(AP)
Besides the fact that they can't qualify a national team these days? Nothing really. That is why when I waddled over to SI.com today and was scouring the news section, I was kind of put off to see that one of their writers has come up with. He claims that American players need to move beyond the "English model" of play. His argument centers around three clubs currently in relegation worries; Reading, Fulham, and Darby. He wonders why these "American Teams" do so poorly. I think he lacked his research when it comes down to who plays for these teams and how long they have played for them.
Lets make one point painfully clear right up front: we do not play English style football in America. We play a slow, sloppy game. There is nothing about how Americans play the game that would even relate to how the English play the game.
Now, for the clubs mentioned. I started my search with Derby County. They got promoted this year to the Premiership. Their ticket in? They were third place in the Championship last season. Not exactly a high quality team. There are two Americans on Derby and looking at their stats, they just are not productive. Eddie Lewis has been playing the English game since 2000 and the only time and he has only seen major playing time at two clubs, and at both of them, he has scored goals. But if you only play someone sixteen times in three seasons, then they are never going to get their proper boots. Another factor to take into account with Lewis is that he is 33 years old. It is damn near time for him to go off to the retirement pitch for a kick about with Becks. The other player on Derby is Benny Feilhaber. He is young, I will give him that but he has only being playing in England since 2007. He has not had time to get use to the English game.
Next up we have Reading. This is another club with only two American players. Convey, who has been with Reading since 2004, has had a shallow fifteen goals in his entire career. This is an example of someone who can run with the ball, but can not put it into the back of the net. The other player for the team, Marcus Hahnemann, has been the teams primary goalkeeper since 2002. The key issue with Reading, much like Derby, is that they have never played in the top flight of English football. They simply can not compete as a team against squads that boast players that could score six times on you before you have a chance to get set again. In all fairness, I could probably play goalie for some of the teams that Reading and Derby have faced in the past and walk away with a clean sheet.
The last team, Fulham, reads like the US national teams roster. You have Kasey Kellar, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey, and Carlos Bocanegra. It is more of the same here that it is with the other clubs. Brian McBride is in his mid-thirties and he has scored goals, just not many. His first four years in England were spent on loan with not so descent teams and he started with Fulham in 2004. I don't even know where to begin with Kasey Keller. I've seen him play countless times and he is just rubbish. I think him and Paul Robinson have tea together or something. Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey are on the other end of this seesaw. They are both young but they have just started their careers in English ball and it is going to take time for them to come into the fold. The last player on the team is kind of in the middle. Carlos Bocanegra is in his late twenties and has played for Fulham since 2004. He is not that old but he has the experience. The best bet for the team though, would be to loan Johnson out if they are relegated to get him some true competition.
So, there is nothing wrong with the English model. You have a mix of old players and ones who have played in the MLS for the past few seasons. When you combine that with teams that have such limited budgets, the teams will get relegated. It is not the English problem or the American problem. It comes down to financial capabilities. Who can buy the best team? That's my two cents and remember.. be champions.
