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Would British players benefit from playing abroad?

Would British players benefit from playing abroad?


  • Total voters
    37
  • Poll closed .

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
No I don't if they play regularly already

I watch probably more spanish footy than PL footy but the PL is a class above everything else. The reason why is there is such a big foreign influence from so many different footballing styles that you will experience more different tactical displays than any other country

LVG has done very badly tactically this season and partly the reason is because he has had no experience of such diverse tactics

For example in the PL you will have your well drilled sides that are defensively strong then you have your more spanish style teams like Arsenal, with us you have a hard working side with alot of flair like a south american influenced team, West Ham this season have been a good counter attacking physical side, there is more a dutch influence this season with Southampton and etc.

In spain the team chemistry is much better but the quality is poor and the league is a joke in terms of how one sided it is.

Bundesliga is more similar to england but I don't think it has had as much foreign influence as the PL has

So no british players wouldn't benefit from playing abroad HOWEVER if a british player was sitting on the bench not getting a look in, of course he would be better served going abroad than playing in the championship were they older than 23 or so

I do think they may be better served if there no offers from a top pl club and get an offer from a top european footy club
 
Last edited:

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
30,536
46,628
Hmmmmmmmm. I do actually think Ryan Shawcross is a decent player but Leverkusen or Schalke? That's a bit of a stretch for me, especially given one of Leverkusen's reserve players (Wollscheid) has gone to Stoke and is now a starter. I think you have to consider the position and the culture. For Shawcross to play in the Bundesliga would be a bit of a square pegs / round holes situation - he thrives at playing with his back to the wall, roughing people up and getting his head on the ball. In the Bundesliga, for starters, teams typically don't set up to defend, regardless of who they face. Long balls are also rarer and centre backs have to be good ball players, with positioning arguably a more key trait than tackling itself, so I don't think Shawcross would do well over there. That said, if he was still a young player potentially it would be a good move because he could go over there and improve those aforementioned traits and improve himself as an all-round player.

Answering the main question, I think it would help if more players did it but I'd stress that they should do it while they're young and before they're too set in their 'English ways'. I'm struggling to think of any English players who've gone abroad within in the last 10 years and really done well. Bale, (yes he's Welsh not English) has probably done better than anyone else, but I'm not convinced he suits the style and I don't think he's showing what he's capable of. The last couple of English players to try their luck in the Bundesliga haven't done well - Mancienne and Jennings.

Surely Beckham would fit into the success bracket?
 
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