Whether you rate Pennant is moot, as he is in the first team Only Chelski can afford to buy English and pay them to sit on the bench for UEFA (if they implement this proposal). Everyone else has justify players they buy by playing them - which goes back to my first post!

No worries, I'll shut up when the richer than the Russian Dubai lot take over

overkill, an excellent post. It goes back to UEFA having the wrong answer to a necessary question, and the English FA not having the guts to implement what Brooking told them to do

[CFC1]

Is there much coaching (good or bad) going on though? I get the impression that at Chelsea anyway, that players aren't coached, as such, but Mourinho merely "prepares" the team for the next game. It's the policy of buying "the finished article". We have excellent young prospects at the club... Kalou, Diarra and Obi Mikel to name but 3, but I just can't see Jose developing them! He doesn't seem interested....

[CFC1]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

No worries, I'll shut up when the richer than the Russian Dubai lot take over

I've made a promise not to air my feelings in the likelihood of this happening....

[pixelpixel]

Yeh this will never work.....How many south americans already have local passports!

[overkill]

Originally Posted by CFC1

Is there much coaching (good or bad) going on though? I get the impression that at Chelsea anyway, that players aren't coached, as such, but Mourinho merely "prepares" the team for the next game. It's the policy of buying "the finished article". We have excellent young prospects at the club... Kalou, Diarra and Obi Mikel to name but 3, but I just can't see Jose developing them! He doesn't seem interested....

At youth level, if anything CFC, they are over-coached. The English game will never produce players of the calibre we saw in the 50's, 60's and even in the 70's, again - unless the idea that players need to be 'tough' and 'unit orientated' (to use a phrase) rather than able to express their individual ability carries on. It's no surprise with the thinking at the FA and the rest of the football establishment, right down to schools level, that in the last two generations we have produced just two (yup two) truly outstanding, flair driven players in English football. Gazza and Rooney.

In the 70's we were talking about the inability of a number of players with great flair that couldn't get into the England team. Due, in no small part to that growing belief that 'individuals' were 'mavericks' and a threat to the 'team' rather than match winners. Which is what they actually are. Tbh, and much as I hate to criticise him, this goes back to Ramseys use of 4-3-3. People forget, that at that time this was essentially a more defensive formation.

However, by the 80's they'd already thinned out to such an extent that there wasn't even a discussion about it. Now we are finally reaping (ironically, as the influx of foreign talent has shown up the glaring skills gap between continental players and ours) what two generations of coaches and the football establishment has sown.

Once upon a time I'd have no problem with a six man nationals (at least!) ruling. Now, I'd be terrified!