Can our talent reside in the A-League?

I think the 'bottom line' is that when a young player departs these days he/she needs to think twice - because there is something to lose. This was not always the case. Increasingly the 'risk' of a move abroad includes loosing valuable game time in a world where it matters more than ever. When you add in the fact that the A-League is improving quite quickly, a lot of these young talented players now go knowing that if they do not get a chance they can come back – but they risk loosing their established place or a contract all together. I believe that regular A-League game time is preferable to warming the pine in most of Europe. As time passes this will be increasingly true. There is a famous book about how globalisation is making the world 'flat' in a wide variety of ways - football more than any other code is subject to this process.

TheMagnificent11 You are quite right , non EU passport holders will still be stopped unless they move for non football reasons .The problems started when the FFA started to clamp down on kids who were legal citizens of the countries they were moving to .This backfired in their face and opened the door to all EU passport holders . Also the next thing that the Euro clubs are taken on , is the fact they have to pay compensation to clubs in OZ ( and other countries ) that do not pay anything towards the development of the kids . Australian parents are funding their childs development not the clubs . This is why you will notice the FFA implementing centres of excellence where they will offer scholorships , thus funding development . What parents should be worried of is the price that will be put on their childs head in the future should the chance to play overseas arises

I would say it helped him improve. Interesting to hear what Oliver Bozanic has to say about it. However, I don't think Reading is the best place to go (just guessing, they may have excellent youth development). I think counties where they place a greater emphasis on possession and technique would have been better. I'm sure there are plenty of clubs in England that do this, but culturally their football is more workman-like where on the continent it's more artistic. That's just my general impression.

There is no easy answer to this question. How can you really measure what is really best for a players development. To use an example. Oliver Bozanic moved to England as a 18 year old (he signed at Reading just days after his 18th birthday) and played only 18s and Reserve football in his first two years there. He was loaned out and played senior football in the lower leagues for 2009/10 season. The question is did this experience provide him with a platform to develop better than staying with the Mariners (he played in the pres-season cup in 2006 but was not offered a contract) Since returning I have been very impressed with him, his ability to hit target with passes and to hold the ball under pressure is a step above most of the 20-21's in the league. I would argue that he is a better player today for his time in England than he would be is he stayed here and managed to find a contract in the A-League.

Yeah it seems that we are pretty much on the same page. As for my name, it's a football spin on the movie title. My favourite player since I was 10 years old has been Ryan Giggs and he wears 11 (I remember his debut against...think he came on as a sub for Dennis Irwin against Everton). He's magnificent in my eyes.

TM11 I don't disagree with you about them moving over to Europe after they've made the national team - in fact, I believe I stated that many of the players Menezes has blooded have been bought by European teams. My point, however, is that the domestically-based players are getting more of a look in in Brazil than they have in recent times. There are heaps of journeymen from Brazil and Argentina, as all of us who follow the A-League know, and certainly, these guys are out for the money more than anything else. It's extremely difficult to make a career in Brazil, without the right person backing you. Just ask Cafu. He trialled with 11 clubs before a team took a chance on him, and look where he is now. That's why many youngsters take a chance on going overseas. In Australia, there are clear pathways, Talent Identification tournaments, state and nationa academies of sport, and a national youth league. Of course, those with European passports can head to Europe straight away without being involved in the A-League, guys like Harry Kewell, or more recently Nathan Coe (who was in the Qld Academy of Sport, so still went through the system). Despite what we say about our development pathways and curricula, we still have a decent system, one that will only get better with the new curriculum that has been handed down. And yes, our Australian players should be going overseas. The A-League is a great developmental league, but also a good league for players who are happy to just make a living out of the game. Of course countries like Holland and France still export players - the highly talented and ambitious players will always want to test themselves against the best, and the money is nice too, so they will go to Spain, Italy and England to ply their trade. It's the same everywhere. Players from Spain and Italy play in the EPL, not necessarily because of the money they can earn, but for the challenge. I guess, to make a long story short, I agree with you. incidentally, is your name based on a football thing, or is it a footballised reference to the Clash song, the Magnificent 7, which also contains a football analogy? :)

Didn't know that. I personally don't have a problem with teenage Australians going to Europe, especially if they are going to be getting better coaching. I think FIFA introduced the rule to prevent clubs acquiring kids from places like Africa, which can be considered a form of slave trading in some people's eyes. So if FIFA lose this case I imagine the rule will still apply to those who do not have EU passports and that will still prevent most of what they want to prevent.

The Magnificent11 Fifa and the FFA can no longer stop any EU passport holder from going to europe by stopping their international clearance . The case of the aussie boys who were stopped went all the way to the EU parliment and as a result the EU parliment told FIFA that the rule 19a which they were using to stop the ITC from being issued broke EU law . Any EU passport holder once they entre the EU zone are classed as EU citizens and come under EU law . Rule 19a breached EU law , which states any EU citizen from the age of 16 is allowed to work and live anywhere within the EU to earn a living . So by not granting thier ITC FIFA and the FFA where breaking EU law . Now all the boys that were held up have all been cleared to play and also have a case for compensation . Which will start soon

I like to see good quality marquee players coming into the a-league. How is that achieved? Money I want the FFA to find new revenue streams into the game. I dream that one day the a-league would have a 16 team comp and a billion dollar tv deal. If it happens, then grassroots would be looked after, advertising would be in check and also every a-league club could have a salary cap beyond 10 million a team. And in that salary cap, every club could have 2 or 3 marquee players. Thats when the A-league would be strong. Thats when young players might play perhaps their entire careers here and handle international football with ease The question is how do you get a bilion dollar contract?

I think with someone like Kruse who had some major issues back in Brisbane, another season or 2 under the strong influence of some of the MV players like Muscat, Thompson & Leijer, all with O/S experience good & bad will do him good. Kruse I think has got great potential but has got major attitude & could come unstuck in a foreign country where bad attitude from a young foreign player may not be taken too kindly.

Is that such a bad thing, playing the sport of your choice, earning good money & not being hassled everywhere you went. I know Spider Everett when he came to play for the Swans said he enjoyed playing in Sydney where no-one knew who he was & could go about his business without people staring at him.

I think you'll find that most of these younger South American players who get into their national teams off the back of good domestic performances end-up heading over to Europe. They go for the money, but they also go because they want to play Champions League football and test themselves against the very best. It's a similar case with Australian players. They can get their foot in the door with good performances in the A-League. The difference is that need to head over to Europe and Asia to prove they are good enough for the starting 11 (the Brazilians go to play against the world's best). They are showing what they can do at higher standard to prove they deserve to be in the starting 11 for the Socceroos. My point was that a lot of countries are exporters of football talent. France and Holland have an excellent leagues but still export a lot of players. Good footballers will leave for money but I guess they also leave to prove that they can play at an even higher standard.

Yes, it's about picking the right league and right club. The PFA now offers an agent service to Aussie players and they ensure that the players interests (developmental as well financial) are put first. I think you'll see less young Aussie players just going overseas because of the money. In my opinion, the current standard of the A-League is such that no Australian player is ready for Europe until they are outstanding performers. So I think Matt McKay is ready for the next step. Matthew Leckie is ready. David Williams, probably (considering he's already been over in Denmark). Robbie Kruse, maybe. There is probably about 10 who could possibly make it over in Europe or a better Asian league. My point is that you have to be good enough to start with and then pick the right club.

Yes and No, Magnificent 11. Under the new coach, Mano Menezes (who, incidentally, got his big break coaching my beloved Grêmio), a new philosophy has been instilled, which means that players in the Campeonato Brasileiro are getting a greater look-in than they have for some time. His first friendly in charge, against the USA, was a clear demonstration of that, with around half the side playing locally. Of course, some of those guys have since been bought, but others haven't. And you would be surprised at some of the money thrown about in Brazilian clubs. That said, mostly when these guys go to Europe, they go to a Barceloa, AC Milan, Lyon, etc etc., meaning that they earn astronomical salaries, not just the "normal" but still extravagent money they get in the top teams in Brazil.

There's the rub, TM11. There are good clubs and there are not so good clubs. Agreed, Tommy Oar went to a good club for a 19 year old. But, I've got no idea why a young striker like Djite would want to got to Turkey and he's paid the price. Strikers take longer to develop. Talk about being badly advised. Nathan Burns has done it harder than most but his hard work is now just finally starting to pay off. Although, if Rini Coolen was around then and we had 30 game seasons he would have left a better player.

I agree that it is about making the choice that allows you to be the best that you can be. Let's assume you're Tommy Oar and you've had one good season in the A-League. You now get the opportunity to go to FC Utrecht, a club with a good history of youth development. Is it better for your development to play another couple of season in the A-League or take the offer from Utrecht? It's likely that you'll play mostly reserve team football for the first few years of your contract at Utrecht. Is the higher standard of coaching and higher pressure of playing in Europe better or guaranteed first team football in the A-League better? I take the opinion that footballers are the products of their environment so I think Tommy made the right call. My point is that it is better to go overseas early if you are going to a good club that cares about your development. I'm not saying this will always be the case. The A-League and football development in this country is going to improve. There may come a day when it is better to stay here till your 21. However, I think that day is about 10 years away.

You are not going to be revered and talked about if you are not playing. That's being doubly ignored.

Thing is TM11 the world is full of very good footballers. This is what we are talking about here. When is it the right time for potentially very good footballers to head overseas. Its about making the right career choices that will determine if they will ever reach their potential in their careers. Burns, Vidosic, Leckie, Kruse etc etc have the potential to be very good footballers. They are not going to be world class footballers ala Messi, Ronaldo etc. In Australia everyone could see that Viduka (I watched him numerous times in the NSL) and Kewell were on a different level compared to their countrymen. Hopefully, we'll see some new champions come thru in the next few years.

I think a lot of players also go over for the experience of being in a football mad environment. Imagine playing in a country where football is revered and talked about daily. It would be better than being stuck here in Oz where you pretty much get ignored unless the socceroos are playing.

Good call Art. The improved standard of the league definitely gives our kids an opportunity to leave later on in their development. With Burns, he didn't have much of a choice because at that stage of the A-League, he wasn't going to develop anyway so it was worth that risk. Leaving isn't the only option though now and that leadership is required from advisors and managers to talk to them as people with regards to "where they are" in their development. Cahill scored goals over a period of time receiving plenty of gametime in the process. Kruse and others need to perform with that consistency over two or three seasons and their recognition will come naturally.