Alan Shearer: Too many French players at Newcastle

Absurdistan

Racist

Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer says the large contingent of French players at the club is unhealthy.
Newcastle's recent capture of QPR forward Loic Remy on loan means Alan Pardew's squad has 11 French players.
Newcastle's French XI
Yohan Cabaye - midfielder signed June 2011 from Lille

Moussa Sissoko - midfielder signed January 2013 from Toulouse

Hatem Ben Arfa - midfielder signed permanently in January 2011 after loan spell from Marseille

Yoan Gouffran - striker signed January 2013 from Bordeaux

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa ,- defender signed January 2013 from Montpellier

Romain Amalfitano - midfielder signed July 2012 from Stade de Reims

Massadio Haidara - defender signed January 2013 from Nancy

Sylvain Marveaux - midfielder signed June 2011 from Rennes

Gabriel Obertan - midfielder signed August 2011 from Manchester United

Mathieu Debuchy - defender signed January 2013 from Lille

Loic Remy - striker signed August 2013 on a season-long loan from QPR

Shearer is worried it could have a negative impact if things went against Pardew's side.
"I don't think it's a healthy thing to have too many French players in one dressing room," Shearer told BBC Radio 5 live.
Newcastle finished fifth from bottom in the Premier League table last season and start the 2013-14 campaign away to Manchester City on Monday.
"If things start to go against you then little cliques appear [in the dressing room]," added Shearer, who scored 206 goals in 404 games during a 10-year spell at Newcastle before managing the club for eight games in 2009.
"I know Arsenal had a lot of French players and went on to be successful. But I don't see Newcastle being that successful."
Despite his comments, Shearer is tipping his old club to enjoy a better season than in 2012-13 when they finished 16th.
"Two years ago Newcastle overachieved without doubt by finishing fifth," he said.
"Last season they underachieved by finishing fifth bottom. If the truth be known, they're somewhere in between.
"At the minute I would have them finishing 11th or 12th."

se9addick

"I know Arsenal had a lot of French players and went on to be successful. But I don't see Newcastle being that successful."

So it's not really the French players nationality then, is it Al ?

BIG_ROB

He means too many if one foreign nationality and I gotta say I agree with him.

se9addick

BIG_ROB said:

He means too many if one foreign nationality and I gotta say I agree with him.

Maybe the reason we've lost the first two games is because we have too many English players !

_MrDick

If things start going wrong they'll blame the manager because they'll claim they didn't understand Pardewesque.

Absurdistan

BIG_ROB said:

He means too many if one foreign nationality and I gotta say I agree with him.

If you ask me, there are too many French posters on CL, always bringing discontent etc.
Only joking BR me favourite poster since the Athena tennis girl.

BIG_ROB

se9addick said:

BIG_ROB said:

He means too many if one foreign nationality and I gotta say I agree with him.

Maybe the reason we've lost the first two games is because we have too many English players !

For an English side? How strange!!

BIG_ROB

Would love to see 11 Brits/English turn out for a French/Italian/Spanish side. No wonder we struggle at international level... ffs

Absurdistan

MLS thats our level

BIG_ROB

Start phasing in the 3 foreigner rule in ALL domestic competitions including the leagues. Starting with 8 next season, then 6 a couple of seasons after that, then down to 3.

English, Welsh, Scots or N Irish + 3 foreigners.

Rep If Ireland = foreign

guinnessaddick

BIG_ROB said:

Start phasing in the 3 foreigner rule in ALL domestic competitions including the leagues. Starting with 8 next season, then 6 a couple of seasons after that, then down to 3.

English, Welsh, Scots or N Irish + 3 foreigners.

Rep If Ireland = foreign

Not sure they are allowed to do that under EEC rules, there is a rule about non EEC players and their numbers within a team.

The Red Robin

Shearer's right. Lets forget he played in a successful Newcastle side with French speaking Ginola and Albert, not to mention other foreigners such as Asprilla and Srniceck.

oohaahmortimer

So how many french/english/spanish/martians:/northerners/sweaties were in the Toon side when Shearer and Dowie put the nail in their coffin and relegated them

Don't see a problem with it as long as they all speak the native Toon tongue its fine


I think our record with or without lots of foreigners in International football 1966 aside is neither here nor there personally

oohaahmortimer

Shearer doesn't like Pardew cos his buddie Robert Lee thinks Pardew "is the biggest c*** in football" which is of course true

But Pardew has done, up till now, a more than decent job at Newcastle unfortunately

Is Shearer gonna say too many French if they do well , I doubt it no one said that when Le Arse done good , its getting a negative reason in for failure before it has happened and if things go good ignoring it as a positive

BIG_ROB

Read what HE said again, HE said too many French, I hear that as too many of one foreign nationality.

I'M the one saying there's too many foreigners in the English game and to phase them out, for the sake of the ENGLISH/SCOTTISH game! (If the EU or EEC won't allow it then it don't matter anyway does it, we'll just watch British football go to the wall over the next 10 - 20 years)

*Note* The word foreigner isn't a dirty word, seems like some are getting offended by it.....?

BIG_ROB

oohaahmortimer said:

I think our record with or without lots of foreigners in International football 1966 aside is neither here nor there personally

So you don't think that allowing more British kids into the top flight of the domestic leagues will improve the national sides? Maybe it won't win World Cups, but you can't deny it would make a difference surely

oohaahmortimer

Well we didn't qualify in 1974 or 1978 or 1994


And the real influx has been since 2000

Footballers will migrate to what level that they are good enough for and without doubt the Championship is stronger than it has ever been but all our young players the other night are in the Premiership

If you're good enough you'll be playing in the top flight

Brazil do well in the World Cups and I'm sure most of their players play all around different leagues in the world , doesn't mean we have to follow their route

Most people think its the grass roots that need to be sorted , rather than the hoof and at em attitude /play the stronger kids that has been the norm for our kids previously

I think grass roots is where we need to improve

BIG_ROB

The argument is that home grown talent is overlooked so they're not given the chance to be good enough.

C_Jensens_Love_Child

BIG_ROB said:

oohaahmortimer said:

I think our record with or without lots of foreigners in International football 1966 aside is neither here nor there personally

So you don't think that allowing more British kids into the top flight of the domestic leagues will improve the national sides? Maybe it won't win World Cups, but you can't deny it would make a difference surely

They are allowed in and if there good enough they will play, limiting the amount of foreigners will only decrease the ability of the league leading to less teams playing in Europe and the English players not testing themselves against the likes of Kompany, Van Persie etc

BIG_ROB

Its only the exceptional players who make the grade, the others aren't developed from being excellent to exceptional because the clubs know they can go and get 10 or 11 Carlos Kickaballs

North Lower Neil

Gabriel Obertan is the one too many.

AddickUpNorth

One Alan Shearer in the world is one too many imo.

BIG_ROB

I'm not a Shearer fan either, just think he raises a decent point

BIG_ROB

.......look at the youth teams at Man U, Man C or Chelsea, I bet there's a good few foreign lads there. Local (British) kids ain't got a chance

Super_horns

BIG_ROB said:

.......look at the youth teams at Man U, Man C or Chelsea, I bet there's a good few foreign lads there. Local (British) kids ain't got a chance

I wonder if the EPPP will change that - meaning top clubs will be able to get any potential youngster from the likes of us for very little?

I suspect Newcastle have found a niche in the French market but I guess bringing in so many does bring pressure and the very accusations Shearer is making.

AddickUpNorth

It is a sad state of affairs that a large chunk of Premiership clubs could easily field a team of 11 foreign players. And have no one bat an eyelid really.

BIG_ROB

AddickUpNorth said:

It is a sad state of affairs that a large chunk of Premiership clubs could easily field a team of 11 foreign players. And have no one bat an eyelid really.

Thank you!

I knew me norvern bruv would come good

Absurdistan

Super_horns said:

BIG_ROB said:

.......look at the youth teams at Man U, Man C or Chelsea, I bet there's a good few foreign lads there. Local (British) kids ain't got a chance

I wonder if the EPPP will change that - meaning top clubs will be able to get any potential youngster from the likes of us for very little?

I suspect Newcastle have found a niche in the French market but I guess bringing in so many does bring pressure and the very accusations Shearer is making.

Us? Udinese B team

Super_horns

Absurdistan said:

Super_horns said:

BIG_ROB said:

.......look at the youth teams at Man U, Man C or Chelsea, I bet there's a good few foreign lads there. Local (British) kids ain't got a chance

I wonder if the EPPP will change that - meaning top clubs will be able to get any potential youngster from the likes of us for very little?

I suspect Newcastle have found a niche in the French market but I guess bringing in so many does bring pressure and the very accusations Shearer is making.

Us? Udinese B team

That's the 1st team..



We've still got a Youth Academy which hopefully bring players through.

Beating Liverpool and taking Everton to penalties in the recent Milk Cup suggests there are some good prospects.

Anyway it was a general point regarding all clubs at our level and below based on Rob's comment that the Premier league clubs tend to look abroad even for youth team players.

BIG_ROB

Super_horns said:

Absurdistan said:

Super_horns said:

BIG_ROB said:

.......look at the youth teams at Man U, Man C or Chelsea, I bet there's a good few foreign lads there. Local (British) kids ain't got a chance

I wonder if the EPPP will change that - meaning top clubs will be able to get any potential youngster from the likes of us for very little?

I suspect Newcastle have found a niche in the French market but I guess bringing in so many does bring pressure and the very accusations Shearer is making.

Us? Udinese B team

We've still got a Youth Academy which hopefully bring players through.

My point is that the percentage of British youth that make it through to the Prem for more than say 3 seasons is not good enough imo

se9addick

BIG_ROB said:

The argument is that home grown talent is overlooked so they're not given the chance to be good enough.

I'm really not sure. I just think that the shocking lack of proper coaching at grass roots levels means we end up producing players with very poor technical ability. Look at the u20 & u21s this summer, absolutely dire.

If we restrict the number of foreigners it will only mean that it's not just poor players we're producing but poor teams and a poor competition.