The following is an article in today's times, which being subscription only on the net may not be fully readable by everyone on CL.
Interesting reference made to Jojo Shevey, which is particularly relevant to us Addicks.
Roy Hodgson fears that top-class talent in English football will always suffer because of young players’ tendency to gravitate towards the biggest clubs.
Reflecting on England’s early elimination from the World Cup, even before they play their final group game against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte tomorrow, Hodgson highlighted the difficulties that the national team faces when some of the most talented youngsters find their pathway blocked at leading Barclays Premier League clubs.
The England manager acknowledged the names of Jack Rodwell, who started only two Barclays Premier League matches at Manchester City last season, and Wilfried Zaha, who made no impression at Manchester United before being sent on loan to Cardiff City in January. Beyond that, there is widespread disappointment within the FA at the way that highly-regarded English youngsters such as Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah have seen their development stall since their involvement in FA Youth Cup-winning teams at Chelsea.
Hodgson was part of the FA commission that has made a series of proposals, including strategic loan partnerships between clubs and the controversial idea of a “League Three” that would incorporate ‘B’ teams, but he said that his head was too “fuzzy” to elucidate on such issues with the World Cup disappointment so fresh in his mind. He did, however, say that English football must look for solutions while reluctantly accepting the inevitability that young players will rush to join clubs where first-team opportunities are limited.
“We have lost players that way, players who we thought had potential and went to another club,” Hodgson said. “There will always be a problem that the players who could be good enough to play for England at 18, 19 or 20 play in the top five or six clubs, where the biggest stars and biggest money is, and the biggest chance of a blockage into the team.
“So let’s come to terms with that. Let’s keep looking if there is a system that would help these 19-year-olds who aren’t playing at [Manchester] United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool first teams, getting them playing against men on a regular basis. Of course it’s not as easy as that. Would Raheem Sterling benefit from playing in the third division? It’s complicated, but my head is a bit fuzzy right now.”
Steven Gerrard interjected, citing Jonjo Shelvey as an example of how a player can accelerate his progress his career by recognising the appropriate level for his stage of development. Shelvey joined Liverpool as a 16-year-old, ostensibly as a potential long-term replacement for Gerrard, but, having not fully established himself at Anfield, the midfield player moved last summer to Swansea City, where his form has put him in contention for an England senior role in the future.
“Jonjo Shelvey is the perfect example,” Gerrard said. “He came to Liverpool, asked the manager if he would play and, when he was told no, he went to Swansea, where he had a fantastic season.”
0
Comments
Add a philosophy overhaul and I think we'll start to get there.
Obviously I don't want to work out the maths and how tricky it would be to implement, I'm just an ideas man me, I'd outsource the details....
“So let’s come to terms with that. Let’s keep looking if there is a system that would help these 19-year-olds who aren’t playing at [Manchester] United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool first teams, getting them playing against men on a regular basis. Of course it’s not as easy as that. Would Raheem Sterling benefit from playing in the third division? It’s complicated, but my head is a bit fuzzy right now.”
No wonder England are so poor if that's the best the manager can come up with.
The system you are longing for, Roy, involves the big 4 parasites not hoarding young prospects and preventing them developing as players whilst turning their heads with ridiculous money, (mainly so one of the other big 4 parasites can't do the same thing, just in case one of them becomes the next Suarez). To say "we have lost players" (presumably you are referring to England, Roy?) because they aren't at the big 4 parasites gives the game away. Let's not "come to terms with that" Roy, let's introduce a rule limiting the number of non home-grown under 21s that any club can sign after they have already made a full league debut. The parasites would still be able to buy "the best" but at least they would have to put a few back into the system at the same time. And lets have an automatic rule that when developed younger players who haven't debuted are signed by PL big 4 parasites their previous club must get serious compo if they aren't playing competitive footy by a certain age, and a percentage of any sell-on fee, not by the big 4 parasite but by any subsequent employer before say age 25. At the same time the loan system is reformed so the numbers in and out of clubs are strictly limited.
But instead, Roy wants to look at creating a reserve team league where the wasted generation can play against a combination of each other and players probably inferior to those they were playing against before the big 4 parasites signed them in the first place. Well feck me sideways. We'll be ok at the 2022 world cup if that comes in!