The players produced post 1992 are far superior man for man. this is indisputable
i agree that the development of the pl has meant that club football has taken on a greater significance at the elite level. and thus probably doesnt help the national team. but i disagree that its the pl that has encouraged the development of athletes rather than footballers. england has always created athletes/fighters rather than technical footballers. if you want iniestas instead of lampards, the football culture has to change at grass roots level. has very little to do with the pl imo.
hoddle and gascoigne did not really ever reach the levels that the likes of lampard, gerrard, beckham reached on an international scale. not even close. i doubt hoddle or gascoigne were ever in the top 10 midfield earners in world football. that shows that elite managers across the globe did not rate them like lampard, gerrard and beckham were rated.
even an england legend like bobby moore is probably massively overrated by us. i really wouldnt be surprised if hardly any football fans have heard of him beyond britain. the likes of lampard and beckham etc have reached the levels that the likes of garrincha, muller, beckenbauer, henry, platini, rossi etc have reached. ie. people across the globe will know of the names of lampard and beckham for many many decades.[/quote/]
Using salaries as a comparison of ability given the ridiculous salaries of premier league players is a slightly spurious. The Pl is arguably the best and richest league in the world as well as the most well covered. That was not the case in the eras of Gascoigne's and Hoddle. I think you underestimate the kind of esteem the likes of Hoddle and Gascogne were held in abroad while at the same time overestimate that of Lampard and gerrard, neither of whom had top European clubs queuing up for their services, as good as they were for their clubs.