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Dec
09
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Someone recently put up a contention that the English soccer club Manchester United has the best English football players. This was obviously a die-hard Man-U fan. For the way he put, it was an assertion, something beyond conjecture. He was not anticipating any debate on this issue.
But is Man-U really home to best English footballers? You bet.
But one thing you need to take into consideration is that the contention her is about the ‘best English footballers’ rather than the best ‘footballers in England.’ In other words, the players’ nationality is under scrutiny here. If you argued that Man-U had the best ‘footballers in England’ it would have been easier to buy the assertion: for this is one of the three clubs that are always in contention for the top spot in the premiership. But when you say that Man-U has the best English footballers, we have to pause, look at the club’s line up, and ask ourselves who – among Man-U’s players are in fact English (given that these English premiership clubs have tended to buy the best talented players, no matter their nationalities). Then with those of Man-U’s players who are indeed English (by birth or whatever), there is still the question as to whether they are actually the ‘best.’ The verdict is yours.