Premier League one third English

onemorechance

English footballers account for less than a third of all the minutes played in the Premier League, a State of the Game study for BBC Sport has found.

The figure for home country players - 31.8% - is down from 35.25% in 2007-08 and is significantly lower than all other major European leagues according to football statisticians Opta.

In La Liga, home of World Cup holders and European champions Spain, Spaniards account for 59% of all minutes played. In Germany's Bundesliga, Germans make up 50%.

The minutes played by Scottish players in the Scottish Premiership has remained static - 57.36% in 2007-08 and 57.19% so far this season.

BBC

Irish players were second at 6% in 07-08, now 4th at 4.6%, behind France on 7.99% and Spain at 6.18%. Some interesting stats on their State of the Game maps.

I reckon it's an attempt by the BBC to stir up debate on the amount of non-English players in the PL and whether it affects the national team.

Amirani

That debate has been well stirred up at this point. Futile really seeing as there's pretty much nothing they can do about it.

onemorechance

Seems like someone at BBC sport is trying! :pac: It's the huge blend of players that make it such a good league.

They have a second article on it, plus the map page, to highlight the lack of English players.

You have to go back to the last century to find the most recent instance of a Premier League club fielding an all-English starting XI.
It was 28 February 1999 and Coventry City thrashed John Gregory's home-grown Aston Villa side 4-1 at Villa Park.

69% Proportion of players starting in Premier League matches in the 1992-93 season who were England-qualified

78.1% Proportion of this summer's Premier League transfer deals that involved a player from outside the UK.

£60m Amount spent on English players in the Premier League this summer, less than 10% of the £630m total.

1 Number of English players among Sunderland's 14 summer signings (Duncan Watmore)

1 English player in the starting line-up for Wigan Athletic's FA Cup-winning team (Callum McManaman)

BBC

JPA

It simply shows that England does not produce enough quality players for the high level the Premier League demands.
Because of this English players are at a premium and many clubs cannot afford to sign them. It's a vicious circle.

keeponhurling

Well, which do they want?

A league that has the best players from around the world?
Or a league that consists of the best English players (and hence won't be among the stronger leagues)?

I'm sure the ratio of English players in the championship is much higher, so there are native players there.

Leroy42

But I don't understand the point they are making. PL has a lower % of English players than the equivalent in Spain and Germany and hence that is why the national team is suffering? I think that is what they are pointing to.

But the the stats from Scotland (57%) is higher than Germany but how good are Scotland as a national team?

Also, it is really a pointless exercise unless they look are where the English players are based. I recall a map (about 5 years ago) showing where in the world Argentine players and managers were plying their trade (excluding Argentina). They were (and I'm sure for many other countries as well) well respresented in every major league with many players and managers a like.

England, and the rest of the home nations, are too insular in our thinking. If it isn't the PL then it doesn't exist.

764dak

The Premier League was 70% English in 1994 and England didn't even qualify for the World Cup. So the lack of English players doesn't really affect the national team.

onemorechance

"I think I read something about he's trying to halve the number of foreigners allowed in the country and I think that's a good start."

Stevie G. via the BBC

...
"It is unrealistic for England to think they can go and win the World Cup in Brazil," Hoddle told BBC Sport.
...
FA chairman Greg Dyke has also written off England's chances of winning in Brazil next year and has targeted success in the 2022 World Cup.
...

BBC

FA v. PL battle on the way. Can't see the PL agreeing to this and I don't think the FA can force it. I doubt EU laws would even allow it.

Lennonist

This is all coming from the disappointment in the current England team. They had what was called a "golden generation", but they didn't live up to expectations. Now the "golden generation" are moving on, and they are being largely replaced by a fairly mediocre set of players who are still usually good enough to qualify for tournaments but when they get there make little or no impact.

I guess they are frustrated that England can't get to the next level. Messing around with trying to put a cap on the numbers of foreigners in the EPL isn't the answer. Besides they are probably wasting their time, because UEFA and the EU probably wont let them restrict foreigners even if they wanted to, and the clubs will resist it. For England, and this goes for us and Scotland as well - the only possible solution to producing more top flight players is to start with the kids and hope that that work will produce players in the future.

noodler

Lack of English players going overseas is strange (and Irish tbf).

There should be, imo, a whole group of English players not good enough for the top half of the prem but who would be getting game time in the Dutch or Portuguese leagues (for example).

I read acedotally down the years that they are eluctant to go abroad and would prefer lower EPL teams or the Championship.

Not G.R

noodler wrote: »

Lack of English players going overseas is strange (and irish tbf).

Last I looked our entire national team plays overseas...