Liverpool FC Forum

[GYBS]

Opta Stat

Interesting article - prob doesnt paint the full picture like most stats dont but it seems this season we have used less players than arsenal man utd chelsea plus others but lowest amount of english players - then again or main englsih guys were home grown as opposed to being bought like a number of other clubs .

[Dundalk]

I read somewhere last night that Man United have rotated a lot more than us this season

But of course that will be seen as a master stroke from Mr Ferguson

[GYBS]

From what i understand last season both chelsea and man utd both rotated more than us but they have a luxury we don t- they are able to bring in a 20 mil pound player for a 30 mil pound player .

[Sir Roger]

I read somewhere last night that Man United have rotated a lot more than us this season

But of course that will be seen as a master stroke from Mr Ferguson

Maybe Rafa should try it
Then Purple nose might rant at him...?

[account deleted by request]

Something that may make that stat very relevant in the coming seasons :-

LIMIT ON FOREIGN STARS LEGAL - REPORT

By Geoff Meade, Press Association Europe Editor, Brussels


Controversial plans by football's world governing body to limit the number of foreign players do not breach EU rules, an independent report declared on Thursday.

FIFA's so-called "6+5" rule has been overwhelmingly approved by 155 of the organisation's member nations, but dismissed as illegal by the European Commission and most EU governments because they say it amounts to discrimination at work and a restriction on the free movement of workers.

Now the Institute for European Affairs (INEA) - commissioned by FIFA itself to study the issue - claims the idea of restricting foreign players in league games does not fall foul of EU rules on free movement of workers.

"There is no conflict with European law," INEA chairman Professor Jurgen Gramke told a press conference in Brussels.

He insisted the report, although commissioned by FIFA, was entirely independent.

"We took no instructions from FIFA," he added. "INEA accepted this commission on condition that our requirements of complete independence were met."

The report says that, under EU law, the "regulatory autonomy" of sporting associations is recognised and supported.

"The key aim of the 6+5 rule in the view of the experts is the creation and assurance of sporting competition.

"The 6+5 rule does not impinge on the core area of the right to freedom of movement. The rule is merely a rule of the game declared in the general interest of sport in order to improve the sporting balance between clubs and associations".

FIFA endorsed the rule in May last year, but six months later EU ministers said it clearly broke EU rules.

The 6+5 rule established that at the start of each match, a club must field at least six players who would be eligible for the national team of the country of the club.

But there would be no limit on substitutes and no limit on the number of non-national players that clubs can sign.

This report says that, at worst, the 6+5 rule could constitute "indirect discrimination" because "it is not directly based on the nationality of professional players".

Instead it "merely considers entitlement to play for the national team concerned, and any possible indirect discrimination can be defended on the basis of compelling reasons of general interest".

At the moment, quota systems in football are outlawed, thanks to a European Court ruling in 1995 known as the Bosman Case.

It declared illegal the system, then in operation in many national leagues and in UEFA club competitions, which allowed only three "foreign" players in a team.

The Bosman judgment had a dramatic effect on football, said today's report, opening up the use of foreign players to such a degree that up to 56% of national league players are now not eligible to play for the national team of the league in which they play. In addition, up to half of the "foreign" players are "non-European".

This development discourages young indigenous footballing talent, because clubs can recruit fully trained players from elsewhere, often cheaper, the report points out.

It says the central aim of the 6+5 rule is to generate and safeguard sporting competition, and its goal is best summed up as "sport should remain sport".

Professor Gramke said the report's conclusions justifying the compatibility of the 6+5 rule with EU law also applied to other team sports such as handball, basketball and ice hockey.

"It has an important protective function for the whole of international sport, so that sport can remain sport," he said.

The findings add fresh ammunition to FIFA's challenge to the European Commission and governments to recognise the 6+5 rule.

A FIFA spokesman said the report would form the basis of fresh talks with Commission officials, including Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is determined to see the 6+5 rule in place by the start of the 2012-13 season and the Commission is currently equally determined to block him.

LINK

[tubby]

I read somewhere last night that Man United have rotated a lot more than us this season

But of course that will be seen as a master stroke from Mr Ferguson

I think it would be fair to say that Utds squad is better past the 1st team compared to us.

[GYBS]

thats the big difference bav - the mancs can bring in the big money players to replace the big money players - the first 11s arent that far off each other - its the back ups where the gulf is . we cant play the first 11 every single match so those back ups need playing .

[Owzat]

For me the issue about English players is a waste of a debate. In an ideal world all the players would be local, if not then maybe all English, but this isn't an ideal world and to compete you need the best players and sadly the best players aren't necessarily English.

We've given English a bash, I'd love to have an XI something like :

GK Carson
RB Darby
LB Warnock
CB Carragher
CB Hobbs
RM Pennant
LM Murphy
CM Gerrard
CM Spearing
CF Owen
CF Fowler

But is that better than our current XI and surely football is a business based on results and employing the best employees to make the business a success? It's not as if we haven't tried English, all those players have had chances in the first team since 2000 I believe I'm correct in saying. My problem is with the way any old players are allowed in and the quality isn't an issue. The very best fair enough, but Diao, Lucas, and other players have been given work permits and maybe the FA needs to revise its policy.

EU is maybe a loophole needs tightening, I'd say the government could do with slowing down the flood of EU workers in here with no more special skills to offer than some of our own lazy benefit fraudsters. If they're talented enough to justify playing in England ahead of English/UK players then they should have 20 International caps to their name or more, regardless of age. If not then should the judgement of whether they are outstanding talents or however it is worded, get them a job as a footballer ahead of a local? Maybe the government should look to its own first, this is the UK GOVERNMENT not the EU government or the European government, so should look after its own first. Noone would expect you to give pocket money to someone else's kids, pay maintenance to someone else's wife and kids, let alone pay it to someone in a different country. You look after your own first, about time one of the political parties got us out of the EU. Enough of our money is taken away by foreign owners, imported goods, businesses using cheap foreign manufacturing etc. Football's no better, maybe slightly different in the way it works.