The College Dropout

Think he's a great fit for Barca. Against crap oppo he barely has to defend and can play like a midfielder. But you can rely on him against the better teams

His best games have come at CB though. He was out for about a month and put in a top performance when Chelsea beat Bayern.

Hummels has a touch of the Bramble clanger in him. They crop up in big games too. Luiz sometimes just doesn't seem arsed to defend (I don't know why that's better to me, it just is) but in big matches he always brings the A game. Concentration, desire etc. He looks a real leader when he's focused, all-action type. He also takes a mean penalty/free-kick.

Better than Hummels imo

Luiz is easily worth 20m euros like. He went for more than that to Chelsea iirc anyway. He's a real big game player and a fine athlete. Not to mention a great footballer. He's a better footballer and athlete than he is a defender but he can defend very well.

Sturridge will have a great season if Suarez leaves. Most likely cementing a place in the England XI Chelsea will win the league Arsenal will qualify for the CL regardless of who they sign

Hate the formation talk on the forum. Especially because we have never played a 4-3-3 with Pardew. I like to talk tactics but the constant formations being put up is tiresome

Seconded.

I really want to know what people see in Anita.

Sell Obertan for whatever we can get. Bring in Ince = win.

Oh behave. Not all attendants are black contrary to popular belief! I wouldn't be surprised if Sissoko would rather do that than play for Pardew at the moment. Stop being a wanker.

I'm just saying we should get Ince/Sinclair/Hoilett and look out for some youngsters in the English market. I'm not saying go out and sign loads. I just think the LW should be British/HG. And that only the mega-rich rich teams can get away without a national core. Even bloody Arsenal have a number.

Woodgate, Dyer, Speed, Jenas, Shearer, Bellamy..

A big part of the young players development is giving them an opportunity. Beckham, Scholes, Giggs okay. But the likes of Evans and even Lampard only reached that level due in part to opportunity rather than pure natural talent. But that's another discussion.

This. These people want to talk about imaginary situations when Ferguson and even Mourinho, tried to keep a good number of British players in a squad.

Welbeck, Evans, Jones, Young, Zaha..

Coleman is not British Sorry. British and Irish.

The Chelsea side of the late 90's got by with Wise & Le Saux, with Jody Morris, John Harley and Terry in the squad, getting games. The most successful period of that Chelsea had a real balance of British and foreigners. They won 3 trophies in '97 with Wise, Hughes, Minto, Duberry, Newton, Granville etc. How many trophies have they won since they bought a s*** load of foreigners? They still had a English captain, a England vice-captain, Ashley Cole and some other British options. Now, they have an all-star team but they still fielded two British players. Arsenal peaked when they had a few remnants of the old British based side remaining and a few newer English recruits. When they went super foreign, they dipped. You began questioning their heart and battle.

That's true, but the question is whether there's any causation. Are the British players actually adding anything because they're British, and if so is it worth the extra money they cost? Of course they are. Ferguson didn't make sure his sides had a British core because he's xenophobic.

The Chelsea side of the late 90's got by with Wise & Le Saux, with Jody Morris, John Harley and Terry in the squad, getting games. The most successful period of that Chelsea had a real balance of British and foreigners. They won 3 trophies in '97 with Wise, Hughes, Minto, Duberry, Newton, Granville etc.

Everton? They have a British core and a lot of PL experience. Jagielka, Baines, Coleman, Osman and even Anichebe. They've added foreigners obviously but they have a strong British foundation. Nobody is saying "no foreigners". But you need 2-3 British players in the first team at the very least. There's not a good side in the league without that. At the moment, the closest is probably Chelsea but they've got an All-Star line-up.

If Pardew stops his mental block of having to play Tiote and puts Sissoko there instead, it would be a start. I don't believe Sissoko/Cabaye would work very well. But I do believe a midfield 3 with them all would be great (or a proper Tiote replacement).

They also signed Shelvey too.

Okay... but they have 5 at the moment and they are a good team.. now.

I agree with this. I know where people are coming from when they say they want a core of English players, but we shouldn't just be buying English for the sake of it, it has to be with the view to improving the team. There's no point in spending millions on young British players then getting spanked off Swansea because they've recruited some international striker from Slovakia who scores a hatrick against us. Swansea? Off teh top of my head they have 5 first team British players. The big CB, Taylor at FB, Brittain, N. Dyer & Routledge