Three Overseas Players

[David Guiza]

I was listening to the Andreas Brehme episode of the Quickly Kevin podcast on the way to work this morning and was particularly interested in him talking about the times of the three foreign players rule in Italy during his time at Internazionale; and the rivalry with AC Milan and their three Dutchmen.

 

It got me thinking about what the Premier League would be like were the rule ever re-introduced, which perhaps isn't as far fetched in a post-Brexit world .

 

I'd like to think that our strong British contingent and academy setup would stand us in good stead to compete. Man City and Chelsea would presumably struggle, but their respective finances would see them through. The English Tax would increase tenfold over night and Dyche and Burnley would be loving it. 

 

Which three players from the current squad would you stick with and who do you think would suffer the most? Given the lack of available options in their respective positions, I think I'd keep Tielemans, Fofana and Ndidi and line up with: Ward, Justin, Fofana (Int), Evans, Thomas/Bertrand, Ndidi (Int), Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy, Lookman. 

 

Do we think it would benefit the national team as a result greater opportunities for homegrown players, and perhaps more English/British players going abroad to become marquee signings for the big European clubs and benefiting from that experience. Or will it be a return to the pre-Premier League 80s early 90s which, as great as it was in some respects, was severely lacking in quality at times. 

[Finnegan]

Kasper is eligible for UK Citizenship if he doesn't have it already and I can't imagine Iheanacho and Ndidi are far off? 

 

I'd register Fofana, YT and Daka with that in mind. 

[BenTheFox]

With these things there's a balance to be had. 

 

Too many foreign players and clubs have less incentive to take a chance on young academy players who will cost them from time-to-time when they can just buy readymade players. That ends up generally having a knock-on affect on the national team. 

 

Too few foreign players and you run the risk of potentially having a sub-standard league. This happened in Turkey a few years ago and their national team suffered as a result. 

[David Guiza]

23 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Kasper is eligible for UK Citizenship if he doesn't have it already and I can't imagine Iheanacho and Ndidi are far off? 

 

I'd register Fofana, YT and Daka with that in mind. 

Yes, of course. Imagine Chelsea and co would start some form of trafficking of young players to gain citizenship (more so than they perhaps already do)

2 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

With these things there's a balance to be had. 

 

Too many foreign players and clubs have less incentive to take a chance on young academy players who will cost them from time-to-time when they can just buy readymade players. That ends up generally having a knock-on affect on the national team. 

 

Too few foreign players and you run the risk of potentially having a sub-standard league. This happened in Turkey a few years ago and their national team suffered as a result. 

Yes, definitely. I think in some ways in may make it more exciting in that there would be such an incredible buzz around those three players on each side. Back in the old Serie A days it lead to even the poorer sides getting some really good foreign players, so there is an argument of it bringing a more competitive nature to the league. Though, in reality, Man City would sign Haaland, Mbappe and Neymar and Burnley would sign James McClean, Shane Long and Ciaran Clark. 

 

[davieG]

I'd imagine that Chelsea and Man City have enough  talent in their Academies to match a majority of the PLs UK players.

 

As for England improving I used to think that but we weren't that great or successful when the majority were British, perhaps too many Scottish, Welsh and Irish players back then

 

As for who I'd keep I think it might be more down to who would want to stay.

[RoboFox]

It was a nightmare in the old Championship Manager. 

 

Signing an absolute beast, only to see that big fat blue "Fgn" next to his name and you realise you can't register him.  

[Xen]

Assuming we forget about any dual citizenship for the time being, I think we'd be pretty strong competitors with something like:

 

Ward

Justin - Evans - Fofana - Bertrand

Ndidi

Lookman - KDH - Maddison - Barnes

Daka

 

That's probably the best we could do with a view to the longer term. Fofana will be one of the worlds best so is a no-brainer, I can't think of any English option in Ndidi's position who even comes close (not least because someone like Rice would be insanely expensive in this new market) so he gets in as well. As much as I'd want to keep Tielemans, the prospect of being Vardy-less again without backup (Daka or Iheanacho, either works) within 2 seasons would worry me more than having to play KDH/Maddison in the middle. Maybe you could get Tielemans in if you go for Barnes up top and Albrighton out wide? 

We'd be desperate for Tarkowski in the summer though, if we weren't already. We're quite light on British centre backs, maybe Nelson would get the call up.

 

Would current players be allowed to stay if they go for dual citizenship? Or would they have to meet the UEFA home-grown criteria, so time spent here as a youth? If the latter then things could be interesting, if the former then I'm not sure there'd be a huge impact to be honest, at least in the short term.

[Stadt]

Nations that have strict foreign quotas don't tend to aid their national sides out much. Both Russia and Turkey are two of European football's biggest underachievers and their quotas haven't helped. If you've got a mediocre pool of players, restricting the number of decent (on paper) players they can play and train with won't help.

 

 

Anyway I think Fofana and Ndidi are most irreplaceable foreign players they both get the nod. Then Tielemans as the the 3rd.

 

                   Vardy

Barnes                        Lookers

         KDH            Tielemans  

                   Ndidi

Thomas  Fofana  Evans  Justin 

                  Ward

 

Probably would win the league if those restrictions were applied, that's not a huge climbdown from our first XI whereas Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and United would be shagged.

Spurs, Everton and Villa would do well out of it.

Edited 30 September 2021 by Stadt

[enmac]

51 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Nations that have strict foreign quotas don't tend to aid their national sides out much. Both Russia and Turkey are two of European football's biggest underachievers and their quotas haven't helped. If you've got a mediocre pool of players, restricting the number of decent (on paper) players they can play and train with won't help.

 

 

Anyway I think Fofana and Ndidi are most irreplaceable foreign players they both get the nod. Then Tielemans as the the 3rd.

 

                   Vardy

Barnes                        Lookers

         KDH            Tielemans  

                   Ndidi

Thomas  Fofana  Evans  Justin 

                  Ward

 

Probably would win the league if those restrictions were applied, that's not a huge climbdown from our first XI whereas Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and United would be shagged.

Spurs, Everton and Villa would do well out of it.

Kasper was at Man City from the age of 16. Isn't there some sort of dispensation for people who start in the country from a young age? 

[FoxyPV]

20 hours ago, David Guiza said:

Yes, of course. Imagine Chelsea and co would start some form of trafficking of young players to gain citizenship (more so than they perhaps already do)

Yes, definitely. I think in some ways in may make it more exciting in that there would be such an incredible buzz around those three players on each side. Back in the old Serie A days it lead to even the poorer sides getting some really good foreign players, so there is an argument of it bringing a more competitive nature to the league. Though, in reality, Man City would sign Haaland, Mbappe and Neymar and Burnley would sign James McClean, Shane Long and Ciaran Clark. 

 

Irish players didn't count towards the quota.

[Aus Fox]

If this is to benefit the national team, the problem has never been too many foreign players in the Premier League. It has always been not enough English players playing outside of England.

Learning a new culture, being able to play in different conditions, being able to adapt to different styles and coaching, understanding opposition players etc.

[RonnieTodger]

Burnley would probably walk the league