The loan system

[madras]

With a four-game limit, what's the benefit of a loan for either the player or the borrowing club? The player will have barely started getting used to his teammates before the loan is over. Might as well scrap the system altogether.

 

If selling clubs didn't demand such ridiculous fees for English players, there probably wouldn't be this situation.

the benefit is the club gets a good look at the player....isn't that what it's meant for ?.

[Thespence]

Uefa slam 'ridiculous' Big Four squad sizes

 

• Liverpool amass 62-man squad under Benítez

• Limit of 25 players for the Champions League

 

    * Digg it

 

    * Jamie Jackson

    * The Observer, Sunday 29 March 2009

    * Article history

 

 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has created a huge squad of players at Anfield. Photograph: Michael Regan/Action Images

 

Uefa havebranded as "ridiculous" the number of players on the payroll of the Premier League's Big Four clubs. Liverpool, who under Rafa Benítez have stockpiled a 62-man squad, the biggest in the league and enough for more than five full teams, have come in for particular criticism.

 

Uefa limit clubs to 25 players each for the Champions league and their general secretary, David Taylor, speaking exclusively to Observer Sport, said: "Ridiculous. 62? You could have two full-size practice games. You can only field 11 at one time. It's an open question as to how many you actually need. Is it 20, 25?"

 

Taylor's comments are likely to spark a further row between the governing body of European football and the Premier League. Last week William Gaillard, special adviser to Uefa president Michel Platini, said: "One proposal which seems to be gaining a consensus is limiting the number of professional contracts as we already do in the Champions League. But we would need to get the backing of the major clubs, of the associations running their domestic competitions."

 

Taylor said he is unsure what benefit Liverpool might derive from having so many professionals. "You'd have to ask them," he said. When the question was put to Liverpool, they declined to comment.

 

The Premier League said squad size was a matter for individual clubs. "The size of a club's squad is for the club to decide upon. They will have their own aspirations to progress in different competitions over the season and as such will have a squad available to them that they feel meets those demands." Arsenal and Manchester United have more than 50 professionals each and Chelsea 46. Bolton have the fewest: 27.

 

Taylor supports limits on squad size and said: "Uefa has been in the vanguard of this and we certainly feel it's very useful. But that's for organisers of domestic leagues to decide among the clubs."

 

Liverpool have so many players that Benítez has been able to loan out 17 of them this season. Some of those on the Anfield payroll told Observer Sport that they find the situation "frustrating" and "demoralising". One young player, Craig Lindfield, 20, who is on loan at Accrington Stanley, said: "That's the difference between Liverpool and other clubs, young lads get more of a chance elsewhere." Gordon Taylor, the PFA chief executive, admitted to concerns over the future of these young players.

 

"Six hundred each year join Premier and Football League clubs at 16," he said. "Of those, 500 will be out of the game by 21. It's a big wastage and not good enough. We have got to look at improving the ­success rate of academies and centres of excellence. Those who don't make it at the top don't necessarily make it lower down. Skills and technique don't always count as much as strength and ­competitiveness. We're finding a big black hole between 19 and 21."

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/29/uefa-liverpool-squad-sizes-premier-league

 

It is shame the online version of this is not the same as the more in detail paper version. We have the 9th (NINTH) biggest squad made up of 31 first teamers & 11 reserve players. Bolton have the smallest squad with 27 first teamers & 0 reserve players.

[James]

Uefa slam 'ridiculous' Big Four squad sizes

 

• Liverpool amass 62-man squad under Benítez

• Limit of 25 players for the Champions League

 

    * Digg it

 

    * Jamie Jackson

    * The Observer, Sunday 29 March 2009

    * Article history

 

 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has created a huge squad of players at Anfield. Photograph: Michael Regan/Action Images

 

Uefa havebranded as "ridiculous" the number of players on the payroll of the Premier League's Big Four clubs. Liverpool, who under Rafa Benítez have stockpiled a 62-man squad, the biggest in the league and enough for more than five full teams, have come in for particular criticism.

 

Uefa limit clubs to 25 players each for the Champions league and their general secretary, David Taylor, speaking exclusively to Observer Sport, said: "Ridiculous. 62? You could have two full-size practice games. You can only field 11 at one time. It's an open question as to how many you actually need. Is it 20, 25?"

 

Taylor's comments are likely to spark a further row between the governing body of European football and the Premier League. Last week William Gaillard, special adviser to Uefa president Michel Platini, said: "One proposal which seems to be gaining a consensus is limiting the number of professional contracts as we already do in the Champions League. But we would need to get the backing of the major clubs, of the associations running their domestic competitions."

 

Taylor said he is unsure what benefit Liverpool might derive from having so many professionals. "You'd have to ask them," he said. When the question was put to Liverpool, they declined to comment.

 

The Premier League said squad size was a matter for individual clubs. "The size of a club's squad is for the club to decide upon. They will have their own aspirations to progress in different competitions over the season and as such will have a squad available to them that they feel meets those demands." Arsenal and Manchester United have more than 50 professionals each and Chelsea 46. Bolton have the fewest: 27.

 

Taylor supports limits on squad size and said: "Uefa has been in the vanguard of this and we certainly feel it's very useful. But that's for organisers of domestic leagues to decide among the clubs."

 

Liverpool have so many players that Benítez has been able to loan out 17 of them this season. Some of those on the Anfield payroll told Observer Sport that they find the situation "frustrating" and "demoralising". One young player, Craig Lindfield, 20, who is on loan at Accrington Stanley, said: "That's the difference between Liverpool and other clubs, young lads get more of a chance elsewhere." Gordon Taylor, the PFA chief executive, admitted to concerns over the future of these young players.

 

"Six hundred each year join Premier and Football League clubs at 16," he said. "Of those, 500 will be out of the game by 21. It's a big wastage and not good enough. We have got to look at improving the ­success rate of academies and centres of excellence. Those who don't make it at the top don't necessarily make it lower down. Skills and technique don't always count as much as strength and ­competitiveness. We're finding a big black hole between 19 and 21."

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/29/uefa-liverpool-squad-sizes-premier-league

 

It is shame the online version of this is not the same as the more in detail paper version. We have the 9th (NINTH) biggest squad made up of 31 first teamers & 11 reserve players. Bolton have the smallest squad with 27 first teamers & 0 reserve players.

 

31 first teamers, my arse.

[madras]

it's a rule i'd like to bring in, like the champs league have a limit on how many players can be registered per team to take part in the competition, teams can register maybe 20 players at the start of each season and thats what they have to get on with.

[Guest]

it's a rule i'd like to bring in, like the champs league have a limit on how many players can be registered per team to take part in the competition, teams can register maybe 20 players at the start of each season and thats what they have to get on with.

 

I'm sure in Spain you have to register 25 for the season.

[Mowen]

Something needs doing.