The Demise of English Football

The Demise of English Football

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The following paper tries to analyse the various reasons for the continuing dismal performance of the English national team at world level

England have produced some of the best midfielders in football today who have accomplished themselves as world-class footballers but at the international stage they just don’t seem to make an impact


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The Big Four

The Top 4 clubs of England namely, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool & Manchester United have taken the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the premiership for the last 10 years, no other team has managed to break their dominance

Exception: 2002/03 Newcastle United, 3rd

Club WinnerRunners-

upWinning Years

Manchester United

18 141907/08, 1910/11, 1951/52, 1955/56, 1956/57, 1964/65, 1966/67, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09

Liverpool 18 121900/01, 1905/06, 1921/22, 1922/23, 1946/47, 1963/64, 1965/66, 1972/73, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90

Arsenal 13 81930/31, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1937/38, 1947/48, 1952/53, 1970/71, 1988/89, 1990/91, 1997/98, 2001/02, 2003/04

Chelsea 4 3 1954/55, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/10

Total 53 37

The Big 4 have also been substantial contributors to the England national team for the Fifa World Cup

Season No of players from the Premiership Big 4

% No of players based in England

World Cup 1998 11 55% 22World Cup 2002 10 46% 21World Cup 2006 14 64% 20World Cup 2010 9 41% 22

Season Arsenal Chelsea Liverpool Manchester UnitedWorld Cup 1998 3 1 3 4World Cup 2002 4 0 2 4World Cup 2006 3 4 8 3World Cup 2010 0 4 3 2

Simply put The Big 4 can be considered as the Heart & Soul of English football


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Based on data collected on the Big 4 teams of the English premier league teams namely, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, for the past 10 years, I have come to the note the following reasons for the demise of English football

Lack of Quality Forwards and Goalkeepers Inadequate opportunities for English footballers The vast quality difference in the Premiership and the Championship


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Inadequate opportunities for English footballers

Arsenal

Season No of English players in the

First team Squad

% of First team squad from England

% Change % of First team squad from France

2010/11* 3 11.11111111 0.766284 25.925932009/10 3 10.34482759 -0.76628 24.137932008/09 3 11.11111111 -5.01792 22.222222007/08 5 16.12903226 1.843318 22.580652006/07 4 14.28571429 0 252005/06 4 14.28571429 3.571429 21.428572004/05 3 10.71428571 -18.6975 252003/04 10 29.41176471 -7.2549 17.647062002/03 11 36.66666667 -5.64103 202001/02 11 42.30769231 23.07692

10 Season Average 5.7 19.63679 22.70193

From the data above it seen clearly that the number of Englishman has been steadily declining from the Arsenal squad

On the other hand the no of Frenchman in the Arsenal squad has been consistently above 20%,

Exception Season 2003/04: 18%

Simply put there have been more French players in the English football club Arsenal than English players for the past 7 seasons

Season No of Englishman with more than 25 appearances2010/11* -2009/10 12008/09 12007/08 12006/07 22005/06 12004/05 12003/04 32002/03 62001/02 5

10 Season Average 2.333

The number of Englishman in the Arsenal squad making more than 25 appearances a season has declined over the years


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Chelsea

Season No of English players in the First team Squad


% Change

2010/11* 6 24 0.6666672009/10 7 23.33333333 0.256412008/09 6 23.07692308 -2.8492007/08 7 25.92592593 -7.407412006/07 9 33.33333333 -1.282052005/06 9 34.61538462 7.9487182004/05 8 26.66666667 0.7407412003/04 7 25.92592593 0.9259262002/03 6 25 1.9230772001/02 6 23.07692308

10 Season Average 7.1 26.49544

The no of Englishman in the Chelsea First team squad has been around 25% and doesn’t show any trend



On average only 4 Englishman have managed to play more than 25 games for Chelsea for the past 10 years


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Liverpool



% Change

2010/11* 11 37.93103448 13.79312009/10 7 24.13793103 4.1379312008/09 7 20 -10.55562007/08 11 30.55555556 -5.555562006/07 13 36.11111111 8.1111112005/06 7 28 0.7272732004/05 9 27.27272727 -6.060612003/04 10 33.33333333 2.0833332002/03 10 31.25 -2.083332001/02 12 33.33333333

10 Season Average

9.730.1925

The no of Englishman in the Liverpool first team squad has been fluctuating between 25% and 35%, with the lowest of 20% and the highest of 38%



The no of English players making more than 25 appearances has declined over the years


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Manchester United



% Change

2010/11* 20 43.47826087 -4.347832009/10 22 47.82608696 1.9927542008/09 22 45.83333333 -4.166672007/08 20 50 4.838712006/07 14 45.16129032 8.7976542005/06 12 36.36363636 1.0695192004/05 12 35.29411765 -6.641372003/04 13 41.93548387 -6.451612002/03 15 48.38709677 2.9325512001/02 15 45.45454545

10 Season Average

16.543.9733

Manchester United have been the only club among the Big 4 to have more than 40% of their First team squad from England



Every season atleast 6 English players manage to make more than 25 appearances for the club

Summary

This data clearly indicated the lack of opportunities for English players to play at the highest level, with the Big 4 heavily relying on foreign player

With inadequate opportunities at the Big 4, English players depend on other smaller teams for First team football who don’t compete in the European champions league and Europe cup, competitions where the best in Europe compete, this becomes a large barrier for the development of English football and is possibly one reason why the English team performs poorly at the world stage


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Lack of Quality Goalkeepers

Arsenal

Season 1st Choice Goalkeeper Nationality2010/11* Łukasz Fabiański Non English2009/10 Manuel Almunia Non English2008/09 Manuel Almunia Non English2007/08 Manuel Almunia Non English2006/07 Jens Lehmann Non English2005/06 Jens Lehmann Non English2004/05 Jens Lehmann Non English2003/04 Jens Lehmann Non English2002/03 David Seaman English2001/02 David Seaman English

Chelsea

Season 1st Choice Goalkeeper Nationality2010/11* Petr Čech Non English2009/10 Petr Čech Non English2008/09 Petr Čech Non English2007/08 Petr Čech Non English2006/07 Petr Čech Non English2005/06 Petr Čech Non English2004/05 Petr Čech Non English2003/04 Carlo Cudicini Non English2002/03 Carlo Cudicini Non English2001/02 Carlo Cudicini Non English

Liverpool

Season 1st Choice Goalkeeper Nationality2010/11* José Manuel Reina Non English2009/10 José Manuel Reina Non English2008/09 José Manuel Reina Non English2007/08 José Manuel Reina Non English2006/07 José Manuel Reina Non English2005/06 José Manuel Reina Non English2004/05 Jerzy Dudek Non English2003/04 Jerzy Dudek Non English2002/03 Jerzy Dudek Non English2001/02 Jerzy Dudek Non English


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Manchester United

Season 1st Choice Goalkeeper Nationality2010/11* Edwin van der Sar Non English2009/10 Edwin van der Sar Non English2008/09 Edwin van der Sar Non English2007/08 Edwin van der Sar Non English2006/07 Edwin van der Sar Non English2005/06 Edwin van der Sar Non English2004/05 Roy Carroll Non English2003/04 Tim Howard Non English2002/03 Fabien Barthez Non English2001/02 Fabien Barthez Non English

One of England’s biggest problems is the lack of a quality Goalkeeper

No English goalkeeper has been the 1st choice goalkeeper for the Big 4 clubs playing at the highest level,

Exception, David Seaman, Arsenal, 2001/02-2002/03

Season Goalkeeper Club Appearances Goals ConcededFifa WC 1998 David Seaman Arsenal 4 4Fifa WC 2002 David Seaman Arsenal 5 3Fifa WC 2006 Paul Robinson Tottenham Hotspurs 4 2Fifa WC 2010 Robert Green

David JamesWest Ham UnitedPortsmouth

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Summary

These statistics clearly indicate why England lacks a world-class goalkeeper and seem unlikely to have one in the near future given the fact that none of the English goalkeepers play for the Big 4 at the highest level of competitive football


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Lack of a quality Strike force

English Premier League Top Scorers

Season 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

2010/11*Dimitar Berbatov Carlos Tévez

Andrew Carroll Tim Cahill Kevin Nolan

2009/10 Didier DrogbaWayne Rooney Darren Bent Carlos Tévez

Frank Lampard

2008/08 Nicolas AnelkaCristiano Ronaldo

Steven Gerrard

Fernando Torres Robinho

2007/08Cristiano Ronaldo

Emmanuel Adebayor

Fernando Torres

Roque Santa Cruz Robbie Keane

2006/07 Didier DrogbaBenedict McCarthy

Cristiano Ronaldo Mark Viduka Darren Bent

2005/06 Thierry HenryRuud van Nistelrooy Darren Bent Robbie Keane

Frank Lampard

2004/05 Thierry HenryAndrew Johnson Robert Pires

Jermain Defoe

Frank Lampard

2003/04 Thierry Henry Alan ShearerRuud van Nistelrooy Louis Saha Mikael Forssell

2002/03Ruud van Nistelrooy Thierry Henry

James Beattie Mark Viduka Michael Owen

2001/02 Thierry HenryRuud van Nistelrooy

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Alan Shearer Michael Owen

Summary

Another of England’s major problem is the absence of a quality strike force, this is clearly visible from the fact that in the last 10 seasons no English footballer has been the top scorer in the English premier league

In recent years All the Big 4 clubs have depended on foreign Forwards except Manchester united where Wayne Rooney leads the attack


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The Difference between the English Premier League & the Championship

English Npower Championship Winners/ Teams promoted to the English Premier League

Season 1st 2nd 3rd2010/11* - - -2009/10 Newcastle United West Bromwich Albion Blackpool

2008/09Wolverhampton

WanderersBirmingham City Burnley

2007/08 West Bromwich Albion Stoke City Hull City2006/07 Sunderland Birmingham City Derby County2005/06 Reading Sheffield United Watford2004/05 Sunderland Wigan Athletic West Ham United2003/04 Norwich City West Bromwich Albion Sunderland2002/03 Portsmouth Leicester City Sheffield United

2001/02Manchester City West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton

Wanderers

Teams Relegated from the English Premier League

Season 1st 2nd 3rd2010/11* - - -2009/10 Burnley Hull City Portsmouth2008/09 Newcastle United Middlesbrough West Bromwich Albion2007/08 Reading Birmingham City Derby County2006/07 Sheffield United Charlton Athletic Watford2005/06 Birmingham City West Bromwich Albion Sunderland2004/05 Crystal Palace Norwich City Southampton

2003/04Leicester City Leeds United Wolverhampton

Wanderers

2002/03West Ham United West Bromwich

AlbionSunderland

2001/02 Ipswich Town Derby County Leicester City

Summary

The highlighted teams are the ones promoted from the Npower Championships to the English Premier League a season earlier

Every season atleast one of the team that has been promoted is relegated back to the Championships

2001/02 was the only season when none of the newly promoted teams were relegated, the teams that were promoted were Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers

There is a vast gap between the Premiership and the championships, why this becomes an important parameter in my analysis is the fact that the championships are dominated by English players especially youth players and the premiership is increasingly being dominated by Foreign players


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Conclusive Summary

Since the inception of the English Premier League in 1992, the Big 4 have dominated the league, Except for Manchester united none of the Big 4 have provided substantial opportunities for English footballers, with the number of English footballers playing at the highest level declining over the years

None of the Big 4 clubs have had an English goalkeeper as their 1st choice, except arsenal in 2001/02 and 2002/03, it’s no wonder then that the English football team lacks a quality goalkeeper

Also no English footballer has been the top scorer in the English premier league for the last 10 seasons which can be linked to another of England’s problem i.e. the lack of a quality strike force

Given the current scenario it seems unlikely that the English football team will be a dominant player in world football, there needs to be some serious policy changes and the new Fifa rule requiring preference to domestic players in the playing 11 and the squad would just be the much needed first step


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References

www.soccernet.com

www.wikipedia.org

Football Manager 2011

Sports

The Demise of English Football