Over Rated English players.....

[Kitsondinho]

With all of the Sterling nonsense going on, I'm still puzzled as to why so many young English players STILL think they are so much better than they actually are. The list of those who have made (or forced) a move to a bigger club but not actually improved is alarmingly long....but yet they still do it. Have they not learnt from the lengthy list of previous failed examples. I remember what Sidwell said of his move to Chelsea but didn't agree with it because he clearly wasn't at Chelsea's level. I just don't understand why they keep doing it.

[Zammo]

You can add Scott Sinclair to the list. I can only assume these youngsters are badly advised. Lets face it, an agent isn't going to tell his player to stay with a club for a handful of years so he can learn his trade. A move to a big club for £30m+ will see the agent filling his boots with a nice little percentage.

[TBM]

You can add Scott Sinclair to the list. I can only assume these youngsters are badly advised. Lets face it, an agent isn't going to tell his player to stay with a club for a handful of years so he can learn his trade. A move to a big club for £30m+ will see the agent filling his boots with a nice little percentage.

Rodwell is another...

I hope that Barkley stays at Everton for a couple more years, same with Stones, though with defenders its slightly different as Cahill has improved a great deal since his move to Chelsea but playing alongside John Terry has helped him

[Bandini]

Oh, they're rated.

[LUX]

Wilshere.

Terrible attitude too ftl.

[LUX]

Kane has had a fantastic season. Hope he can keep it up.

[LUX]

not sure Lallana, Lambert and Shaw count as r8ed since they left Southampton. Awful seasons.

[TBM]

Wilshere.

Terrible attitude too ftl.

I actually think he's got it but just doesn't know how to unlock it. Maybe he needs to leave Arsenal to find it as i reckon in, say, Utds team he could work quite well

[Winston Smith]

Josh McEachran.

Turns 23 during next season. Played the full 90 minutes a whopping 6 times for the mighty Vitesse Arnhem in the season just finished.

[Ian Royal]

They've got agents after money whispering in their ear, the incessant media fawning over them telling them they're one of the best players in the best league in the world. What chance do they have to stay grounded.

[Kitsondinho]

But surely they must be at least aware of what has happened to all the others.......I'd like to add our own Alex McCarthy to the list.....that move to QPR has turned out so well......

[MoorgateRoyal]

Wilshere.

Terrible attitude too ftl.

Scummy little git, and nowhere near as good as people make out.

He's so injury prone, and hasn't kicked on from when he was 17. He's definitely not England's saviour, like some people think.

[Angry Shed Sex]

All the rules about home grown players in the CL have pushed up the value of these players to unrealistic levels.

I can't (won't) blame an agent for maximising a clients earnings but paradoxically it does seem to be the worst thing for the players in the long run. I suppose you never know when your career could be prematurely ended so you've got to take the money and run.

And +1 for the Wilshire hate. When he actually get's on the pitch he just seems to want to show off. Keep your Mr Woo stuff for youtube videos. He seems to spend most of his time trying to embarrass opposition players, perhaps that's why he keeps getting injured?

[TBM]

I think the thing is, we (as fans) like to see being a professional footballer as something we would quite happily do for free but when you're in the game its different and all you really care about is having a comfy life, big house and a shed loads of money to sit back on when you hit 35.

Football is now a business not a sport

[Angry Shed Sex]

If Sterling can get an extra 5 million a year playing somewhere else I can't exactly blame him. And that's just the difference between the contract Liverpool are currently offering him and what City are purportedly willing to give him.

Even for footballers of today that would turn anyone's head.

[TBM]

If Sterling can get an extra 5 million a year playing somewhere else I can't exactly blame him. And that's just the difference between the contract Liverpool are currently offering him and what City are purportedly willing to give him.

Even for footballers of today that would turn anyone's head.

Exactly

I mean Sterling isn't a boyhood Liverpool fan etc so not sure what loyalty he has to show them....its no different to any other player, Shaw, Walcott, Ox, Chambers etc all left to join a bigger club for more money

[Winston Smith]

Football is now a business not a sport

Its both, and has been for decades.

[Sanguine]

If Sterling can get an extra 5 million a year playing somewhere else I can't exactly blame him. And that's just the difference between the contract Liverpool are currently offering him and what City are purportedly willing to give him.

Even for footballers of today that would turn anyone's head.

Exactly

I mean Sterling isn't a boyhood Liverpool fan etc so not sure what loyalty he has to show them....its no different to any other player, Shaw, Walcott, Ox, Chambers etc all left to join a bigger club for more money

But they all joined a club by which to develop themselves as players - all the moves 'made sense' given where they were in their careers and development. Sterling's move does not. He will play less. He will play in his preferred position even less.

Agree with TBM's earlier point though - we'd all turn out for Reading just for a chance put the kit on, nevermind a few grand a week.
In my mind, Sterling's decision is about whether he wants to collect medals, or win them. He can go to City and will probably have some winners' medals by this time next year; but how many of them will he have genuinely contributed to? How much will Andre Schurrle value his Premier League medal this season? Or Ross Turnbull his CL winners' medal?

[Hoop Blah]

I don't think it's a case of these English players being over rated. It's just a case of them chasing the money at too early a stage in their career when they'd be better off being bigger fish in smaller ponds. These are players that clubs want to be part of their squads and the players are happy to do that whilst backing themselves to force their way into the team (that self belief is partly what allows them to make it in the first place).

I can't exactly blame Sterling for taking the chance of an extra £5m a year if that's the case, although isn't it more like £2.5m (Liverpool have offered him £100k a week and the rumour-mill suggests City £150k?).

Either way, when your earning the sort of money that he is and will be able to over the next 10 years I'd like to think I'd take the view that making the most of my football career would be the main thing I'd think about.

[MoorgateRoyal]

I think there's also a danger that if you stay at a club for too long, people will question your motivation to challenge yourself elsewhere.

The one thing I always admired David Beckham for was that, although undoubtedly his decision to go to America was influenced by the money they offered, he challenged himself with getting more Americans interested in the game. Since he's been there, the game has really taken off, and he's a big part of that.

He was also willing to move abroad, which more English players need to do too. Even if you only do it for a season and it doesn't work out, you'll learn a lot and grow as a person, and also experience the game elsewhere. That will help the national team, too.