Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a scathing attack on the
FA's academy system, claiming it has totally failed to produce the
World Cup-winning talent which was promised. Eight years after the
academy system was introduced, the Manchester United manager claims
he has identified "countless flaws", many of which are forcing top
clubs to look abroad for young talent.
Chief among them is the "travelling time" rule which permits clubs
to train players who live within an hour or 90 minutes drive of
their academy centre depending on their age. Wednesday's FA Cup tie
between Bolton and Arsenal at the Reebok Stadium featured just one
potential England international - Kevin Nolan - among the 22
players who started the game. Clearly, such a situation has a
detrimental long-term effect on the national side's chances of
progression.
Yet Ferguson does not blame either Sam Allardyce or Arsene Wenger
for exploiting the present rules to their advantage. He feels the
onus is on the governing body to come up with some alternative
strategy which would encourage clubs to develop more British
players. "Arsene Wenger is very strong on French football and
African players. Why should he not take advantage of that?" said
Ferguson. "The problem is not Arsene Wenger, the problem is the
system. Something has to be done about it because it is seriously
in danger of falling apart.
"There are countless flaws. Some are not even being run properly
now because clubs are just not able to afford it. "It costs us
around £4million to run our academy yet because there is a
restriction in travel Manchester United and particularly Arsenal
have to look worldwide in order to get the best young players into
the club.
"When the academies were set up, Howard Wilkinson said England
would win the World Cup within 10 years. Well, they have been going
eight now and I can't see it." Ferguson totally refutes the notion
that the seam of English talent has dried up, insisting good
players can always be found if clubs were allowed to look hard
enough for it.
"You can find talent," he said. "There are very few natural
footballers in the world. Most are produced by practice and you can
see that in what the Brazilians do, or lads like Cristiano Ronaldo,
who continues to practise long after training has finished. "We
have to pay more attention to the issue of homegrown players.
"There have been a number of theories flying about but the
recommendations of having four or five British-produced players in
your team is a sensible one."
UEFA have already started to address the problem by implementing a
rule, opposed by Arsenal among others, which should see clubs
include a minimum number of eight homegrown players in their squads
by the 2008-09 campaign.
Ferguson said the backdrop of such an increase in foreign talent
landing in the Premiership just makes the work of Steve Coppell at
Reading all the more impressive. In guiding the Royals into the
Premiership's top six, and an FA Cup fifth-round meeting with
United at Old Trafford on Saturday, Coppell has relied on a nucleus
of British and Irish-born players, many of whom, like Steve
Sidwell, have been discarded by other clubs.
"Steve has made a marvellous contribution to the Premiership this
year," said Ferguson. "What is very encouraging is that he has done
it mostly with British-based players, which says a lot about the
way he has gathered his squad together. "It is the duty of every
manager to try to get the best team they can but at a time when
there is a contentious issue over the number of foreigners in our
league, he has done it in a way which is surprising people."
