The wealth in English football.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Just a thought, but nobody seems to need to sell anymore, driving transfer prices up to even more ridiculous levels. Liverpool turn down 40m for a kid and I can't see Arsenal letting Wilshere go at 30m either.
Is it healthy?

[john@staustell]

I think in general you have a point. But in this case both clubs have US owners who are basically profit/return driven - so if Txiki plays the right sort of poker they will give in for fear of losing dollars.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

The price of English players is certainly going through the roof. So much better value abroad. You could almost say other club's greed is ruining English football!

[Pretty Boy Lee]

The price of English players is certainly going through the roof. So much better value abroad. You could almost say other club's greed is ruining English football!

Forcing clubs to take inferior players instead of owning up to how shit our youth development has become is what's ruining football.

[Hazy2]

The Premier League is Crazy, Portsmouth rise and Fall, stripped of every asset, then dumped is just history, nobody gives a toss. 40 mill for Sterling is normal in a football world so fucked up, it has become acceptable. Fans are so far from the players now. Most of which are bang average, Phil Bardsley 70k a week, chicken feed when you see our wage bill, He is just busy fit, likes a tackle and injury free, other than that he is a Manchester League player.

[City64]

Thing is with the Sterling transfer saga is that it could blow up big time in Liverpool FC face . We could easily walk away and they have a player who doesn't want to be there ! Yes greedy fucking bastards ruining the game but heyho would be hilarious if they were stuck with him and he goes for fuck all in 12 months time .

[Ted Hughes]

The price of English players is certainly going through the roof. So much better value abroad. You could almost say other club's greed is ruining English football!

Forcing clubs to take inferior players instead of owning up to how shit our youth development has become is what's ruining football.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, at least that's what we are seeing right now. But I do think there will be a lot more talent around in five ten years from now.

I've said before, that instead of enforicing the use of 'homegrown' players, there should be an incentive to use them ie extra places on the subs' bench for young players.

But I don't think the people who put forward these ideas are doing it for the good of football, they are doing it for the same reasons as UEFA; to try & keep things as they are.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

The price of English players is certainly going through the roof. So much better value abroad. You could almost say other club's greed is ruining English football!

Forcing clubs to take inferior players instead of owning up to how shit our youth development has become is what's ruining football.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, at least that's what we are seeing right now. But I do think there will be a lot more talent around in five ten years from now.

I've said before, that instead of enforicing the use of 'homegrown' players, there should be an incentive to use them ie extra places on the subs' bench for young players.

But I don't think the people who put forward these ideas are doing it for the good of football, they are doing it for the same reasons as UEFA; to try & keep things as they are.

Sad but true. I've been saying for years if we just ripped it up and started over like Germany we'd be decent within a decade. I'm not as convinced as you that the talent is growing though. I look at the silly money being mentioned for young English attackers and I immediately think of David Bentley, Aaron Lennon, that small lad at Blackburn, hell even SWP. They get so much hype because they have a bit if pace and can driblle, but as soon as they are expected to kick on and move up to bigger clubs or international competition they can't cope.

[Ted Hughes]

The price of English players is certainly going through the roof. So much better value abroad. You could almost say other club's greed is ruining English football!

Forcing clubs to take inferior players instead of owning up to how shit our youth development has become is what's ruining football.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, at least that's what we are seeing right now. But I do think there will be a lot more talent around in five ten years from now.

I've said before, that instead of enforicing the use of 'homegrown' players, there should be an incentive to use them ie extra places on the subs' bench for young players.

But I don't think the people who put forward these ideas are doing it for the good of football, they are doing it for the same reasons as UEFA; to try & keep things as they are.

Sad but true. I've been saying for years if we just ripped it up and started over like Germany we'd be decent within a decade. I'm not as convinced as you that the talent is growing though. I look at the silly money being mentioned for young English attackers and I immediately think of David Bentley, Aaron Lennon, that small lad at Blackburn, hell even SWP. They get so much hype because they have a bit if pace and can driblle, but as soon as they are expected to kick on and move up to bigger clubs or international competition they can't cope.

Yes but if those lads had been at City as we are now, from a young age, they would all be footballers who could hapilly exchange passes with David Silva & slot into various formations, rather than all having been taught various conflicting old school methods by faceless no marks of the mentality of Stuart Pearce & Graham Taylor.

The players you have mentioned there, are all perfectly good enough talent wise, to have played for most decent international sides. It's their decision making or in some cases attitude, which is all wrong.

Bentley imo, was a better footballer than Beckham, like a two footed version, but had no particular role, no particular method, & no discipline. He was a Pirlo type character at Arsenal, in centre mid spraying passes around, then suddenly he's a winger at Blackburn. SWP was a No 10. Wingback in Keegan's team.

They go from one coaching method to another, one side plays pass & move, the next hits everything down the channels, etc etc.

Our kids are being taught to play football, & no matter how much the old philistines complain if we lose a goal by passing the ball, they are going to keep doing it, forever. So whatever is thrown at them in the future, they will at least be able to pass a football & play possession, without shitting themselves.

I haven't seen any other club do that to our standard, but I do see about 500% more intelligence in the way kids play now, in general, compared to when we last won the youth cup.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

The price of English players is certainly going through the roof. So much better value abroad. You could almost say other club's greed is ruining English football!

Forcing clubs to take inferior players instead of owning up to how shit our youth development has become is what's ruining football.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, at least that's what we are seeing right now. But I do think there will be a lot more talent around in five ten years from now.

I've said before, that instead of enforicing the use of 'homegrown' players, there should be an incentive to use them ie extra places on the subs' bench for young players.

But I don't think the people who put forward these ideas are doing it for the good of football, they are doing it for the same reasons as UEFA; to try & keep things as they are.

Sad but true. I've been saying for years if we just ripped it up and started over like Germany we'd be decent within a decade. I'm not as convinced as you that the talent is growing though. I look at the silly money being mentioned for young English attackers and I immediately think of David Bentley, Aaron Lennon, that small lad at Blackburn, hell even SWP. They get so much hype because they have a bit if pace and can driblle, but as soon as they are expected to kick on and move up to bigger clubs or international competition they can't cope.

Yes but if those lads had been at City as we are now, from a young age, they would all be footballers who could hapilly exchange passes with David Silva & slot into various formations, rather than all having been taught various conflicting old school methods by faceless no marks of the mentality of Stuart Pearce & Graham Taylor.

The players you have mentioned there, are all perfectly good enough talent wise, to have played for most decent international sides. It's their decision making or in some cases attitude, which is all wrong.

Bentley imo, was a better footballer than Beckham, like a two footed version, but had no particular role, no particular method, & no discipline. He was a Pirlo type character at Arsenal, in centre mid spraying passes around, then suddenly he's a winger at Blackburn. SWP was a No 10. Wingback in Keegan's team.

They go from one coaching method to another, one side plays pass & move, the next hits everything down the channels, etc etc.

Our kids are being taught to play football, & no matter how much the old philistines complain if we lose a goal by passing the ball, they are going to keep doing it, forever. So whatever is thrown at them in the future, they will at least be able to pass a football & play possession, without shitting themselves.

I haven't seen any other club do that to our standard, but I do see about 500% more intelligence in the way kids play now, in general, compared to when we last won the youth cup.

That's kind of my point though. We're the only ones doing it and fair play you've seen the kids, but for me all the hopes f young English players is coming from us and we've not debuted a good one in years.

[Ted Hughes]

It depends what position really. I've seen players in various teams who have a bit of 'something' & who have impressed me more than some of the talent raved about a few years back..

In my experience it's not been 100% the case that the best ones are the ones who make it. But nowardays I think there is a bit more of an understanding of actually playing football, at academy level, even in the more kick & rush teams. City have always tried to do that tbf, but we have just got a lot better at it & more focused & higher quality. But we still got turned over at the swamp by a rags team, albeit much older, who stuck to their game plan & (blatant offside notwithstanding) produced a couple of quality goals. Chelsea beat us again by mainly strength & organisation, but still had quality in their play.

I think as a country, we are slowly getting there.

The big danger comes from what happens if Greg Dyke, Rio Ferdinand, Howard Wilkinson & Danny Mills suddenly take over, just as we are emerging from the swamp of shite created by people exactly like them.

[Bianchi on Ice]

The Premier League is Crazy, Portsmouth rise and Fall, stripped of every asset, then dumped is just history, nobody gives a toss. 40 mill for Sterling is normal in a football world so fucked up, it has become acceptable. Fans are so far from the players now. Most of which are bang average, Phil Bardsley 70k a week, chicken feed when you see our wage bill, He is just busy fit, likes a tackle and injury free, other than that he is a Manchester League player.

Plenty of people out there who'd knock rooney out properly for a fraction of that

[Dunnylad]

The problem could be that we produce the Chris Waddle's the players that don't fit the international team - that's part of the problem, you only need to see the England defence last weekend, Henderson playing right back????

As for transfer fees, that's what you get for imposing a cap on foreign players, all your home grown ones become over hyped and over valued.

[Ted Hughes]

The problem could be that we produce the Chris Waddle's the players that don't fit the international team - that's part of the problem, you only need to see the England defence last weekend, Henderson playing right back????

As for transfer fees, that's what you get for imposing a cap on foreign players, all your home grown ones become over hyped and over valued.

Again though, that is down to lack of quality produced in recent years.

There is no problem filling squad places with cheap homegrown players; the problem is filling the squad places with cheap homegrown players who aren't shit.

And then some of the ones that aren't shit, are full of learned bad habits, so have become shit. Even in the days of Chris Waddle; I've watched his 90 mins vs Cameroon & some of the positions he takes up & the passes he tries to play, makes Joey Barton look like Inifuckingesta. Clueless, aimless, selfish shite. And he's one of these who is supposed to be smarter than everyone else. This started decades ago.

The kids now are watching Barca win Champion's Leagues, Spain etc win World Cups, & players like Silva, Yaya, Hazard, Fabregas, win titles, right here, every year.

When someone tells them to 'knock it' some of them are going to say "excuse me ?".

[Hazy2]

The problem could be that we produce the Chris Waddle's the players that don't fit the international team - that's part of the problem, you only need to see the England defence last weekend, Henderson playing right back????

As for transfer fees, that's what you get for imposing a cap on foreign players, all your home grown ones become over hyped and over valued.

Hoddle, second fiddle to Captain M AND Wilkins. OK very good players, but Hoddle was way better than both at the hings MF players should be in to do, like pass the ball short or long.

[Wonderwall]

The problem could be that we produce the Chris Waddle's the players that don't fit the international team - that's part of the problem, you only need to see the England defence last weekend, Henderson playing right back????

As for transfer fees, that's what you get for imposing a cap on foreign players, all your home grown ones become over hyped and over valued.

Hoddle, second fiddle to Captain M AND Wilkins. OK very good players, but Hoddle was way better than both at the hings MF players should be in to do, like pass the ball short or long.

Matt Le Tissier, 8 caps! what a waste of a genial talent

[iwasthere2012]

The problem could be that we produce the Chris Waddle's the players that don't fit the international team - that's part of the problem, you only need to see the England defence last weekend, Henderson playing right back????

As for transfer fees, that's what you get for imposing a cap on foreign players, all your home grown ones become over hyped and over valued.

Hoddle, second fiddle to Captain M AND Wilkins. OK very good players, but Hoddle was way better than both at the hings MF players should be in to do, like pass the ball short or long.

Matt Le Tissier, 8 caps! what a waste of a genial talent

Lazy fecker wouldn't track back!

[Hazy2]

The problem could be that we produce the Chris Waddle's the players that don't fit the international team - that's part of the problem, you only need to see the England defence last weekend, Henderson playing right back????

As for transfer fees, that's what you get for imposing a cap on foreign players, all your home grown ones become over hyped and over valued.

Hoddle, second fiddle to Captain M AND Wilkins. OK very good players, but Hoddle was way better than both at the hings MF players should be in to do, like pass the ball short or long.

Matt Le Tissier, 8 caps! what a waste of a genial talent

Never understood that, he did it to the same players who had 30 or 70 caps. Hoddle and him, other Countries must have pissed themselfs at our waste.