This weekend Alan Pardew, Newcastle United's manager fielded a non-English XI in his sides game against Hull City. Understandably it caused outrage from many yet it is not the first time this has happened of course, Arsenal being one of the major clubs to do it some years back (where ironically Alan Pardew criticsed Wenger for it!). Yet an incident like this highlights the issue once more regarding English players. As this article will discuss, if English players wish to develop, clubs may need to take the 'feeder' club idea into a reality.
The picture of this article is of the England U17's in 2010 when they won the European Championship. In that squad were players like Wickham, Barkley, Wisdom, Chalobah, McEachran and Butland. It is not a bad list of names yet since then have any of these players really made the required step up in terms of playing for their clubs? Barkley is only now getting his chance, denied somewhat under Moyes. This points to the issue we are discussing, a successful 17's team from three years ago has failed to progress due to a lack of opportunity.
This points to some clear issues in the English game; firstly, should an English club be allowed to field no English players in their starting XI? The answer should be no, yet this is not the case. In fact a club is allowed to have no English player in their 25 man squad, the reason being that the 'home grown' rule allows for foreign players to be registered as such after spending three years in English football between the ages of 16-21 years.
Why foreign players are being recruited at 16/17 years begs the question of why English players are deemed not good enough against these foreign players. This leads to the second issue which is the fundamental problem in English football, that the players are not good enough. As this article will address the state of English football and its future is pinned on the quality of the academies who are producing young talent, which is worryingly not good enough.
England's failed academies
The state of English development is becoming very concerning when you consider the amount of English players playing in the Premier League (32%). The figure of players under 21 is even more concerning. The blog has written extensively about the issues for players between 17-21 years of age and why experience at this age is essential for a young players development yet this article will look at what is happening before that in terms of academies.
Now the argument is, why not develop your own? If English players cost so much surely it is easier and more sustainable to bring youngsters through the academy system. And this is where the problem truly lies. You see the major issue with English youth development is that for the majority of it is abysmal compared to other clubs and nations across the world . And I'm not just talking lower league clubs, I am talking about clubs like Newcastle.
Now I use them as an example because of their policy of using foreign players and neglecting their youth players. The truth is though, Pardew cannot use players who simply are not good enough. And of course buying English talent, even from lower league clubs can be costly.
So on one hand you have to see their logic for not playing English players. Yet on the other hand you have to question and wonder why? Why are England's academies so bad for developing top players? Well my book "The Way Forward" analyses the issues in more depth but the basis of it is that these academies are actually amateurs pretending to be elite developers. Some clubs look and act more like Sunday league than actually what should be regarded as the top level of development.
If the coaching and structure is poor this results in the development of poor players. Since the creation of academies this past decade too many clubs have been lax in their approach to youth development and are now paying the price for it. From Category One to Three there are too many destroyers of talent which is restricting the pool of English players.
The worry is that there are too many of these 'amateur' academies which are quite simply ruining potential talent through poor coaching and philosophies. I have witnessed too many coaches and clubs with poor and low standards and ideas and methods which are clearly destroying the talent of players.
If a young player is failed at any point in their youth career then the chances of their progression to become professional suffers greatly. And the truth is we have far too many players being ruined in our academies. There are 10,000 players roughly in the academy system and only 1% make it. Something is wrong. It is clear that these 'elite developers' are nothing of the sort and the EPPP is finding this out.
It must be tragic for these 'auditors' to see the lack of standards in many academies. The fact it took over a decade to go into these academies and actually ask "What are you doing here?" is so long overdue that we have been left with a generation which is dearth of talent. There is only a handful of true developers of talent in the country, which is very worrying for England's future. The EPPP will certainly help to improve standards yet will it have the impact necessary for English football to compete in the modern game?
This is why English academies should use the Southampton blueprint for developing future players. They are presently everyone's favourite academy, and rightly so, with players like Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and James Ward-Prowse just a few of the impressive products of recent years. The worlds most expensive player was developed there and so too (in this blogs opinion) the brighest talent of English football Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. (For more information on the academy philosophy read this article.)
Yet it took relegation to League One to provide their youth players with the experience required to become top players. This period of decline allowed the club to re-build the foundations and allowed the club to offer their young players the key experience needed to develop. This aided their progress back to the Premier League and now the club has an owner and coach who value youth development. It is a near 'perfect blend' of English youth and experienced professionals. Yet would we have seen this had they not been relegated and forced to develop and provide their own with experience? Perhaps not. Which is why the 'feeder' club idea is so perfect for England's future.
The need for feeder clubs
The new EPPP has formed the Under-21 league which is intended to give the young players in academies the opportunity to develop and play in competitive environments. Now while I like and agree with the concept I fear that this is a place for the 'late developers' and not for the players who at 17/18 years require more in terms of competition and challenge.
This is why loan opportunities are so important. Just this weekend Man Utd's 20 year old attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard scored four goals in his debut for his new loan side Birmingham City. This is very pleasing for England's future and to shine like this at this level is very impressive. If the loan allows him playing time and experience then he will certainly excel for it.
Yet the argument regarding loans is whether the club a young player is moving to is actually going to help the development of the player. Will he get the playing time needed or will he waste away on the sidelines like Josh McEachran at Swansea?
And secondly and most importantly do the club and its coaches share a similar philosophy as his parent club? The issue of continuity is important at this age. Which is why the debate regarding 'feeder clubs' and "B" teams is an important debate to have.
In my book I argue that this "B" team model is essential for England's future development. The idea of having continuity in philosophy and tactics like at Barcelona for instance allows continuous development and understanding. Therefore the move by clubs to seek a link with lower league sides has some serious merit.
The pro's and con's
Kevin MacDonald was not pleased when Tim Sherwood arrived at Swindon Town one day this past summer, where MacDonald was informed that Sherwood would be 'supporting' the manager in the coaching of the team. A link had been formed with Spurs which would involve sending several young talented players across to get the experience of playing senior football and Sherwood would be there to help the 'continuity' of styles between clubs.
Yet MacDonald resigned claiming that he would not be undermined, yet it was clear that the chairman Jed McCrory who has ties with Spurs was keen on this 'relationship'. Although you can see MacDonald's issue the benefits are evident for a lower league club, they get top young talent for free (perhaps even Spurs paid them for the 'relationship') and they help the team improve and progress. And the young players benefit by getting the playing time their development requires.
Now we have seen how this type of link has merits with Watford this past season and there is little doubt that Premier League clubs saw the opportunity to do something similar.
In fact Chelsea have been doing this for some years now; they have bought some of Europe's top young talent and loaned them out across Europe to gain experience and 'exposure'. If they develop to world class levels (Courtois) they now become assets either for the team or to sell for profit.
The logic makes sense, yet the worry is that they are buying foreign talent and giving them the experience. What about English players like Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Baker? They need that challenge of senior football too. Nathan Chalobah benefited from playing at Watford last season and has a new home for the season in Nottingham Forest yet would not a 'feeder' club in England be of more benefit for Chelsea's young talent?
Yes Chelsea have a link with Vitesse Arnhem in Holland already which may benefit some of their youngsters, yet a Chelsea B team in England could be just what Chelsea need for a more sustainable future which utilises the Barca model of using academy players.
There will be many who disdain the idea of feeder clubs, arguing that the Premier League's top sides are ruining the soul of English football. Yet when these clubs have loan players play for them they often see the talent and are thankful for these players. Of course it is not nice for Swindon fans to be considered as just Spurs "B" side yet if it helps the club's future and perhaps their progression up the leagues it must be seen as a positive?
The rule should be that clubs are restricted in loaning 'foreign' players yet open to allowing more English players to move. It really should be a link with only one other club which will allow direct links, style and philosophies to marry between.
This will be perfect for young players to excel and of course the feeder club will receive funding to keep their long term future secure. It will also mean an opportunity for young coaches to develop and progress, almost like an apprenticeship for the Premier League side to 'mould their own' future coaches.
It seems apparent that that for the negatives a 'feeder club' idea has, the positives simply outweigh them. For those who care about England's future as a national team, the more solutions we can find to give more English players between 17-21 the chance to develop and progress is surely a good thing and the feeder club model appears a great solution for English football's future.
Matt Whitehouse is the author of “The Way Forward: Solutions to England’s Football Failings”
You can purchase the book from Amazon here
The picture of this article is of the England U17's in 2010 when they won the European Championship. In that squad were players like Wickham, Barkley, Wisdom, Chalobah, McEachran and Butland. It is not a bad list of names yet since then have any of these players really made the required step up in terms of playing for their clubs? Barkley is only now getting his chance, denied somewhat under Moyes. This points to the issue we are discussing, a successful 17's team from three years ago has failed to progress due to a lack of opportunity.
This points to some clear issues in the English game; firstly, should an English club be allowed to field no English players in their starting XI? The answer should be no, yet this is not the case. In fact a club is allowed to have no English player in their 25 man squad, the reason being that the 'home grown' rule allows for foreign players to be registered as such after spending three years in English football between the ages of 16-21 years.
Why foreign players are being recruited at 16/17 years begs the question of why English players are deemed not good enough against these foreign players. This leads to the second issue which is the fundamental problem in English football, that the players are not good enough. As this article will address the state of English football and its future is pinned on the quality of the academies who are producing young talent, which is worryingly not good enough.
England's failed academies
The state of English development is becoming very concerning when you consider the amount of English players playing in the Premier League (32%). The figure of players under 21 is even more concerning. The blog has written extensively about the issues for players between 17-21 years of age and why experience at this age is essential for a young players development yet this article will look at what is happening before that in terms of academies.
Now the argument is, why not develop your own? If English players cost so much surely it is easier and more sustainable to bring youngsters through the academy system. And this is where the problem truly lies. You see the major issue with English youth development is that for the majority of it is abysmal compared to other clubs and nations across the world . And I'm not just talking lower league clubs, I am talking about clubs like Newcastle.
Now I use them as an example because of their policy of using foreign players and neglecting their youth players. The truth is though, Pardew cannot use players who simply are not good enough. And of course buying English talent, even from lower league clubs can be costly.
So on one hand you have to see their logic for not playing English players. Yet on the other hand you have to question and wonder why? Why are England's academies so bad for developing top players? Well my book "The Way Forward" analyses the issues in more depth but the basis of it is that these academies are actually amateurs pretending to be elite developers. Some clubs look and act more like Sunday league than actually what should be regarded as the top level of development.
If the coaching and structure is poor this results in the development of poor players. Since the creation of academies this past decade too many clubs have been lax in their approach to youth development and are now paying the price for it. From Category One to Three there are too many destroyers of talent which is restricting the pool of English players.
The worry is that there are too many of these 'amateur' academies which are quite simply ruining potential talent through poor coaching and philosophies. I have witnessed too many coaches and clubs with poor and low standards and ideas and methods which are clearly destroying the talent of players.
If a young player is failed at any point in their youth career then the chances of their progression to become professional suffers greatly. And the truth is we have far too many players being ruined in our academies. There are 10,000 players roughly in the academy system and only 1% make it. Something is wrong. It is clear that these 'elite developers' are nothing of the sort and the EPPP is finding this out.
It must be tragic for these 'auditors' to see the lack of standards in many academies. The fact it took over a decade to go into these academies and actually ask "What are you doing here?" is so long overdue that we have been left with a generation which is dearth of talent. There is only a handful of true developers of talent in the country, which is very worrying for England's future. The EPPP will certainly help to improve standards yet will it have the impact necessary for English football to compete in the modern game?
This is why English academies should use the Southampton blueprint for developing future players. They are presently everyone's favourite academy, and rightly so, with players like Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and James Ward-Prowse just a few of the impressive products of recent years. The worlds most expensive player was developed there and so too (in this blogs opinion) the brighest talent of English football Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. (For more information on the academy philosophy read this article.)
Yet it took relegation to League One to provide their youth players with the experience required to become top players. This period of decline allowed the club to re-build the foundations and allowed the club to offer their young players the key experience needed to develop. This aided their progress back to the Premier League and now the club has an owner and coach who value youth development. It is a near 'perfect blend' of English youth and experienced professionals. Yet would we have seen this had they not been relegated and forced to develop and provide their own with experience? Perhaps not. Which is why the 'feeder' club idea is so perfect for England's future.
The need for feeder clubs
The new EPPP has formed the Under-21 league which is intended to give the young players in academies the opportunity to develop and play in competitive environments. Now while I like and agree with the concept I fear that this is a place for the 'late developers' and not for the players who at 17/18 years require more in terms of competition and challenge.
This is why loan opportunities are so important. Just this weekend Man Utd's 20 year old attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard scored four goals in his debut for his new loan side Birmingham City. This is very pleasing for England's future and to shine like this at this level is very impressive. If the loan allows him playing time and experience then he will certainly excel for it.
Yet the argument regarding loans is whether the club a young player is moving to is actually going to help the development of the player. Will he get the playing time needed or will he waste away on the sidelines like Josh McEachran at Swansea?
And secondly and most importantly do the club and its coaches share a similar philosophy as his parent club? The issue of continuity is important at this age. Which is why the debate regarding 'feeder clubs' and "B" teams is an important debate to have.
In my book I argue that this "B" team model is essential for England's future development. The idea of having continuity in philosophy and tactics like at Barcelona for instance allows continuous development and understanding. Therefore the move by clubs to seek a link with lower league sides has some serious merit.
The pro's and con's
Kevin MacDonald was not pleased when Tim Sherwood arrived at Swindon Town one day this past summer, where MacDonald was informed that Sherwood would be 'supporting' the manager in the coaching of the team. A link had been formed with Spurs which would involve sending several young talented players across to get the experience of playing senior football and Sherwood would be there to help the 'continuity' of styles between clubs.
Yet MacDonald resigned claiming that he would not be undermined, yet it was clear that the chairman Jed McCrory who has ties with Spurs was keen on this 'relationship'. Although you can see MacDonald's issue the benefits are evident for a lower league club, they get top young talent for free (perhaps even Spurs paid them for the 'relationship') and they help the team improve and progress. And the young players benefit by getting the playing time their development requires.
Now we have seen how this type of link has merits with Watford this past season and there is little doubt that Premier League clubs saw the opportunity to do something similar.
In fact Chelsea have been doing this for some years now; they have bought some of Europe's top young talent and loaned them out across Europe to gain experience and 'exposure'. If they develop to world class levels (Courtois) they now become assets either for the team or to sell for profit.
The logic makes sense, yet the worry is that they are buying foreign talent and giving them the experience. What about English players like Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Baker? They need that challenge of senior football too. Nathan Chalobah benefited from playing at Watford last season and has a new home for the season in Nottingham Forest yet would not a 'feeder' club in England be of more benefit for Chelsea's young talent?
Yes Chelsea have a link with Vitesse Arnhem in Holland already which may benefit some of their youngsters, yet a Chelsea B team in England could be just what Chelsea need for a more sustainable future which utilises the Barca model of using academy players.
There will be many who disdain the idea of feeder clubs, arguing that the Premier League's top sides are ruining the soul of English football. Yet when these clubs have loan players play for them they often see the talent and are thankful for these players. Of course it is not nice for Swindon fans to be considered as just Spurs "B" side yet if it helps the club's future and perhaps their progression up the leagues it must be seen as a positive?
The rule should be that clubs are restricted in loaning 'foreign' players yet open to allowing more English players to move. It really should be a link with only one other club which will allow direct links, style and philosophies to marry between.
This will be perfect for young players to excel and of course the feeder club will receive funding to keep their long term future secure. It will also mean an opportunity for young coaches to develop and progress, almost like an apprenticeship for the Premier League side to 'mould their own' future coaches.
It seems apparent that that for the negatives a 'feeder club' idea has, the positives simply outweigh them. For those who care about England's future as a national team, the more solutions we can find to give more English players between 17-21 the chance to develop and progress is surely a good thing and the feeder club model appears a great solution for English football's future.
The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address
Matt Whitehouse is the author of “The Way Forward: Solutions to England’s Football Failings”
You can purchase the book from Amazon here
The book which is ideally suited to the current debate and offers solutions for a better future.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete