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B Team Proposal
Topic Started: May 8 2014, 02:24 PM (873 Views)
AntMcfc
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New Premier League division of B teams proposed by FA commission

• Greg Dyke: top-flight sides would have League Three option
• Plans suggest clubs should be limited to two non-EU players
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Greg Dyke's Football Association commission wants to improve the chances of the England team by developing more homegrown players.

Greg Dyke's Football Association commission into improving the chances of the England team by developing more homegrown players has proposed introducing a new division of Premier League B teams by 2016-17.

The proposal, a dramatic intervention in the English football pyramid that would have far reaching ramifications for the game, is one of four key recommendations made by the commission.

It has identified the "blockage" facing players between the ages of 18 and 21 as the key issue affecting the development of young English talent. In the Premier League in 2012/13, only 32% of players were qualified to play for England, reducing to 28% among the top-four clubs.

Along with introducing B teams for Premier League clubs and reforming the work permit system to reduce the number of non-EU players in the top flight, the Commission recommends a new strategic loan partnership system that would allow clubs to loan up to eight players to a single Football League side and retain more control over them.

The controversial B team proposal, sure to create a huge backlash from fans and some Football League clubs but supported by some Premier League sides, is one of several elements of a plan designed to improve the number and quality of homegrown players available to the national team.

Under the proposals, clubs will also be told to incrementally increase the number of players in their squad that qualify as "homegrown" – ie those trained for at least 36 months in England before their 21st birthday. By 2020/21, it recommends that the majority of the 25-man first team squad should qualify as homegrown, rather than the current eight.

Dyke has potentially set himself on a collision course with the Premier League by concluding that the recently introduced under-21 league, due to be revamped into an under-23 league, and the £340m invested in the elite player performance plan is not sufficient to produce the level of change required.

"We recognise that making changes in football is often a slow and difficult process but we urge those in the football world to consider our proposals constructively and with open minds," said Dyke. "We urge them to balance the specific, narrowly-defined concerns of their particular club or league with what will be of the most benefit to the game overall, to the development of young players and to the success of the England team."

The commission has set a target of 90 footballers playing more than 50% of minutes in the Premier League, or any of the top five leagues in Europe, by 2022, compared with 66 today. Of these, 30 should be playing in the top six teams in the Premier League, compared with 18 today. Dyke has previously set England the target of winning the World Cup in 2022.

Dyke said on Thursday that the Commission, which got off to a rocky start with a row over the diversity of its composition, was designed to address an issue that is "a significantly bigger problem in England than anywhere else". "If the trend continues we fear for the future of the England team. If this cannot be reversed a future England manager will have fewer and fewer top level English players from which to choose."

Under the plans for B teams, each Premier League side would have the option of competing in a new League Three that would sit between League Two and the Conference.

There would be promotion and relegation between the divisions but B teams would not be allowed to rise above League One or play in the FA Cup.

The new League Three would be initially made up of up to 10 Premier League B teams and the top 10 clubs from the Conference. Should more than 10 Premier League clubs want a B team, they would be added to the Conference

Premier. The Commission envisages that the Premier League clubs would make a "significant" financial settlement to the Football League in return for the right to operate B teams.

Organisations, including the Football Supporters Federation and Supporters Direct, have already said they will oppose the plans for B teams to play in the Football League.

Under the proposals to strengthen the work visa system, the commission says that new rules should be considered that limit each Premier League side to only two non-EU players. If introduced today, such a rule would have an impact on a quarter of Premier League sides, including Chelsea and Manchester City.

The report notes that only 58% of players given work permits play any football in the Premier League the following year.

Under the strategic loans partnerships, Premier League clubs would be encouraged to send coaches and exchange expertise with one or two clubs with which they were partnering.

The England manager, Roy Hodgson, one of 10 members of the panel, welcomed the proposals and said he would "strongly advocate" the findings and recommendations.

"Having worked at all levels of football, and across different cultures and countries, I have some reference points about what needs to be done in England. But I am just one voice of many who have contributed to this important study and I hope the debate that has been provoked can lead to some real developments in our game," he said.

"My undoubted focus has been on first qualifying, and subsequently, preparing my England squad and staff for the World Cup in Brazil. But we all have a responsibility when called on to answer the question, how can we provide a better platform for the young England players of the future."

Dyke said there would be a second report later in the year to cover the areas of grassroots facilities and coaching.

Among the ideas considered and discarded by the Commission was the even more radical option of allowing an England Under-21 side to compete in the Championship and allowing Premier League clubs to buy Football League sides as "feeder clubs".

The winter break, often raised as a possible means of improving England's chances, is not even mentioned.
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Posted Image ChrissyG11
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Sounds good in theory to me.
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ManYou
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Thierry Henry
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Sounds good. They really have to do more for these youth and reserve players. There's also an u-18s Champions League which was another brilliant move.

These players need some extra experience and preparation for a career at the very top level. It's a whole different ball game for elite sides and their academies, trying to groom young lads to fit right in at the deep end. These players need to be exposed to certain things, different footballing cultures, higher levels of professionalism and competitive football. Something has to change, this level has to get serious if the English national team or any club wants to get anything from it.
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AntMcfc
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The sad thing is the only top players from these B teams will be the foreign lads.
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ManYou
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Thierry Henry
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Initially perhaps, but then that would only strengthen the case for doing it. In a few years hopefully the clubs will start to see a larger proportion of English talent standing out.
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KOL
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said it "does not make sense" to throw youth academy players into further competition because they are not trained well enough to start with.

The Football Association is set to react to plans for a new league specifically designed for Premier League and Championship clubs to field 'B' teams that will aid in the development of their academy players.

The proposals have been made as the FA looks to improve the quality of young English players in the hope of a better future for the national team.

Premier League academy players currently compete in either the U21s league or on-loan at lower division sides, and Wenger believes an apparent lack of competition is not the problem.

"The time kids spend on the training pitch between the age of eight and 17 is too short, while their time spent in competition is too big," he said.

"The time kids spend on the training pitch between the age of eight and 17 is too short, while their time spent in competition is too big."
Arsene Wenger
"For me, competition has too much importance and training has too little. To add more competition doesn't make sense. It makes sense to increase training and reduce time in competitions.

"To develop young players in England you have to balance their training and competition. I see too many kids at 17 or 18 who cannot take ball, or they have no left foot, because they haven't practiced enough.

"You have to try and improve the level of competition after the age of 18, after education has finished - that makes sense."

The FA chairman will present what he calls "radical proposals" to develop young English talent when the commission publishes its report on Thursday.

And Wenger said: "I am always ready to learn so I will read it. I am very keen to see how we can improve the game."

Wasn't it about year ago where they were trying to promote schemes that encouraged development rather than competiveness at youth level? Does seem that a lot of people involved in English football believe there's too much emphasis placed on competition at youth level as it is, doesn't make much sense to put them up against a bunch of Conference players and expect them to be more complete players because of it. Don't think logic is exactly the FA's strong point.
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Posted Image ChrissyG11
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I'm not sure what Wengers point is because I highly doubt there will be players below the age of 17-18 in the B side anyway, so it's not increasing competition between the ages he specified. Anyway, he may be right that there isn't enough training, but a large factor is what they're trained as well, which is currently under transition by the FA.
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The B teams are basically a more effective way of getting players to get the correct amount of game time instead of sending them out in loan. As a club loaning players, they probably don't have the same standard of training facilities, coaching and they have to take into account players on full time contracts to the club. With a B team, the actual club a player is contracted has full power of game time without sacrificing standards.
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midfieldcarousel
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It's all bullshit. Spanish sides have had b teams for ages but have only just started to win things. Look at the cost of an a license to coach in England. It's like 5k. Spain it's only 500 euro. Germany I think it's 1000. If the players are good enough they'll get played. Imagine how many coaches United could have trained with the money we spunked on bebe.
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midfieldcarousel
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UEFA 'A' Coaches:
England - 1,178
Germany - 5,500
Spain - 12,720

Cost of Course:
England - £5,600
Germany - €530
Spain - €1,200
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ManYou
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Thierry Henry
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I don't think it's right to say that "Spanish sides have had B teams for ages and only started to win things". International success is not the best way to gauge the quality coming out of that nation's clubs. A better way would be to look at how many players progress through these sides and into the main team, or enjoy a career at the top level elsewhere. This is all about youth development after all. England fail miserbaly at both anyways.

That there will be fuck all English players initially, or that another country who has used this model has only just started to completely dominate world football, views put forward by some apparent skeptics of the plan, are some of the best reasons anyone could offer for doing it.
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Posted Image ChrissyG11
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MC raises a good point though. We desperately need to improve the standard of coaching in this country if we're to compete - B Teams or not.
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