Quit blaming Arsenal because England are useless!

[mihir]

Trevor Brooking is whining that Ars?ne does not have enough English players in his squad. While this is true, it is an argument I am tired of hearing. There are no English players in the current Arsenal squad apart from Hoyte and Walcott because English potential comes at a premium just because it is English. While I am glad Walcott is with Arsenal, he was not cheap for what at the moment is still potential. Look at Pennant, he was ?2 million from Notts County? He ruined his own career because our boys tend to come with bad habits aswell as at a premium price tag.

Also, while Ars?ne does not have many English players that can be considered first team regulars, he has a ton of them in the youth who like David Bentley, who will be given the opportunity to shine somewhere other than Arsenal if not at Arsenal. Paying ?30 million for Wayne Rooney is not developing English youth! Looking at Chelsea's first-team, of the five English players, two were developed by Ars?ne Wenger (Cole and Sidwell), while only Terry was developed by Chelsea. Another two came from West Ham, and then you have a another couple out on loan, and as we all know leaving Chelsea on loan, is as good as leaving for good.

One thing which Ars?ne has never done is sit on talent. When a player like David Bentley begins to grow, he needs first-team football to allow him to continue growing, Wenger is known to do all in his power to make this happen, wether that means sending off his players on loan or selling them. He is one that has never sat on talent like Shaun Wright-Phillips at Chelsea or Alan Smith at Manchester United. Upon completion of his transfer to Birmingham City, Jermaine Pennant moaned that his time Arsenal was the biggest mistake of his career, he forgets that he may have remained a relative unknown if it were not for Wenger?s investment in him. The fact that he needed baby-sitting, something that Wenger does not do, meant that Arsenal was never the right club for him. Wenger will give a player all the patience in the world, but the player must grow, Pennant proved that this was beyond him, even after arriving at Liverpool, the winger has been unable to remain disciplined. Similarly, J?r?mie Aliadi?re complained after his transfer to Middlesbrough, that Ars?ne Wenger never gave him a chance, he forgets that his entire Arsenal career was plagued by injury. Like many of his English counterparts, the young Frenchman lacked the patience to make it at a big club, he expected to walk in ahead of players like Henry, van Persie and Bergkamp when fit just like Bentley, when in fact, he could have proved worth this season with the departure of Thierry.

Do I wish that Arsenal had more English players? Yes. Do I enjoy watching England? No. For a while now, England players have lacked any passion when playing for their country. Very few players such as David Beckham and Steven Gerrard seem to come with every intention of giving it 100 percent to the cause. As an Arsenal fan, I now groan at the sight of another international break, full of boring football with no end result. Beginning with all the hope I can muster up from inside, and ending in misery.

I do not understand why people say English football has seen a decline when we have won only 1 world cup, over 40 years ago, and reached a semi-final 17 years ago. We failed to even qualify since then, missing out on USA '94 and since France '98 we just reach the quarter-finals every year. Why do we think we are in the same league as the Brazilians, French and Italians (who I hate for the defensive style). We're not, and this England team is in fact one of the best for a long time until you consider the fact that they are all rubbish when playing for England apart from Gerrard and Beckham. We have a crap manager, Sven was much better, and the only reason was not successful is because none of the players can play in the sun without getting sick.

We only need to look at Michael Owen to see what sort of footballing nation we have become, a man who only seems to score in friendlies for England, spending most of his time injured, walks in and and out of a team that is meant to me a super power on the international stage. It just shows what little choice we have, as soon as Wayne Rooney was thought to be out of the 2006 World Cup, how many people wrote off England. If we cannot win the trophy because one player is injured, do we deserve the trophy? It is widely acknowledged that Arsenal play the most attractive game in the Premiership, but their lack of English players at the club is not Wenger?s shortcoming but is England?s.

[metallithrax]

The problem is that buying foreign players at over the top prices drives up the prices of English players as well.