ANOTHER week, another set of performances, another set of opinions: the great Johnny Foreigner debate rages on. In the Harry Redknapp version of the exchange rate mechanism, you can currently gets about three Florins to the Zola - that is three weak and volatile Radicious to the one small, but stable, Gianfranco.
Even one of Redknapp's numerous imported signings, Slaven Bilic, agrees with the West Ham manager. There are too many accents in the dressing room at Upton Park, argued Bilic, while Liverpool's Steve McManaman offers a different angle on the subject: the foreigners have it easy.
If Zola, or Patrick Vieira at Arsenal, or Aljosa Asanovic at Derby, perform one trick in a game it is singled out and magnified, says McManaman; if Matt Le Tissier performs one trick in a game he is singled out and called idle.
McManaman has a point. Last Saturday, Derby County beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the FA Cup, but the moment that will undoubtedly be repeated on our televisions if Derby progress in the competition was a stunning piece of thigh control followed by a startling piece of back-heel volley by the Croat, Aljosa Asanovic. It created Derby's second goal for Dean Sturridge, but the build-up overshadowed a bright finish - Asanovic, not Sturridge, got the glory.
But when McManaman and his Anfield colleagues run out at the Baseball Ground today they would be wrong to think of Asanovic as a one-trick wonder.
For a start, at 31, the Croatian has learned too much in a career that has taken him from a 17-year-old debut for Hajduk Split to France, Spain and now England. For a mid-fielder, there have been plenty of goals along the way, notably in the Champions' League for Hajduk and for Yugoslavia before the Balkans disintegrated.
But as the bespectacled Asanovic sat in Derby's small-town stadium yesterday explaining the circuitous journey that brought him there, he made no secret of the goal that gave him "the most extreme experience". It came in only a friendly against the United States seven years ago, but as it was Croatia's first match for half a century: "The goal in, Zagreb was important for all of us.
Such was his desire to play in the game that Asanovic, by then transferred to Metz, hired a jet to take him home. It is not your average journeyman's method of transport, but Asanovic denied a capacity for conspicuous flamboyance; in fact, he came across as placid and only switched from that mode when talking about Serbia and the war.
On that he said: "It had to happen, we wanted our autonomy. We didn't start the war, Serbia did, but Croatia will always defend itself. We wanted our own culture, our own history, our own flag. Obviously its affected the (Yugoslavia) team, but then there were always tensions between us."
Yet having said that, when Asanovic ran up against Curcic and Milosevic last Saturday it was nema problema. "We had a chat. It's not their fault or my fault we had a war."
The Villa pair have been less than convincing this season, perceived as another two foreign disappointments. Conscious of the continuing debate, Asanovic displayed a frank appreciation of both sides of the argument. "I am aware that I am doing well," he said smiling, "and I am very proud to be fulfilling expectations.
"But then I have been abroad and got used to it. One of the main reasons foreign players fail to settle is the different culture; some find it easy, but others are less flexible and it can be difficult, especially if you are young or if your wife is not happy. That is the human factor.
"Then I do understand the other side, that when people have paid a lot of money to a player they expect a return." However, even though he said there are many young footballers desperate to leave Croatia, Asanovic dismissed the foreign mercenary accusation.
"It's a job, and everybody wants to earn money. What I can't understand is these players who say `I love England, I love the people, I love the culture'.
Joined at this point by the man crucial to his arrival at Derby, Igor Stimac, they both paused, nodded and laughed - "Italians".
Stimac, a fellow Croat, had recommended his friend "Ace" to Jim Smith and with a sound proviso: sign Asanovic before Euro `96 because you won't be able to afford him after it. Smith took one look and did the deal.
Derby's season to date has been one of unspectacular consolidation, and hungry Liverpool will provide a true test of their ability to survive. As it happens, McManaman and John Barnes are Asanovic's favourite English players, although he thinks Liverpool the least "English" team in the Premiership.
"They are more European, where we are trying to get to."
Style, though, may have to be sacrificed in a relegation battle - "I don't want to think about that. We must stay up." And if Derby don't, will Asanovic be around for next season? He gave an honest answer: "I don't know."
