Jol backing for FIFA's '6+5' rule

"If you talk about Financial Fair Play, you could go on and on and on," he told Yahoo! "Everybody takes Barcelona as an example, everybody. But they are €450 million in debt!

"It's not the fairest set-up, but what I would like to see is the 6+5 rule, which will have the same effect. Play six players from abroad, and five English players. Then you will see the English national team benefit.”

The regulations of the fair play rules have been introduced to encourage clubs to spend within their means and sustain the competitiveness and quality of the football across Europe.

However, Jol believes that UEFA shouldn’t stop there. He wishes for the 6+5 rule to be introduced whereby clubs are obliged to field five home-grown players in their starting line-ups.

The Dutchman believes that not only his club would benefit from the changes, but that other sides and national teams could reap the rewards as well.

"Of course you have got exceptions like [Wayne] Rooney and [Jack] Wilshere who started young, but these are big, big players," Jol explained. 

"Generally, will you see 19 or 20-year-old players in the England team? No. But if you see the under-21s now with [Daniel] Sturridge, [Jordan] Henderson, [Phil] Jones - they have all come through the ranks."

He added: "I think the English are probably on the right path, but you will see if you get the 6+5 rule, it could be good and fair.

"For example, I have got a player now in my reserves, Kerim Frei. He is 17 and has played eight games for us.

"Now I feel he would never have played for us if we hadn't given him the chance or if he was not good enough. But it was a necessity to play him because there was no Clint Dempsey and I needed someone to play on the left.

"That's the Dutch way - if your left winger is not there, you play the second one, and if he's not there you play your third. Frei has played a few games for us and he was one of our best players against Chelsea [in the Carling Cup].

"If you have a 6+5 rule there will be more space for young players and it will start to pay off because it is not all about money."

Fulham haven’t enjoyed the best of starts to the season thus far, finding themselves teetering just two points above the relegation zone, but sparked into life last weekend with a 6-0 crushing of QPR.

However, Jol believes - with the correct attitude – the results will begin to take care of themselves.

“If you play your best football, starting from the back, the results will come naturally.”

For more insight from Martin Jol and other leading managers, plus exclusive Premier League highlights, visit www.yahoo.co.uk/sport

By Elliott Binks

Nick Moore

Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.