11 comments

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  Michael

  9 months ago

  If you'll read what I wrote again, nowhere did I ever mention "world class"; I just talked about top talent in the Premiership and how only a few of the league's best players are English.
  
  Now that YOU mention it, however, yes, I will say that Gerrard is a world class player, which is one more than Arsenal has on their entire team.
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  Auslander25

  9 months ago

  I think it's a bad idea because it would give the manager an incentive to keep their skilled academy players on the bench when they should be out on loan to lower division sides gathering experience.
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  Michael

  9 months ago

  That's a good point as well -- I hadn't even thought of that. Well spotted, Auslander.
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  artist formerly Alex Hleb

  9 months ago

  michael, steven gerrard - world class? really? come on i hate to admit it but atleast frank lampard maybe, and maybe a ferdinand or terry or rooney. not steven gerrard. walcott is coming through, micah richards. just dont say steven gerrard. he's a good player, but he's not world class.
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  Darren

  9 months ago

  Michael, just because you don't like 'Alex Hleb' doesn't mean you need to spout out retarded comments like 'I will say that Gerrard is a world class player, which is one more than Arsenal has on their entire team.' Seriously. Cesc Fabregas. I don't think anymore needs to be said there.
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  Darren

  9 months ago

  Cesc Fabregas is not World Class? Seriously? Did you not watch him play at all yet?
  Just because you don't like 'Alex Hleb' doesn't mean you can make bone-headed comments like that.
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  jm1

  9 months ago

  I agree with Michael on this topic. I've never really understood the purpose of these plans (from a rational stand point, the political purpose is clear). If you are really interested in developing better academies (which sure, that's a fine goal), then this only attacks the symptoms. In doing so, it simply invokes nationalistic fervor (I will be anti-nationalist!), which makes it an easy target instead of the hard change that might be needed to improve the quality of the academies.
  
  On the tangent - is Fabregas not a world-class player? That strikes me as a surprising claim to make. I'm not sure what the definition of "world-class" is here, but a runner-up in the PFA player of the year award is a pretty good clue!
  
  (Also, phooey to the new comment system requiring me to use a 3 character username ^^)
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  Michael

  9 months ago

  Darren, I actually do like Alex. We've had our disagreements over time, yes, but I don't dislike him for that or disrespect him for that at all.
  
  Fabregas is not a world-class player..yet. He has the potential to be, definitely, but I can't say he is at this point in his career. He doesn't even start for his national team, and he's yet to show that he can maintain a level of consistency over a full season with Arsenal (he is very hot and cold, a typical trait of young players).
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  ihuy01

  9 months ago

  If define Steven Gerrard as world class then you have to say Cesc has a good argument. For me world class is way too broadly applied. None the less by you reckoning i would say Cesc is up there. He was the top assister in England and if im not wrong he had the most assists at the euros? and also chipped in with a few goals early on in the season and had 13 in all comps.. I would take Fabregas over Gerrard that is my personal opinion, i just think his a better passer of the football. I think Arsenal are greatly dependent on him, in a similar way to Gerrard. Gerrard in his own right is an excellent footballer and he does have case for being the best in his position. Time and time again he wins games. Like it or not the game is defined by success and he has champions league victory to his name. I have reservations on the dynamism of his passing game (i think his need to pass hollywood style and drive up with the ball is not exactly conducive to possession style of international football) and his tactical discipline (his been a problem for england managers and rafa himself).
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  Auslander25

  9 months ago

  World Class (to me) means that you could walk into the starting 11 for any team in the world (national or club). Based on that criteria the only English players that come close, IMO, are Gerrard, Rooney and Ferdinand. In the Premiership, I think you can only call Ronaldo, Torres and maybe Cech World Class.
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  ls7

  9 months ago

  This problem has been debated over and over and will likely continue to get debated. I much prefer the idea that clubs need to build up through their academy systems then continue to just go out and buy players all the time. I'm not against going out and bringing in a truly talented foreign player, what really seems silly is going out and spending money on mediocre foreign players when the club in question could have got the same performance from their academy players.
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