“To him that hath, more shall be given; and from him that hath not, the little that he hath shall be taken away.”
Ferguson’s recent glowing endorsement of the Elite Player Performance Plan will almost certainly seek to silence any backlash from the ‘minnows’ of the Football League.
Regulations prior those proposed by the EPPP prevented clubs from signing players outside of a 90-minute journey radius, prompting many managers to seek young talent from European shores. Arsenal’s capture of a 16-year old Cesc Fabregas is undoubtedly the standout purchase from the Premier League’s foreign excursions, whilst Fergie hopes the Brazilian Da Silva twins and young French midfielder Paul Pogba can emulate similar success.
The growing success of foreign imports has perhaps stunted the development of local talent and Ferguson claims,
“Since it became physically impossible to find six or seven players a year so close by, we decided to change the priorities of our scouting system”. (Guardian)
An inability to unearth new, exciting talent is definitely an issue for clubs in more obscure parts of the country, but it shouldn’t be for one in the heart of Manchester. United’s golden generation consisted of indigenous stars such as Nicky Butt and Wes Brown along with Paul Scholes, with whom Fergie has been called to rely upon once more.
The emergence of Danny Welbeck in the first team has helped inspire a sense of local pride from within Mancunia. Perhaps United need to stop complaining about their inability to pluck players from across the country and instead place a greater emphasis on nurturing players earlier and at lower levels. Maybe the constant struggle with former youth prospect Ravel Morrison, has put Fergie off sourcing talent so close to home.
United need look no further than their own squad for a shining example of a success story from the lower ranks of English football. Just four years ago, current England international Chris Smalling was turning out for Maidstone United in the Isthmian League. After completing a dream move to Fulham, his impressive yet limited performances convinced Fergie to part with a reported £10m to fend off rivals Arsenal and secure his signature. At present, along with compatriot Phil Jones and the aforementioned Da Silva twins, Fergie looks to have acquired a promising, future defensive line.
An interesting side note to the tale of Smalling is the financial implications for Maidstone United. Many media outlets reported that they’d received a ‘windfall’ thanks to both his high profile transfers but unfortunately, this isn’t the case. The club didn’t force Smalling to sign a professional deal because he would have been unable to represent the English Schools’ Football Association, who will not select any youngster already on a pro deal.
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The deal that took Smalling to Fulham could have legally and quite easily cost the Cottagers absolutely nothing. However, they agreed an initial fee of £10,000 and would pay £10,000 for every ten games in which he represented the club. For four years they raised the now £10m player who looks like establishing himself as a regular international and in return they got £20,000. I find myself asking where’s the justice? Is this a sign of things to come for clubs outside the EPPP’s category one hierarchy?
We can see the growing impact of former non-league players elsewhere in the top flight. DJ Campbell, currently at struggling QPR, enjoyed a meteoric rise from lowly Yeading after shining in the televised FA Cup tie with Newcastle and Norwich strike partners Steven Morrison and Grant Holt have both flirted with non-league sides during the early stages of their career.
As I was reading Ferguson’s comments in his interview with FIFA, there was one particular line that struck me cold.
“I’m very optimistic we’ll be able to get the production line we had in the past going again.” (Guardian)
If anyone needed evidence to support claims that football has mutated into a ruthless business then this is it. Players are no longer cherished, they are commodities, twisted and moulded into individuals who’ll do anything to win. If they falter or fail then toss them overboard, there’s plenty more on the way.
It’s not as if United haven’t produced an array of quality players since Goldenballs himself was prancing around on the hallowed Old Trafford turf. A quick glance in their ‘out’ tray reveals a list of star-studded names. Gerard Piqué and Giuseppe Rossi have both established themselves a world-class individuals away from Manchester. Ryan Shawcross has found a new home in the bosom of Stoke’s defence whilst few United fans would quarrel over Ben Foster returning between the sticks whilst De Gea finds his feet.
Ferguson ended the interview by saying “I don’t think you can set yourself limits, but nor can you plan too far ahead because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. The time will come, obviously, but right now it’s not something I’m thinking about.”
Funny how he could easily be talking about the future of the Football League rather than his pending retirement.
All future remembrance services for the Football League will be held on my Twitter page @theunusedsub
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