Football Focus

[mockney piers]

I think it's long been blamed on the influx of foreign players and to deny it is a factor is head in the sand territory. Fact is our young players, apart from the odd Wiltshire etc don't get a run out at the top levels of the game.

I don't think with the current crop we can do any better than we are doing, but if we plan ahead and change some fundamentals of the sport/game here then we can become a contender. Germany keep doing it, Spain have done it, we can do it if there's vision, but the man tasked with that vision, the wonderful Sir Brooking is currently not optimistic, saying there isnt the will to think long term in the clubs or the FA. He's been trying to get youth investment going for ages and it''s not happening.

Even West Ham's academy has a worryingly large number of prodigies signed for wonga at a young age from all over the world!!

[Emerson Crane]

Youth investment, decent coaching and development at grass root level is the problem, not foreign players. If anything young players gain invaluable experience from playing with many of the foreign imports. And if our young players were good enough there'd be no need for imports. Also, as soon as a decent young English player becomes available, the price sky rockets. It is no wonder that managers prefer the option of going abroad for their purchases.

[mockney piers]

They are both the problem. A balance needs to be found. I agree foreign players contribute much to the game but the balance is all wrong. It's cheaper to get a west african or macedonian in than it is to sign a young lad from League 2. Short-termism in all it's manifestations is the real problem, the over reliance on foreign talent is a symptom, but you cannot deny that the symptom is having an effect on the quality and depth of talent and experience available to the national side.

I know this is a bee in your bonnet (amazing to know that when you've only been here five minutes ;-)) but try and be a little less dogmatic about it.

[mockney piers]

anyway, alight hearted diversion

Montenegro not even a country, claim FA

[Emerson Crane]

More realistic than dogmatic I would suggest.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Homegrown players relatively overpriced? Check

Too many foreign players having negative effect on homegrown players? Not so sure

What has constantly irritated me over the last decade is how homegrown players mature, or rather, don?t ? prodigies at 16 but the slightest whiff of success and they disappear up their own backsides for the most part. I genuinely think that?s the main problem and I can?t see this being the fault of foreigners. But it might explain why there isn?t a queue of foreign clubs looking for british talent

[Emerson Crane]

SWP, Bentley among those that failed to live up to their own hype.

[mockney piers]

It's the lack of opportunity at the highest levels, and that can only be levelled at overdendence on foreign talent.

As I said short-termism.

Money, as I said before is the root of all the problems (that could almost be a phrase, weird) and totally concur with how attitudes of players is at fault.

[DJKillaQueen]

In a country where practically every child and that includes most girls too these days plays football it can not be that there is not enough talent out there. Clearly something is going very wrong at junior coaching level (that is something both Germany and Spain have changed) and then at the higher levels, no matter how good a junior is, he is never ging to be great if he doesn't get to play regular first team football at the higher clubs. So the number of foreign players is prohibitive to that (something that most fottball advisors across the world agree on). It is no accident that since the creation of the Premier League in 1992 that our results at international tournaments have dropped.

As for last night's performance, it wasn't good enough. In the brief moments that England picked up the pace and passed the ball they created chances. Rooney I agree was well below par and I've never been a fan of Crouch at international level. Yes Montenegro got away wih a lot, always had 10 men behind the ball and the referee and his linesmen were pants but you still have to win games like that. And the beter teams do. We are not one of them.

[Emerson Crane]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> It's the lack of opportunity at the highest

> levels

SWP and Bentley have had more than enough opportunities at the highest level, and have failed to come up with the goods. Sorry I don't buy into that. I watch a lot of football at all levels, it is abundantly clear to me that the Prem is some way behind the levels of technical ability than that on display in La liga, Serie A and to a lesser degree the Bundesliga. I would rather watch any two teams play each other in La Liga because of the skill, talent, technical ability on display, than watch say the likes of Bolton play Wolves. The difference in the levels of said skills is huge. Sad but true, and I take no pleasure in saying this. Blaming foreigners is nonsense, it is nothing more than a smokescreen used to hide the English games shortcomings.

[DJKillaQueen]

The English game is a different game it's true. Hence the term 'kick and rush'....and why is that? An emphasis on fitness over skill? No..we are not producing enough skilled footballers because we coach indiviual skill out of them. And it's worth pointing out that many of the premiership stars underperformed for their national teams in the last World Cup...so there is something in the English game that doesn't help most players at international level.

[Annasfield]

More importantly Hicks and Gillett lost their court case. Hopefully this is a sign that things can only get better for us.

Bring on the blueshite on Sunday.

[DJKillaQueen]

Everton are my team and if Liverpool can't beat Blackpool then I fancy Everton's chances.

[mockney piers]

They are unshakeable in their belief that money will make everything better.

They're wrong. The appeal of sport is simple: people play it because it's fun and people watch it because they enjoy being swept up in the drama of two players, or two sides, trying their best to win. Sportsmen don't need to be playing for money to authenticate that drama, they just need to care.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/10/liverpool-football-hicks-gillett

David Mitchell on the crisis at liverpool, or the crisis of football, or just isn't it all a bit tiresome really.

[Emerson Crane]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

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> Everton are my team and if Liverpool can't beat

> Blackpool then I fancy Everton's chances.

B)

[DJKillaQueen]

Sportsmen don't need to be playing for money to authenticate that drama, they just need to care.

And we see this every weekend on every Sunday League pitch. For every professionally paid football player, coach, manager, there are millions more doing it all for free for no more than the love of the sport.

We are about to see the first professional women's league next year. The top eight teams will be part of a summer league called the Super League and the FA and clubs involved will pay those female players up to around ?40K a year to play for them. It is designed to stop our best female players going off to America to play in their well established professional league, whilst improving our changes at international level to win a World Cup. The interesting thing to note that the pay scale is capped. Each club will only be able to pay up to four players more than ?20k per year.

Now if the FA can cap female players wages...and do something to aid the female England Squad's chances of winning the World Cup in Germany next year....they can certainly do the same for the men's game. They won't of course, because things being they way they are currently brings in far too much money to the FA and clubs...and THAT'S why neither the FA, Premiership or Clubs really care about England International Football.

The delusion of paying Capello more than twice what the next highest paid international manager gets is part of the smokescreen, that makes the England manager always the fall guy, instead of the FA being forced to look inward and acknowledge the real problems lie elsewhere.

[Mick Mac]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> The Americans are blocking it though and trying to

> remove the Directors. This will end up in court.

Good call Anna, and good result. Now Hicks and Gillette are on weak ground the Board can choose between the 2? bids.

[Keef]

A court in Texas. WTF!?

[Mick Mac]

No jurisdiction here Keef, but apparently the US buyers and RBS will not go ahead with the transaction as their US business interests may be compromised in the future if they act contrary to a US judgement.

Liverpool, RBS and US buyers will therefore have to try to have the Texas restraint order dismissed today.

Not surprised Hicks and Gilettte are playing hard ball - I said at the start that I was surprised that the board were allowed to sell their majority shareholding on their behalf, however whilst the UK courts supported the Board position, the US courts have not.

Its absolutley fascinating.

[ratty]

I find it hard to see the difference between this case and ours. Dodgy owners borrowed money on strength of premiership club that they could not pay back so financial institution threatens to put business into administration. So why does every media outlet accuse Pompey of cheating and the same ones want Liverpool to be saved for exactly the same thing (except of course that Liverpool did not win anything).

Anyone else confused?

[Emerson Crane]

Welcome back to the Prem

Arsenal 2 v Brum 0

Bolton 0 v Stoke 2

Fulham 2 v Spurs 1

Mu 3 v WBA 0

Toon 2 v Wigan 0

Wolves 1 v West Ham 0

Villa 1 v Abramovich 2

Everton 2 Liverpool 0

Blackpool 1 v Citeh 3

Blackburn 1 V Sunderland 1

[Annasfield]

I'm not sure Ratty, but I agree it stinks! The only thing I can see swaying it is that Liverpool have someone who will pay off the debt - therefore no administration, whereas Pompey didn't.

[Mick Mac]

THE Liverpool FC ownership war took yet another dramatic twist today with reports hedge fund Mill Financial has effectively taken over the club.

It is being claimed the US-based investment company acquired all of Tom Hicks' shares.

It already owned George Gillett?s shares after the American defaulted on a loan.

The latest shocking development came as the sale was briefly heard in the High Court again this morning, at 10.30am. It is due back before Mr Justice Floyd at 2pm.

And according to reports if they repay all outstanding loans to Royal Band of Scotland before the set deadline they will by default become the new owners of LFC ? nudging out Boston-based New England Sports Ventures.

But this morning RBS was understood to have no knowledge of the reported Mill Financial deal but would be expected to be informed of such a takeover as the principal creditor.

The ECHO believes today?s dramatic move would not see Hicks and Gillett return to ascendancy in the battle for the Reds.

Instead it is believed Mill Financial, owned by Springfield Financial who have links with the Washington Redskins American Football team, may be acting on behalf of another, as yet unnamed and unknown group, now in a position to move in at the 11th hour and take over the club.

Inevitably will lead to speculation Chinese businessman Kenny Huang could be behind today's dramatic developments, though that is by no means clear.

Critical meetings to discuss today's development are now being held in London involving Liverpool's English directors ? chairman Martin Broughton, Managing Director Christian Purslow and Commercial Director Ian Ayre.

No one from the club was prepared to comment on the so far unconfirmed reports.

The latest development comes after an astonishing day of highs and lows yesterday.

The English board?s resounding High Court victory was followed a legal blow by the American co-owners.

They obtained a restraining order in Texas last night which was due to be challenged by LFC in the next 24 hours.

Lawyers for the Reds were locked in complex discussions until 3am today deciding how to deal with injunction.

Liverpool FC had appeared confident they would overcome a lawsuit seeking $1.6b damages from the English directors at Anfield ? along with lenders Royal Bank of Scotland and successful Liverpool bidders New England Sports Ventures (NESV) ? claiming they were undervaluing the price of the club and disregarding other, allegedly higher, offers

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/10/14/update-mill-financial-swoop-for-reds-lfc-ownership-latest-100252-27471097/#ixzz12KhQVAT3

[DJKillaQueen]

It's all just an absolutely shocking mess isn't it.

[Emerson Crane]

And I fear we've not seen the last of such cases, unfortunately I think many clubs have been badly managed for years, and Liverpool is just the tip of a very large iceberg. Time to get out acts together or, sadly, many may go out of existence .