08 May 2014 19:06:43
Okay, with my Saints biased head on here is my (slightly complicated) way of helping the England team.

I would have no limit to the amount of non English players that a club can sign. No breaking of any dodgy employment laws.

But the FA/PL/FL limit in all their competitions that only half the match day squad can be non English (9).

Again, the clubs then get rewarded in money (£1M) if a player aged under 21 completes the equivalent of say 15 FULL league matches (1350 mins)in a season. This player must have been with the club for at least 2 years and be eligible for the England team.

You with me so far.

So we would receive dosh for JWP and Luke but not Sam or Harrison.

The big clubs can still buy up the nippers but at least the money stays in this country. They would get nothing for bringing on an overseas player so then may encourage the London/NW brigade to develop there own. Winners all round unless you guys can see any issues.

1.) 08 May 2014
Again, this has the same problems as before (see Chilt Saints post). Half the match day squad having to be English still doesn't actually make any real progress. With clubs like Chelsea and City you'd just end up with a very English bench and the token England duo (Terry & Cahill, Hart & Milner). It's not actually a step up from the current set up.

Secondly the financial incentive. Well first point, who pays it? The EPL or the FA? The EPL wouldn't do it and the FA couldn't pay it. Let's play a hypothetical; 8 clubs in the league each play 2 under 21 England players (not unambitious, not too far off the current lot). That's £16 million the FA has to pay. It's a limited purse the FA has and ultimately you're taking from the pot that pays for grass-roots as well. You pull the money from one point and it goes from another. Imagine the headlines. Also there's the other simple point - £1 million in club football is not a lot of money. You'd either need to boost that money up or play a tonne of players for it to become viable - and most clubs just wouldn't risk it. It's not worth it. And even if you raised the incentive it still couldn't actually be paid for.

Most people seem to think the FA has some massive never ending coin-purse. They don't. They're really very limited, especially when you consider what they have to pay for in the first place; coaching and grassroots developments. The EPL has a pretty sizeable coin-purse, more then enough to cover your suggestion. But they aren't going to do it. They can't be forced to by anyone and they'd lose more then they'd gain so they wouldn't voluntarily do it.

It's a nice suggestion and it's nice to see some actual methodology applied. But the reward system is almost impossible to introduce. Too many issues of who pays, for what and why.

2.) 08 May 2014
^ the money should come from the other clubs in the league

for example - it should be agreed upon that half a match day squad should be made up of english players or maybe a minimum of say 5? english starters but a club should be able to choose to play more foreign players if they pay a fee for every foreign player over the 9 (or under 5 starters) - clubs won't want to continually pay to use foreign players especially if that money is going to other clubs who go above the 9 players in a squad

3.) 08 May 2014
Fairly certain that isn't legal Saintysaintsaint. Also who do they pay it to? Who's the arbiter? It would have to be the EPL as I don't think it would be within the FAs remit to affect this. The EPL just straight out wouldn't agree to it and nor would the clubs. You have to remember they can't actually force this to happen, it has to be voluntary and agreeable. And again, it doesn't solve the quality issue. That's what B teams and grassroots improvements is designed to do. Quality of players over mere quantity.

4.) 08 May 2014
TJ - I hear your point about money. The issue hear is the FA must get some balls and tell the PL who runs football. Surely the 'big clubs' must have to register with the FA to play in the PL. No pay no play. It seems the PL have their own train set and want to play with it. The PL should be a brand of the FA not the other way round. All monies from TV should go to the FA not the PL be it Sky, MOTD, ITV or overseas. Truly believe that the FA should run football from top to bottom not withstanding the motley crew in charge at the moment.

Any way rant over - can you tell me the relationship between the FA and PL and how it works.

5.) 08 May 2014
Great idea SaintySaintSaint :) you speak so much sense in every post

6.) 08 May 2014
Oh don't get me wrong Puddletown, I agree completely with who should be in charge - it would solve a lot of the issues. Trying to speak technically about the relationship between the FA and EPL is a minefield. The thing is one does not technically supersede the other. One cannot dictate the other. It helps to think of them as completely independent organisations, that on virtue of common interest, must work together. The EPL can only influence things within the EPL, obviously. They cannot recommend to the FA how best to solve issues such as the nationa team. They set the rules and regulations of the PL, with the FA being somewhat advisory. The FA is in charge of grassroots developments, the national teams and FA competitions most notably. This is why we see slightly different regulations between the FA cup and EPL. The best way to understand it is that the FA is a public institution and the EPL is a private institution. In order to regulate the EPL in a greater way the FAs powers would have to be expanded in law and its charter. This is unlikely to happen. As I said, it's a minefield and no matter how well you think you understand it you're always missing something. I would say ask the EDs as they are probably more knowledgeable then me, and can correct me on any mistake or add any other details.

The FA can't grow some balls and tell the PL who runs football, because technically speaking - they don't. As much as the FA sometimes comes up with good ideas, the EPL doesn't have to agree or follow through, leading to an impasse with no overarching authority to push it through one way or the other, other then the legislators and judiciary. Mostly though it just ends up with a compromise being reached which typically preserves the EPL favoured status quo.