Its in that respect we have in many ways been the architect of our own downfall, the introduction of foreign players to the English league and the theatrics and diving they bring a stark contrast to 20,30 years ago with the likes of Vinnie Jones and other big strong players that would perhaps struggle to adapt to todays much pacier game. On the other hand though its hard to disagree the foreign players have made this league what it is today, past players like Dennis Bergkamp, Gianfranco Zola and Eric Cantona all provided a touch of class and finesse that has made the Premier League the best league in the world. Even many of the top Spanish players that have graced the Premier League of recent; Fernando Torres, David Silva, Juan Mata and Pepe Reina would not have a guaranteed place in the Spain starting 11 by any means.
Based on this it’s a balance that we need to require between English players and foreign players. In the La Liga at the moment the percentage of homegrown players stands in the regions of 80% compared to England which is less than half of that that figure. Jordi Alba, Spains left back in the recent European triumph cost Barcelona a mere 12 million Euros, Andy Carroll on the other hand cost in excess of 35 million pounds, showing that young English talent is so rare that the price can exceed expectations.
So how do England bridge the gap? This won’t be easy but for certain it needs to start at a grass roots level, smaller pitches which would be more possession based therefore allowing us to develop a different style of football. Implementing “B” teams seems unlikely in that it would require a complete shake up of football. Perhaps a cap on the number of foreign players per team could be put into place but this seems unlikely. The choice seems; keep the best domestic league in the world or lose that and build for a future international team. I know which I’d prefer.