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Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier
I think if you check the leading squads of the other big leagues they have just as many foreign players in their starting eleven as we do. Also going back to the 80's and 90's when only three/four foreign players were allowed per team, all the other leading national teams were still better than England as well, so regardless of how many foreigners play here England always under-performs.
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I did check out the stats with the exception of Spain because I think they're are walking the same thin line.
You mentioned the French & German league, and with the exception of Bayern Munich, which is still a lot better than most major Premier league teams, the French and German squads are packed with nationals.
Man U has always been good about fielding English players but outside of that its pretty dismal with Arsenal being the worst offender. Part of the problem as the BBC article pointed out, is that English players now account for less than 1/3 of all the minutes played in the league. I think that has a tremendous impact on the potential development of young English players. Sure you always have instant stars like Alan Shearer, but what about those great players who develop over time? Yes they could go abroad, but no one is more likely to give you a chance than your own country.
I wouldn't really give a f)ck if I wasn't of English heritage, so we all want the same thing, and I don't see anything wrong with stating the number of foreign players are hurting the national team if that is the reality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier
I can't see that making much difference, as you'd probably get about 2 or 3 at most Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish players in a British squad anyway.
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Bale? Ramsey?
[QUOTE=Unknown Soldier;1466182]