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But I don't think it's the fault of the Reserve league that the club is struggling to produce top class homegrown talent - other clubs like Man City and Blackburn can, and their reserves play in the same league as Liverpool's.

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I think the problem is that the squads of the top clubs are now so large that kids have to be really top class just to get a chance. Look at how many players Arsenal have, they sign all of the best young players from around the world at age 16-20, or as many as they can, as well as older proven professionals, they send dozens of players out on loan, and still their reserves are good enough to get to the Carling Cup final.

Liverpool are beginning to go the same way with Rafa signing alot of young players in the last year. If I was a 17 year old now deciding who to sign a professional contract with (i wish!) you would have to look at Middlesbrough, Man City etc as realistic alternatives to the top clubs because of the chances you get, but that just doesn't happen. They all have agents and sign for the clubs they 'support', or who have the most money to offer them.

Liverpool have won the youth cup last year, and are in the final again this year, but there is no sign of any of those players getting a run in the first team. They have 12 out on loan at the moment, with no doubt more going next season. Stephen Warnock is a good example, there are not many better English left backs than him about, as he has shown since joining Blackburn, but he had to leave to get a game because we have Riise, Aurelio etc etc.

Only the real stars, the Owen's & Gerrard's, are going to come through the system at the top clubs as it is at present. On paper this should improve the England team, as only the best kids come through and improve working with top coaches and players, but it doesn't seem to be going like that at the moment!

I am not one who subscribes to the view that England are poor because of th influx of foreign players though. We didn't qualify for the 1974 or 1978 world cups, there were virtually no foreign players in England then, so it makes no sense as a valid argument.

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