*corrected version*
The FA's new rules for Premier League squads takes effect from next season. Each club gets to name 25 players in the first team squad, and eight of those must be so called "home grown". At arsenal.com, this definition is given: "To qualify as home grown, a player will have had to be registered for at least three seasons at an English or Welsh club between the ages of 16 and 21."
However, the article gives the false impression that these home grown players need to be 21 or younger when registered. (Or I just read it without proper glasses on.) The correct definitions are published by the Premier League on their official site.
The "home grown" eight in every squad must have been registered in a club or clubs in England or Wales for at least three years before they turn 21. And any player under 21 can be used outside of the 25 senior squad players.
There can hardly be any Premier League club better suited for these new rules than Arsenal. But others aren't that well prepared. This means that young domestic talent, like Charlton's Jonjo Shelvey, are very much in demand. According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal have also been on the midfielder's trail. But he seems to end up at Liverpool for around £3million...
But going through a campaign with only 25 players? With the injuries Arsenal (and others) have suffered this season...? Personally, I'm not sure this is the right way to make the Premier League more competitive. Arsène Wenger calls the rule artificial, and warns that a lot of players will be out of a job. Perhaps this silly season will be a buyer's market after all?
Monday, 26 April 2010
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Good article and a very popular topic for a blog as the silly season dawns. It will be good to see all the transfer rumours and wild meanderings of the media, all on a single site.
ReplyDeleteHei.
ReplyDeleteYogi's Warrior @ A Cultured Left Foot did a very good piece on the new rules (see link below), which is well worth a read (some of the comments too). Seems there may be more room to maneuver than Wenger claims.
http://aculturedleftfoot.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/arsenes-squad-it-all-wrong-but-why/
Thanks to you both for comments and for the link! I'll get to linking to other blogs on this one later.
ReplyDeleteI looked on CM for prem squads updated post jan 2010 window. Only a couple had more than 25 players over 21. Since there is no point registering players under 21 it seemed to me that the new rules won't have that much affect. Is that why they were accepted being brought in?
ReplyDeleteMolongaloose, this is a good point. I think financial restraints as well have made the top clubs accept the new squad rules with less fuss.
ReplyDeleteBTW; links for other Arsenal blogs are now in place.