MX23RW : Friday, November 8 20:45:05| >> :120:7704:7704:

Gareth Southgate calls for change as English contingent in Premier League slumps

Gareth Southgate calls for change as English contingent in Premier League slumps
© Reuters
Only one in four starters in the Premier League last weekend could have been picked by England, down from one in three last season.

England manager Gareth Southgate has called for urgent action to address the "incredible" fall in the number of English-qualified starters in Premier League teams.

Only 54 of the 220 starters in the Premier League last weekend could have been selected by Southgate, a new low after the previous weekend's tally of 56.

This means the average number of English-qualified starters has fallen from about one in three to one in four in the space of a year and Southgate is wondering when the decline will stop.

England Training Session and Press Conference
Gareth Southgate is concerned at the falling numbers of English-qualified starters in the Premier League (Steven Paston/PA)

He said: "It it is incredible – it was 33 per cent on average last season, then it went below 29 per cent (at the start of this season) and this weekend it was below 25 per cent for all of the teams.

"Nobody can tell me that if players are good enough, they will come through. That is not true. There are plenty of players who are good enough."

The 48-year-old was in Dublin on Sunday and Monday for the draws of the Euro 2020 qualification tournament and next summer's Nations League Final.

UEFA Nations League Finals Draw – Shelbourne Hotel
Holland manager Ronald Koeman and England manager Gareth Southgate during the UEFA Nations League Finals draw (Niall Carson/PA)

The latter saw England drawn against Holland on June 6, with the winners facing either hosts Portugal or Switzerland on June 9 for a chance to win the inaugural Nations League tournament.

After this summer's run to the last four of the World Cup, that would be a significant step for Southgate and his upwardly-mobile team. And then there is the prospect of further glory at Euro 2020, where Wembley will host seven games, including the semi-finals and final.

But if the Three Lions really are going to enter an era of sustained success, Southgate and the Football Association believe the current crop of talented English youngsters must be given a fair chance by their clubs.

That is the backdrop to the FA's attempt to use Brexit as an opportunity to reduce the number of overseas players in Premier League squads. The clubs, on the other hand, see Brexit as a chance to shop around the globe with the same freedom they have enjoyed within the European Union.

The FA is willing to relax the rules on the work permits that all overseas players are likely to need in future but only if the clubs accept an increase in the number of homegrown players per 25-man squad from eight to 12.

The governing body points out that there are about 13 overseas players on average per Premier League squad and those teams with more are not actually using them – a situation it thinks proves the point about experienced but essentially mediocre foreigners blocking homegrown talent.

Manchester City v Manchester United – Premier League – Etihad Stadium
Manchester City's Sergio Aguero is one of the overseas stars of the Premier League (Martin Rickett/PA)

The clubs, however, are opposed to increasing the quota as they believe it will harm their ability to compete in Europe, harm the league's global appeal and raise transfer fees. They also say their academies are better than ever and good homegrown players will break through.

But that claim is something Southgate struggles to believe.

"For parents and boys entering academies, you expect there to be opportunity at the end," he said.

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – Emirates Stadium
Harry Kane is an English success story (Nick Potts/PA)

"I go back to previous tournaments when we have reviewed everything that has gone on in English football. So many of those things are in the right place now, this is just the missing piece that everybody is keen to resolve.

"If a lot of those players had a couple of years of first-team experience, it is a lot easier for their manager to select them. But that is a conundrum we have got to solve.

"What's clear is that we can't allow the trend to continue as it is because at what point do we stop?"

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Matt Slater, Press Association Chief Sports Reporter');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '50da895f-daf5-41ca-a16f-a5a75cf93045');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Gareth Southgate calls for change as English contingent in Premier League slumps'});

ID:343297: cacheID:343297:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:12396:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Gareth Southgate watches on during the Nations League group game between England and Croatia on November 18, 2018
Read Next:
England set for Dutch showdown in Portugal
>
Read more about Gareth Southgate Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Bengals
34-35
Ravens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!