Help from my English friends

Originally posted by asromacalcio
OK fair point, I don't watch England play so it rules me out of making an objective appraisal of the two, but what I might add is that an Italy side, which is clearly better than England, would choose Pirlo to do Pirlo's job every time before it chose Rooney and played a system he could be an effective part of. Pirlo is class, Rooney is more brute force than anything, although clearly talented with it.

if english football is so bad, why is it the most popular league in the world?

Originally posted by eatmybishop
if english football is so bad, why is it the most popular league in the world?

A general rule for most things in life: Popularity does not necessarily equal quality.

Originally posted by eatmybishop
if english football is so bad, why is it the most popular league in the world?

Oh co me on. I don't agree that England are that bad, but that's a rubbish argument:

1. It ignores the number of great overseas players playing in England

2. Popularity does not equal quality. Example: Big Mac.

Originally posted by eatmybishop
if english football is so bad, why is it the most popular league in the world?

I'd make the distinction between English players and English football.

What you say is right, and only the most ardent Italians or Spanish would dare to argue, but fact is, the Italian league is almost entirely Italian, Spain, Spanish (although less so). I know it's an old argument but English clubs are increasingly foreign. So what counts as English football?

I've made a few hasty points on this thread. But I don't hesitate to reiterate that English football, meaning the collective ability of the best English players, has a lot of catching up to do if it is to challenge for success.

We've got the manager, now to get behind him.

As for the clubs, well we did well enough in Europe to piss Blatter off and make him suggest new rules. Three of four semi finalists, and I'd say it'd have been 4 if Arsenal had avoided Liverpool in the previous round. But I'm not sure this is enough to acquit the failings of an international side which is composed of players from the very same teams.

Originally posted by asromacalcio
the Italian league is almost entirely Italian, Spain, Spanish

LOL.

I guess there are no Latin Americans, nor Portuguese playing in Spain. 🙄

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
LOL.

I guess there are no Latin Americans, nor Portuguese playing in Spain. 🙄

D

And in Italy, Inter alone has 7 Argentinians and many other nationalities.

Another question: why is there no english player playing abroad?
Gets enough money in England?
Not enough talent?
Get sunburnt in a minute? 😛

Originally posted by Sake
Another question: why is there no english player playing abroad?
Gets enough money in England?
Not enough talent?
Get sunburnt in a minute? 😛

Not enough Brits around. You'll see what happens when Marbella gets a club into La Liga.

Originally posted by Sake
Another question: why is there no english player playing abroad?
Gets enough money in England?

You've got it straight away. Most players can probably earn more in England even if it's not for a top level club.

I found these figures for average annual salary for footballers in England. These are from 2006, so they'll have increased since then.

Premiership: £676,000
Championship: £195,750
League One: £67,850
League Two: £49,600

How does that compare to other countries? I suspect they're pretty high.

Originally posted by mtthw
You've got it straight away. Most players can probably earn more in England even if it's not for a top level club.

I found these figures for average annual salary for footballers in England. These are from 2006, so they'll have increased since then.

Premiership: £676,000
Championship: £195,750
League One: £67,850
League Two: £49,600

How does that compare to other countries? I suspect they're pretty high.

Absolutely obscene.

My brain is finding it hard to comprehend that Lee Carsley has made a million from playing football.

Originally posted by mtthw
You've got it straight away. Most players can probably earn more in England even if it's not for a top level club.

I found these figures for average annual salary for footballers in England. These are from 2006, so they'll have increased since then.

Premiership: £676,000
Championship: £195,750
League One: £67,850
League Two: £49,600

How does that compare to other countries? I suspect they're pretty high.

Doesn't answer why historically only a handful of English players played abroad.

I'd place culture and language barrier high on the list.

D

Originally posted by mtthw
You've got it straight away. Most players can probably earn more in England even if it's not for a top level club.

I found these figures for average annual salary for footballers in England. These are from 2006, so they'll have increased since then.

Premiership: £676,000
Championship: £195,750
League One: £67,850
League Two: £49,600

How does that compare to other countries? I suspect they're pretty high.

I don't know the exact figures, but in the dutch premier league there are enough players who don't get the money the english pay in L2.
And they are not worse than someone from let's say Stoke City.

Originally posted by Ragnorak
Doesn't answer why historically only a handful of English players played abroad.

I'd place culture and language barrier high on the list.

D

I think so too. Pints, mum, drive left, pubs, snooker, shepards pie, love for one club, whatever.
On the other hand, Ruud Gullit once said, when he was the Chelsea coach, that at that time only Giggs was good enough to play in Italy. They all fell over him. It was not a thing to say for a non-english in London.
Can't judge his opinion, too long ago, but suppose he was right; lack of talent too.

Originally posted by Palynka
And in Italy, Inter alone has 7 Argentinians and many other nationalities.

But if you take the whole of Serie A and a percentage of all the players I bet Italians are close to 90%.

Originally posted by asromacalcio
But if you take the whole of Serie A and a percentage of all the players I bet Italians are close to 90%.

Even Donadoni commented recently that he believed there were too many foreigners in Serie A:

I don't have the totals for the whole league, but here are the stats for the main clubs in 2006-2007:

Arsenal: 88%
Inter: 85%
Liverpool: 65%
Chelsea: 63%
(Juventus 05-06: 52% )
Milan: 52%
Roma: 50%
Manchester Utd: 50%
Tottenham: 49%
Lazio: 48%