Is Benitez right?

[Rashid]

This is a totally reasonable approach from Rafa and I back him 100%. But in light of recent debate on here does restricting the number of foreigners in a squad make it a racist policy? I think every team needs its hardcore to be local or from the same country to give it that identity. Football is after all about communities - and Liverpool is about Merseyside and the City of Liverpool.

 

I feel any policy that promotes the use of local players is a good one.

_____________________________

Rafael Benitez supports UEFA's proposals to introduce a quota on foreign players.

 

From the 2006/07 season clubs participating in UEFA competitions must have four homegrown players in their 25-man squads - two trained within that club's own academy and two by a club within the same national association.

 

The quota will increase to three club-trained and three-association trained players by 2007/08 and to four and four from 2008/09.

 

"I think it's a good idea," said Benitez. "You've always got to give young players a chance to show what they can do and I am sure this idea would be good for the national team too.

 

"From my point of view it is difficult to sign players if the market isn't very big, and it means that the homegrown players you would want are a lot more expensive because there aren't many of them around.

 

"But I think it would be better for national teams and for supporters if their clubs had more local players."

[terry mac]

I agree with Benitez , these are the players with the right mentality as Rafa says.....they know what Liverpool means and what its all about

[Rashid]

I agree with Benitez , these are the players with the right mentality as Rafa says.....they know what Liverpool means and what its all about

 

Careful mate, you might not get away with that statement on here!

[DT]

So you're saying Jari didn't know what it meant then?

[Al Campbell]

We should still in the best foreign players we can. The likes of Alonso, Hyypia, Hamann etc but if this new rule means we have the likes of Jon Welsh, David Raven, Darren Potter et al as squad members instead of overpaid rubbish like Diomede, Diao, Biscan, Cheyrou etc then I'm all for it.

[Brownie]

We should still in the best foreign players we can. The likes of Alonso, Hyypia, Hamann etc but if this new rule means we have the likes of Jon Welsh, David Raven, Darren Potter et al as squad members instead of overpaid rubbish like Diomede, Diao, Biscan, Cheyrou etc then I'm all for it.

 

Yeah I agree with that.

 

The issue for us as far as i'm concerned, is not actual first team players, but back-up players. I don't care where players are from as long as they are good enough, but as Rafa has stated, young players deserve a chance to prove whether they can perform at the highest level or not.

 

Ideally you would have a scenario where the first choice 11 is made up of signings and outstanding local talent, with the back-up players being predominantly from the youth and reserve teams too.

[El Rojo]

I think Houllier would have had a much different response - Rafa seems to have a lot more faith in the youth system at the club. Warnock, Potter, Whitbread, Welsh, Raven, Partridge and Smyth wouldn't have gotten the same chance if Ged was still around this season, Carling Cup or no Carling Cup.

 

We'll never have the same financial lure as Chelsea, so a successful and fully utilised youth system is essential. Rafa seemed to realise this six months ago.

[Brownie]

I think Houllier would have had a much different response - Rafa seems to have a lot more faith in the youth system at the club. Warnock, Potter, Whitbread, Welsh, Raven, Partridge and Smyth wouldn't have gotten the same chance if Ged was still around this season, Carling Cup or no Carling Cup.

 

We'll never have the same financial lure as Chelsea, so a successful and fully utilised youth system is essential. Rafa seemed to realise this six months ago.

 

I think what Rafa has realised is that young players can only develop if they are given the chance to do so. How is a youngster meant to know what it takes to play for Liverpool, if he's never played for Liverpool?

 

Thats where a restriction would benefit us - young, local players would get their fair share of games to prove their worth. If they prove themselves to be extra special then they get promoted to first choice.

[Rashid]

Yeah I agree with that.

 

The issue for us as far as i'm concerned, is not actual first team players, but back-up players. I don't care where players are from as long as they are good enough, but as Rafa has stated, young players deserve a chance to prove whether they can perform at the highest level or not.

 

Ideally you would have a scenario where the first choice 11 is made up of signings and outstanding local talent, with the back-up players being predominantly from the youth and reserve teams too.

 

Totally agree, I would go as far as to say that the first 11 could be a team full of foreigners so long as they are the 'best' available to us. But the rest of the squad would have a mixture of local lads and decent foreign players. Not useless shite like Biscan, Diao, Nunez etc blocking the path to the first team for kids.

 

Look at Man United, Look at Real Madrid, - where would they be without the hardcore who came through the system or who are nationals of that country and came to the club young.

[aws]

What makes me laugh is that the journalists slagging off Arsenal for their foreign squad and calling for homegrown youngsters to be given the chance were slagging off Rafa a couple of weeks ago for besmirching the FA Cup.

[El Rojo]

In fairness to Arsenal a lot of those foreign players came through their youth system. It's a credit to their scouting system.

[terry mac]

I agree with Rafa that we should have local lads, but off course with the best talent there is available, if there good enough dont matter where there from but as a squad its good to have a local core

[Dirk]

If Rafa can show that Liverpool have a pro-active youth policy then it will go some way to attracting better young talent.

[terry mac]

So you're saying Jari didn't know what it meant then?

 

no, nor Molby, Cohen, Ronny etc in an over all squad is good to see local lads

[Brownie]

What makes me laugh is that the journalists slagging off Arsenal for their foreign squad and calling for homegrown youngsters to be given the chance were slagging off Rafa a couple of weeks ago for besmirching the FA Cup.

 

Thats an excellent point.

[Rashid]

Stu Monty / Ian

 

I this a racist statement?:

 

But I think it would be better for national teams and for supporters if their clubs had more local players."

[Brownie]

Stu Monty / Ian

 

I this a racist statement?:

 

But I think it would be better for national teams and for supporters if their clubs had more local players."

 

Technically yes.

 

And I know Rafa said it.

[Guest scouse_&_proud]

RASHID............No, thats a fuckin stupid thing to say. Of courseit's better. Although Carra has been by far our best player this season, a couple of years ago the likes of Owen, Hyypia etc. were ahead of him. Yet, him and stevie G were our favourites, because they are scousers and are red through and through(although Carra was a blue as a boy). At practically every club the most loved players are locals. The Chuckle brothers, scholes etc. at Castle Greyskull, Terry at Chelsea, Shearer at Newcastle, Downing at boro, Shrek at the blue shite before he left,(now it's osman, stubbsie etc.) the list goes on. It's better for the national team because more young players are given the oppurtunity to shine. It's just typical of the political correctness/incorrectness in this country for someone to say somethindg stupid like that.

[aws]

And we're off.

[Rashid]

Yes I agree but the facts are our best players of the last 10 years have been local lads and the fans have loved them.

 

Ian - Technically racist? I don't agree with that, I am not sure it is racist to think that a 'local' would understand area/club better than someone bought up elsewhere. It is legally OK to only employ someone who speaks Urdu or Hindi or Bengali in an Indian restaurant - is that racist?

 

PC has gone mad.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Yes I agree but the facts are our best players of the last 10 years have been local lads and the fans have loved them.

 

Ian - Technically racist? I don't agree with that, I am not sure it is racist to think that a 'local' would understand area/club better than someone bought up elsewhere. It is legally OK to only employ someone who speaks Urdu or Hindi or Bengali in an Indian restaurant - is that racist?

 

PC has gone mad.

 

If the restaurant has a tiger mascot, then Bengali is a must.

[fivetimes]

scouse & proud - its rag week this week, you will have to excuse everyone.

you will be a racist/sexist/munich disaster loving/zenophobic scumbag by asking someone the time.

[Nunavut Patrick]

scouse & proud - its rag week this week, you will have to excuse everyone.

you will be a racist/sexist/munich disaster loving/zenophobic scumbag by asking someone the time.

 

zenophobic is with an X mate- ie- xenophobic.

 

And you weren't in the best of moods after the North American trip, with no moose sightings.

[Kopite]

zenophobic is with an X mate- ie- xenophobic.

 

And you weren't in the best of moods after the North American trip, with no moose sightings.

 

Z-ist.

[Guest Moschops]

Saying a club should have real ties to its local community, including bringing local kids through its youth set-up, isn't racist, and I can't imagine anyone saying it was.

Saying English players are preferable to foreign players because foreign players don't care about their club is racist.

Not rocket science, and not political correctness either.