Is it no longer possible

to compete for major trophies with a British core to the team?

By major trophies I mean the Premier League and Champions league.

In 07/08 we won the double with a British core to the team and if I'm not mistaken we started the CL final with 6 British players in the XI and players like Giggs, Fletcher, Neville and O'Shea (Irish I know but still homegrown) in the squad. This was one of SAF's main strength's in that he could be successful with mainly British players which no one else has done in modern times. These days seem to gone which is a bit of a pity. I know Chelsea had Lampard and Terry but their most successful sides have consisted mainly of foreign imports.

As an Irishman I would to see some of our own in red shirt again as we have had a few heroes over the years but right now there isn't anyone good from Ireland except arguably Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy but we could do so much better for the prices Everton would command for them. So with this the next best thing is to see British players make it for us if not our own but the fact is they are not good enough at the moment.

LVG has being letting British players go (Fletch, Clevs, Welbeck) and probably Evans this summer and you can't really disagree with any of it except may be keeping Welbeck as a squad because he hasn't exactly pulled up trees at Arsenal is back where he was with us, out wide or on the bench. We signed Shaw who I think will be top class if he sorts out his injury problems but we are more than likely going to replace Carrick with an import and replace either Jones or Smalling in the starting team with an import. We have given McNair and Blackett opportunities and have done ok but neither will be top class in my opinion.

The fact is right now teams won't succeed with a British core. Look at our last 2 Champions for example. City barely had an outfield Englishman in the side except the odd appearance from Milner and Chelsea have won it this year with only their 2 Centre Backs being Englishman.

Do you think a team will ever win the CL or PL again with a British core?