What leagues make players a given?

[RJB]

At what point does a player become a given for the Men's National Team? With David Edgar's recent first team appearance for Newcastle United in the English Premier League, what will it take for him to become a given in the Canadian side? Does he get an automatic selection for the MNT after five appearances, or ten, or twenty?

And what leagues does that work for? EPL, SPL, La Liga, Serie A?

I'd say that it doesn't seem to me that any league gets a player a guaranteed selection at this point. That being said, in my opinion being a regular in a top European league like England, Spain, Italy, Germany, or France should make that player a given, considering our current talent pool.

[Daniel]

A semi-regular in a top league (I'd say the big 5) or on a top team in a smaller league would make for a quasi-automatic selection IMO. After that's, it's a case-by-case, like Friend and Johnson at Heerenveen or Occean at Lillestrom.

By this criteria, Hirschfeld would be an automatic call-up.

[An Observer]

I don't think anyone is per se a given, although with Canada's current depth someone who is a regular in the top 5 leagues would have to bear serious consideration as a starter. Even this being said is somewhat misleading. For example, someone who has 10 starts for Watford due to injuries may not have the same pedigree as a regular starter for Feyenoord, Benefica, or Club Brugges for example. And also, you need to consider the player's position. Someone like Stalteri may start over a Ledgerwood even if the latter won a regular place in 1860 and they were promoted next year.

[Juby]

Well, A big 3 leaguer (Serie A, La Liga, EPL) I would make a given as long he's an real component of a big league team, that said Edgar may not cut it yet cause at this point he's just been given a chance and hasn't established himself, also of the Big 3 (alot of you probably disagree) but I'd say the EPL is the weakest. If Edgar in a couple months has a gotten a regular bench spot on newcastle when all the injuries start to come back then for sure he should make the MNT.

France and Germany aren't all that far behind in terms of quality. I would say a player in France would be a given because of strides Ligue 1 has taken in the last couple years: Developing some of the best talent, evra, essien, ribery etc which consistenly bring huge capital in and some players are staying (ribery will probably leave but Malouda, Diarra, govou), on top of that there buying major players (couple years ago it was vieri and denilson, now it's cisse and koller) like a big league. Also Lyon has become a team good enough that it wouldnt be crazy if someone said they were the best team in Europe (I don't agree but I can see it), and finally I've been noticing their Ligue 2 teams are actually really good upon promotion (Valenciennes was like the worst team in Ligue 2 a couple years ago, Lorient's always a fun team to watch as well is AS Nancy and Le Mans).

Germany however seems to stalling, A few years ago I would say a bundesliga player is a given but looking at it right now, it may not quite up to par (it's easier to say these things about germany then france cause we actually have players in germany), because one of our two players is obviously not a guareentee on the MNT, not to say he couldn't be but I where I would give Mckenna his spot, Imhof isnt a proven commodity. This is probably a pretty relative statment about the bundesliga but the talent their developing I don't think is at the same level as france, I don't think klose could cut it on Man U or Chelsea (like essien and evra managed) podolski impresses me even less. Schweinsteiger (probably butchered his name) might.

I agree with observer though that the consistent champions league players from the other leagues definatly deserve a spot.

[Grizzly]

If Imhof is going to be used as part of your argument that the Bundesliga is inferior to Ligue 1 maybe you should mention how many minutes Imhof has played in the 1st Bundesliga.

[Grizzly]

If Imhof is going to be used as part of your argument that the Bundesliga is inferior to Ligue 1 maybe you should mention how many minutes Imhof has played in the 1st Bundesliga.

[Juby]

quote:Originally posted by Juby

it may not quite up to par (it's easier to say these things about germany then france cause we actually have players in germany), because one of our two players is obviously not a guareentee on the MNT, not to say he couldn't be but I where I would give Mckenna his spot, Imhof isnt a proven commodity.

Well even I admitted this was only a partial point, and for the same reason that we have nobody on a Ligue 1 team, any criticism of the point is just as problematic cause it's hard to say how a player in Ligue 1 who hasn't been playing, would do, when we don't have one.

[BearcatSA]

A "given". Hmm?

There was another thread a couple of months ago talking about whether DeGuzman was still and "automatic starter" for the MNT.

I have reservations when I hear these terms thrown around, even within the limits of our talent pool. I guess my own terms of reference support Observer's view. I reinforce that we need to play in form players, particularly attacking players, especially when it comes to WC qualifying.