There is no doubt that currently England is the place to play. The quality of football, the money and the fans - the Premier League has been hosting foreign talent for years, the likes of Drogba, Van Nistelrooy and Henry to name a few have savoured the triumphs that come with what is hailed as The Best League in the World by many. The league is evolving, before 2008 you would not look beyond Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea for the title, and then Liverpool entered the fray and then Tottenham, and with the odd surprise package like a Newcastle or Everton improving all the time it is becoming a more open competition meaning more room for the elite. With each top club under pressure from their fans for that blockbuster signing, the influx of foreign geniuses is only going to continue, this is a good thing, right? Who wouldnt want the Falcaos, Ibrahimovics and Messis playing in our country? Stuart Pearce. Roy Hodgson. Gary Neville. Everyone a part of Englands set-up whom Im sure would hate for this trend to continue; all this means is less of a focus on nurturing our own talent. With an estimated 40% of players being English in the top division, it hastens the question of why we are satisfied with developing players for other countries we are competing against. This provides a stark contrast to the dominant, trophy-winning Spain where ten of the starting XI in the Euro 2012 final are based in Spain, 9 of which are shared between Giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, leading to better chemistry between players and a greater understanding of each other. It would be common sense to assume that capturing and developing the likes of Wilfried Zaha would benefit England more than the likes of Chelsea capturing the proven Falcao, however it isnt as easy as that. Short-term gain is much more important than the long-term nowadays, with the average managerial stint across the top four divisions being 2.13 seasons anchoring this emphasis on knee-jerk decisions. For the national team to succeed, an emphasis has got to be placed on long-term development; Brendan Rodgers is an excellent example of this, entrusting prospects Sterling, Shelvey, Kelly and Wisdom, all of which have given a good account for themselves in the top-flight. Is this long-term philosophy realistic in the modern day England? The Premier League is the most entertaining league in the world, with 60% of the players being from foreign countries it is in no doubt that the majority of the entertainment comes from overseas players with 25 of last weeks 30 Premier League goals coming from non-English stars. This indicates that without the flair from foreign players there simply wouldnt be that much of a spark in the league. By all means, it doesnt mean that there would be just 5 goals a week but the quality of play would suffer and thus the topflight would lose its wow-factor. This would lead to England being less of an attractive place for investors; could you honestly say that Sheikh Mansour would have bought Manchester City if their main players were James Milner and Gareth Barry? Although good players, they dont have the flair or ability to have 60,000 fans on their feet every week, hence the need for Agueros and David Silvas of the world. Many fans would argue that people like Sheikh Mansour are ruining Our Game but they bring a lot more than meets the eye. They pay for the top-class facilities, coaching and scouts which bring through our (admittedly) shallow pit of English talent. Without these then there would be no efficient development of the new-breed English squad that we rest our hopes on. It is safe to assume that the Premier League clubs are not set to change their ways soon, which although brings us entertainment week-in and week-out, it suggests that our national team will continue to struggle under our high intentions. Whether this is the best solution to satisfy us overall is up for debate, but would you rather see the Premier League title come to an occasionally dramatic climax, or experience your country being crowned the best in the world?
There is no doubt that currently England is the place to play. The quality of football, the money and the fans - the Premier League has been hosting foreign talent for years, the likes of Drogba, Van Nistelrooy and Henry to name a few have savoured the triumphs that come with what is hailed as The Best League in the World by many. The league is evolving, before 2008 you would not look beyond Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea for the title, and then Liverpool entered the fray and then Tottenham, and with the odd surprise package like a Newcastle or Everton improving all the time it is becoming a more open competition meaning more room for the elite. With each top club under pressure from their fans for that blockbuster signing, the influx of foreign geniuses is only going to continue, this is a good thing, right? Who wouldnt want the Falcaos, Ibrahimovics and Messis playing in our country? Stuart Pearce. Roy Hodgson. Gary Neville. Everyone a part of Englands set-up whom Im sure would hate for this trend to continue; all this means is less of a focus on nurturing our own talent. With an estimated 40% of players being English in the top division, it hastens the question of why we are satisfied with developing players for other countries we are competing against. This provides a stark contrast to the dominant, trophy-winning Spain where ten of the starting XI in the Euro 2012 final are based in Spain, 9 of which are shared between Giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, leading to better chemistry between players and a greater understanding of each other. 