Fifa quota proposal angers Wenger

[Guest Jonny-B]

Fifa quota proposal angers Wenger

Arsene Wenger

Wenger is against enforcing player quotas on teams

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is fuming over Fifa plans to force clubs to field six homegrown players in each match.

 

Fifa and the international players' union have proposed a quota whereby a side must name six players eligible for the club's national association.

 

Wenger said: "Football bodies have to care about the level of the game - that does not mean protecting mediocrity.

 

"Elite sport is first about quality. I wouldn't like to say I paid £2m for a player as he has the right passport."

 

When Arsenal reached the Champions League final last season, they only had two Englishmen in their starting XI - Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, who have both now left the club.

 

 

I would never like to feel somebody is better than me, but sits on the bench just because he does not have the right passport.

 

Arsene Wenger

 

And defender Justin Hoyte is likely to be the solitary Englishman in the side when the Gunners line up to face West Ham on Sunday.

 

Wenger added: "I would never like to feel somebody is better than me, but sits on the bench just because he does not have the right passport.

 

"I am just concerned that when you love football, you have not got to act this way and be big enough, and capable enough to say 'you do not play because you are not good enough'.

 

"I would prefer to say 'you make £4million per year in wages because you are good enough', rather than say 'I give you £2m a year because I need you and you have the right passport.'"

 

The Arsenal boss added: "What can you say to a guy who pays money to watch your team? 'This player's first touch is not good, yes, we know but he is English. What can I do?'

 

"You are telling them 'yes, OK he is not good enough, but we have to play him because he is from the right country'.

 

"I would like to say, 'listen, whether he English, South African, French or South American, he is a good football player'.

 

"You say to a player, 'you play because you are better'. I have always done that in my life."

 

I personally think he has a point here. Along with the fact that i think its against EU laws at the mo.

[Sion]

6 is ridiculous IMO.

[John am Rhein]

Along with the fact that i think its against EU laws at the mo.

 

It is and it should stay that way.

[growler]

wenger would have a point if he managed to coach any english players into the players he has now.

 

If he can travel the world and find decent players from nowhere clubs in france, why not in england? Why did he not get players like Dyer, Bridge, Parker for exmaple, before they became big names?

 

He said he was looking at Andy Johnson. and then what happened? he realised he was english?

 

Admit it, Wenger hates english players. the only reason he signed walcott is because he needs one player for the fans. Even Hoyte, only in the team because of injuries. Cashley only got into the team by accident, but actually turned out to be good.

 

The first few years, you could understand buying players from where you know best, but he's been here for 10 years. surely he should have brought through decent players now? Fungus did at teh scum.

 

Surely now he has decent scouts in england?

[_00_deathscar]

Because most English players are utter utter w@nk?

 

I mean ... FFS STEWART f***ING DOWNING?

[fyds]

It is and it should stay that way.

It is and will stay so - FIFA has asked the EU about this in ione form or another every season for the last seven - and alsways got the same reply, to wit: they can choose any prefix they like but the sufix is 'off'.

 

wenger would have a point if he managed to coach any english players into the players he has now.

 

If he can travel the world and find decent players from nowhere clubs in france, why not in england? Why did he not get players like Dyer, Bridge, Parker for exmaple, before they became big names?

 

He said he was looking at Andy Johnson. and then what happened? he realised he was english?

 

Admit it, Wenger hates english players. the only reason he signed walcott is because he needs one player for the fans. Even Hoyte, only in the team because of injuries. Cashley only got into the team by accident, but actually turned out to be good.

 

The first few years, you could understand buying players from where you know best, but he's been here for 10 years. surely he should have brought through decent players now? Fungus did at teh scum.

 

Surely now he has decent scouts in england?

That is such pants...he buys the best players he can according to the money he has available. Wenger was a coach in France and prior to Arsenal, japan - considering he has bought Spanish, German, African, Czech and even Ukrainian, Dutch and Brazilian players in his time it makes your arguement nonsense.

 

What should we do then - sell Xabi, Kuyt, JAR, Momo and Luis etc while hoping there is somewhere an English player or six that are good enough (which there aren't), yet affordable and Chelsea don't want?

[Benitez]

it does seem a bit much, 6 players like! But I don't have much sympathy for Wenger and Arsenal. Cos at the end of the day, the argument about buying what he can afford doesnt really cover it. He spends s*** loads on players. He has the money, so the 'pauper' card doesnt cover it when you are willing to spend 17 mill on Adebayor and Hleb.

 

All the bigger clubs do have largly foreign based teams, hell even some of the smaller clubs like Bolton.

 

But we somehow manage to have 6 english playes in Gerrard, Carra, Crouchy, Pennant, Warnock and Fowler.

 

Hard to sympathise with a manager who somehow managers to have 2 english playes in his whole first team squad. And hard to sympathise with someone who has even fielded reserve teams in recent seasons with hardly an English player involved.

[Rich Gobey]

wenger would have a point if he managed to coach any english players into the players he has now.

 

If he can travel the world and find decent players from nowhere clubs in france, why not in england? Why did he not get players like Dyer, Bridge, Parker for exmaple, before they became big names?

 

He said he was looking at Andy Johnson. and then what happened? he realised he was english?

 

Admit it, Wenger hates english players. the only reason he signed walcott is because he needs one player for the fans. Even Hoyte, only in the team because of injuries. Cashley only got into the team by accident, but actually turned out to be good.

 

The first few years, you could understand buying players from where you know best, but he's been here for 10 years. surely he should have brought through decent players now? Fungus did at teh scum.

 

Surely now he has decent scouts in england?

 

Do me a favour. None of those players would get near the Arsenal team. Only Bridge would get in ours. Cole got in by accident? So Wenger isn't resposible for that one then!

 

Maybe there aren't enough good English players worth the money. Apart from Pennant I dont see Rafa buying too many. Chelsea have only bought the ones from the natioal side, just like Ferguson.

 

The state of the national side might be a pointer. Full of players that overestimate themselves, hyped by those who know f*** all about the game.

[Benitez]

well Rafa has bought Crouchy, Carson and Fowler an all OK, not bought Fowler, but signed him.

 

Thing is, you can take the argument many different ways. Maybe there aren't enough quality English players, so then how is what Wenger is doing helping that? He fills his reserve / youth team full of foreign players. Surely there are English youngsters out there worth developing. There has to be a balance surely.

[Rich Gobey]

well Rafa has bought Crouchy, Carson and Fowler an all OK, not bought Fowler, but signed him.

 

Thing is, you can take the argument many different ways. Maybe there aren't enough quality English players, so then how is what Wenger is doing helping that? He fills his reserve / youth team full of foreign players. Surely there are English youngsters out there worth developing. There has to be a balance surely.

 

Ah, yes, Carson. Crouch was already an established premier league player when we bought him. Fowler ?

 

I dont see that Wenger has ANY duty to develop young English players over any other nationality. I'd go as far as to say that any manager at a club expecting to win major titles would baulk at the suggestion that they had too develop English players. Why make an already tough job harder? It's been said countless times by managers that English players cost more and are technically inferior to foreign players.

 

It's fantastic when a John Terry, Steven Gerrard or Ashley Cole come through the ranks but that quality is rare and hard to develop. Its just a reality that it is easier and cost efficient to buy young foreign players.

 

Middlesborough and Man city have done well recently to bring young lads into their teams but they arent clubs expected to do much other than survive in the premier league. Both happen to be doing poorly this saeson too. Could Wenger justify bringing English boys into the team at the expense of results? The simple answer is 'no'.

[Paul B]

I think it will come in in some form or another but to say the English players will come in at the expense of results is just daft. That's like saying "if we were allowed to field 15 players, we'd win every game." Of course you would but you're only allowed 11 and so are the other team. Given that each side would have to field 6 or however many Englishmen would level the playing field a bit and give everyone a little tiny bit of hope of winning something. It's obvious something has to be done and soon or football has lost its way.

[Rich Gobey]

I think it will come in in some form or another but to say the English players will come in at the expense of results is just daft. That's like saying "if we were allowed to field 15 players, we'd win every game." Of course you would but you're only allowed 11 and so are the other team. Given that each side would have to field 6 or however many Englishmen would level the playing field a bit and give everyone a little tiny bit of hope of winning something. It's obvious something has to be done and soon or football has lost its way.

 

No one made that claim in the context that you describe. Clearly it would be a level playing field if everyone has to do it - only domestically though.

 

It's just sad to think that English teams would need legislation to force them to pick English players

[Romario]

well Rafa has bought Crouchy, Carson and Fowler an all OK, not bought Fowler, but signed him.

 

Thing is, you can take the argument many different ways. Maybe there aren't enough quality English players, so then how is what Wenger is doing helping that? He fills his reserve / youth team full of foreign players. Surely there are English youngsters out there worth developing. There has to be a balance surely.

Sorry but you're talking out of your backside. Where in Wengers job discription does it say "must develope young english players for the good of the british game"

 

You mention our 6 players like it's a badge of honour. We'd be equally fecked if we had to field 6 english players every game.

 

The simple facts are that top top quality players are hard to find regardless of where they come from.

 

Wenger has spent alot of money on players but how much more would they cost if they were british?

Henry V Rooney?

Gilberto V Parker

Toure V Rio

 

 

There's probably 30 million in the difference between those players above and I still thing Wenger walked away with the better deal.

[Benitez]

sorry, didn 't realise that players had to be established to count

 

Maybe we are at crossed purposes here, cos I ain't talking about his lack of English signings cos of cost - cos he has actually signed English players at great expense. But it's always the same thing aint it. 'They cost too much'. Yet he recently pays £10 mill for Hleb, £7 mill for Adebayor? Didn't they cost too much? Works both ways. He signs poor foreign players at great cost as well, so that argument doesn't actually make much sense to me.

 

 

Sorry but you're talking out of your backside. Where in Wengers job discription does it say "must develope young english players for the good of the british game"

 

You mention our 6 players like it's a badge of honour. We'd be equally fecked if we had to field 6 english players every game.

 

The simple facts are that top top quality players are hard to find regardless of where they come from.

 

Wenger has spent alot of money on players but how much more would they cost if they were british?

Henry V Rooney?

Gilberto V Parker

Toure V Rio

There's probably 30 million in the difference between those players above and I still thing Wenger walked away with the better deal.

 

something you are an expert at.

 

And you missed my point, but thats also to be expected from you. Maybe you will re read what I wrote and see that your reply doesn't actually have much to do with it.

 

And no 'Romario',I wasn't listing them as a badge of honour, I was listing them to show that some of the bigger clubs actually do have more than 2 English players in their first team squad (note squad, not first 11, you are good at missing the point). Like it's somehow impossible to achieve anything with them.

[Romario]

sorry, didn 't realise that players had to be established to count

 

Maybe we are at crossed purposes here, cos I ain't talking about his lack of English signings cos of cost - cos he has actually signed English players at great expense. But it's always the same thing aint it. 'They cost too much'. Yet he recently pays £10 mill for Hleb, £7 mill for Adebayor? Didn't they cost too much? Works both ways. He signs poor foreign players at great cost as well, so that argument doesn't actually make much sense to me.

Perhaps he felt that those players were exactly what he needed for the team regardless of cost. Imagine the cost of British players if every team had to field 6 from next season!?

Warnock would be worth about 125 million

[Benitez]

Neil Warnock? Narr, he's priceless

[Romario]

sorry, didn 't realise that players had to be established to count

 

Maybe we are at crossed purposes here, cos I ain't talking about his lack of English signings cos of cost - cos he has actually signed English players at great expense. But it's always the same thing aint it. 'They cost too much'. Yet he recently pays £10 mill for Hleb, £7 mill for Adebayor? Didn't they cost too much? Works both ways. He signs poor foreign players at great cost as well, so that argument doesn't actually make much sense to me.

something you are an expert at.

 

And you missed my point, but thats also to be expected from you. Maybe you will re read what I wrote and see that your reply doesn't actually have much to do with it.

 

And no 'Romario',I wasn't listing them as a badge of honour, I was listing them to show that some of the bigger clubs actually do have more than 2 English players in their first team squad (note squad, not first 11, you are good at missing the point). Like it's somehow impossible to achieve anything with them.

 

Fair enough I miss read you.

[Rich Gobey]

Benitez - £7m for Hleb.

 

Name me an English player of the quality of Hleb that you could get for that money that would suit the style arsenal play? You may not rate him, he might not have started too brightly but when does any player come with a guarantee?

[John am Rhein]

Admit it, Wenger hates english players.

 

He's not ALL bad then!

 

the only reason he signed walcott is because he needs one player for the fans.

 

Or maybe because he's only interested in them if can oversee their development at an early age.

[_00_deathscar]

sorry, didn 't realise that players had to be established to count

 

 

It says 6 have to be fielded in each game.

 

England national team fields 11 English players every game and I reckon they'd finish mid-table in the Prem.

[growler]

so its only established players is it? How much did alexander song and clichy cost? how much would bridge and parker have cost if he had bought him when he was 17?

 

Also, what about Hobbs, Anderson?

 

What about the english players who joined arsenal youth teams when they were 7/8 years old? are you really telling me, that an 7 or 8 year old none english player has better skills than his british counterpart?

 

Sure, the rooney/gerrard/terry type players are not available to everyone. but the carsons, hobbs, andersons are.

 

My point is, that wenger has been in the game 10 years in england. number of youth english players bought and developed.

 

Benitez has in that time bought Crouch, Fowler, Carson, Anderson, Hobbs.

 

so how did Rafa find Carson, hobbs and anderson when Wenger could not find players of this standard in 10 years?

 

Are you really telling me that Stepanovs was a better prospect than Upson Dawson or Huddlestone? What Cygan? better than a young english prospect?

 

The fact that wenger doesn't care about passports is commendable. His skill in bringing through players is second to none. I would just like him to not be so discriminatory against english players.

[_00_deathscar]

 

 

What about the english players who joined arsenal youth teams when they were 7/8 years old? are you really telling me, that an 7 or 8 year old none english player has better skills than his british counterpart?

 

I think you've answered yourself quite well there.

[Guest The Defender]

Ever since wenger cut all the english players outta the gunners..

 

name what they have won??