The Football League have branded Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas' call for the top clubs to be allowed to field reserve sides in the Championship as "offensive".
Villas-Boas claims the youth system in England needs a revolutionary change and wants to see a replica of Spain where for example Barcelona's 'B' team play in the second flight just below the Primera Liga.
Football League chief operating officer Andy Williamson said: "The suggestion that Football League clubs should become feeder clubs to a select handful of elite clubs is frankly offensive to the hundreds of thousands of people that watch competitive professional football in our competition every weekend."
He added: "These are senior professional football matches that matter - they are not just platforms for developing other clubs' players.
"The Championship is the fourth most watched league in European football and crowds in our three divisions comfortably outstrip equivalent competitions in all of the other major footballing nations.
"One of the main reasons for this success is that our clubs are constituted as sovereign entities which represent their town or city with pride, rather than being a subsidiary of another club in another part of the country."
Villas-Boas said on Thursday the only way to ensure a conveyor belt of young talent for the first team was to revolutionise the structure of English football. He claimed B teams should play in the lower leagues rather than the elite clubs acquiring smaller ones as feeder clubs.
The Chelsea manager said: "There is more of a cultural identity if it's called a 'B team'. What happens in Barcelona is a good model in terms of competitions. They promote talent.
"If your B team plays in the Championship where they are fourth or sixth and threatening, playing good football, you'd call them up. There is an ease to call them up, and it could be a great benefit because you don't have to work with a 26-man squad, but a 19-man squad and just recall the best young guys with constant activity.
"The reserve team, for all the hard work, is not competitive. It serves the first team, but it doesn't serve the progression of talent coming through. The youth development system in England is not right."
Comment 1 - 15 of 15
I keep on asking, what is good out there about the English nation? Frankly, I can hardly think of anything or anyone. Basking in the former glory of opium trade in the Far East, England lacks inspiration, innovation, motivation and role models. AVB's idea might not augur well with many in England but what it implies is that some introspection is needed to revamp uninspiring the country's local talent, which is key for a good national team. English teams lag seriously behind their European counterparts. In the first round of the 2011/12 ECL, ManU finished behind minnows from Cyprus and Switzerland. They have played Barcelona twice in previous editions ECL finals, in both occassions they could match the standard. England has no star, and have not won any international tournament. Rooney, Beckham, Walcott, Terry, Gerald and company fail to come across as worldbeaters such as Ronaldinho, E'to, Zidane, the current Barca squad, Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Robben, etc. The time is now for Englang to dump its long standing, stale traditions in football and embrace the fact that the balance of power has shifted: in all sports, economics, and politics!
What a load of rubbish from AVB. These so-called B teams would not be made up exclusively of Home Nations players. Therefore, we would be developing players for the likes of Spain, Italy, Germany and the rest of the world. The Footbal League clubs have real local involvement and strong links with the local fans, something the top Premier clubs do not have, as their supporters commute to games from all over the country.
Leave the Football League alone, in the main it is well structured and is far more competitive than the Premier League that has the usual top 5 clubs every season.
Nobody sees any good in AVB and that is what the problem is;his guggestion is already in practice but nobody wants to mention it first.Everyone is one sided on this issue,but there is a good part to it.Just because Paul Parker has made everyone to believe it is a wrong idea we all have suddenly lost our sence of judgement.Ask other top maners of their CANDID OPINION not based on the sound of the wistle and see what they say.
Luddites eh, why's that then? because they don't want to sacrifice there teams place in the Championship for a Chelski or Man City "B" team get real why would they. We have the platform to develope talent its called the Championship or Football League in fact as there are good players coming up from lower leagues. The Big clubs have to pay a transfer fee, thats how it works and the Smaller Clubs can operate because of transfer revenue. My guess is that if you cant see that you are A) An armchair fan B) A supporter of a current Premier club C) Not of this Country and there can be excused for not understanding our football culture in England.
Within 5 years there will be a European Super League especially for clubs that are funded by rich Arabs/Russians etc clubs like Barcelona, PSG, Man City and the wealthy few in Spain, Italy, England, France, Germany will most probably get 2 teams while lesser footballing (club level) nations such as Holland, Denmark, Belgium and the Eastern Europeans will get 1. There will be no promotion and relegation and play offs at the end of the year to decide the champion. It’s coming wait and see its coming. Why else do you think all these mega rich men are investing in a select few clubs in each country?
P.s. It looks like Man U could be out in the cold, no rich owner and masses of debt.
"The suggestion that Football League clubs should become feeder clubs to a select handful of elite clubs is frankly offensive..."
This is hilarious. How does he not see that the Football League, and English football in general has become just that; feeder to Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manchester clubs. Even Tottenham and Everton stand no chance to them (yes, I know, Spurs are third, but their wage budget, and consequentely, their title chances are only two-third of Liverpool and Arsenal, and far, far behind MU, City and Chelski).
It sounds a great idea to me, what will the league do when gradually more and more clubs go bankrupt, and the home nations fail to win any significant competition.
We need to look much more closely at our whole structure.
Be positive come up with fresh ideas and make our national sport an even better spectacle
They already have reserve teams???? Does he not know how english clubs operate, maybe he needs to watch his own reserve team, If in fact does he know he has one Doh!! Maybe the first team squad will do better if someone informs him,, Ha HA Ha
The only way this could be even close to fair is to allow any team in the premiership to send a b team to the Championship, one they have to submit before the season starts and once the team is selected the "B" team players can not play in the Premiership at all that season...the only thing is what do you do if these "B" teams whin the Championship? Do you get, for example, ManU and ManU B teams in the Premiership the following year?
Ummm, what if they get promoted, hasn't he thought of that? Dumb idea all round.
That sums Chelsea up they ceased being representative of anything remotely connected with their West London roots when purchased by a Russian olligarch. Fortunately outside of the premiership many clubs maintain their pride and involvement in their local areas.. Its called history and some of us value that!
That is why they have the loan system you loan out players to smaller club to play competitive football
Man United couldn't do that, all of their B team are playing in the Premiership due to the weakness of the squad. They need new owners and good players.
I fear AVB is right. Players need to be primed in competitve football. The Championship is a good standard. Good young British players coming through and being ready for the top flight is what it's all about. What are all the Luddites moaning about? Spain has an embarrassment of riches precisely because young talent gets games at a good level. In the UK, young players at big clubs often lose momentum and incentive. Wise up! Why do we take so long to learn?
As usually - a lot of shortsighted MORONS in england
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account