Remember last season’s FA Cup? No, why would you?
It was a mundane affair that produced hardly any upsets and by the quarter final stage there was only one non-Premier League side left in the competition. Twelve months on there will be at least one semi-finalist from outside the top-flight.
So what’s changed? Well, admittedly the unseeded format of the competition means that certain years England’s footballing heavyweights can draw each other in the same round in which there may also be an all-League One clash. Portsmouth’s ascent to FA Cup glory in 2008 typified this as the South-coast club duly took advantage of being the only top flight club in the last four.
Yet of the five Football League clubs in the hat on Sunday, four had put out higher-placed opposition (three of them Premier League teams). Only Middlebrough can be accused of having a favourable draw although if they advance past Chelsea in their belated-fifth round tie they too will be hailed as ‘giantkillers.’
So is the gap between the Premier League and the Football League decreasing or is this just random FA Cup anarchy?
Those who say the top of the Championship and the bottom of the Premier League are very similar should take a look at Queens Park Rangers. Two seasons ago QPR inspired by Adel Taraabt, won the Championship title at a canter. Two managers and three expensive transfer windows later, Rangers after surviving narrowly last season are now routed to the foot of the Premier table.
This season’s cup upsets owe more to an increase in diversity of playing styles than to a decrease in quality. In the “Barcelona era” of football, it is fashionable to try and play a stylish pass-and-move game regardless of whether a team possesses the quality of player required to play this way successfully. Look at Wigan, perennial strugglers in the Premier League but often lauded for the way they pass the ball. The Premier League’s foreign players are often the most aesthetically pleasing for supporters, and many teams now aspire to the “Barca model” of technical ability over physical attributes.
Perhaps this is why Stoke’s style of play brings them so much success, relatively speaking. It is so incongruous in comparison to rest of the League that teams simply struggle to deal with it.
Of course anyone who has watched lower league football will know that many teams attempt to emulate this abrasive gameplan centred around the ferocious contesting of set-pieces, crosses and long balls.
And herein lies the modern day quirk that may be responsible for this season’s FA Cup upsets and also Bradford City’s presence in next week’s League Cup Final.
While twenty years ago many top flight clubs would have still employed a hefty target man up-front and a burly no-nonsense centre-half (Brian Deane, Matt Elliott, Julian Dicks-types) who would have been more than happy to mix it with the lower league dogs of war. Nowadays the trend is to sign slighter ball-playing defenders and technical forwards, which undoubtedly does make the Premier League a better spectacle.
But what it does mean is that teams from England’s top flight are growing increasingly unaccustomed the more direct tactics many Football League teams employ. Just look at the amount of problems Bradford’s set-piece routines caused Aston Villa over two legs.
Even Everton one of the Premier-League’s more battle-hardened sides could not withstand Oldham Athletic’s late aerial bombardment, as the League One club’s six-foot, four-inch striker, Matt Smith, nodded in a last minute equaliser.
It was the type of goal that would’ve made a purist squirm, but a neutral rejoice. Not everyone can play like Barcelona, and the contrast in playing styles is what makes English football and in particularly this season’s FA Cup so entertaining.
Friday, 22 February 2013
Five alternative changes football needs
It seems as though not a month goes by without someone in one division or another complaining that their team has been hard done by becayse of a poor referring decision and then advocates the introduction of goal line technology. This is a more than valid belief, and more and more people are failing to find any reasons why not to go ahead with this technology, even if UEFA want to keep adding to the amount of officials until there is more on the pitch than players. However, football is not and will not be perfect with the introduction of goal line technology. Changes need to happen to push football forward, both on and off the pitch. Here are five alternative changes that may (and may not) improve football: No injury time, salary structures, medical technology, the Athletic Bilbao rule and community ownership. These five all have their own merits and drawbacks depending on your perspective and these are not all necessarily changes but rather a more universal acceptance of success stories from other leagues.
Changing the rules of injury time seems the most common sense. In no other professional team sport is there “injury” or “additional time” added to the set time of the match to account for stoppages. There is no reason why football should be any different and no feasible explanation why the referee cannot stop the clock any time there is a stoppage in play. This would eliminate the opportunity for any manager to complain the referee gave too much injury and allowed the other team to score, and lets face it any non-Man Utd supporter will be glad to see an end to Fergie pointing to his watch when he decides the game should have ended. Anyone who has seen their team lose out on three points because of a goal late into injury time will certainly be pleased not to suffer such an unfortunate ending to a game in the future. Alternatively, you can look at this and say the excitement of an injury time goal will be lost and cite Man Utd’s Champions League victory over Bayern Munich as a classic example.
In terms of a change to the salary structures of football a standard salary cap may not be the best way forward for the top divisions in football. Rather, the introduction of an MLS style salary structure with Designated Players may be the best way forward, especially with regards to the Premier League and La Liga. Nicknamed the “Beckham rule” the system was designed to stop clubs from overpaying on salaries to superstar players in order to assert financial dominance on the league and to ensure American players still had the chance to make it at the biggest sides. This system also ensures the MLS sides have the opportunity to compete on a relatively even playing field. Each side can have a maximum of three designated players who are exempt from the salary cap. Integrating this system throughout football, especially in England, would enable clubs like Wigan to compete more fairly with Man City and Chelsea, and would force managers with bigger budgets to think through expensively signed players a little more carefully, knowing they will occupy one of three precious places in the side. I’m sure Arsenal would be the first to accept such a change and may finally end their wait for a trophy.
The third change suggested to football is more of an advancement than a change. With the emphasis of late been on pushing through goal line technology, with the latest from FIFA being that the World Cup in 2014 will use the technology, other forms of technological advancement are often overlooked. What happened to Fabrice Muamba was a tragedy but could save so many more in football from similar instances. Check ups and full body scans are without a doubt highly important but more can be done in game. The International Football Association Board (Ifab) will be considering a trial run of electronic chips within the players’ shirts to monitor their health. This is again where the MLS are already ahead of the Premier League, with Adidas providing Smart soccer to the league. Whilst it is still in it’s youth, the system will eventually prolong players careers, as it ensures managers can see when a player is running on empty or is at risk of serious injury, and may save lives. This is a stepping stone towards the future use of technology in football and should be embraced.
In terms of an “Athletic Bilbao” rule, what is suggested is that every major league needs to have a side comprised of players from only the home country. This would alter the ratio of domestic:foreign players to a slightly more favourable level, which in turn could improve the players available to the national side and prevent the inflation of prices for domestic players (Stewart Downing, need I say more?). More on this here.
Finally, community ownership is becoming increasingly important in the eyes of fans across the country. The most notable attempt of community ownership of late is Portsmouth FC, who recently reached the 1st anniversary of the second administration (Happy Birthday Administration!). The Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust are the most likely of the prospective suiters to obtain ownership of the fallen club and they will not be the last community trust to seek control of their respective club in the future. This rule is suggested to protect clubs from getting into the position that Pompey currently find themselves in. Their sugar daddy abandoned them and they continue to fall after becoming dependent on the money pumped into the club. This will happen again to another side (my money is on QPR) soon enough. In Spain, Malaga have suffered a similar plight and it is no small shock to see the team still playing so well and competing in the Champions League. What is suggested is the adoption of a Bundesliga rule, the so called “50+1” ownership rule. This ownership rule prevents an outside investor taking control of more than 49% of any club and keeps the fans in control. This does not prevent an outside investor coming in and ploughing money into the club. Instead it ensures that the fans have the final say on what can, and perhaps more importantly, cannot be done. The rule has worked well in Germany. It helps prevent teams from getting into huge debt, keeps the price of season tickets down, and still manages to keep the clubs and league competitive. The Bundesliga is second only to the Premier League in terms of revenue and is much more stable financially. Maybe it is about time to risk upsetting the money men of the Premier League and return the clubs to the fans for the good of football in this country.
Whether you agree with all of these suggestions or not, there is sure to be something for everyone. Football needs to move forward and whilst goal line technology is definitely one step towards a better game it is not the be all and end all, despite what managers will sometimes have us believe. Each of these alternative suggestions can help move football on to a brighter future.
Changing the rules of injury time seems the most common sense. In no other professional team sport is there “injury” or “additional time” added to the set time of the match to account for stoppages. There is no reason why football should be any different and no feasible explanation why the referee cannot stop the clock any time there is a stoppage in play. This would eliminate the opportunity for any manager to complain the referee gave too much injury and allowed the other team to score, and lets face it any non-Man Utd supporter will be glad to see an end to Fergie pointing to his watch when he decides the game should have ended. Anyone who has seen their team lose out on three points because of a goal late into injury time will certainly be pleased not to suffer such an unfortunate ending to a game in the future. Alternatively, you can look at this and say the excitement of an injury time goal will be lost and cite Man Utd’s Champions League victory over Bayern Munich as a classic example.
In terms of a change to the salary structures of football a standard salary cap may not be the best way forward for the top divisions in football. Rather, the introduction of an MLS style salary structure with Designated Players may be the best way forward, especially with regards to the Premier League and La Liga. Nicknamed the “Beckham rule” the system was designed to stop clubs from overpaying on salaries to superstar players in order to assert financial dominance on the league and to ensure American players still had the chance to make it at the biggest sides. This system also ensures the MLS sides have the opportunity to compete on a relatively even playing field. Each side can have a maximum of three designated players who are exempt from the salary cap. Integrating this system throughout football, especially in England, would enable clubs like Wigan to compete more fairly with Man City and Chelsea, and would force managers with bigger budgets to think through expensively signed players a little more carefully, knowing they will occupy one of three precious places in the side. I’m sure Arsenal would be the first to accept such a change and may finally end their wait for a trophy.
The third change suggested to football is more of an advancement than a change. With the emphasis of late been on pushing through goal line technology, with the latest from FIFA being that the World Cup in 2014 will use the technology, other forms of technological advancement are often overlooked. What happened to Fabrice Muamba was a tragedy but could save so many more in football from similar instances. Check ups and full body scans are without a doubt highly important but more can be done in game. The International Football Association Board (Ifab) will be considering a trial run of electronic chips within the players’ shirts to monitor their health. This is again where the MLS are already ahead of the Premier League, with Adidas providing Smart soccer to the league. Whilst it is still in it’s youth, the system will eventually prolong players careers, as it ensures managers can see when a player is running on empty or is at risk of serious injury, and may save lives. This is a stepping stone towards the future use of technology in football and should be embraced.
In terms of an “Athletic Bilbao” rule, what is suggested is that every major league needs to have a side comprised of players from only the home country. This would alter the ratio of domestic:foreign players to a slightly more favourable level, which in turn could improve the players available to the national side and prevent the inflation of prices for domestic players (Stewart Downing, need I say more?). More on this here.
Finally, community ownership is becoming increasingly important in the eyes of fans across the country. The most notable attempt of community ownership of late is Portsmouth FC, who recently reached the 1st anniversary of the second administration (Happy Birthday Administration!). The Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust are the most likely of the prospective suiters to obtain ownership of the fallen club and they will not be the last community trust to seek control of their respective club in the future. This rule is suggested to protect clubs from getting into the position that Pompey currently find themselves in. Their sugar daddy abandoned them and they continue to fall after becoming dependent on the money pumped into the club. This will happen again to another side (my money is on QPR) soon enough. In Spain, Malaga have suffered a similar plight and it is no small shock to see the team still playing so well and competing in the Champions League. What is suggested is the adoption of a Bundesliga rule, the so called “50+1” ownership rule. This ownership rule prevents an outside investor taking control of more than 49% of any club and keeps the fans in control. This does not prevent an outside investor coming in and ploughing money into the club. Instead it ensures that the fans have the final say on what can, and perhaps more importantly, cannot be done. The rule has worked well in Germany. It helps prevent teams from getting into huge debt, keeps the price of season tickets down, and still manages to keep the clubs and league competitive. The Bundesliga is second only to the Premier League in terms of revenue and is much more stable financially. Maybe it is about time to risk upsetting the money men of the Premier League and return the clubs to the fans for the good of football in this country.
Whether you agree with all of these suggestions or not, there is sure to be something for everyone. Football needs to move forward and whilst goal line technology is definitely one step towards a better game it is not the be all and end all, despite what managers will sometimes have us believe. Each of these alternative suggestions can help move football on to a brighter future.
is La Liga so weak that Barcelona have become accustomed to winningevery game easily?
Barcelona lost 2-0 last night in the champions league to an AC Milan side, who, quite frankly are not at their strongest at this point in time. They do have some talented players like El Shaarawy and Kevin-Prince Boateng, but overall the squad is not particularly strong. This has got me thinking.
If Barcelona, said to be one of the greatest sides of all time, are so dominant in La liga at the moment, (12 points above second placed Atletico Madrid says it all really), then how come they struggled last night. Is it that La liga is so weak that Barcelona have become accustomed to winning every game (apart from the top sides) so easily? Or is it that they just had a bad day at the office?
Sure, every side can have a bad game once in a while. Perhaps Milan were too fast for them yesterday and caught them off guard. A certain little Argentinian didn’t have a great game yesterday, either, which does have a great affect on the team. If Messi was playing at his best, then they would have surely scored at least one goal, which would have changed the tie completely. AC Milan also have very good and experienced defenders, which would have made it difficult for Barcelona to penetrate them as well. The other advantage that AC had was the crowd, for the San Siro can be a scary atmosphere to come to for an away side.
Netherless, these things should not affect a team like Barcelona so much that they cannot get a win.
For in La liga, Barcelona have played 24 matches, won 21 of them, drawn 2 and lost only once. This is great form, and I doubt that the class of players they have would have been affected by such things as the crowd. Maybe there is something deeper to look into here. For Barcelona can win games with so much ease in La liga, it looks as thought they don’t have to come out of first gear. This is frightening really as it shows the wealth of difference between the top 3, maybe 4 teams in La liga and the rest. When teams lower down in La liga come to the Camp Nou, it looks as though they are trying to not let in as many goals as other teams, rather than actually trying to get points on the board. This is truly scary stuff, as it looks as though Barcelona and Real Madrid‘s games against other teams in Europe might be deeply affected by this, because they are used to a much harder level of competition.
However, there is another tie at the Camp Nou between Milan and Barcelona and we shall see then whether or not it was just a bad day at the office last night, or something deeper.
If Barcelona, said to be one of the greatest sides of all time, are so dominant in La liga at the moment, (12 points above second placed Atletico Madrid says it all really), then how come they struggled last night. Is it that La liga is so weak that Barcelona have become accustomed to winning every game (apart from the top sides) so easily? Or is it that they just had a bad day at the office?
Sure, every side can have a bad game once in a while. Perhaps Milan were too fast for them yesterday and caught them off guard. A certain little Argentinian didn’t have a great game yesterday, either, which does have a great affect on the team. If Messi was playing at his best, then they would have surely scored at least one goal, which would have changed the tie completely. AC Milan also have very good and experienced defenders, which would have made it difficult for Barcelona to penetrate them as well. The other advantage that AC had was the crowd, for the San Siro can be a scary atmosphere to come to for an away side.
Netherless, these things should not affect a team like Barcelona so much that they cannot get a win.
For in La liga, Barcelona have played 24 matches, won 21 of them, drawn 2 and lost only once. This is great form, and I doubt that the class of players they have would have been affected by such things as the crowd. Maybe there is something deeper to look into here. For Barcelona can win games with so much ease in La liga, it looks as thought they don’t have to come out of first gear. This is frightening really as it shows the wealth of difference between the top 3, maybe 4 teams in La liga and the rest. When teams lower down in La liga come to the Camp Nou, it looks as though they are trying to not let in as many goals as other teams, rather than actually trying to get points on the board. This is truly scary stuff, as it looks as though Barcelona and Real Madrid‘s games against other teams in Europe might be deeply affected by this, because they are used to a much harder level of competition.
However, there is another tie at the Camp Nou between Milan and Barcelona and we shall see then whether or not it was just a bad day at the office last night, or something deeper.
Saturday, 16 February 2013
The shrinking boarders of international football
International football still divides opinion. Some see it as an unnecessary disruption of the domestic season and others wait for the days at Wembley to watch teams of Brazil’s stature. One thing is for certain, international sides are becoming more alike domestic teams than ever before. I’m not starting a Spain and Barcelona debate here. What I mean is the influx of players who cannot say they are English, Irish, German, etc. but rather they are of duel nationalities.
Players who bring something different to a side and are accepted as that nationality. Plastic Paddy is a common name given to an English player who takes place in the Irish national team through the grandparent ruling. Sceptics would say this is because they have no hope of reaching the national team for their own country (and in Liam Lawrence’s case that is probably true). For some players however, the nationalities are fairly equal to them and have to make a choice based on the potential benefit to their career.
Following a week of International Friendlies, that turned out to be more interesting than the prior qualification matches, it seems prudent to bring up a much talked about debate during Euro 2012. Germany, with a population of over 80 million, fielded teams where a large percentage of the line up could have played for another country. Whilst duel nationality is certainly not something new, to be able to fill just under half a 23-man squad with duel nationality players is something rather special. There seems to be more and more players in the top divisions having to make the decision who to represent and should it be any surprise that so many with the option to represent Germany have taken it? Germany have finished in the final four in every international competition bar one since 2002. Clearly the national side always has high hopes and look increasingly likely to challenge Spain on the international stage for the foreseeable future. For those with that little bit of German in them the decision seems quite simple. Improve the chances of lifting a trophy or falling aside at the group stage with a lesser international side. I’m sure for some there is an emotional aspect within the decision which makes the simplistic decision to go for the better team appear less rational.
Globalisation has formed a global society, one in which movement between national, international and continental boarders has become far easier than ever before. This has lead to entire communities moving continents to seek pastures new. It is this process than has ultimately benefitted Germany more than any other. Germany has one of the strongest economies in Europe and continues to stave of the threat of recession felt by others since the oncoming of the global financial crisis. This makes Germany an attractive prospect for highly skilled expatriates, and a breeding ground for duel nationalist footballers of the future. With an estimated two million of the population Polish, it should come as no surprise that two of the stars of the German national team of the last decade have been Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose. It is said that the two would communicate together in Polish to confuse opponents. Lukas Podolski has insisted that “there are two hearts beating” within him, but the decision to represent a better team than that of his birth national still took place.
It is not just their neighbours to the East that Germany has profited from. A lot of football fans would have seen the picture below during Euro 2012 that depicted players from the German side with their other nationalities. Whilst most of the nations shown in the picture would easily accommodate the players into their own side, one stands out in particular. Mario Gomez has probably the most Spanish name of any German I know. Given the relatively poor performances of Fernando Torres over the past few seasons a player of Mario’s ability could easily have replaced him as Spain’s leading striker. In any case, I’m sure a triumvirate of Podolski, Klose and Robert Lewandowski would have made Poland a far stronger side to beat and probably would have made a better go at the home tournament.
England are no strangers to this either. John Barnes is Jamaican born and who wouldn’t have wanted him in the side during the 80s and 90s, not least for the rap in New Order’s World in Motion. Another Jamaican who is making his breakthrough this season is Raheem Sterling. Danny Welbeck’s background is Ghanian but chose to play for the country he was born in, although making your first appearance at international level against the country you decided against clearly could not have been easy.
The latest country to adopt a policy of not only inclusion of duel nationality players but rather actively seeking them out is Italy. The Italians have had a mini resurgance at both international and domestic level. Domestically it is Juventus that are leading the way for Italy as Serie A regains some of the respect it lost during the match-fixing scandal that saw the very same club relegated and stripped of trophies. Much alike to Juventus, Italy have their playmaker in Andrea Pirlo. The elder statesman, alongside Gianluigi Buffon, remain key components of a changing international side. The future for Italy looks quite different. The recent friendly against the Netherlands saw strikers Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli line up alongside one another. El Shaarawy is of Egyptian origin and Balotelli is of Ghanian origin. They are both of a similar age and if they can maintain the right attitudes throughout their careers it looks likely they will be Italy’s strike partnership for some time ahead. There importance, and the importance of other duel nationality Italians, is not being overstated here. Italian national team manager Cesare Prandelli stated when he took over the side that the future of italian football would be in the hands of Italian immigrants, or the “new Italians” as he put it. After all, globalisation brings the skills needed to places that lack them. Apart from Antonio Cassano, a player with a supposedly short temper, the Italians lack real firepower. The shrinking boarders of international football appears to have given it to them.
Players who bring something different to a side and are accepted as that nationality. Plastic Paddy is a common name given to an English player who takes place in the Irish national team through the grandparent ruling. Sceptics would say this is because they have no hope of reaching the national team for their own country (and in Liam Lawrence’s case that is probably true). For some players however, the nationalities are fairly equal to them and have to make a choice based on the potential benefit to their career.
Following a week of International Friendlies, that turned out to be more interesting than the prior qualification matches, it seems prudent to bring up a much talked about debate during Euro 2012. Germany, with a population of over 80 million, fielded teams where a large percentage of the line up could have played for another country. Whilst duel nationality is certainly not something new, to be able to fill just under half a 23-man squad with duel nationality players is something rather special. There seems to be more and more players in the top divisions having to make the decision who to represent and should it be any surprise that so many with the option to represent Germany have taken it? Germany have finished in the final four in every international competition bar one since 2002. Clearly the national side always has high hopes and look increasingly likely to challenge Spain on the international stage for the foreseeable future. For those with that little bit of German in them the decision seems quite simple. Improve the chances of lifting a trophy or falling aside at the group stage with a lesser international side. I’m sure for some there is an emotional aspect within the decision which makes the simplistic decision to go for the better team appear less rational.
Globalisation has formed a global society, one in which movement between national, international and continental boarders has become far easier than ever before. This has lead to entire communities moving continents to seek pastures new. It is this process than has ultimately benefitted Germany more than any other. Germany has one of the strongest economies in Europe and continues to stave of the threat of recession felt by others since the oncoming of the global financial crisis. This makes Germany an attractive prospect for highly skilled expatriates, and a breeding ground for duel nationalist footballers of the future. With an estimated two million of the population Polish, it should come as no surprise that two of the stars of the German national team of the last decade have been Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose. It is said that the two would communicate together in Polish to confuse opponents. Lukas Podolski has insisted that “there are two hearts beating” within him, but the decision to represent a better team than that of his birth national still took place.
It is not just their neighbours to the East that Germany has profited from. A lot of football fans would have seen the picture below during Euro 2012 that depicted players from the German side with their other nationalities. Whilst most of the nations shown in the picture would easily accommodate the players into their own side, one stands out in particular. Mario Gomez has probably the most Spanish name of any German I know. Given the relatively poor performances of Fernando Torres over the past few seasons a player of Mario’s ability could easily have replaced him as Spain’s leading striker. In any case, I’m sure a triumvirate of Podolski, Klose and Robert Lewandowski would have made Poland a far stronger side to beat and probably would have made a better go at the home tournament.
England are no strangers to this either. John Barnes is Jamaican born and who wouldn’t have wanted him in the side during the 80s and 90s, not least for the rap in New Order’s World in Motion. Another Jamaican who is making his breakthrough this season is Raheem Sterling. Danny Welbeck’s background is Ghanian but chose to play for the country he was born in, although making your first appearance at international level against the country you decided against clearly could not have been easy.
The latest country to adopt a policy of not only inclusion of duel nationality players but rather actively seeking them out is Italy. The Italians have had a mini resurgance at both international and domestic level. Domestically it is Juventus that are leading the way for Italy as Serie A regains some of the respect it lost during the match-fixing scandal that saw the very same club relegated and stripped of trophies. Much alike to Juventus, Italy have their playmaker in Andrea Pirlo. The elder statesman, alongside Gianluigi Buffon, remain key components of a changing international side. The future for Italy looks quite different. The recent friendly against the Netherlands saw strikers Stephan El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli line up alongside one another. El Shaarawy is of Egyptian origin and Balotelli is of Ghanian origin. They are both of a similar age and if they can maintain the right attitudes throughout their careers it looks likely they will be Italy’s strike partnership for some time ahead. There importance, and the importance of other duel nationality Italians, is not being overstated here. Italian national team manager Cesare Prandelli stated when he took over the side that the future of italian football would be in the hands of Italian immigrants, or the “new Italians” as he put it. After all, globalisation brings the skills needed to places that lack them. Apart from Antonio Cassano, a player with a supposedly short temper, the Italians lack real firepower. The shrinking boarders of international football appears to have given it to them.
Newcastle's Cashley and Delboy: (Slowly) proving us doubters wrong
A rotund, boozy chairman standing on the terraces. An ex-professional with the business sense, let alone common sense, of Derek Trotter as ‘Executive Director of Football’. A scouting system that involved splashing the hard-earned cash of the club’s tens of thousands of loyal fans on unknown players with a few hundred YouTube hits. Oh, how far the ‘wee club in the North east’ has come since the doom and gloom of relegation to England’s second tier.
Since the relegation of the Toon Army and it’s overplayed and overpaid ‘stars’, Mike Ashley has set about his business in a very credible way – albeit with one or two questionable decisions in the process. The five year model that Derek Llambias has often spoke about and publicly supported seems to be in full swing with some early progress bringing those longed-for European nights back to SJP. Those questionable decisions from MA and DL are those of the sacking of Chris Hughton, and reluctance to release the purse strings and strengthen the squad after such a successful season are, in my eyes, two blips in an otherwise safer-sailing Geordie ship.
Now, the core topic and real purpose to this post is the much improved communications coming from those above at NUFC. It seems as though the big boys at SJP have taken their fan-friendly approach to running a football club to a new level. Llambias, in recent times, has certainly understood the frustrations of many of the Toon faithful in that all they want from an owner and a club’s Board of Directors is questions regularly answered. After a difficult season to date with such high expectations from large portions of the clubs supporters, the main question hanging over the club was simply, WHY? WHY are a club with such gifted footballers in this position? WHY, as a Top 6 club, are we ill-prepared to deal with the tough and tight fixture schedule ahead? WHY were such little reinforcements brought in to add an obvious, much needed squad-depth to the club? Finally, WHY do we, the fans, not have the slightest of communication from those to blame for such a struggle this season? Although it’s long overdue, Ashley and Llambias, I take my hat off to you for those questions have been answered after such a ridiculously pleasing month to be one of the Toon Army.
In a recent interview, NUFC’s MD was willing and forthcoming in lifting the lid on the answers to the questions on the Geordie football nation’s lips. He was able to answer questions with truth and honesty, at the same time pleasing the ears of the fans. Some of the answers may have been too honest in the sense that he owned up to the fact that he and Ashley assumed the squad was strong and good enough to compete on all fronts this year. This probably had every fan screaming expletives at the idiocy of these two when reading the articles; however, for me personally it was more of a ‘WOW, honesty and answers at last!’ The fact that Llambias was open to providing answers on; players we missed out on in January, the work that was put in to acquire the French Revolution during January, the hierarchy listening to the fans, and more importantly the ambition they have to take the club to new levels.
To sum this up and to join in the NUFC trend of being honest, I really am excited about the future of my club. The approach and prevailing common sense that Ashley, Llambias, and of course Alain Pardeau seem to be showing in staying in touch with the fans is warming and trustworthy, really. For an MD and owner to be transparent is barely thought of in the modern game of Football, especially where the issues of transfer dealings are concerned. Football would be an even happier and relative place for the clubs and their fans if they were able to simply stay in touch. I, for one, hope it spreads through the game and more importantly carries on well into the future at Newcastle United Football Club.
Since the relegation of the Toon Army and it’s overplayed and overpaid ‘stars’, Mike Ashley has set about his business in a very credible way – albeit with one or two questionable decisions in the process. The five year model that Derek Llambias has often spoke about and publicly supported seems to be in full swing with some early progress bringing those longed-for European nights back to SJP. Those questionable decisions from MA and DL are those of the sacking of Chris Hughton, and reluctance to release the purse strings and strengthen the squad after such a successful season are, in my eyes, two blips in an otherwise safer-sailing Geordie ship.
Now, the core topic and real purpose to this post is the much improved communications coming from those above at NUFC. It seems as though the big boys at SJP have taken their fan-friendly approach to running a football club to a new level. Llambias, in recent times, has certainly understood the frustrations of many of the Toon faithful in that all they want from an owner and a club’s Board of Directors is questions regularly answered. After a difficult season to date with such high expectations from large portions of the clubs supporters, the main question hanging over the club was simply, WHY? WHY are a club with such gifted footballers in this position? WHY, as a Top 6 club, are we ill-prepared to deal with the tough and tight fixture schedule ahead? WHY were such little reinforcements brought in to add an obvious, much needed squad-depth to the club? Finally, WHY do we, the fans, not have the slightest of communication from those to blame for such a struggle this season? Although it’s long overdue, Ashley and Llambias, I take my hat off to you for those questions have been answered after such a ridiculously pleasing month to be one of the Toon Army.
In a recent interview, NUFC’s MD was willing and forthcoming in lifting the lid on the answers to the questions on the Geordie football nation’s lips. He was able to answer questions with truth and honesty, at the same time pleasing the ears of the fans. Some of the answers may have been too honest in the sense that he owned up to the fact that he and Ashley assumed the squad was strong and good enough to compete on all fronts this year. This probably had every fan screaming expletives at the idiocy of these two when reading the articles; however, for me personally it was more of a ‘WOW, honesty and answers at last!’ The fact that Llambias was open to providing answers on; players we missed out on in January, the work that was put in to acquire the French Revolution during January, the hierarchy listening to the fans, and more importantly the ambition they have to take the club to new levels.
To sum this up and to join in the NUFC trend of being honest, I really am excited about the future of my club. The approach and prevailing common sense that Ashley, Llambias, and of course Alain Pardeau seem to be showing in staying in touch with the fans is warming and trustworthy, really. For an MD and owner to be transparent is barely thought of in the modern game of Football, especially where the issues of transfer dealings are concerned. Football would be an even happier and relative place for the clubs and their fans if they were able to simply stay in touch. I, for one, hope it spreads through the game and more importantly carries on well into the future at Newcastle United Football Club.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Football 'Sold it's soul'
For many, money in football is a force of good which has revolutionised the game for the better, bringing with it a globalised sport which connects the people together but for others who ethics may stand firm against money they believe football has ‘sold its soul.’ No on can deny the power and influence that money has in football, with Rupert Murdoch’s Sky TV, changing the face of the game from a “working class” game to a billion pound business. On the surface of football everything looks to be incredibly successful; the Premier League is labelled “the greatest league in the world” and billions are entertained by it, but beneath the surface, there is conflict and unrest. When the Premier League started back in 1992, no one could have truly predicted the impact it coupled with the millions of Sky Sports,would have on not only the English football but the global game as well. But has football ”sold its soul” to money?
Football is more than a game, it’s now a brand and the most globalised and popularised sport in the world, which is watched and loved by billions, it’s business which makes billions. Rupert Murdock’s Sky TV took advantage of this “golden opportunity” and invested millions. The money-mad mandarins of Murdock’s Sky Sports TV, who currently run the game will continue to seek ways to globalise, commercialise and sanitise it, destroying the games soul and roots. Soon or later the “money bubble” of football will burst surely?
Football stepped into an era of spending giants, the commercialisation of the Premier League saw it secure around £3.5bn from its most recent round of television deals, which run until the end of next season. About £2.1bn was generated from domestic rights sales, including about £1.8bn for live rights from BSkyB and ESPN, and £1.4bn from overseas broadcasters. Premier League’s contract is the second biggest TV deal in the world, bettered only by that of the NFL in America, which really shows the true power of football. Worrying concern is the fact the fans are no longer even a consideration, never mind a priority, when it comes to how the game is run, the TV deal with Sky Sports comes first. The money and power of television is controlling the game.
The longest serving and successful manager in the Premier League; Sir Alex Ferguson, who seen how football has changed in the last 20 years of his management career states; “When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price. Television is God at the moment. It shows itself quite clearly because when you see the fixture lists come out now, they can pick and choose whenever they want the top teams on television,”
The fact money continues to be pumped into the Premier League, opens the gap from the Football League further, with tens of millions of pounds now separating the clubs in the top flight and those in the Championship. Theres a strong argument that the TV money and sponsorship money has morally corrupted the game. Money that has been put into football mainly by SKY TV can only really benefit the top clubs in English football, leaving the rest struggling to survive, is that a fair competition?
The injection of money in the game, is the step into the unknown creating a sense of danger and uncertainty. The recent match fixing allegations are a real “wake up call” leaving football in the dark and exposing how corrupt, fickle and weak our game is across Europe, with more than 700 suspect football fixtures under investigation. Money power in the game is illustrated with match fixing. Europol calculated that more than £6.8m in betting profits had been corruptly made, with in excess of £1m in “corrupt payments” made to football people. FIFA governing board are investigating allegations and called for longer prison sentences for criminals involved in match-fixing after the EU intelligence-sharing agency Europol exposed a rift of suspicious games under investigation for match fixing in Europe. Football needs to be wary of the dangers of match fixing just look what happened to cricket. Match-fixing is the biggest curse in any sport and in most respects is worse even than drug-taking. The force behind match fixing is the power and corruption of money. Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, said while the “focus” of the investigation is not on England: “Given the scale of corruption involved, it would be naive and complacent to think that the criminal conspiracy does not affect the English game. All those responsible for running football should heed the warnings. This is a sad day for European football and more evidence of the corrupting influence in society of organised crime,”
This is the way “modern football” is heading with the focus now on the emergence of the billionaire owners and private investors, which allowed clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City to spend an unlimited amount of money of the best players and without that win trophies. People say money can’t buy you success but money gave Chelsea and Manchester City the wealth to buy the best players to win trophies. This could prove to be the very point of the beginning of the end, of the true values of football. No longer do clubs in England have to spend years building a reputation by producing great home-grown players of their own, unearthing talent for reasonable prices and winning trophies through sheer great management but instead for clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea money brings instant success.
The Premier League needs to limit the amount of money a club spends in the transfer window, this is a problem in itself. At first seeing foreign names grace English football was a breath of fresh air. When Middlesbrough signed Brazil star, Juninho and Ravenelli it seemed that English football was moving forward into a new era and the Premier League was making way for ‘a golden age’. As the new millennium hit this carried on further as yet more money poured into the Premier League, more foreign superstars followed, the likes of Henry, Crespo and Di Canio. It all changed with the catalyst in 2003 when Russian Billionaire; Roman Ambromvich walked through the gates at Stamford Brdge and changed football with his oil money taking the power and popularity of the Premier League to a new level.
The main qualms with money in football is that its affecting the wage structure. Player wages for the 2011-12 Premier League season reached a record £1.6 billion pounds. This represents a 70% wages to revenue ratio, a figure that would be completely untenable in any other business. High wages also eats away at the integrity of the game meaning that football has been ruined and controlled by money. Players are no longer loyal to their clubs, but act more like mercenaries constantly vying for a larger pay cheque and moving to other clubs who may pay them £200k a week.
The opinion of the economist of football; Arsene Wenger on money within the game is particularly interesting , claiming the Premier League has ‘sold its soul’ to television but calls for fair play in rescheduling; “”We have sold our soul and we do not control our fixtures any more. It is the truth and I cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television. The Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules.”
A football club plays an integral part in the “working class” communities as a sport which brings people together and communities together. A Premier League ticket is now the in demand ticket in the country, BBC Sport’s “Price of Football” has shown, that fans in the Premier League are paying between £15 and £126 for match day tickets this season, with season tickets costing up to £1,955. It’s a sad state of affairs to see, hard working and dedicated football fans from working class backgrounds, who love the game, are being driven away by ticket price hikes, it exposes the ugly side of the beautiful game.
Last month saw the debate of money in football rage on further, with the ticket price issues but this time Arsenal football club were at the centre of a media hysteria, a club once run by tradition but sadly has left behind its “working class” fans when it moved from the traditional Highbury Stadium to the multi-million pound state Emirates stadium. The illustration of the fans frustration and anger towards being “priced out” the game they love, hit boiling point, with the protest from a small section of away fans at The Emirates Stadium in the game against Man City. Its ironic in some respects that the richest club in the country fans were protesting about ticket prices but most regions of Manchester are “working class” and high inflated ticket prices for games in the south for Arsenal aren’t economically reasonable or fair. In protests the away City fans at The Emirates Stadium held a painted bed sheet with the message reading; ‘Where will it stop?’ It was a complaint about the fact that Manchester City’s travelling fans had been charged £62 for tickets to see their team play Arsenal — a fee that has become symbolic of the apparent money grabbing that governs English top-flight football. The protest against money in football.
The wealth of money brings with it the power to pay over the odds wages, sometimes in excess of £200,000 a week, to attract the most talented players in the world. Changes and restrictions are slowly being enforced in football, with the FIFA implementing a new ‘financial fair play’ regulations in the coming season, which will be interesting to see how effective it is in controlling and restricting money within football. Football may already sold its soul to money and it’s too late to change.
What would the true greats of the past in football think of the influence and power that money has in the game? True greats such as Bill Shankly, Don Revie or Brian Clough make of this? Gone are the days where a manager no matter how talented could take a club of Nottingham Forest’s size to 2 European cups. FIFA and UEFA are losing grip of football and some rules and restrictions need to be put in place before the real spirit of football is lost forever and it becomes a business rather than a spectacle.
Football is more than a game, it’s now a brand and the most globalised and popularised sport in the world, which is watched and loved by billions, it’s business which makes billions. Rupert Murdock’s Sky TV took advantage of this “golden opportunity” and invested millions. The money-mad mandarins of Murdock’s Sky Sports TV, who currently run the game will continue to seek ways to globalise, commercialise and sanitise it, destroying the games soul and roots. Soon or later the “money bubble” of football will burst surely?
Football stepped into an era of spending giants, the commercialisation of the Premier League saw it secure around £3.5bn from its most recent round of television deals, which run until the end of next season. About £2.1bn was generated from domestic rights sales, including about £1.8bn for live rights from BSkyB and ESPN, and £1.4bn from overseas broadcasters. Premier League’s contract is the second biggest TV deal in the world, bettered only by that of the NFL in America, which really shows the true power of football. Worrying concern is the fact the fans are no longer even a consideration, never mind a priority, when it comes to how the game is run, the TV deal with Sky Sports comes first. The money and power of television is controlling the game.
The longest serving and successful manager in the Premier League; Sir Alex Ferguson, who seen how football has changed in the last 20 years of his management career states; “When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price. Television is God at the moment. It shows itself quite clearly because when you see the fixture lists come out now, they can pick and choose whenever they want the top teams on television,”
The fact money continues to be pumped into the Premier League, opens the gap from the Football League further, with tens of millions of pounds now separating the clubs in the top flight and those in the Championship. Theres a strong argument that the TV money and sponsorship money has morally corrupted the game. Money that has been put into football mainly by SKY TV can only really benefit the top clubs in English football, leaving the rest struggling to survive, is that a fair competition?
The injection of money in the game, is the step into the unknown creating a sense of danger and uncertainty. The recent match fixing allegations are a real “wake up call” leaving football in the dark and exposing how corrupt, fickle and weak our game is across Europe, with more than 700 suspect football fixtures under investigation. Money power in the game is illustrated with match fixing. Europol calculated that more than £6.8m in betting profits had been corruptly made, with in excess of £1m in “corrupt payments” made to football people. FIFA governing board are investigating allegations and called for longer prison sentences for criminals involved in match-fixing after the EU intelligence-sharing agency Europol exposed a rift of suspicious games under investigation for match fixing in Europe. Football needs to be wary of the dangers of match fixing just look what happened to cricket. Match-fixing is the biggest curse in any sport and in most respects is worse even than drug-taking. The force behind match fixing is the power and corruption of money. Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, said while the “focus” of the investigation is not on England: “Given the scale of corruption involved, it would be naive and complacent to think that the criminal conspiracy does not affect the English game. All those responsible for running football should heed the warnings. This is a sad day for European football and more evidence of the corrupting influence in society of organised crime,”
This is the way “modern football” is heading with the focus now on the emergence of the billionaire owners and private investors, which allowed clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City to spend an unlimited amount of money of the best players and without that win trophies. People say money can’t buy you success but money gave Chelsea and Manchester City the wealth to buy the best players to win trophies. This could prove to be the very point of the beginning of the end, of the true values of football. No longer do clubs in England have to spend years building a reputation by producing great home-grown players of their own, unearthing talent for reasonable prices and winning trophies through sheer great management but instead for clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea money brings instant success.
The Premier League needs to limit the amount of money a club spends in the transfer window, this is a problem in itself. At first seeing foreign names grace English football was a breath of fresh air. When Middlesbrough signed Brazil star, Juninho and Ravenelli it seemed that English football was moving forward into a new era and the Premier League was making way for ‘a golden age’. As the new millennium hit this carried on further as yet more money poured into the Premier League, more foreign superstars followed, the likes of Henry, Crespo and Di Canio. It all changed with the catalyst in 2003 when Russian Billionaire; Roman Ambromvich walked through the gates at Stamford Brdge and changed football with his oil money taking the power and popularity of the Premier League to a new level.
The main qualms with money in football is that its affecting the wage structure. Player wages for the 2011-12 Premier League season reached a record £1.6 billion pounds. This represents a 70% wages to revenue ratio, a figure that would be completely untenable in any other business. High wages also eats away at the integrity of the game meaning that football has been ruined and controlled by money. Players are no longer loyal to their clubs, but act more like mercenaries constantly vying for a larger pay cheque and moving to other clubs who may pay them £200k a week.
The opinion of the economist of football; Arsene Wenger on money within the game is particularly interesting , claiming the Premier League has ‘sold its soul’ to television but calls for fair play in rescheduling; “”We have sold our soul and we do not control our fixtures any more. It is the truth and I cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television. The Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules.”
A football club plays an integral part in the “working class” communities as a sport which brings people together and communities together. A Premier League ticket is now the in demand ticket in the country, BBC Sport’s “Price of Football” has shown, that fans in the Premier League are paying between £15 and £126 for match day tickets this season, with season tickets costing up to £1,955. It’s a sad state of affairs to see, hard working and dedicated football fans from working class backgrounds, who love the game, are being driven away by ticket price hikes, it exposes the ugly side of the beautiful game.
Last month saw the debate of money in football rage on further, with the ticket price issues but this time Arsenal football club were at the centre of a media hysteria, a club once run by tradition but sadly has left behind its “working class” fans when it moved from the traditional Highbury Stadium to the multi-million pound state Emirates stadium. The illustration of the fans frustration and anger towards being “priced out” the game they love, hit boiling point, with the protest from a small section of away fans at The Emirates Stadium in the game against Man City. Its ironic in some respects that the richest club in the country fans were protesting about ticket prices but most regions of Manchester are “working class” and high inflated ticket prices for games in the south for Arsenal aren’t economically reasonable or fair. In protests the away City fans at The Emirates Stadium held a painted bed sheet with the message reading; ‘Where will it stop?’ It was a complaint about the fact that Manchester City’s travelling fans had been charged £62 for tickets to see their team play Arsenal — a fee that has become symbolic of the apparent money grabbing that governs English top-flight football. The protest against money in football.
The wealth of money brings with it the power to pay over the odds wages, sometimes in excess of £200,000 a week, to attract the most talented players in the world. Changes and restrictions are slowly being enforced in football, with the FIFA implementing a new ‘financial fair play’ regulations in the coming season, which will be interesting to see how effective it is in controlling and restricting money within football. Football may already sold its soul to money and it’s too late to change.
What would the true greats of the past in football think of the influence and power that money has in the game? True greats such as Bill Shankly, Don Revie or Brian Clough make of this? Gone are the days where a manager no matter how talented could take a club of Nottingham Forest’s size to 2 European cups. FIFA and UEFA are losing grip of football and some rules and restrictions need to be put in place before the real spirit of football is lost forever and it becomes a business rather than a spectacle.
Athletic Bilbao, a role model for England
In a recent blog about Newcastle’s new arrivals I suggested the cost of fielding a fully English team would be far too much for any Premier League team, outside the current financial powerhouses, to consider. Whilst I stand by this, there is a solution to the free-spending required to build the full English of Premier League teams. In Spanish football Athletic Bilbao continue to buck the trend of importing foreign superstars, instead producing teams of players of Basque origin. Whilst Athletic have loosened the criteria needed to qualify in recent years, accepting players with an affiliation to the Basque region through football development or ancestry, the concept should still be admired.
Before I go any further I should point out that I am not xenophobic and personally think that importing players is important for a league to grow. However looking at Athletic Bilbao and how they maintain their place in La Liga year after year (having never been relegated) without heavy spending, and knocking Man Utd out of the Europa League last season, it is worth considering whether this model would work in the Premier league. Admittedly the Basque region is quite large and making a team capable of playing at that level made of players solely from Hampshire, Lincolnshire or another county would be very difficult but a team that engineers a policy of only signing English players could still be successful and widely supported in a period where the English national team set-up is undergoing significant restructuring. I’m no suggesting a new title contender, just a side that plays a part in the development of the national side.
This week the England senior squad would have had training sessions at St. George’s Park in advance of the showpiece friendly against Brazil to celebrate the anniversary of the FA last night. The development of St. George’s Park is impressive and will surely help usher in a new dawn for the England national team, but this will likely take 15 years at least to show signs of progression. Whilst creating a new team within the English league pyramid (with potential obstacles on where to begin) with an english only policy would also take time, there is a chance for this to gain immediate recognition and backing, helping it to rise up quickly alike AFC Wimbledon have. It would also be worthwhile basing the new side at St. George’s Park, enabling a young English side to gain valuable experience within the set-up to push them on in their development to reach one of the English teams.
Even if no players from this side made it into the national team for the first 15 years there would be no need to consider the development a failure. At the very least a side of English players based at St. George’s park could provide a stepping stone for players with the potential to join one of the top sides, rather than wasting three years sat on the bench. Athletic Bilbao are not Barcelona or Real Madrid and as such are limited in the number of superstar names associated with the club. Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente are the most recognisable players of the recent Bilbao teams. Both full internationals and unfortunately for Athletic both wanted moves to bigger clubs, with Javi Martinez leaving last summer for Bayern Munich and Fernando Llorente leaving this summer for Juventus. Now the squad looks light on international talent or immediately recognisable players for those of us outside of Spain. In a couple of years time we may all be talking about Iker Muniain moving on to bigger things. However many international players Bilbao provide does not matter. The club remains a staple in La Liga, a financially strong and a well-run side, which in Spain is not particularly common (albeit it is not common in England either). Athletic Bilbao should be looked upon as an example of how a domestic, domestic team could work. If you need another reason why it could be helpful for England’s international future then copying the model in the Premier League would also increase the overall average percentage of Englishman in the 25-man squads. All the more reason why they should become everyone’s second team.
Based at St. George’s Park could mean direct control over the finances by The FA. This would ensure the longevity of the project. This could in part be financed by the other clubs in the football pyramid as a mandatory payment for application to the league. Whilst I’m sure this idea would not suit everyone it is likely something will need to be put into place to give English players the chance to gain first team experience in the build up the tournament football. Roy Hodgson has previously said he has to accept that some of his players will not be playing week in, week out. I’m sure Vicente Del Bosque would lose the rest of his hair if his first choice team were not regular starters in their domestic sides. If not following the Athletic Bilbao model, it may be worthwhile considering how other countries limit the influx of foreign players into their leagues. For example, Swedish top division, Allsvenskan, has a rule that requires each match day squad to contain at least 9 players trained in Sweden. Brazil’s Serie A limits foreign players to three per squad. Further to my earlier statement I think the arrival of foreign players makes the league more interesting. I wake up most mornings and look at the gossip column on the BBC Sport website to see which superstars are linked to the premier league and am especially keen on seeing Newcastle’s new arrivals at some point in the near future. I wouldn’t want this to be restricted by a fixed number of foreign players ruling and I doubt I’m alone. Bilbao es el camino a seguir.
Before I go any further I should point out that I am not xenophobic and personally think that importing players is important for a league to grow. However looking at Athletic Bilbao and how they maintain their place in La Liga year after year (having never been relegated) without heavy spending, and knocking Man Utd out of the Europa League last season, it is worth considering whether this model would work in the Premier league. Admittedly the Basque region is quite large and making a team capable of playing at that level made of players solely from Hampshire, Lincolnshire or another county would be very difficult but a team that engineers a policy of only signing English players could still be successful and widely supported in a period where the English national team set-up is undergoing significant restructuring. I’m no suggesting a new title contender, just a side that plays a part in the development of the national side.
This week the England senior squad would have had training sessions at St. George’s Park in advance of the showpiece friendly against Brazil to celebrate the anniversary of the FA last night. The development of St. George’s Park is impressive and will surely help usher in a new dawn for the England national team, but this will likely take 15 years at least to show signs of progression. Whilst creating a new team within the English league pyramid (with potential obstacles on where to begin) with an english only policy would also take time, there is a chance for this to gain immediate recognition and backing, helping it to rise up quickly alike AFC Wimbledon have. It would also be worthwhile basing the new side at St. George’s Park, enabling a young English side to gain valuable experience within the set-up to push them on in their development to reach one of the English teams.
Even if no players from this side made it into the national team for the first 15 years there would be no need to consider the development a failure. At the very least a side of English players based at St. George’s park could provide a stepping stone for players with the potential to join one of the top sides, rather than wasting three years sat on the bench. Athletic Bilbao are not Barcelona or Real Madrid and as such are limited in the number of superstar names associated with the club. Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente are the most recognisable players of the recent Bilbao teams. Both full internationals and unfortunately for Athletic both wanted moves to bigger clubs, with Javi Martinez leaving last summer for Bayern Munich and Fernando Llorente leaving this summer for Juventus. Now the squad looks light on international talent or immediately recognisable players for those of us outside of Spain. In a couple of years time we may all be talking about Iker Muniain moving on to bigger things. However many international players Bilbao provide does not matter. The club remains a staple in La Liga, a financially strong and a well-run side, which in Spain is not particularly common (albeit it is not common in England either). Athletic Bilbao should be looked upon as an example of how a domestic, domestic team could work. If you need another reason why it could be helpful for England’s international future then copying the model in the Premier League would also increase the overall average percentage of Englishman in the 25-man squads. All the more reason why they should become everyone’s second team.
Based at St. George’s Park could mean direct control over the finances by The FA. This would ensure the longevity of the project. This could in part be financed by the other clubs in the football pyramid as a mandatory payment for application to the league. Whilst I’m sure this idea would not suit everyone it is likely something will need to be put into place to give English players the chance to gain first team experience in the build up the tournament football. Roy Hodgson has previously said he has to accept that some of his players will not be playing week in, week out. I’m sure Vicente Del Bosque would lose the rest of his hair if his first choice team were not regular starters in their domestic sides. If not following the Athletic Bilbao model, it may be worthwhile considering how other countries limit the influx of foreign players into their leagues. For example, Swedish top division, Allsvenskan, has a rule that requires each match day squad to contain at least 9 players trained in Sweden. Brazil’s Serie A limits foreign players to three per squad. Further to my earlier statement I think the arrival of foreign players makes the league more interesting. I wake up most mornings and look at the gossip column on the BBC Sport website to see which superstars are linked to the premier league and am especially keen on seeing Newcastle’s new arrivals at some point in the near future. I wouldn’t want this to be restricted by a fixed number of foreign players ruling and I doubt I’m alone. Bilbao es el camino a seguir.
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