Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

[Lazie]

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Sven-Goran Eriksson claims the economic strength of the Premiership could be undermining England's chances of success in international football. The former England manager claims it would benefit the national team if more senior internationals played in Spain's Primera Liga or Italy's Serie A. However each player called up for last month's friendly against Holland was England-based, and only David Beckham and Owen Hargreaves of Eriksson's World Cup squad play their club football abroad. Beckham was prised away from Manchester United by Real Madrid in 2003 for £24million, while Canada-born Hargreaves has spent his entire career with Bayern. Eriksson believes there is little prospect of any England footballer leaving the Premiership, because of the high fees paid and demanded domestically, which contrast with more modest transfers in mainland Europe. 'There are only two English players playing outside England which means that the Premiership is economically very strong,' Eriksson told TakeSport, free with the Evening Standard in London every Friday afternoon. 'It is hard for a club to buy a player from the Premiership because it costs too much.' England have not reached a World Cup final since 1966. At the 1990 World Cup they reached the semi-finals, and matched that at the 1996 European Championship, however since then no manager has been able to lead the team beyond the last eight of either tournament. Eriksson's sides fell at the quarter-final stage at two World Cups and also at Euro 2004. Despite the experience of England's players in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, Eriksson believes his squad would have been better prepared if several senior men had played club football abroad. 'The lack of exposure of home-grown English players is one of the contributing factors,' said 58-year-old Eriksson. 'Yes it would be better for England if more English players were in Italy or Spain because I think you become a better footballer if you experience different playing styles.'</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>

[Karl]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Lazie (12/8/2006) <H1></H1>

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Sven-Goran Eriksson claims the economic strength of the Premiership could be undermining England's chances of success in international football. The former England manager claims it would benefit the national team if more senior internationals played in Spain's Primera Liga or Italy's Serie A. However each player called up for last month's friendly against Holland was England-based, and only David Beckham and Owen Hargreaves of Eriksson's World Cup squad play their club football abroad. Beckham was prised away from Manchester United by Real Madrid in 2003 for £24million, while Canada-born Hargreaves has spent his entire career with Bayern. Eriksson believes there is little prospect of any England footballer leaving the Premiership, because of the high fees paid and demanded domestically, which contrast with more modest transfers in mainland Europe. 'There are only two English players playing outside England which means that the Premiership is economically very strong,' Eriksson told TakeSport, free with the Evening Standard in London every Friday afternoon. 'It is hard for a club to buy a player from the Premiership because it costs too much.' England have not reached a World Cup final since 1966. At the 1990 World Cup they reached the semi-finals, and matched that at the 1996 European Championship, however since then no manager has been able to lead the team beyond the last eight of either tournament. Eriksson's sides fell at the quarter-final stage at two World Cups and also at Euro 2004. Despite the experience of England's players in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, Eriksson believes his squad would have been better prepared if several senior men had played club football abroad. 'The lack of exposure of home-grown English players is one of the contributing factors,' said 58-year-old Eriksson. 'Yes it would be better for England if more English players were in Italy or Spain because I think you become a better footballer if you experience different playing styles.'</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>

Here is a respected manager speaking on the benefits of international experiences against quality opposition and we have persons like sickko and his JFF friends taking about our national teams being properly prepared playing infrequent matches against 'bottom of the barrel' opposition.

We could not expect Asafa Powell and SheroneSimpson to be TOP OF THE WORLD athletes by running (dayin and day out' ?)against the athletes local athletes. They had to get on the international T&amp;Fcircuit to compete against the very best in the world. Sure they started out losing...but, eventually they became the very best.

Why would a sickko and his JFF friends expect our national teams to remain in Jamaica and prepare in the D'Cup &amp; Manning Cup, the schoolgirls equivalent...and our seniors prepare against CFU minnows and expect us to defeat the World Class USA &amp; Mexico andArgentina, Germany,England, Brazil, France, Italy all TOP OF THE WORLD teams? Why? What type of thinking leads those persons to jump (blindly?)to those conclusions?

Our national TEAMs must...MUST have regular matches against TOP OF THE WORLD opposition in practise situations and then we shall see the type of improvement in play that would lead us to expect winning in competitions at CONCACAF and WORLD Championships levels. ....commonsense tellsthat!

[Jawge]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Karl how many times, do you see

Mo and friends come around here talking that the NPL is it? Many said I should see Hue drop some ball (against who though?) Has hued palyed against a tactically sound and discplined defence, doing wonders? We only hurt ourselves. I said it eons ago that schoolboyshould be taken out of our football equation if we want any serious results. What if the Prof. hadn't toured the world with the Royz? (saw pepe transformed in the time span; check his game against the US in RFK, then his games close to France. Mi back yuh on that boss.

[Lazie]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

I said it eons ago that schoolboy should be taken out of our football equation if we want any serious results

Whats that about a broken clock? Fully agree with you on this one Jawge. (Damn, can't believe I said that ).

[Baddaz]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Our national TEAMs must...MUST have regular matches against TOP OF THE WORLD opposition

strongly believe that statement... this short cut strategy will not work... doesn't bode well for progress...

[Assasin]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

that is why mi a fi lick out when mi see it.

Them say we too big fi follow small islands and too big fi follow the US and Mexico them.

A time fi we find a grove that is not costly and long term.

[Jawge]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Lazie, yuh is alriright in my

book, it's just when you pick up the Gazette Ja's football seem to be stuck in one gear since the Prof. left.

[Karl]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Jawge (12/8/2006)Karl how many times, do you see

Mo and friends come around here talking that the NPL is it? Many said I should see Hue drop some ball (against who though?) Has hued palyed against a tactically sound and discplined defence, doing wonders? We only hurt ourselves. I said it eons ago that schoolboyshould be taken out of our football equation if we want any serious results. What if the Prof. hadn't toured the world with the Royz? (saw pepe transformed in the time span; check his game against the US in RFK, then his games close to France. Mi back yuh on that boss.

I see you are agreeing with me on some things...but, you cannot take the schoolboys and schoolgirls environment for development out of the equation. What we should work at is to bring the same level of professionalism as say, "KC" Graham brings to his girls T&amp;F program at St. Jago to all the physical education departments and 'coaches' (most of the current lot are novices)...bring our schools programs to level of 'mini-academies of football'.

Hey most have administrators, the fields and equipment - computers, classrooms and classroom equipment, the formal educational facilities, support groups (past 'old' boys &amp; past'old' girls) some amount of financing, all which can be strengthened. Use that which we have...

...and, it would not take too much for the JFF to 'make friends and influence' those within the schools and colleges - if the JFF offers to provide some amount of back-office help e.g. lecturers in refereeing, teachers of coaches,liaise with the institutions to request of say, junior doctors to supply sports medicine support, etc., etc. - to create these mini-academies.

Use that which we have!

BTW - Happy to see you got back OK! It was good seeing you.

[Jawge]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Karl schoolboy game has to be

demoted in JA in order for our technical competence is the game to rise. The womens' game is not that developed so they can play with the local mens' team ( I'm sure this is what Mexico is doing).

Thanks got back yesterday (Long story on spirit, forget them), had to attend a business party last night, taking a breather now. Taking a breather. BTW you are looking younger, had to tell my family about my friend you look real young. :P You will see me again trust me.

[Mosiah]

RE: Premiership strength is England's weakness - Sven

Jawge (12/8/2006)Karl how many times, do you see

Mo and friends come around here talking that the NPL is it? Many said I should see Hue drop some ball (against who though?) Has hued palyed against a tactically sound and discplined defence, doing wonders? We only hurt ourselves. I said it eons ago that schoolboyshould be taken out of our football equation if we want any serious results. What if the Prof. hadn't toured the world with the Royz? (saw pepe transformed in the time span; check his game against the US in RFK, then his games close to France. Mi back yuh on that boss.

But Jawge, the NPL is it! It's the NPL that gave us the current captain of the Bolton Wanderers. It was the NPL that gave us Sheffield United best player. It was the NPL that gave us others that are currently shining in the Championship League. It is the NPL that gave us Jerry Hue, who is yet to look out of place in any international he has played for the Boyz since becoming a regular. That includes against England at Old Trafford.

And when yuh think that the NPL is in fact an amateur league, you'll see that it is working wonders.

What yuh talking bout, Jawge?