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АПЛ: игра по новым правилам

It's been a strange pre-season so far in the Premier League because although we still have a month of the transfer window to go, not much has happened.

Part of that is down to the World Cup of course, part of it is down to the situations at certain clubs - not least Liverpool - and a lot of it is down to the new rules and regulations surrounding players.

The home-grown rule and the new 25-man squad limit have, I think, led to drastic rethinks at some clubs. I am going to have to reserve judgement on the former, but you can already see the latter causing problems.

Take Manchester City. I know they are not exactly a classic example but what happens when they have to register 25 players? I think they have something like 59 players with squad numbers, so you have to assume there are going to be a fair few who aren't under 21 and don't make the cut.

Instantly you have some unhappy players on your hands and all you can do is send them out on loan, or sell them. That means players coming and going which hardly helps build an affiliation with a club or its supporters. People love your Jamie Carraghers and your John Terrys, those one-club players, but with this new rule they are going to become fewer and farther between.

As for the home-grown rule I can see what the thinking is, but it is going to take a long time for this to have a serious impact on the England senior team. And while it is no doubt designed to encourage clubs to nurture English talent, it doesn't close the door on someone like Arsene Wenger signing foreign kids, does it?

I know it's all down to European law but there's still nothing in place to prevent clubs from going abroad for 15 or 16-year-olds because they know that by the time they are ready for the first team, they will be classed as so-called home-grown players. I hope it works to England's benefit - especially given the World Cup we've just had - but it is going to take time for people to get used to it, to work with it and to fully understand it ... me included!

I do think Premier League managers already realise that you need a core of British players to do well. Sir Alex Ferguson has always had it from Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville through to Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney. Liverpool have had Carragher and Steven Gerrard and now have Joe Cole.

Jose Mourinho knew it and John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard have been central to Chelsea's success. Even Arsenal, when they were winning the league, had that English back four and have since had Sol Campbell, Theo Walcott and now it looks like Jack Wilshere will continue that tradition.

But what clubs are finding is that it is hard to sign young English talent because there is not too much of it up for grabs. The James Milner situation is a classic example; admittedly Man City coming in always bumps the price up a bit, but £30million is a little over the top - especially when you consider Barcelona got David Villa for €34m.

I would've loved to have seen the Spain striker come to the Premier League because while we do need to make sure there is room for English players, we still want to see the best in the world plying their trade here every week.

It wasn't quite the same watching Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid and not Manchester United last season and I sincerely hope Cesc Fabregas stays at Arsenal. Believe me, I am no different to any fan and when we turn up at The Emirates for Super Sunday, I want to see him pulling the strings in midfield as much as any Arsenal supporter.

I do hope Mario Balotelli comes here because he is a real talent and given that he turns 20 four days before our season starts, he fits into the new guidelines nicely. From what I have seen he has all the ability in the world but his attitude is a serious doubt. Only a few days ago he was seen brandishing a toy gun in the streets of Milan, which is hardly what any Premier League manager wants from his star striker.

Maybe Roberto Mancini will be able to calm him down because he knows him from his time at Inter, but if he can sort his problems out, I think he would be a great addition to our league.

And hopefully he won't be the only big-name arrival before the transfer window closes and those 25-man squads are submitted.

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