Several years ago the BBC when they had England games advertised the games with The Who’s song “my generation” as the new “golden generation” of players came through. Steven Gerrard (below), Frank Lampard, Ashely Cole, Joe Cole, Michael Owen, John Terry, Ledley King… the list goes on. However, last night we saw what was probably the end of that golden generation, who could and probably should have won a major tournament.
Now the axe will fall on certain individuals as we try and find the reason England performed so badly. However, maybe it is more than Fabio Capello and his players’ fault why England have underperformed in the last 20 years.
The pool of English player’s for Capello or any other England manager just isn’t there to pick from anymore. If you look at teams like Spain, Brazil etc they have players who are capable at international level at home whilst having players also playing abroad in Europe’s top league including the Premier League. England just doesn’t export players. In fact only four England players in the last decade have gone abroad and out of them arguably only David Beckham has been a success.
What’s to blame for the lack of English players? The Managers of the football clubs or the FA? Neither. It all comes down to the Premier League itself.
Ever since Rupert Murdoch’s millions entered into football in the 1990’s and the Premier League was formed we have seen a steady decline in the amount of English players in the English Premier League. Chelsea were the first team in 2000 to play a side which didn’t consist of a single Englishman and in 2010 two of the “big four” in Arsenal and Liverpool only played three players between them week in and week out who were English.
Of course many will say that prices for good English talent are over-inflated. Where in the world would you see Glen Johnson go for £18 million? Shaun Wright-Phillips (above) goes for £24 million? That’s why you have seen a number of average foreign players coming into the Premier League taking places that could be given to young talented English players. But instead due to the pressure of winning from football chairman’s and fans not much English talent is given opportunity unless they are very fortunate.
In fact most young talent players are really only given opportunities when the football club they play for is in dire financial circumstances like James Milner (below) at Leeds or when there are a lot of injuries like Dan Golsing and Jack Rodwell at Everton or in the League cup which has seen the bigger teams give their youngsters a chance including the very talented Jack Wilshire at Arsenal.
It also doesn’t help that the Premier League isn’t controlled by the FA, meaning that it can take decisions which are beneficial to the Premier League itself and not English football in general. This is why English Football needs change, but sadly I can’t see it happening. The 20 Premier League clubs will not want to be under control of the FA, which as an organisation has seen a fair share of scandal over time. Those 20 Premier League clubs are in it for themselves and not for the benefit of English Football.
It also worries me that this may be the last time we go past the group stages in the World cup as we just aren’t producing the players. Of the squad who played in the European under-21 championships in 2000 we have had 13 players play full internationals for England, whilst youngsters Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand were already involved with the senior English team. Of the 2009 team who made the final and lost to the Germans, six have made full international appearances whilst only two of the players were taken to South Africa in Joe Hart and James Milner. Compare that to the winning German side last night who had four of those under-21 players in the starting line up.
The Premier League’s focus on winning without producing English talent is harming football and as much as you can blame Fabio Capello’s poor tactics, stubborn management and poor team selections along with poor performances from the players, with Premier League managers signing average foreigners like Hasan Yebda, David N’Gog and Bernard Mendy and then playing them, young English players will never develop.
So long England’s Golden Generation.
