Short-termism... football's long-term problem?

The recent return of football icons Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry to the clubs where they were (and still are) idolised has been heralded as a welcome boost to the fortunes of both teams, by the majority of fans who are able to sing songs bearing their names once more.

However, for some, including more sceptical followers of Manchester United and Arsenal, the moves to reunite their team with an aging player either on his last legs (Henry) or seven months into retirement (Scholes) is a desperate signal of the lack of quality and cover available in their squad.

Paul Scholes returned from retirement after just over seven months

These transfers are not unique. Henry’s path from the MLS back to the Premier League has been echoed by Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan, two of LA Galaxy’s three marquee players (Beckham being the third of the golden triangle), joining Aston Villa and Everton on short-term loan deals in their domestic off-season. For Donovan, it is the second time in three years he has made such a move, and Keane’s return comes only months after he left for a new beginning across the Atlantic.

In a similar fashion, Liverpool’s summer splurge of Fenway Sports Group’s wealth was supplemented with a free transfer move for Craig Bellamy from his status as surplus to requirements at Manchester City. Bellamy’s return to Anfield has proved successful so far, with the Welshman hitting seven goals despite long-standing knee problems limiting his input in a somewhat stuttering start to Kenny Dalglish’s first full season since returning to the Liverpool helm.

These transfers all share a few things in common. They are, firstly, involving players with renowned Premier League reputations and abilities, bringing much-wanted experience and understanding to managers who feel, for whatever reason, that their return would be a boost to the club. They are also financially beneficial; with the clubs only having to pay wages and perhaps, in the case of Henry, Donovan and Keane, a small loan transfer fee for their services. Another benefit is that they are recognised by all fans, new or old, sceptical or not, as players with an ability; something that is seldom the case with some signings made either as a building block in the summer or a quick patch-up job in January.

One aspect that the deals also share is that of being painfully short-term in duration. Scholes and Bellamy aside, the MLS loans are all for a period of roughly six weeks, with their parent clubs keen to stress that their men return for pre-season training to schedule. And even with regards to Scholes and Bellamy, both free-transfers with no other club commitments, their respective ages (37 and 32) dictate that neither man is likely to be a part of their manager’s long-term thoughts.

So why then do these moves continue to take place, when their benefits have expired before too long? Short-termism is a habit that football, and many other sports, would do well to avoid paying too much lip service too. A quick look at how many young players make the grade in the Premier League will tell you everything about the squad-building strategies at clubs throughout the division, not just the top teams.

The return of Scholes was the signal for Darron Gibson to leave for pastures new at Everton, and his departure seems to be not the only one due at Old Trafford. Highly rated youngsters Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba are linked with moves to Newcastle and Juventus respectively, following Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire to keep them away from the first-team setup. Both are undeniably talented players, though Morrison admittedly comes with an enfant terrible tag, but Ferguson’s preference for a retired Scholes over a player who, if successful, could be a focal point of a United team for years to come, is low-risk and frankly uninspiring to a generation of footballers. Does Sir Alex remember the success he had with a certain batch of youngsters (Scholes included) almost 20 years ago?

The same too can be said at Arsenal, with the likes of Benik Afobe and Ryo Miyaichi restricted by Henry’s return. Also, Nathan Delfouneso, an England U21 international striker, has found himself resigned to a loan move to Leicester to find first-team football this week, following Keane’s move to Villa Park. And Liverpool’s Bellamy signing saw Dani Pacheco leave on loan, with fellow young stars Raheem Sterling and Suso patiently waiting in the wings for a chance. Everton too, as seen with the likes of Leon Osman, Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell and the recent development of Ross Barkley, have a well respected youth academy, so how much has Donovan’s arrival stemmed the development of Jose Baxter, summer signings Apostolos Vellios and Magaye Gueye, and young Connor McAleny?

McEachran (right) is already a key part of Stuart Pearce's England U21 side

These young players are seeing their path to first-team football halted by players with a short lifespan, limiting their opportunities to games in the failing and frankly worthless reserve league, where disinterested fringe players and fitness-seeking players returning from injury ply their trade, or the alternative of a loan spell to the Football League. One player who has grown impatient with the chances available to him is Chelsea’s talented midfield architect Josh McEachran, a cultured midfielder who has just joined Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea. The Welsh outfit resemble a Barcelona-lite style of football that is currently impressing fans and pundits alike, and McEachran, despite being 18, possesses a confidence on the ball that should see him slot effortlessly into Rodgers’ plans.

The ideal scenario, in an ideal world of course, would be to see these young players, like McEachran and Delfouneso, both highly rated and already in the international setup at youth level, be given first-team football at regular intervals at their parent clubs. Why their managers choose not to do so may vary, but the benefits are there to be seen if they persist with a long-term strategy. More home-grown players, as well as helping to abide with FIFA squad requirements, adds an identity to the team that fans can relate to strongly. Also, the culture at the club is likely to benefit, as more players develop through the same system with the same ideals and an understanding that is born at youth level and allowed to flourish with time, patience and encouragement.

A move to a long-term outlook would also be cost-effective too - another major fillip with UEFAs Financial Fair Play (FFP) laws requiring a more stringent financial rule over clubs and their owners. In the Premier League era, many hundreds of millions have been spent bringing top class players to these shores, to the delights of fans. But it is not so much the big names who push out the young players, as it is the journeymen, the Bosman signings, the squad players, where the question surely must be; would it not be better to give a young player a chance? After all, that’s how the likes of Paul Scholes were given their break.