Question For The Melting Pot

[Tunley Legend]

Looking at many of the targets we are now chasing it seems that we are looking abroad for the talent we need to move on a step at Championship level. At the risk of one or two ignorant fools branding me a racist is there anyone else out there who is slightly concerned by this? Are you happy for Gary Johnson to turn Bristol City into a team of foreign journeymen as long as the results are coming on the pitch or would you rather see a side containing predominantly English/Bristish talent (black, white and any other ethnic origin for the avoidance of doubt!!!) with the odd foreign player added where a particular position cannot be strengthened with a British counterpart at a reasonable transfer fee/wage? Given the rules starting next season whereby the matchday sixteen has to contain FOUR players who are under 21 and have been with the club three years (thats my understanding anyway) can we really afford to bring in too many players from abroad anyway?

I'm not advocating restriction of trade but I feel it would be a shame if we were to reach a situation below the Premier League where British footballers are playing part-time and learning other trades because clubs like Bristol City, Northampton and Accrington Stanley have decided to fill their squads with foreign journeymen who are over here to earn a few quid and not much more.

[cheese]

In an ideal world players should be bought in the following order:

Bristolian;

South West;

English,

British,

European,

Rest of the World

Horfield.

[Tunley Legend]

In an ideal world players should be bought in the following order:

Bristolian;

South West;

English,

British,

European,

Rest of the World

Horfield.

Strike the last one off the list. Footballers are simply not produced in that area.

[Bris Red]

Looking at many of the targets we are now chasing it seems that we are looking abroad for the talent we need to move on a step at Championship level. At the risk of one or two ignorant fools branding me a racist is there anyone else out there who is slightly concerned by this? Are you happy for Gary Johnson to turn Bristol City into a team of foreign journeymen as long as the results are coming on the pitch or would you rather see a side containing predominantly English/Bristish talent (black, white and any other ethnic origin for the avoidance of doubt!!!) with the odd foreign player added where a particular position cannot be strengthened with a British counterpart at a reasonable transfer fee/wage? Given the rules starting next season whereby the matchday sixteen has to contain FOUR players who are under 21 and have been with the club three years (thats my understanding anyway) can we really afford to bring in too many players from abroad anyway?

I'm not advocating restriction of trade but I feel it would be a shame if we were to reach a situation below the Premier League where British footballers are playing part-time and learning other trades because clubs like Bristol City, Northampton and Accrington Stanley have decided to fill their squads with foreign journeymen who are over here to earn a few quid and not much more.

I can see what your saying but in all fairness our squad is predominantly English/British. Yes we do have the odd foreigner but in comparison to a lot of clubs we don't have many at all.

[Tunley Legend]

I can see what your saying but in all fairness our squad is predominantly English/British. Yes we do have the odd foreigner but in comparison to a lot of clubs we don't have many at all.

A perfect example is our next opponents at the Gate, Barnsley. Their squad is a footprint of the United Nations. My question is a "what if" scenario really as many players we seem to be linked with at present seem to be from overseas.

[Riaz]

Looking at many of the targets we are now chasing it seems that we are looking abroad for the talent we need to move on a step at Championship level. At the risk of one or two ignorant fools branding me a racist is there anyone else out there who is slightly concerned by this? Are you happy for Gary Johnson to turn Bristol City into a team of foreign journeymen as long as the results are coming on the pitch or would you rather see a side containing predominantly English/Bristish talent (black, white and any other ethnic origin for the avoidance of doubt!!!) with the odd foreign player added where a particular position cannot be strengthened with a British counterpart at a reasonable transfer fee/wage? Given the rules starting next season whereby the matchday sixteen has to contain FOUR players who are under 21 and have been with the club three years (thats my understanding anyway) can we really afford to bring in too many players from abroad anyway?

I'm not advocating restriction of trade but I feel it would be a shame if we were to reach a situation below the Premier League where British footballers are playing part-time and learning other trades because clubs like Bristol City, Northampton and Accrington Stanley have decided to fill their squads with foreign journeymen who are over here to earn a few quid and not much more.

Players who are British (and good enough) will be expensive and known and will usually want to play for a bigger championship club

By buying abroad, they are likely to be unknown, cheaper and more likely to want to play for us as playing in England is very attractive to the foreign player. Because of the higher wages and could be a stepping stone to the Premier League.

[bh red]

Looking at many of the targets we are now chasing it seems that we are looking abroad for the talent we need to move on a step at Championship level. At the risk of one or two ignorant fools branding me a racist is there anyone else out there who is slightly concerned by this? Are you happy for Gary Johnson to turn Bristol City into a team of foreign journeymen as long as the results are coming on the pitch or would you rather see a side containing predominantly English/Bristish talent (black, white and any other ethnic origin for the avoidance of doubt!!!) with the odd foreign player added where a particular position cannot be strengthened with a British counterpart at a reasonable transfer fee/wage? Given the rules starting next season whereby the matchday sixteen has to contain FOUR players who are under 21 and have been with the club three years (thats my understanding anyway) can we really afford to bring in too many players from abroad anyway?

I'm not advocating restriction of trade but I feel it would be a shame if we were to reach a situation below the Premier League where British footballers are playing part-time and learning other trades because clubs like Bristol City, Northampton and Accrington Stanley have decided to fill their squads with foreign journeymen who are over here to earn a few quid and not much more.

I agree and no doubt will get similar stick as you will get for my comments.

it was said a while back regarding the prem that although their was top class foreign international were joining, there was 3 times as many lesser standard foreigns coming into the game that were holding back younger and possible better english players and in turn would cause the national team problems, which it has, it's a shame that there isn't some sort of ruling that if you can only bring in an foreigners if they have competed in so many games for their country, much like is the case for Non-EU players

It's now gone down to lower leagues and we have had a few in recent seasons, love them, or hate them, the likes of Vasko, Basso, Soren, Sebok, Stevar and others have kept english players out of teams, whether they are better players is debateable, however in each case, I'd rather see English Players coming through.

Their's enough people taking money out of the game, such as the players and the agents, but it's even worse when it's money going out of the country

We have possibly the Strongest Top Flight League in World Football, unfortuntately the national team has suffered due to it.

[Tunley Legend]

Players who are British (and good enough) will be expensive and known and will usually want to play for a bigger championship club

By buying abroad, they are likely to be unknown, cheaper and more likely to want to play for us as playing in England is very attractive to the foreign player. Because of the higher wages and could be a stepping stone to the Premier League.

What you say makes sense unless we can find the next Marvin Elliott. I'm sure we would all like to think that our management and scouting staff are looking for the next Elliott and not just examining the easy option of loading the squad with Uzbekistani/Slovenian internationals and the like who are not good enough for the Premier League but who come cheap.

[bobby]

What you say makes sense unless we can find the next Marvin Elliott. I'm sure we would all like to think that our management and scouting staff are looking for the next Elliott and not just examining the easy option of loading the squad with Uzbekistani/Slovenian internationals and the like who are not good enough for the Premier League but who come cheap.

I share your concerns, and thought watching Liverpool/Everton today how striking the difference was between the teams in terms of foreign players and local talent. Everton don't have the resources, so are bringing through youngsters from their academy (and doing ok on it too) whereas Liverpool are a Spanish/multi national side that have 2 local both longstanding, but with little evidence to suggest there is much encouragement of other local youngsters. Of the two approaches I prefer Everton's but maybe at the risk of results!?

I hope we as a club are trying a variety of approaches:

- nurturing young talent through our academy - the likes of Wilson, Ribeiro, Artus

- looking for good, young British players - Maynard, Akinde

- looking for the occasional, cheap, quality foreign player who wants to make it in the English leagues - Basso, Styvar (as yet unproven)

that hierarchy of approach would be my preferred option

[Barrs Court Red]

I couldn't care who plays for City as long as they fit the bill. ANyone who does is clearly a Daily Mail reader.

[bs3]

Players who are British (and good enough) will be expensive and known and will usually want to play for a bigger championship club

By buying abroad, they are likely to be unknown, cheaper and more likely to want to play for us as playing in England is very attractive to the foreign player. Because of the higher wages and could be a stepping stone to the Premier League.

This may has been the case a year or so ago but the situation as changed. The price of the Pound against the Euro as dropped so now is nearly £1 = 1 euro. This means we get less player for the same money and the player is less likely to come to the UK because he will be earning less money in England than he would of been a year ago. I think at the momment it cheaper to buy British.

[mart]

I couldn't care who plays for City as long as they fit the bill. ANyone who does is clearly a Daily Mail reader.

umm.. I read the daily mail somtimes, but i agree with you 100%

[Lack of Action Man]

I don't mind who is in the current first team for city based upon nationality. It might require some thought if the league decides to implement the foreign quota limitations for match days but if we are gain promotion this wouldn't be a problem.

What I think we should be addressing is the academy and how we are producing some decent footballers but not attracting or even producing the real stars of the future for this side of the land.

[numbeast]

In this country clubs hike up their prices for players especially if the bidding club is in a higher league. Take our own Nicky Maynard, very hot prospect but not by any means the finished article. Now if we had paid £1M up front and added £1.25M in add ons such as number of games, goals score, representitive appearances Crewe would have told us to shove it. But in all honesty is Nicky worth that amount of money up front (or even in installments)? If we look to the continent I believe, outside of the "big" footballing nations i.e. Italy France and Germany, the selling club put a more realistic valuation on their players. If you add that to the fact a lot of foreign player want to play in this country it means more affordable talent for clubs like ourselves. Much of the best talent in this country is known about and the likes of the former prem clubs or those with finances to match their ambitions are going to rake off the cream of the British talent available leaving the likes of BCFC and the other clubs in a similar position to us taking whats left over.

By putting in hard work and traveling time Pete Johnson and his team COULD find a real gem playing in Lithuania Estonia or any one of a dozen smaller nations. I agree we don't want players of a standard we could easily pick up in this country but if we can unearth quality players in the positions we need strengthening for a fraction of the price of similar players in this country then we must sign them regardless of their nationality.

As City fans we demand success coupled with attractive football, but to achive that we need quality. SL has backed us well but even his money has a limit and to challenge the likes of Wolves Brum Reading etc we have to look at the cheapest option and that I'm afraid Ladies and Gents mean foreign players will be on the shopping list like it or not. I would love a quality team all coming from the greater Bristol area, I'd be pleased if all our team were British but that isn't going to happen

[Nibor]

I don't care where a signing comes from as long as they are better than what we have, young enough not to be worth nowt when their contract is near up, and brought in to play in their preferred position in an area where our team needs strengthening.

[NickJ]

In an ideal world players should be bought in the following order:

Bristolian;

South West;

English,

British,

European,

Rest of the World

Horfield.

That is the closest you have ever come to my views on this forum.

Glasgow Celtic won the European Cup in 1967 with 11 players born within 5 miles of Parkhead.

[numbeast]

I don't care where a signing comes from as long as they are better than what we have, young enough not to be worth nowt when their contract is near up, and brought in to play in their preferred position in an area where our team needs strengthening.

Nibor I agree with those sentiments especially the age, get them young with potential regardless of where they're from. If nothing else selling them on will help our financial position if they are good enough and maybe they could get us to where we want to be, challenging and possibly achieving promotion.

[Guest DanC]

What the hell has nationality got to do with it? As long as they good enough then that is all that matters.

[Red Army 79]

Am I missing something here apart from Styvar who else has actually been bought from a foreign team by Gary Johnson. Vasko came here on loan. Basso was already playing in England when we bought him. We must have one of the most british based squads in the championships.

[Tunley Legend]

I couldn't care who plays for City as long as they fit the bill. ANyone who does is clearly a Daily Mail reader.

I do actually care and I don't read the Daily Mail. I agree with many of the sentiments on here that we should nurture local and home grown talent wherever possible and use the foreign market to attract quality that we either cannot obtain in this country for anywhere near the right price or that simply does not exist at the time. It has to be the way forward for a club with a half decent fanbase for the league it plays in but that is totally reliant on one bloke to fund the acquisition of new players. Most supporters with a brain cell have picked up that our Academy is not doing the business in the way and in the timeframe it was hoped and there seems to be two reasons - the best local players are going elsewhere and/or the ones who remain are possibly not being coached properly at the 17 and 18 year old age group. I am not sure that a policy of loading our squad with numerous foreign players that could block the development of players like James Wilson and Christian Ribiero will encourage parents to send their children to our Academy. I am not slating GJ or criticising the current make up of the squad in terms of nationalities but merely asking for views on whether we need to be careful in considering the frequency of our transfer dealings outside of this country.

Looking at every response bar about one there has been nothing but sensible replies - it makes you wonder why there are an extremely small minority of people around who have to introduce agendas into debates that simply don't exist. I knew there would be at least one and you didn't disappoint.

[Chivs]

I am amazed at how many people seem to not mind where our players come from "as long as they are good enough".

I suppose I'm of the same mind except I believe (perhaps through prejudice) that foreign players aren't as committed as English players and, ultimately, this means they aren't as good. Let me explain by way of an example.

Consider a future Bristol derby (obviously it would have to be a Cup game). This is the most passionate, most committed of games that we most want to win and hence just an exaggeration of every football game.

Taking the list below I believe a Bristolian would run through a brick wall and crawl naked over broken glass to stop Rovers scoring, a West Country bloke would run through the brick wall, an English player would run until they dropped..., a British player would runabout until the 90th minute, a European would light a gitanes, shrug his shoulders and invite the Gashead back for an aperitif after the game etc etc.

Patently, running about a lot does not win football games. The England football team prove this at every World Cup they go to. Nevertheless, committment and passion are not something you can train into someone. So what I am after is a European-type player who is born in Bedminster. Where is The Doc when you need him?

In an ideal world players should be bought in the following order:

Bristolian;

South West;

English,

British,

European,

Rest of the World

Horfield.

[Riaz]

Where is The Doc when you need him?

playing 60 minutes a week for a basement side.

[MenBehavingBadly]

[Taking the list below I believe a Bristolian would run through a brick wall and crawl naked over broken glass to stop Rovers scoring, a West Country bloke would run through the brick wall, an English player would run until they dropped..., a British player would runabout until the 90th minute, a European would light a gitanes, shrug his shoulders and invite the Gashead back for an aperitif after the game etc etc.

[Nibor]

If passion won football games England would be good. It doesn't, they're not.

Ability always beats passion in the long run. If you can get both then great, but the former is far more important.

[Barrs Court Red]

If passion won football games England would be good. It doesn't, they're not.

England are good. Just not world class.

[Nibor]

England are good. Just not world class.

Yes, fair enough. So in other words you agree? Despite being massively passionate our lack of ability prevents us being world class?

[Barrs Court Red]

Yes, fair enough. So in other words you agree? Despite being massively passionate our lack of ability prevents us being world class?

I think...

........The game has changed so that people appreciate skillfull players more, and in this country we struggle to produce such players of the same calibre as Spain, Portugal or Brazil. Look at the fuss over lennon. Very fast but has no end product of any note.

Foreign players always highlight the pace and organisation of the English game, and unfortuantly it's where our coaching is focussed with youngsters.

We do produce some real world class players, but it's only 2 or 3 in a generation, and that's simply not enough clearly.

The lack of ability becomes more of an issue when you scratch the suface of the national team, there's not a lot there.

[Nibor]

I think...

........The game has changed so that people appreciate skillfull players more, and in this country we struggle to produce such players of the same calibre as Spain, Portugal or Brazil. Look at the fuss over lennon. Very fast but has no end product of any note.

Foreign players always highlight the pace and organisation of the English game, and unfortuantly it's where our coaching is focussed with youngsters.

We do produce some real world class players, but it's only 2 or 3 in a generation, and that's simply not enough clearly.

The lack of ability becomes more of an issue when you scratch the suface of the national team, there's not a lot there.

Totally agree. I know a couple of foreign youngsters came over for a trial with the academy last year and the feedback from them was that they spent the entire week running and did very little ball work. That seems pretty common across English football, the exception perhaps being Arsenal who are notoriously successful at producing young players but they pick their raw material from abroad because English players are already too far behind.

[chinapig]

If passion won football games England would be good. It doesn't, they're not.

Ability always beats passion in the long run. If you can get both then great, but the former is far more important.

Couldn't agree more. We lost the crucial Croatia game having got back into it through being too passionate and losing composure and organisation. Failure to keep the ball is for me the biggest weakness of England sides over the years but any player who tries to ensure we do is likely to have the crowd on his back demanding he "get rid of it!". You could argue it is at least partly our fault as fans therefore.

[Barrs Court Red]

Totally agree. I know a couple of foreign youngsters came over for a trial with the academy last year and the feedback from them was that they spent the entire week running and did very little ball work. That seems pretty common across English football, the exception perhaps being Arsenal who are notoriously successful at producing young players but they pick their raw material from abroad because English players are already too far behind.

It's no suprise to hear this.

We can all remember when we were younger, football training was a warm up, some running, some half hearted ball work and then a game.

I watched a under 10's game last season and cringed. Parents don't help.