The English Football Thread

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

I bet he can't wait to form a devestating partnership up front with ummm................. Darius Vassell

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Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

I'd like to see a cap put on the amount you can spend on a team.

Maybe saying you can only have a maximum of £200 million of bought players in your whole squad with maybe bonuses for teams that bring players through their youth system.

Good idea, but we know that'll never happen.
Too much greed in football.

The only solice I can find in clubs like The Rent Boys and The Bitters, is watching the pressure the directors will put on the managers when they only reach the Champions League Final without actually winning it. Then sacking them, then bulk buying even more players that will never quite gel as a team under a new manager who has little control over what players are bought.
Repeat formula ad infinitum and still fail to understand that a good manager and continuity are the only solutions for lasting success.

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Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

I bet he can't wait to form a devestating partnership up front with ummm................. Darius Vassell

And I don't honestly see how that situation can improve.
For years United have suffered due to location.
Ronaldo (Brazilian), Ronaldhino, Salas etc...all turned us down.
Chelsea have London, but there aren't many top world players who really want to move to Manchester when they can play in the sun in Spain or Italy.
I think City fans are in for a disappointing time.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

Mark Hughes has been told he has 3 years to win the Champions League. Their owner said they need at least 18 £20 Million rated players to do it.

If your going to win it like that whats the point?

What about Man City's academy? With the players they've bought through it over the past 3 or 4 years i'd say their set up is just as good as United's. Being a club at Man City's level these players had plenty of Premiership experience. I wouldn't say they're great players but they could do a good job in any premiership side. What are they going to do now? just dump them to any Championship side that wants them?

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For years City have had one of the best Academy's in the country, you're right, it's bound to suffer and I wonder how the existing first team players are feeling right now?

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I don't think that Man City will automatically become a top 4 team just because money is going to be chucked their way but why should'nt the blue half of Manchester have some optimism for a change? They have been living in United's shadow for far too long and at last it seems like a few teams might be able to start challenging the top 4. Do you know how boring it is to see the same 4 teams at the top all the time.

Those teams have been almost goading the rest of the premiership to break that monopoly. Now that there could be a chance of that at last and unfortunately, a certain amount of money is neede for that to happen you cannot just rely on your academies. The top 4 don't. In fact out of the top 4, it is only (yuk, vom etc) Man u who bring players through but this is becoming less frequent.

The money that has and is coming into the game has been to the detriment of many academies which is a shame for football.

I say good luck to Man City and I hope they still keep a core of their academy players (Richards, Johnson etc) but if it means sacrificing these to gain major success, then unfortunately the money will win.

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The top 4 dominance needs to be challenged for sure and for the good of English football.

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

Maybe saying you can only have a maximum of £200 million of bought players in your whole squad with maybe bonuses for teams that bring players through their youth system.

^ The more I think about this, the more I like the idea.
Especially the bonus scheme, plus throw in capping players wages and there's every chance of creating a more level playing field where results on the pitch would reflect the quality of the team manager (e.g; Brian Clough types) and less the size of a clubs bank account.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

That's a proper youth system.

Not spending millions on 15/16 year olds
eh Arsene

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So what's going to happen tomorrow night then? Capello is showing serious signs of fully grasping the English game. The squad for these two games is quite frankly appalling. Where are Agbonlahor and Young? Owen? Crouch? and Jimmy Bullard? A half decent player but an international? I'm actually dreading this game. A limp 2-0 victory will probably be it when we should knocking 5 or 6 past them.

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To be honest, I've no interest at this stage, which sounds like treason I know, but they've finally took there toll on my faith.
Unless they produce a stunning victory playing with class and devastating attacking football, I've got a feeling it will be a while before they manage to stir my interest again.