The Red have more experience than any of their rivals of being stung for exorbitant amounts of cash, simply because of the nationality printed on a player’s passport.
Kenny Dalglish’s recent 16 month reign at Anfield will be most readily recalled for his spending £20m on the unremarkable Jordan Henderson, the same sum on the similarly mediocre Stewart Downing and, most infamously of all, £35m on Andy Carroll.
Carroll is far from the one-dimensional pre-historic battering ram that his detractors would have you believe. Indeed, some of his outings for West Ham United last season showcased an increasingly well-rounded centre-forward. Carroll’s markedly improved touch and awareness could propel him into the chief striking role for his country at next year’s World Cup.
Notwithstanding his undoubted potential, the £15m fee and accompanying heftily remunerated six-year contract that West Ham have invested in the player represents a considerable gamble. If Carroll were Italian, and moving from Serie A with an unhappy knack for picking up injuries, and fresh from scoring six goals in 44 appearances for his previous employer, the Hammers wouldn’t countenance such an extravagant risk.
Until this incongruous premium on the transfer figures commanded by British players can be banished, then it must be added to the lengthy list of failures and hindrances in our game (inadequate coaching and facilities, other distractions, the weather) that are stymying the progress of its brightest prospects – and consequently producing international results across all age groups which are becoming embarrassing.
The speculation surrounding Wayne Rooney’s future has prompted some concern regarding the playing time that one of England’s key men will enjoy over the next ten months. It is not Rooney, or his equally blessed contemporary Jack Wilshere, we should be worrying about.
Those two players are that rarest of beast – English footballers who, if operating at full capacity, will enhance any team in which they feature.
Problems begin with the minutes on the pitch that Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be afforded. These individuals, for all their ability, don’t yet have the clout to be guaranteed fixtures on the team-sheets at their respective monolithic clubs. At the same time, the cost of luring them away would be prohibitive to all but the small privileged clique who can buy at the very top end of the market.
When Manchester City or Chelsea do recruit from English stock, it is all too often at eye-watering expense, and with the intention being as much to prevent the player flourishing with an adversary, as incorporating him in their own plans. Think, Scott Sinclair, Adam Johnson, Jack Rodwell, Joe Cole, and Scott Parker.
Of lower profile, a host of Premier League clubs would consider a boon the addition of any of, Nathaniel Chalobah, Tom Huddlestone, Kyle Naughton, and Joleon Lescott. The understandable temptation though, will be to scan foreign climes for cheaper alternatives.
Paolo Di Canio’s early recruitment at Sunderland has seen the arrival of players born in Sweden, France (two), Italy and Switzerland. That is perhaps, of no great surprise when he is in charge at a club which, within the past 12 months, has shelled out £10m on Adam Johnson, and a further £5m for Danny Graham,
With the high number of foreign bosses presently working in the Premier League, and their resultant detailed knowledge of a variety of markets – not to mention the prevalence of extensive global scouting networks at all elite clubs – the openings for the English bred player will continue to decrease.
Shelvey’s move is a personal triumph. It is an immense vote of confidence in the player from a man as schooled in football as Laudrup. If he slots into Swansea’s expansive system, we might yet see why there was once so much fuss about Charlton’s whizz-kid. Furthermore, and this is a leap of faith, Roy Hodgson could be an eventual beneficiary of a revived talent.
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Swansea have got Shelvey on the cheap compared to Henderson and Phil Jones both costing £16 million! Shelvey at the start of the season was scoring goals in Europe and was showing maturity until his Man U sending off and shouldn’t be underestimated in improving under Laudrup.
im a liverpool fan and i agree compared to the others he’s quite cheap, but in all honesty he scored two in one against the team young boys and another in alternate fixture, he also got a header vs udinese(a good side to be fair). domestically he scored vs west ham, but it was actually defender collins who got the touch to take it past the keeper, he scored vs oldham, and his goal vs chelsea, whilst a nice strike, only went in cos it came from a sliced goal kick so cech was in no mans land at the time.
im not tryna argue, jus giving my opinion…he doesnt suit your team, and i mean that in a positive way about the swans. his passing is very poor (though he did seem to learn to keep the ball late in the season), he has missed far more absolute stone wall sitters than scored goals (genuinely about 8 tap ins missed to six goals scored) and even when he isnt tryna injure somone he still snaps the fk out of them, and is unlikely to win the ball fairly.
seriously, he has had potential which he may someday reach, but given swansea habit of signing talent for a few pennies shelvey is not sensible buisness. most other clubs id say well done, good buisness…i expect better of swansea(and you should take that as a compliment)
having said all this, best of luck johnjo. it hasnt worked out this last year, but it was only at the start of the season the Brenda was saying he had high hopes for the Shelve on “being liverpool”. id rather have loaned him out for a year before deciding, but at the end of the day coutinho cost us 2.5 mill more than we sold JJ for. if we can add that much again and get another player of coutinho’s ability, then it is us who have go the best out of the deal, and not swansea.
I’m a Liverpool fan. Shelvey will suit Swansea because they get the ball forward a lot quicker under Laudrup! It especially showed in the League Cup game against us last season. Shelvey might have missed chances but his positional play to get those chances was excellent just his finishing that let him down which at the age of 21 can still be worked on. Positional play is just as important as passing. It took Gerrard 8 seasons and Lampard 9 seasons before they scored double figures in the league but once they started scoring they carried on in the following seasons.
Alberto, Suso and Teixeira are all more suited to Rodgers style and it was for the best Shelvey moved giving those 3 the chance.
Shelvey is better – well worth the money – liverpool my club are fools.
Sour Alex Fungus has the FA in his pocket if any other manager had been on the side line that day in Anfield both players going in on a 50/50 challenge would have been given a yellow card and that would have been the end of it. But fungus was terrified of how manure were being played off the park by Liverpool and used his influence to have Shelvey sent off. Fungus is the biggest cheat the English game has ever seen or will ever see.