The FIFA "6+5" Rule: Bad News For English Football!

Sepp Blatter's "6+5" proposals have caused waves around the footballing world. It's meant to make sure young players can come through the ranks at their clubs, and not be forced out by foreigners. This will supposedly help the national sides.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't work like that.

This rule will not help, but will hinder English football. The EPL benefits from foreign players—it's a fact. People say that the foreigners are affecting the national team, but I'm not so sure.

Some of the most dominant international teams have poor leagues in their country. Look at Portugal, France, and, to a certain extent, Germany. None of these teams have strong leagues, yet all are forces to be reckoned with on the international stage.

It is not the fact that there are a number of foreigners in the EPL that is the problem. It is the fact that the players aren't good enough.

Of course, there are a number of English players who are, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand spring to mind—but if players from abroad are taking the positions of English players, it's because they are better.

Therefore, when they meet on the international scene, the foreigners that would have been playing in England, but for the "6+5 rule", will still outplay the players they would be keeping out of the side. This won't help the national team, as they will still lose!

Also, the over-seas players have helped make the EPL into the best league in the world. Think of the greatest EPL player ever. Thierry Henry? Dennis Bergkamp? Eric Cantona? Gianfranco Zola? Patrick Vieira? Roy Keane? The fact is, very few English players come into that list. The "6+5 rule" will prevent us from seeing some of that talent.

Let's use Arsenal's "Invincibles" as an example. Every one of these players were key parts to that side. Had it not been for them, Arsenal may not have gone on that 49 game unbeaten run, and we wouldn't have been treated to the best football the Premier League has ever seen.

Foreigners:

Jens Lehmann

Kolo Toure

Lauren

Robert Pires

Patrick Vieira

Gilberto Silva

Freddie Ljungberg

Thierry Henry

Dennis Bergkamp

Jose Antonio Reyes

I personally think that the EPL would be a worse place if any of these (perhaps with the exception of Reyes) hadn't played here. These new rules will force Arsenal to only be able to play half of these players.

I would choose Bergkamp, Ljungberg, Henry, Pires and Vieira. But, then you're left with no keeper and no defence.

There simply aren't enough top class English keepers for every EPL club to have one, yet alone a back-up one. So most teams will be stuck with just four outfield foreigners allowed.

Why Blatter has chosen now to implement these rules I don't know. I'm getting the feeling that he really dislikes England.

He says he is proposing this because having two teams from the same country competing in the Champions League final isn't right—but I don't remember him doing anything like this when Spain and Italy had two finalists.

Admittedly, they had more home-based players, but Blatter didn't even bat an eye-lid. Nor did he when Madrid were splashing their cash buying "the Galacticos".

That is how it should be—teams buying the best players they can get to their club. No matter what Sepp Blatter has to say about it!