6 + 5: Premier League's Downfall

“Are you in favour of a strong national team? Are you in favour of national team players playing for the top clubs in your country’s league?” These are two questions FIFA asked on their website in favour of the ‘six plus five’ rule that will enforce each club to play at least six home-grown players and a maximum of five foreign players.

The question FIFA did not include is ‘Do you want a lower standard of football?’ because that will be the result.  I, as much as anyone, want to see more English players in the top flight and top clubs in England but we cannot force it.

On 31st August 2007 soccer-europe.com found that 59% of players in the Premier League were foreign. Compared to the other top leagues in Europe only Germany came close with 50%. In Spain, whose national team won Euro 2008, had just 38%.

It is evident that to have more players from the home nation improves the national side but in Spain they do not have a rule in place restricting foreign players in the league. They just have better players and do not have to bring in players from abroad.

Spanish Primera Liga champions Real Madrid brought in two Spanish players out of the three they bought this summer and Barcelona also purchased two Spanish players. Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool did not buy one single English player and sold eight.

The problem is not that managers do not want to buy English players; it is that English players are not good enough.

The cycling, rowing and sailing (and canoeing) teams at the Beijing Olympics brought home 28 of the 47 medals won by Great Britain. Football has considerably higher participation levels in England than any of these sports.

The fault of the sport is that we do not produce this participation into quality players. The area of football that needs improving is youth and I do not mean in the academies and at under 16 level but under 14s and down.

Children who play football in this country move up to full-size pitches when they get to under 12s. That means that 11-year olds are playing on full-size pitches with full-size goals and full-size balls.

This results in the best players being the children who can kick the ball the hardest as if the ball goes in the top half of the goal, they have scored.

I played at this level and the main aim was to get the ball over the top to the quickest player who was automatically through on goal because there is so much space on the pitch. It’s a form of football where the centre back takes the goal kicks because they are the biggest and can kick it the furthest and the linesman is the assistant manager.

At 11, you should be playing eight-a-side on smaller pitches, encouraging one or two touch football and passing on the floor. Full-size pitches should not come in until under 15s level. This will not change football overnight but it will produce better players playing better football and they will be English.

Training sessions should not be - run around a field then play a match. Kids have natural fitness anyway so they should have a ball at their feet for the whole time. It should encourage passing and moving. Make sure players make at least eight passes before shooting for example.

The ‘six plus five’ rule will not make the national team stronger, it will mean players will be playing in the Premier League who should not be there and will result in a step backwards – a lower standard of football. Maybe not a considerable drop in standards in the Premier League but a domino effect will result on the Championship, League One and Two and then non-league football.

We do not need to get rid of the foreign players through a law. We need to get rid of foreign players because our players are better.