ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Would we be bothered if we played all foreigners?

The issue of foreign-born players playing in our domestic league has been brewing for a while. I was wondering what ToffeeWeb readers thought about it? If Everton went the way of Arsenal and played eleven foreign-born players, would we think that was acceptable? Does the answer depend on how such a team played - route-one vs masterclass joined-up football? Does the answer depend purely on how successful the team became?
Greg Dawson, Not in Walton anymore Posted 04/09/2007 at 22:53:51

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Roy Coyne
1 Posted 05/09/2007 at 00:16:15

At the risk of being called a old arse I must admit I would prefer British if two players of the same quality were available however in today?s game its a luxury we cant afford so come on the greatest little Spaniard we know and feed the Yak and he will score

Mark Stone
2 Posted 05/09/2007 at 00:20:55

I wouldn’t like it myself. I quite like Everton’s policy of buying young British players, and also that we have a number of local(ish) players who’ve come the ranks (even if they were released and later resigned).

Daffy David
3 Posted 05/09/2007 at 02:29:34

Firstly, I am not a British. So dfinitely, I wouldn’t mind having 11 foreign players. But it definitely damages the quality of the National Team, no doubt about it. Can’t have too many Championship players in England team, it needs players with calibre, who play alongside world class players and you can only find them in the Premiership.

As for Everton, we does not have the cash to splash on many foreign talents. So I believe you will not see an Arsenal team here.

Moyes is a British, so naturally, there’ll be positions reserved for British. It’s about pride.

And I also believe that different countries are good in certain positions. Creative midefielders, Latin players. Fast and skillful strikers, the French. Always thought that British strength lies strongly on defensive roles, aggressive and steady, just like the Germans.

Gavin Ramejkis
4 Posted 05/09/2007 at 04:34:05

If British coaching and support structures for any sport were any good you wouldn’t need to ask the question tied to a good proportion of young lads in the UK being no better than peer pressured scrotes then what do you expect, they can do whatever they like reasonably immune to any punishment whatsoever, give me any talented foreign kid hungry for success and the trappings it brings over some overpriced lazy UK kid anyday.

Wabi Sabi
5 Posted 05/09/2007 at 05:46:01

Yup. Given the way the game has developed over recent years how exactly would a pro-uk player policy look like? Some kind of quota system? Limits to the number of foreign players fielded? That would translate as us having to put out carsley over arteta or cahill.. Ruddy over Howard or Wessels.. For me watching, learning and being inspired by international players every Saturday albeit at the expense of homegrown players is a good thing for the game longterm. All the FA have to do is think of creative ways to capitalise on the excitement and enthusiasm those players generate in the hearts and mind of british yoof. Geez they?re doing half the job for you and you can?t catch the wave! The FA is THE problem with football in this country. Clueless. In what other area of life is raising the bar on talent and excellence regarded as counter productive to grassroots development?

Dutch Schaffaer
6 Posted 05/09/2007 at 07:58:15

One of the things I am most proud of is that Everton have quite a few British players in the squad and David Moyes is one of the few managers trying to keep British players in the Premiership.

You look at clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal, even their youth teams are full of foreign players.

I’m very proud of Everton.

Robin Cannon
7 Posted 05/09/2007 at 08:44:57

I quite like the fact that we have a British nucleus to the squad - but that’s more because I it’s apparently beneficial to team spirit. In principle I have no objection to a team of 11 foreigners. But then, I couldn’t care less about the fortunes of the England team, and find it quite gratifying that when fans are surveyed on the issue Evertonians consistently come top of the "don’t care about England" poll. :)

murf
8 Posted 05/09/2007 at 08:58:54

I think it would be great if, having decided to leave the city to the shite, we usurped their support by recruiting a team full of local lads & Evertonians. Think about it, kids from the area would view us more and more as their local club and most schools in the area would have links with the club.
We may never win the champions league but hey, if I was a glory hunter I’d support man U or arsenal!

Murf

Louis Platt
9 Posted 05/09/2007 at 10:00:13

murf - I can?t see that happening. Have you ever heard of Tranmere Rovers? ;)

Tony Waring
10 Posted 05/09/2007 at 10:31:05

There should be a limit on foreign players, say a maximum of five or six. The remainder of the squad should be British but not necessarily English as we are supposed to be a United Kingdom. If this was policy - and frankly to blazes with human rights and political correctness - the likes of Chelski, Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool would soon come down to earth. Whilst we’re at it let’s get rid of all live games on TV and revert to MOTD on Saturday evening at 1030. Can I really be such a boring old f... or am I actually quite enlightened >?

james elworthy
11 Posted 05/09/2007 at 11:33:40

As members of the EC which does not restrict movement of labour we cannot stop any players from any member state playing for a team in this country. I would however like a sealing of 5 non EC players per club purely to allow the younger British players to come through as our national team is now having to pick the likes of Heskey and old timers like James and Campbell due to the lack of players that are English playing in the Prem.
This would mean us getting rid of a few players and maybe Anichebe would see sense and play for England. Howard, Yobo, Yakubu, Cahill, Pienaar I think are all the non EC Players we have. Probably Anichebe would get round it by the fact he has lived here since he was 2 and Aussies can get in the back door so Cahill might be spared also. What is annoying is the number of South Americans that get Spanish & Portuguese passports, that should be stopped by the UEFA.

Ben Howard
12 Posted 05/09/2007 at 11:35:56

I’m very proud of our pro British policy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Arteta, Yobo and the Yak but I think that having the nucleus of the team full of home-grown talent is a great foundation for a solid, hardworking and passionate team. Could any other PL team boast the following ENGLISH team?

Ruddy
Hibbert Stubbs Lescott Baines
Osman Jagielka Neville JP Kissock
Vaughan Johnson

Okay so I had to promote John Paul Kissock to the first team but I see that happening soon. If you’re talking BRITISH players then you could also add Turner, McFadden and Carsley.

Now, I’m not suggesting that this team would win the league but with the classy additions of Arteta, Jobo, Yakubu, Gravesen, Pienaar etc, you can see what Moyes is trying to achieve.

COYB

Peter Singer
13 Posted 05/09/2007 at 11:39:38

A balance should be struck, it’s obvious. It has nothing to do with national pride but community and availability. There should be more local lads available than foreigners. I’d say having home-grown players in your team is way more important than nationality. Anichebe is a local lad, even though he plays for Nigeria and had Jagielka chosen Poland, he’d still be a local lad as well. Growing your own players is much like growing your own vegetables: it’s cheaper but you have to put some work in it. It’s risky and the end product might not look as good as the supermarket stuff but it’s tastier and it’s yours.

The fact we’re talking about regulations goes to show that something is seriously rotten in the system.

Ben Howard
14 Posted 05/09/2007 at 11:52:00

Oops! And of course Howard and Cahill!!

Allan Hobbs
15 Posted 05/09/2007 at 13:30:06

You dont need a cap on the amount of foreign players allowed, you just need better coaching at a lower level and more British players will make it to the top table.

Look at Italy; 75% of players in Serie A are Italian.

Sean Kearns
16 Posted 05/09/2007 at 13:22:29

Wabi Sabi and Ben Howard.
Lee Carsley may have been born and bred in England but in international terms he plays for the Republic of Ireland. If there was a pro-UK or pro-British quota system, he would excluded as the Republic of Ireland is not, despite what you seem to think, a part of the UK or Britain.

Allan Hobbs
17 Posted 05/09/2007 at 13:56:05

Isn’t the clue in the title? REPUBLIC of Ireland?

Tony Fryer
18 Posted 05/09/2007 at 13:46:15

Amongst the rubbish spouted by Daffy David (wonder why he’s called that!)
"Moyes is a British, so naturally, there?ll be positions reserved for British. It?s about pride."
You can criticise Moyes for tactics and whatever but accusing him of reserving places in the team for British players is absolute rubbish.

Oh and Tony Waring, I’m quite happy with my human rights and being allowed to work anywhere I want to in Europe and I’d be rather pissed off if you took them away from me just cos you want a weaker Everton team.

Ben Howard
19 Posted 05/09/2007 at 14:59:31

Ah yes Sean, you’re spot on. I forgot myself for a moment and will be sure to do ten hail Moyesys. I hope you got my point though, even with that glaring and unforgivable error. ;-)

Tom Dooley
20 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:05:27

I simply want the best team we can get and I don’t care whether they are English or not. I’m not interested in whether players have a foreign name or if they’re Brittish, only about their footballing ability.

Nelly
21 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:16:44

If it meant that we cleared up in the Premiership, Europe & all the other cup comps I couldn’t care less if they all came from Timbuktu. All I want is for us to win trophies & lots of em.If that means using foreign born players then so be it.If it means a winning team thenm I don’t care where they come from.