Football 2013-2014

[kaosmark2]

why not just get a 23 year old,with no experience!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24454963

[thetime]

Well jack Wiltshire has opened up a hornets nest.

[kaosmark2]

Well jack Wiltshire has opened up a hornets nest.

[eFestivals]

I kinda agree with him. I don't have an issue with players who already qualify (eg. people who moved over at a young age), but I think to try and persuade young footballers in the Prem to not play international football for another 5 years so they can eventually represent England on residency rules? That's a bit off.

there's been none of that tho. He's apparently already turned down Belgium and Albania, so I guess he's after a call from elsewhere.

If he gets a call from England and he's happy to take it up, why shouldn't he once he's within the eligibility rules? Those rules make him English if he wants to be English as far as footie is concerned.

[5co77ie]

Well jack Wiltshire has opened up a hornets nest.

[kaosmark2]

there's been none of that tho. He's apparently already turned down Belgium and Albania, so I guess he's after a call from elsewhere.

If he gets a call from England and he's happy to take it up, why shouldn't he once he's within the eligibility rules? Those rules make him English if he wants to be English as far as footie is concerned.

[thetime]

Apparently he wants to play for Kosovo, who aren't recognised by FIFA.

If he had given any sign he wanted to play for England, sure, but my issue is with the FA/Hodgson, not with him. I don't think we should be trying to pressure players who have only recently moved to England and aren't eligible yet or in the near future, into committing to play for England several years down the line, particularly off the basis of one performance.

[kaosmark2]

Do you really think that the England bosses just saw that game and though we must get him, they have been watching his progress for a couple of years.

If he keeps progressing the way I and others think he's going to be an amazing talent in a few years time, this kid is really that good. That's why a lot of the European big boys are having a sniff, can't remember them being in for macheda.

Yes I know people will go about injuries and distractions but there's no doubt he's got all the boxes ticked.

Like you though I don't think there's much interest in England and his waiting if Kosovo gets fifa recognition.

It's always happened in sport though, I remember Graeme hick having to wait for a few years before he could play for England.

Jack Wiltshire saying in England we tackle guard and hard to beat, is that it? Another great tweet from him was 'if I lived in Spain for 5 years, could I play for Spain?" No because you wouldn't gave a sniff.

[thetime]

Actually I think the England bosses are enquiring because the media have been asking them. They'd have been foolish to focus resources on watching a player who probably won't declare for England.

I do really rate him, I think he's a cracking talent, but it's undeveloped and barely proven still.

[kaosmark2]

Don't you think they would of been watching the likes of m keane, w keane, lingard, Powell for the under 21's/under 20's in the last 2 years and saw that janusaj is far ahead of his age group that they would of enquired then?

[thetime]

That's different from actively monitoring his progress.

[pink_triangle]

there's been none of that tho. He's apparently already turned down Belgium and Albania, so I guess he's after a call from elsewhere.

If he gets a call from England and he's happy to take it up, why shouldn't he once he's within the eligibility rules?

[thetime]

There are some weird qualification rules, for example Patrick vieria qualified for France because his grandad was in the French army.

[pink_triangle]

There are some weird qualification rules, for example Patrick vieria qualified for France because his grandad was in the French army.

[thetime]

Although, wouldn't he have qualified through residency anyway?

[kaosmark2]

Wilshere's gone on to say he doesn't necessarily mean "born in England":

Later on Wednesday night, Wilshere made another attempt to diffuse the row.

"To be clear, never said 'born in England' - I said English people should play for England," said Wilshere.

"Great respect for people like KP (Kevin Pietersen), Mo Farah and Wilf Zaha - they make the country proud.

"My view on football - going to a new country when ur an adult, & because u can get a passport u play 4 that national team - I disagree.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12016/8965553/jack-wilshere-tries-to-diffuse-england-eligibility-row-with-kevin-pietersen

That's what I'd taken him to mean and I agree with him.

[Bobs]

Fucking hell. luck at some of the worlds footballers.... like Deco, if Deco was eligible for England at his peak,, you'd of all seriously turned around and said 'nah fuck off you're not English?'

Why not? At the end of the day, if they want to be English let them!

[kaosmark2]

I'd have put it better than that, but ultimately, I'd question why. The vast majority of players who declare for a country after 23 where residency ENTIRELY due to playing football would kick in are doing so because they've given up on playing for the country they actually identify with. Germans with Turkish parents playing for Turkey, Shola declaring for Nigeria at 29, French players declaring for African teams, Brazilian immigrants in half the countries in the world. These players aren't playing for the country they've joined because they feel an affinity for that country, they're playing because they want to play international football and are resigned to their first choice thinking they're not good enough (which in the vast majority of cases is true).

If Deco had been refusing Portugal and Brazil to play for England because he felt some affinity? Sure, that'd be a different case, but I don't think nationality should be bought and traded freely. If it can be, how would it be much different from club football? The ebb and flow of talents between countries would die out and the rankings become even blander.

My biggest issue though, is that I don't think England should fall into the trap of "We can't produce good enough players ourselves so have to resort to poaching them from elsewhere". Courting Januzaj sends out the wrong message to our 17-19 year olds. It sends out the wrong message about our academies.

[kaosmark2]

This map is kinda interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24464020

The Spanish, Belgian and German increase I'd have guessed, along with the decline in home nations players, but I'm very surprised that the spread has narrowed, in particular that we have no Russian or Turkish players in the league at all any more.

[Bobs]

This map is kinda interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24464020

The Spanish, Belgian and German increase I'd have guessed, along with the decline in home nations players, but I'm very surprised that the spread has narrowed, in particular that we have no Russian or Turkish players in the league at all any more.

[pink_triangle]

Fucking hell. luck at some of the worlds footballers.... like Deco, if Deco was eligible for England at his peak,, you'd of all seriously turned around and said 'nah fuck off you're not English?'

Why not? At the end of the day, if they want to be English let them!

[Bobs]

By no means am I for players being signed specifically on a 5 year plan to play for England afterwards that would be ridiculous, that's not what I'm saying, but if you're willing to spend 5 years in this country on £100k a week, you'll be contributing a lot to the nation through tax, we accept this, it's essentially only the same as poaching a youngster, if someone doesn't see the talent they've had at their disposal for years, why not take it?

Meanwhile, the Januzaj thing is wrong, putting pressure on a young lad to sign up for a nation, especially when he's refused Belgium, a much more promising side than our own!

Then again it could be like Rugby League, he isn't the only one to do this, but Sam Moa has been called up by New Zealand for the upcoming World Cup, but he's already played for Samoa in the past, it's like Bale upping sticks and playing for England

[eFestivals]

There are some weird qualification rules, for example Patrick vieria qualified for France because his grandad was in the French army.

Under FIFA rules, a player can be eligible for up-to at least nine nations (it might be more, I've not worked thru the more complex possibilities).

grandparents nationalities = (up-to) 4 countries.

grandparents nationalities = (up-to) 2 countries.

country of birth = 1 country.

country of nationality = 1 country

'naturalised' country = 1 country.

I don't have any problem with any of that.

The only part of the rules that annoys me is that a player can play for one country at under-21 but swap to another country for senior matches; I think it would be far better if a player was 'fixed' to a country the moment they accept a place in the national squad of a nation at any level.

For some reason I dislike Kevin Peterson quite a lot, but I thought him tackling Wilshire about what he'd said was spot on.

Few people have an issue with KP playing for England. Almost no one has a problem with Mo Farrah.

And so the 'problem' that football in the UK has is its fans, to which rabid nationalism bordering on the racist is hardly unknown.

Edited October 10, 2013 by eFestivals

[LondonTom]

The only part of the rules that annoys me is that a player can play for one country at under-21 but swap to another country for senior matches; I think it would be far better if a player was 'fixed' to a country the moment they accept a place in the national squad of a nation at any level.

Edited October 10, 2013 by LondonTom

[thetime]

100% agree with you Neil