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We all joke about how Liverpool in recent years have become predominantly Spanish, how Arsenal under Wenger have barely any Brits in their squad; but recent speculation has me worried about the composition of Everton's squad.

This is the Silly Season, and I should not let myself get worried by speculation, I know that. But I am concerned... Arteta to Arsenal? Pienaar's contract negotiation delay? Rodwell to United/Chelsea? The one that got me all flustered today was the rumour on caughtoffside.com that City are planning a £30m+ swoop for Rodwell and Jagielka.

We need an English, or at least a British, core to our team in my opinion. Firstly, because of any future legislation on homegrown players. (Does anyone know detail of this and how it will affect PL teams in the near future?). And secondly, because British core seems to breed success- United (Ferdinand, Neville, Giggs, Carrick, Fletcher, Rooney), Chelsea (Terry, Cole (x2), Lampard), Villa, Spurs... the clubs lacking substantial British talent are the ones who have failed in their objectives this season (Arsenal, Liverpool, City).

I am always excited by the prospect of new foreign players that bring quality to our team - Arteta, Pienaar, Heitinga, Fellaini etc. But at the moment, we have, as regular first team players, only Baines, Jagielka and Neville that are Brits. Hibbert on the bench. Maybe Rodwell next season too (if he is still an Evertonian).

Does Moyes need to focus more on British talent? True, some (Beattie, Johnson, McFadden etc) never fulfilled their potential). But I am starting to get concerned that we are loosing our British core -— something that, arguably, is central to Premier League success. If we lose the Jagielka/Rodwell spine this summer, we lose a core that could become as significant as Terry/Lampard or Ferdinand/Scholes.
Louis Huglin, University of Warwick     Posted 18/05/2010 at 10:25:41

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James Marshall
1   Posted 18/05/2010 at 14:14:47

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I see your point, but does it really make a difference when they get on the pitch? Isn't that the beauty of football, the fact that anyone from anywhere can play it with anyone from anywhere?

We have to get what we can, and currently players from abroad are cheaper, and more available.

It's no secret that the best young players end up in the academies of Chelsea, Man Utd etc, but also that the percentage that actually 'make it' is somewhere around 2% and that of that 2%, a tiny percentage again makes it to the Premier League.

Don't quote me on that, but it comes from a friend of mine who's a youth team coach for MK Dons.
Mark Pendleton
2   Posted 18/05/2010 at 15:01:35

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As much as I hate them, the $hite have Johnson, Carragher and Gerrard. Pretty much equal to Chelsea's Cole, Terry and Lampard. City have had too much upheavel and are trying to bed a squad in and Arsenal, well, had Van Persie been fit, I think they may have challenged. So, really, doesn't do much for the argument in my opinion.

Yes, I like to have a core of British players as the nucleus of our team, but the loyalty and quality the likes of Arteta and Cahill have given us and the fact that we have Neville, Baines, Jagielka, Rodwell, Osman in there doesn't concern me that we're losing any core values. We currently HAVE these players, so it's as worthless speculating that they may leave as it is speculating we may have earmarked some new British talent to come in.
Louis Huglin
3   Posted 18/05/2010 at 16:57:31

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Just in case anyone is interested, I just got an email from a contact at the club, the new kit has been scheduled for an approx. release date of July 15th.

--------------------------------

Back to this thread - I completely agree that the nationality of the player shouldn't matter once they're on the pitch. It doesn't. I'm just concerned that we should maintain a British core, if for nothing else than when legislation comes in stipulating that a minimum of home grown players must be in the match day squad.
Ciarán McGlone
4   Posted 18/05/2010 at 17:03:13

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There will not be any legislation regarding British or English players. It is illegal, and rightly so.

If that's your only concern, then let it go...
James Stewart
5   Posted 18/05/2010 at 17:16:30

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Exactly Ciaran. Also my friend I would not bother reading any rumours sourced from that website. If it aint on The Guardian rumour mill, don't pay any attention.
Craig Taylor
6   Posted 18/05/2010 at 17:17:11

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I think we have got to get the best players we can, and if that means they are foreign then so be it. Lets be fair, as soon as we get any decent British or certainly English player they generally break into the England team and then are off soon after so what does it matter?

We are where we are and we all know by now what to expect in the summer and it is usually disappointment. But I for one just hope that we do not sell anyone this summer, I am not to bothered if we do not sign anyone but we must keep the squad together.

However, if for example Man City do come in, we should just ask the player out right if he is interested, then go back to Man City and say ok, let's not fuck about give us a decent offer. How much easier would that bethan last year?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Steve Pugh
7   Posted 18/05/2010 at 17:24:14

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Ciaran, you are quite right — there will be no legislation; however, the clubs in the Premier League have all agreed to a voluntary quota of home grown players.

Basically they have agreed to have 8 home grown players in their squads of 25. A home grown player being someone that has spent 3 years at a British club between the ages of 16 and 21.

I am guessing that they can get around discrimination laws because they choose who to approach rather than people applying for a job.

What will be interesting is how strictly the agreement will be enforced if one of the Sky 4 (or 5, or is it 6 now?) struggle to fill their quota.
David Hallwood
8   Posted 18/05/2010 at 17:40:06

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Yep, Arteta off to the Arsenal if Cesc goes to Barca... or is it a swap deal with Fabregas and Yaya Toure going the other way? Rodwell & Jags are going to Citteh for £36 mill or should that be Rodwel & Gosling going to Man U? No, on second thoughts, Rodwell's target No1 for Chelsea.

And Pienaar? pick a club, any club, Real Madrid, Spurs, Hartlepool, Marine... I can't wait for the World Cup cos it removes all of this shite from the papers. FFS, if you're gonna read the shite press AND believe what they print, there's a good chap, keep it to yourself.

Dennis Stevens
9   Posted 18/05/2010 at 19:28:04

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If the assumption that Everton will sell to buy, as usual, & the names in the frame are
Jagielka/Rodwell/Arteta/Pienaar - which one would be most willing to part with?
I'd prefer to keep the current squad together & just top up the squad with a few freebies or loans, but if we had to sell one of the 4 mentioned then for me it would be Jagielka ... at least that's what I think at the moment!
Ciarán McGlone
10   Posted 18/05/2010 at 19:34:47

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"However, the clubs in the Premier League have all agreed to a voluntary quota of home grown players."
------


A rule which carefully sidesteps the issue of nationality Steve... I think this is about as far as the EU will let them go...

In my opinion, that rule is already illegal in regard to various treaty articles on competition... however they seem to be letting it go — I would assume it's a compromise.
Luke Dunn
11   Posted 18/05/2010 at 20:26:16

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Dennis, that's an easy one, Pienaar is going, I would also sell Jagielka if a silly offer comes in for him. He really is over rated, and there is enough cover at cb.
Ian Smitham
12   Posted 18/05/2010 at 20:29:19

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Alas, just seen in the Telegraph that Fabregas wants to go to Barca, trust that MA's contract is water tight as the Arse will need an experienced midfield player and our man fits the style of football and image of a replacement. Sadly...
Pat Finegan
13   Posted 18/05/2010 at 21:57:56

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The only real reason I can see to have domestic players is that they don't have to adjust to the pace of the game. Heitinga looked lost at first as did Fellaini, Arteta and even the quickest guy on our team, Pienaar. There are a few exceptions (Donovan) but generally, you can plug a quality English player into a squad and he'll make a more immediate contribution than a foreign player would.
Mark Pierpoint
14   Posted 18/05/2010 at 21:58:59

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Fabregas looks like he is going, but lets be positive about this, With the money they would recieve Arsenal will have their pick. I think MA mixes it with the best but Arsenal will have options. Yaya Toure — not the same player but a likely candidate as part of the deal. Don't forget Ramsay and Wilshere. ready made replacements, regardless of what the media or Arsenal fans say Wenger is as stubborn as they come.
Dick Fearon
15   Posted 18/05/2010 at 22:22:57

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It begs the question of what constitutes an English club or put another way at what point does a club cease to be English.

Is it the country of origin of owners or manager or coaching staff or players or in the case of our dear neighbours the nationality of the supporters?

Nick Xenos
16   Posted 19/05/2010 at 10:02:24

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Wenger rarely targets players from other Premier League clubs so I wouldn't be too worried about Arteta going to Arsenal. I just hope the players realize that we're onto something good here. If we can hang onto these group of players and make 2-3 good additions... the sky's the limit.
Andrew Ellams
17   Posted 19/05/2010 at 10:17:34

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Re the rumour regarding alledged bid of € 11million for the versatile (no surprise there) defender from Ajax. Does this mean that there is an impending departure from our defensive ranks? Hard to think how we could justify spending that sort of money purely to improve on what we already have in defence when it could be spent on a wide player or striker.
Ben Jones
18   Posted 19/05/2010 at 10:22:54

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Well, it depends, in my opinion, Louis; Steve Pugh importantly mentions the 8 home grown players in our club, and we can analyse if we need any more or not. At the moment we have:

Turner (unless he's leaving)
Ruddy (again, unless he's leaving)
Hibbert
Jagielka
Duffy
Baines
Baxter
Neville
Rodwell
Cahill (because he joined Millwall when he was 18)
Jutkiewicz (again unless he's leaving)
Anichebe
Vaughan

I think we have enough there to be honest. It is not vital we need to buy some more British players.
Mike Allison
19   Posted 19/05/2010 at 11:58:13

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Homegrown players have an advantage but it's limited. Once a player has been here a while he's basically homegrown. English speaker's like Howard and Cahill are basically 'homegrown' in terms of being comfortable and fully adjusted to the culture. Dutch and North European players adjust fairly quickly and their English is generally excellent so they are practically 'homegrown', some of them even have very short distances to travel to their real home.

In short, the individual is far more important than where he's from.
James Marshall
20   Posted 19/05/2010 at 13:23:36

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Well said Mike.

Also, this piece on the Guardian site might hold some weight - hopefully.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/19/everton-arsenal-mikel-arteta-fabregas

I can't see Rodwell leaving either, not yet anyway. Of all the rumours, Jagielka seems the most likely to my mind.
Peter Warren
21   Posted 19/05/2010 at 13:43:23

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I consider the likes of Howard, Rodwell, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Hibbert, Baines and Jags as Evertonians and even our manager Moyes as one. I don't care what their nationality is.

Obviously, a homegrown player automatically is an Evertonian — people like Heitinga / Fellaini take time because they're foreigners and not brought through the academy... although I think Fellaini is very close to being one. I can't put my finger on what makes them EFC but I just think they are.
Peter Warren
22   Posted 19/05/2010 at 13:51:33

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Luke, post 11 — we have plenty of cover at CB?

Whilst that may be true, I don't think we have what I would call decent cover, other than Heitinga.
Ray Robinson
23   Posted 19/05/2010 at 16:01:45

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Ciaran, I agree with your assertion that any legislation restricting a club's employment of any number of foreign players would be illegal — with the emphasis on "employment". But if agreement is reached on the maximum number of overseas players who are permitted to play (with the emphasis on "play") in any particular match / competition, then that is surely a decision internal to the sport?

I'm no legal expert but that doesn't seem at odds with any European employment legislation — any more so than a player being prevented from playing in a competition because he was signed too late for a deadline or because he had played for another team previously.

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