Sunday, October 21, 2007
Home grown talent
As the financial squueze kicks in on Indonesian effect there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Clubs, starved of funds, will be less likely to spend large sums on mediocre imports and seek to develop local talent. At the moment the FA allows 5 foreigners per club and by golly every club, all 36 of them, do their darnedest to reach that target, irrespective of quality.
Not all the foreigners here plying theior trade are useless. Not all are bit part journeymen. Some do add real quality to the game. Christian Gonzalez is the obvious example here. He is on target to be the Liga Indoensia's top scorer for the 3rd time; presently he has 22 goals. Another import who has provided quality is Julio Lopez of PSIS. J Lo as he is know leads from the front and by example. Witness their disappointing draw at Persikota the other day, the ball played long down the right wing, there was no way J Lo was going to reach it but run his little legs off he did trying and fans appreciate a trier.
But these gems are rare in the dross that pervades. Too many are earning good whack but giving little in return, little except indiscipline and work for the stretcher bearers.
A few years back Scotland was flooded with Ocy Aye wannabees draing the game of money and stifling local talent. TV money stagnated and they all buggered off, clubs could no longer afford the ridiculous sums they were paying these nonentities. Clubs turned to their own doorstep and now for the first time in ages Scotland holds its head high on the European stage. They will never win again but youth is being given its head and results are being achieved. Maybe the same thing, or similar, will happen here?
Not all the foreigners here plying theior trade are useless. Not all are bit part journeymen. Some do add real quality to the game. Christian Gonzalez is the obvious example here. He is on target to be the Liga Indoensia's top scorer for the 3rd time; presently he has 22 goals. Another import who has provided quality is Julio Lopez of PSIS. J Lo as he is know leads from the front and by example. Witness their disappointing draw at Persikota the other day, the ball played long down the right wing, there was no way J Lo was going to reach it but run his little legs off he did trying and fans appreciate a trier.
But these gems are rare in the dross that pervades. Too many are earning good whack but giving little in return, little except indiscipline and work for the stretcher bearers.
A few years back Scotland was flooded with Ocy Aye wannabees draing the game of money and stifling local talent. TV money stagnated and they all buggered off, clubs could no longer afford the ridiculous sums they were paying these nonentities. Clubs turned to their own doorstep and now for the first time in ages Scotland holds its head high on the European stage. They will never win again but youth is being given its head and results are being achieved. Maybe the same thing, or similar, will happen here?
# posted by Me @ 9:02 AM 
