Does anyone else think that the current crop of English players coming through is the worst they have ever seen.

For example.

Our best players under 24.

Rooney
Micah Richards
Aaron Lennon
Ashley Young
David Bentley
Michael Johnston
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Anton Ferdinand
Steven Taylor
Theo Walcott

From that I see three players Rooney, Walcott and Richards who have any chance of being a top player and I highly doubt the capabilities of all except Richards.

Now looking at the other teams of Europe.

Spain - Fabregas, Silva, Bojan, Sergio Ramos, Iniesta, Reyes, Jesus Navas, Zapater, Javi Martinez, Raul Albiol.

Argentina - Messi, Aguero, Zarate, Garay, Lavezzi, Tevez, Mascherano

France - Benzema, Flamini, Ben Arfa, Menez, Clichy, Nasri, Briand, Toulalan.

Holland - Robben, Sneijder, Van Persie, De Jong, Heintinga, Huntelaar, Muduro

Brazil - Robinho, Rafael Sobis, Diego, Anderson, Pato

Portugal - Ronaldo, Quaresma, Nani, Moutinho, Veloso

Italy - De Rossi, Aquilani, Cheillini, Rossi, Montolivo, Pazzini

We are an serious serious trouble and I unlike a lot of people do not blame foreigners in the English league, I blame the terrible coaching in this country where by we have players at international level who are devoid of any real technique and any passing ability.

It won't be long until we slip way behind not only Europe but Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mexico and others.

Can you put Steven Taylor on that list please I think hes much better than Anton Ferdinand

I used Football Manager so I figured I'd miss a few.

Also missed Gabriel Agbonlahor (21), David Bentley (23), Michael Johnson (20).

England need English successful managers because obviously foreigner managers don't care about the England national team - Wenger

From the ones you posted, Gabi, Young, Micah, Walcott, Rooney, Lennon and Young have a bright future ahead of them I think...but England are behind when compared to the other teams you named above... maybe this is why they are thinking of the 6-5 rule

Also add Pique to Spain please.

I'm going to go out on a limb and add someone who I believe is the most exciting English player since Rooney_79586.shtml'>Wayne Rooney.

Jack Wilshire

I would'nt worry that much if i was an engalnd fan there will alway's be enough good talent to see them through....

Also argentina : Banega (super young player)

Brazil : lulinha , Breno , Renato Agusto , Kerlon

Banega is a beast on FM but I don't know much about his real life skill.

Yeh he is a great player on FM but to be honest ive seen him play 4 or 5 times for valencia and i know thats no where near enough to make a precise opinion but from what ive seen he is a class act plays a bit like fabregas....

Very good on the ball , good passer with great vision not the best in the tackle though but he makes up for it in other departments

I disagree there as we have failed to qualify for Euro08 because we simply were not good enough....

We have all seen the recent stats that only 34% of this seasons premier league players were eligable
to play for Englands national team which is the worst figure in Europe and quite worrying they were for me

If something isnt done in the near future to remedy this England will struggle to qualify for years to come.
As for the OP's list I would include West Ham's Mark Noble on it...Another Hammers star for the future....

i dont think its a matter of the amount of foriegn playes in the EPL.
The facts are simple. There has to be a total revamp in the coaching system in England. Its as simple as that.

Ive lived in france for a number of years and the difference in ability between the french kids and the british ones are huge. In england there isnt any emphasis on skill or technique at all. How many of the few up and coming english hopes posses anywhere the sort of skill and technique compared to their european counterparts.

The french youth system is fantastic opitomised by the brilliant work done at the national centre of football at clairefontaine. Year on year genuine potential world class players emerge from place like france,spain and portugal. Why not england?. Well this is only an observation and my opinion which may not be shared by you, but particularly in france the talents that have emerged, the zidanes, vieiras,henrys, nasris and benzemas ( list goes on and on) have come from the really ghettoised rough suburbs of the major cities in france particularly paris and marseille. They had no prospects and had to fight for the basics that most kids in the UK take for granted. These men when they where younger never went out on a friday night to get completely drunk , which is endemic in the UK. So its a social problem aswell as a problem with the coaching system in the UK,

Exactly, I don't see any great English coach. The coaches are obviously so bad that they had to resort to an Italian tactician.

Kieron Gibbs at Arsenal when i watch him play his pace and control of the ball is amazing can see him being a great talent on that left wing when he grows up

Don't forget Marcelo (Brazil), Gago and Higuain (Argentina).

To be honest the manager was a complete muppet and half the english national team are prima donna's who dont want to play for there country i dont think it has anything to do with a lack of talent......

It seems most prefer club to country now including some of the top english players which is a shame gone are the days of even ince trying his heart out agaisnt italy just seems now they turn up for the media attention.....

But with the right coach and a better attitude the current crop of players should be aiming to challenge on all fronts as well as the future under 21's , 19's have looked pretty impressive from what ive seen

How old are Huddlestone and O'hara then?

You missed Diarra from the French team ,who is actually going to be the best attacking mid in the world.
Babel from Holland.

hi there fakeplastictrees

i hate to be pessimistic (that's a lie) but i agree with your sentiments about our footballing future

We have a terrible disease of overinflating the worth of our players most of whom are no more than competent at international level
i remember when i was living in barcelona being seduced by their 1990's offering - when i phoned home my dad and brother were talking up this great new generation of Man Utd players - the beckham generation - i was told how we now had an outstanding full back - Gary Neville - what was i doing enthusing about a young buck called Ronaldo?

we always seem to have an outstanding talent who bucks the trend but perhaps who ultimately doesnt deliver on the full potential - im not sure about Rooney - will he be able to get more deadly in front of goal?
think of gascoine, owen etc
i think it's clear that we will always be to international football what Everton or Blackburn are in the premiership - occasionally we will beat the best but quarter finals are our nadir

The problem is that we dont produce the right kind of player like the latin teams - small low level of gravity constantly looking for the perfect pass on the ground - confident of their technique and that of those around them - as many have said - we are petrified of possession - until kids are tought to love the ball from a young age we will never have the team our fans deserve
THE FUTURE IS SPANISH/PORTUGUESE/BRAZILIAN/ARGENTINIAN AND AT A PUSH FRENCH ITALIAN AND DUTCH

The English coaching system at the moment is dire. Much of the best young players in England go to the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea and have no chance of ever playing in their first team or even the reserves. While much of the other clubs have made cut-backs so coaching at youth level doesn't exist or forgotten about.

The available of pitchies in England is also terrible. I was in Manchester a few weeks ago and couldn't believe how hard it is to find a pitch, which you dont have to rent or pay for, which you can use without running about in dog-[beep!] or glass. How can the kids afford to rent one? Scotland isn't as bad, well in Livingston where I grow up it isn't anyway but all the pitchies I used to play on as a kid are now housing estates.

When I was a kid, everyone played football. Maybe came inside to watch a wee bit of Children's BBC before dinner then back out to play more football until we all got shouted back inside. Now there is hardly ever any kids playing outside - they have their Playstations, X-Boxs and 24-hour kids TV. Plus the adults are too scared to let the kids go out to play football incase the pedos get them or get attacked by the drunken teenage chavs. Hence why some of these unused pitchies are becoming housing instead.

That is why I feel there is no England at Euro 2008.

and:

van der Vaart, Huntelaar, Affelay, Aisatti etc etc