Liverpool v Barcelona

Quoted from immariner

5 of the 14 players that graced the pitch (two were substitutes) for Liverpool are English. They are managed by a German and owned by Americans. At what point do they stop truly representing English football?

But that is changing.

More and more young players are getting chances at our elite clubs.  The England team is no longer just made up of players from Manchester United reserves and teams fighting it out at the bottom.

From the 4 English sides in the Champions League you can almost make up a World Cup Semi-Finalist national team.  

Spanish and German they may be, but Guardiola and Klopp are helping the English game by developing home-grown talent at those clubs.  In Alexander-Arnold and Gomez, Liverpool have two defenders who will go onto be mainstays of the national side for years to come.  Raheem Sterling's transformation under Guardiola is out of this world.  

We've never had so much talent available at one time.  Within a couple of years Gareth Southgate is quite literally going to be have an embarrassment of riches available to him for selection.  

Compare it to a few years back when there was a desire for Mikael Arteta to be given an England cap based on so many years residency.

Five is quite a lot compared to how thing have been, I remember an arsenal team with zero English players not so long back.

And yes Guardiola and Klopp helping our game with the introduction of new ideas and tactics and giving youth a chance.

The English game is looking up after it seeming we dead and buried with no quick solution. Now all of a sudden all these talented youths are emerging, much credit must go to St. George's Park and all the work that's gone improving the progression of our kid's.

Let me just say that I watched the brief highlights available online this morning and drunk myself laughing at the winner.

Great to see such quick thinking from Alexander-Arnold but that was comical defending of the sort you wouldn't expect to see even in Sunday morning football.

Quoted from GrimRob

From my point of view, it benefits English football as a whole. There might be some Swedish players who would look more favourably on coming here, because this is the place to be right now. .

You mean because Liverpool stuffed Barcelona there is a ferry load of Swedes on route to BP via Immingham all desperate to play for Town in Div 4 of the EFL and live on East Marsh? (I just hope they are better than Ring)

Quoted from Ipswin

You mean because Liverpool stuffed Barcelona there is a ferry load of Swedes on route to BP via Immingham all desperate to play for Town in Div 4 of the EFL and live on East Marsh? (I just hope they are better than Ring)

Since when did " some " translate into a " ferry load " ? You really can be a drama queen at times !

Quoted from Rik e B

Five is quite a lot compared to how thing have been, I remember an arsenal team with zero English players not so long back.

It happened last weekend I think.

Quoted from rancido

Since when did " some " translate into a " ferry load " ? You really can be a drama queen at times !

Make it as many or as few as you like son, frankly I'd be amazed if Liverpool beating Barcelona actually led to any ('some') players (Swedish or otherwise) hot footing it to Grimsby Town

I think we would all love every premier team full  off English/ British players and may happen eventually, but by having all these foreign players and coaches I believe it has helped the England national team play football instead of the hoof ball we've played for so long, obviously well done to Gareth Southgate for having the guts/balls to implement the modern style.

Quoted from immariner

5 of the 14 players that graced the pitch (two were substitutes) for Liverpool are English. They are managed by a German and owned by Americans. At what point do they stop truly representing English football?

I'm happy for all Scouse Liverpool supporters. But I'll be leaving for work soon and I can't be arsed to put up with the inevitable smugness from all the plastic Liverpool fans. 'We' this and 'us' that. Uuuugh intercourse OFF! I think most people at work assume I'm not in to football because I refuse to converse with plastics about the Premier League (which constitutes most football fans). I think that probably makes me a male private but it helps keep me sane!  

The English game hasn’t been this strong in years and young English players are directly benefitting. There’s a chance Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs could make up all 4 teams in the finals of European competition, all of whom have talented young English players playing for them. I’ve not seen it this strong in my lifetime.

Football can be the best thing in the world at times.
What a game 👍