Moose on LBC - Mackie to Forest 1.5m

[Mellowhoop]

Gerrard in a better team would of been in the zidane bracket for me.

[Mellowhoop]

Am I right in saying in Spain you only play friendly football when you are under 16?

[MattyRangers]

It comes from the kids grass roots mate, if the English lads were good enough they would be snapped up by the prem teams, simple. Prem teams have a lot of money and scouts all over the world and will sign kids from wherever if they are good enough. The English park youth set up is all wrong IMO. Playing on full size pitches from u14s or whatever with their so called coaches and managers not letting them enjoy football. It's all about lumping it forward to the big guy who's hit puberty first and getting stuck in, whilst the parents are giving dogs abuse from the sidelines at the kids doing step overs or whatever.

So very very true.

[Tarbie]

The premier league is the most fashionable league in the world.. Football is better in Germany and Spain but its boring. The demand for premier league football around the world is HUGE... Hence why the the top 6 clubs go all around Asia every year.

The Spainish league only has 2 sides capable of challenging in European competition these days Andy. They are also making the problem worse by giving different TV rights to Real Madrid and Barcelona than the rest of the league. Dunno how it can be considered a stronger league than the Prem when they only have 2 sides that are capable of winning a trophy at either domestic or European level.

Not sure I agree about Germany either, Dortmund and Bayern Munich are both very strong right now but I'm not sure that there are too many other sides in the league that are any better than their Premier League counterparts.

[Factamondo]

agree with robbo as school football just about the biggest n strongest kids.......not much better at youth level....'awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay'.....'get rid of it'.........two common 'coaching' terms!

[Mellowhoop]

The football you see is more pleasing on the eye is what maybe im trying to say
..but like I said its boring. Id rather watch English football all day long.

[WeAreQPR12]

So very very true.

He does make some good points that I agree with but my point about limiting foreigners would help the national side. Allot of english youngsters might not be good enough to start but they won't get any better by playing for a league 1/2 side to prove themself.

Youngsters need to be playing at the highest level to improve and for me playing with a few foreigners will clearly lower the standard of the premier league but it would massively help the national side imo.
Money talks and it will never happen but that doesn't mean it's right.

[WeAreQPR12]

Gerrard in a better team would of been in the zidane bracket for me.

Spot on!

[Stanley]

The football you see is more pleasing on the eye is what maybe im trying to say
..but like I said its boring. Id rather watch English football all day long.

IOW you'd rather watch up and at 'em hoofball with the emphasis on pace and power but way less technical skill? Historically this has always been what the British game is about with the exception of the odd flair player every so often. The only difference in recent years is that our home-grown players have become physically stronger, faster and more athletic, but certainly no more technically proficient with a football at their feet. Or do you have a better definition of "English football"? The bottom line is are you (plural) a football purist, or an old-fashioned English parochialist who's game is being rapidly left behind on the footballing world stage?

[stanistheman]

Mackie is probably on a reasonable salary, and while he is a terrible winger, he would prove useful as a substitute striker at the Championship level, especially since some of our strikers are injury-prone. At that price, it would be better to keep him.

I ageee he is not a good winger and not really a striker, but he provides just as much of a gosl threat as zamora or Johnson (not much though), but is not as likely to get injured as they are.

unless some better strikers are signed, I'd keep Mackie.

[swede]

Gerrard in a better team would of been in the zidane bracket for me.

You must be english....and a not so happy customer at Specsavers.

[Brian Wilson]

1.5 mil for a proven Champ player and an excellent impact sub! gotta be at least 3 mil. Fee would only pay Bosingwas wages for a few months

[zeberdee]

It comes from the kids grass roots mate, if the English lads were good enough they would be snapped up by the prem teams, simple. Prem teams have a lot of money and scouts all over the world and will sign kids from wherever if they are good enough. The English park youth set up is all wrong IMO. Playing on full size pitches from u14s or whatever with their so called coaches and managers not letting them enjoy football. It's all about lumping it forward to the big guy who's hit puberty first and getting stuck in, whilst the parents are giving dogs abuse from the sidelines at the kids doing step overs or whatever.

agree with you in general and the top of english football needs someone like hoddle running it from top to bottom to put actual football and technique at number 1 to 100 in teh list of priorities - but fat chance of that - and watching the national side is too embarrassing - even class players like gerrard getting buried under the stifling approach to the game those in charge.
but you know, if i am a championship manager, and the opposition has no height or physical threat up front i know i can just sit deep, deny space, and often come away with a point at least because 2 banks of 4 is incredibly difficult to pass your way through. that is the positive side of having a big guy - he can put a spanner in the works of that game plan like no other player can.

[QPR71]

some coach I heard on the radio said in England we focus on team positions and full pitches straight off. whereas the continentals ignore that and focus on ball skill and individual technique.
makes sense to me and the proof is in the pudding

[dogsrrs]

Moose on LBC Mackie to Notingham 1m

Me I would rather he stayed for that price