Ins and Outs

[CLIVETHELEEDSFAN]

Ins = Wiedwald Jansson (Pennington loan) Anita Klich Sacko Gomes Alioski Ekuban

Outs = Silvestri (Coyle loan) Taylor Bellusci (Murphy loan) diagouraga Botaka Erwin

This is to my knowledge but I could be wrong

Squad numbers wise is fairly balanced but position wise is certainly not, would hope for another left back, a centreback and maybe another striker, then we would have to consider getting rid permanently or loaning out a couple more fringe players

Whatcha reckon folks?

[WTF11]

And more "ins" for the U23 squad;

Balboa, Siddiki,

No idea what they are like, could be the next Messi, but FFS what does this say about the intention of the club to invest in English talent?

We bring on the likes of Cook, Byram, Taylor (yes, toe-rag, but still an Academy product), Philips, etc etc, and then we switch to being an outreach project of the Spanish national side?

National teams aren't my favourite subject, but if clubs aren't going to develop those who hail from these shores (and every indication is that they aren't), instead hoovering up cheap bulk from 3rd world countries to provide feedstock for the professional leagues, then why do we bother to have a national side?

[spaldy]

I don't particularly care for International football and don't follow it. However, with that being said even I know that England has sucked for years and years. Not sure why anyone would want an "English only" team in today's day and age. You could substitute any country and still end up with a team not as good as you'd get if you assembled the best that you could get regardless of country.

However, since you brought it up you had your wish a while back when Bates owned us. We were pretty much an English player dominated club. In case you missed it we were in League 1 and needed a miracle goal by Beckford to win automatic promotion. I think the year we were promoted a club won the prem with 3 English players.

You theory also does not hold up when you look at the worlds best clubs now. they are are compilations of the best players they can find without regard to where they are from. Enlgish players also tend to be overpaid when viewed in totality of the world's football talent pool.

I'll stick with the owner getting the best players he can regardless if they can play England or not.

You might be better off supporting a conference club. I think they are almost all English players.

[Rev72]

Very happy with the way the squad is shaping up..looking forward to the new season..just hope it all clicks and get off to a cracking start..some very tasty games to come..bring it on!



MOT ALAW

[españablanco73]

the number 16 had a cracking game against Moenchengladbach.

[WTF11]

I don't particularly care for International football and don't follow it. However, with that being said even I know that England has sucked for years and years. Not sure why anyone would want an "English only" team in today's day and age. You could substitute any country and still end up with a team not as good as you'd get if you assembled the best that you could get regardless of country.

However, since you brought it up you had your wish a while back when Bates owned us. We were pretty much an English player dominated club. In case you missed it we were in League 1 and needed a miracle goal by Beckford to win automatic promotion. I think the year we were promoted a club won the prem with 3 English players.

You theory also does not hold up when you look at the worlds best clubs now. they are are compilations of the best players they can find without regard to where they are from. Enlgish players also tend to be overpaid when viewed in totality of the world's football talent pool.

I'll stick with the owner getting the best players he can regardless if they can play England or not.

You might be better off supporting a conference club. I think they are almost all English players.

Not sure what "theory" you think I have? I have a preference for a team that has at least a smattering of players whos first language is English, no matter where they might have as an ethnic background.

As for performances, we played with a squad made up of a reasonably balanced mix of nationalities last season, didn't turn out that bad, did it?

We batter the likes of Scum, Sh1tty, Chelsfield for their plastic fans and teams constructed via a chequebook rather, then we celebrate (almost to the point of delerium) when the club recruits what, 9 of the 11 newcomers as foreign players at all levels.

I asked what the introduction of the U23s said about the intention to invest in Academy products, no answer came the deafening response (or more accurately, don't care).

[CLIVETHELEEDSFAN]

I'd love it if our squad was made up solely of English or at least British academy graduates but at the moment it ain't happening

Of those still playing, Carson byram Taylor lees ? Lennon rose milner Delph ? ?, you see you couldn't even do a quality full first 11, we ain't brought through a good striker since Alan Smith, Matt kilgallon was a decent center back but finds himself in league one, other half decent players include howson and cook, so maybe with that 11 you could fashion a decent lineup, the likes of milner and howson did start as strikers as kids, Delph has the pace to get by people, who knows, anyway, it seems the game is changing rapidly, English players will become a thing of the past at this rate

[Silentman]

I think you are missing WTF's point here, it's not about whether our squad should be English or not per se, but a comment on the prospects for our national team if we aren't investing in home grown talent through our academy; we are following in the footsteps of other big teams in importing our talent and I don't see how anyone can think that is a good thing? If we don't take collective action to address the problem then we are only going to get worse at national level. In any case isn't there a rule about having to have a certain amount of home grown talent in the squad (is that a Prem thing?). News today of another Spaniard to oversee the u23 squad does nothing to convince me that we have any intention whatsoever of nurturing home grown talent from grass roots.

[pilgrimwhite]

seem to remember the English kids doing ok in recent tournaments, don't really care for international football Club before Country for me

that Siddiki kid looks promising on you tube

[WTF11]

I think you are missing WTF's point here, it's not about whether our squad should be English or not per se, but a comment on the prospects for our national team if we aren't investing in home grown talent through our academy; we are following in the footsteps of other big teams in importing our talent and I don't see how anyone can think that is a good thing? If we don't take collective action to address the problem then we are only going to get worse at national level. In any case isn't there a rule about having to have a certain amount of home grown talent in the squad (is that a Prem thing?). News today of another Spaniard to oversee the u23 squad does nothing to convince me that we have any intention whatsoever of nurturing home grown talent from grass roots.

Thanks, and yes, that was my point, but I know I've pi55ed people off before so knee-jerk reactions are understandable.