in charge.
There’d be as much if not a better chance of the national football team winning the 2022 World Cup than with Greg Dyke if yesterday’s showing is anything to go by. Yeah! Rat fans!!!
Would Roland have gone down the usual stereotyped path that current incumbent did by blaming the Premier League, foreign players and foreign managers? The old percentage statistics were rolled out as if they provided anything relevant to England’s repeated failings.
Twenty years ago 69 per cent of all the players starting matches in the Premier League were qualified to play for England.
Last season, the same figure was down to 32 per cent. Greg Dyke
And twenty years ago with what was actually nearer 70% English players to pick from Graham Taylor failed to get to the World Cup in 1994. They also failed to get there in ’74 and ’78 when the main competition for places was from Jock players not those from over the channel. Was there a debate about the Jocks stifling England’s chances?
Dyke and others followed up this usual complaint with pointing out the number of English players involved in the latest transfer window compared to the foreigners brought in.
Two years ago, 37% of all new signings by Premier League clubs were qualified to play for England. This summer the figure was 25%. Greg Dyke
Yeah why is that? Foreign managers Dyke would have you believe. I’d counter that with to phrases. “English players” and “the cost of English players”. The latter can be summed up by two words, well three. “Wilfred Zaha” and “potential”.
Man Utd forked out £15 million on a kid called Wilf. A kid who had played just over 100 times for a club in the lower league, never in the top flight. At international level he’s got a whole nine U21 caps and now two brief senior England appearances. People were saying the goon scum paid over the odds on Ozil at just over £42m. Well they probably did but if a kid with nowt but potential is going for £15m then a kid with 100 games in the top flight of both Germany an Spain and nearly 50 caps for the German senior side – looking the part at every level – is probably priced right at what was paid for him.
Much made of Spurs moving from signing young British talent to big named foreign players. Well of the seven summer signings on Lamela, Soldado and Paulinho cost more than Zaha and latter wasn’t that much more and all were far more experienced. Experience versus potential. One should be costlier than the other. It’s just with English qualified players the latter brings a higher price tag. Hell you had Liverpool forking out £20m on Henderson, £35m on Carroll. Can you blame managers for looking at cheaper options elsewhere. Hell ho much would Wenger want for Walnutt and he never has control of the ball when he’s running?
And as for turning their back on English talent. Signing the likes of Jenas, Huddlsetone, Parker didn’t exactly produce the end result wanted.
Then there’s “English players”. The mentality that seems far too abundant. My agent has got me the move, got me the cash, I’ve got the car, I’ve got the earrings, I’ve got the tattoo, I’ve got the slapper, what do I need to bother trying for now. How many of those with potential have been handed it all on a silver plate and pissed it up the wall.
So there’s only 32% for Roy to chose from. Well those 32 should be decent enough, after all they’re keeping foreigners out of the side. Well there’s 20 teams, each with a 25 man squad so that’s 500 players and 32% of that is 160 players that Roy has to pick 11 starters and 3 subs from. Or a 22/23 man squad.
But then Roy and everyone other pair of safe hands that Dyke and his predecessors picked for the top job only look at certain teams for their squads. The players are there, just the manager won’t look past the usual suspects.
As for foreign managers, well what would you expect owners to do when the only British options available are the Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce, Sam Allardyces of this world. Would you rather taking a punt on some bloke who knows how the game should be played or one of these old lump and run dinosaurs? Hell if you’re gonna buy some foreigner players wouldn’t it be better to have a manager that can converse with them not one who struggles with their own language.
But then can we take advice on what managers owners should employ from a man who installed Gareth Southgate as the U21 boss?