After England’s European Championship exit there has been even more debate on foreign quotas and player development. The Times has run a series of articles over the last week on how some other countries in the world go about the job of developing players and encouraging participation.

This article kicked the whole thing off.

Holland – a place for everyone. Out of all the models that are out there this seems to be one of few that acknowledges that it is not just about elite development and neither is it just about encouraging people to play.

At the heart of the Dutch model is the belief that for the sport to be healthy there has to be a place for players of all abilities. It seems to me that the North American debate (definitely the Canadian debate) is polarized with recreation on one end of the spectrum and elite development on the other with no one willing to give an inch. The truth of the matter is neither of the polarities have it right.

Simon Clifford and the myths of Brazilian youth development.

It’s interesting to see how parents now seem to be major reasons in driving kids away from the sport when years ago they would be the ones that would pass on their love for the game.

The structure of kids’ football in England.

If you are to read one article on the subject then try to make it this one.

Daily Telegraph picks up on how some other countries do it – in this case Brazil.

Some of the names that are being tossed around as possible successors to Alex McLeish as Scotland manager.

Here’s something from www.footballeconomy.com
‘The average annual salary of a footballer in England's top flight has broken through the £1m ceiling for the first time. Players in the Premiership are now earning 15 times more than the 'golden generation' who lifted the World Cup in 1966, even when inflation is factored in.

In 1966 First Division players were paid an average of £100 a week by their clubs. When performance-related bonuses are taken into account, today's figure stands at £21,000 a week according to accountants Deloitte. The rate of increase means that footballers earn almost as much in a week as the average person is paid in a year.

Moore's World Cup-winning team earned about six times the national average week in 1966. Deloitte predicts that the first £200,000 a week player, equivalent to an annual salary of £10m, will emerge by 2010”.

And on to the action that is in store this weekend. It is hard to look beyond Serie A with the top five clubs plus European champions Milan facing off. Current league leaders Inter remain unbeaten after twelve games and are only two points off the record breaking pace that they set last season.

Inter travels to play Fiorentina on what will prove to be an emotional occasion. Fiorentina Coach Cesare Prandelli lost his wife on Monday after a three year fight with cancer. Many of you will remember that Prandelli had just taken over the reins at Roma in 2004 when she was diagnosed with the disease and he opted to stand down.

The coach was not on the bench last weekend as his team drew away to Reggina but he is expected back for Sunday’s match.

Fiorentina started the season unbeaten in their first eleven matches before succumbing to Udinese a couple of weeks ago. Even so Fiorentina, four points behind Inter with a game more played, have already played Roma, Juventus and Milan this season and drawn all three games. Schemer Riccardo Montolivo is suspended and will be missing from the home side’s line-up.

Inter qualified for the last sixteen of the Champions League in midweek and when combined with the league lead things are looking good for Coach Roberto Mancini. What’s more Inter have only lost once (Feb 2006 2-1) to Fiorentina in their last nine Serie A meetings and are undefeated away from home in the league since April 2006.

Julio Cruz (6 goals) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (7 goals) pack a wallop up front and summer signing David Suazo looked sharp last week as he scored a goal and set up another.

Milan and Juventus will be reacquainted after Juve’s one year leave from the top flight. Like Inter, Milan have already sealed a spot in the last sixteen of the Champions League although the winners or runners up spot have still to be decided.

Milan have the Club World Cup in Japan (on FSC) in a couple of weeks which means missing a week of Serie A action and then they have the local derby on the weekend before Christmas. When you add it all up it means that Milan can ill-afford to see the current gap with Inter and the chasing pack widen any further.

Currently the European Champions are eleven points behind the leaders while fourth placed Udinese are eight points ahead albeit with a game more played. Milan’s home form has been poor and they are still winless in the league after four draws and two losses.

Juventus have slipped effortlessly back into the top league with twenty-five points from thirteen games – good for second spot. But while their home form has been very impressive (16 points from 7 games) there is lots of room for improvement when on the road.

Only nine points have come from six away games with ten goals given up and only one shut out so far. Trezeguet and Iaquinta have combined for 17 league goals with eleven of them coming at home.

Udinese are one of the good news stories so far in Europe. A team that has historically enjoyed modest success are sitting fourth with five wins and three draws coming in the last eight games.

Wins against Fiorentina and Juventus have fans of Serie A sitting up and taking notice. They don’t score a lot of goals but when they do they seem to make them count. Away from home they have shut out the opposition four times in seven matches and although they only average a goal a game that has translated into a very respectable twelve points.

Only Milan (13 points) and Roma (17 points) can better that mark and it is to Rome that Udinese travels this weekend.  Given their record so far Roma might be wishing it was the other way around.

Nearly 70% of Roma’s points this season have been picked up away from home while five home games have only generated an unexceptional eight points – only Milan out of the top ten teams have secured fewer (4).  

Quick free kicks – The Barcelona derby promises to be a cracker. Espanyol unbeaten in their last nine games and are a heady fourth only two points below Barcelona and four behind Real Madrid.

Barca failed to beat their neighbours in the two games last season (a loss and a draw) and take their dreadful away form to the Olympic stadium. But the stadium has not seen very many goals this season with only nine coming in six games.

Whereas Espanyol have lost once at home Barcelona have only won once away from the Nou Camp. But perhaps the most interesting statistic is that Espanyol’s seven wins have all been by one goal so far.