Average Age

Papa Shango · April 17, 2018

There is no old or young, only good or bad.

A player can be 10 or 60, as long as they are scoring goals or keeping clean sheets etc I couldn't give a toss.

blueblue · April 17, 2018

Lanolin said:
The squad isn't really ageing to be fair. The first team maybe, but the squad has plenty of youth in it. Pickford, Kenny, Holgate, Davies, Baningime, Vlasic, Lookman, DCL, Dowell, Onyekuru could all be first team regulars next season. That's almost an entire team with an average age of about 21.

It's not a novel idea, we've been trying to do it for years - Lukaku, Stones, Barkley, Deulofeu etc were the last lot we had, and we've invested heavily in the current youth set up. The problem is finding players who are both good enough and willing to hang around long enough for us to reap the benefits. DCL is older than Gabriel Jesus for example, but one of them is a regular Brazilian international who is a key player for the Champions, while the other one isn't allowed to be criticised when he misses from 1 yard out because he's only a young lad. Getting the very best young players is not as easy as it sounds, we're taking punts on the likes of Sandro but it's very different to bringing in top class prospects.

I wonder how Jesus would have done with Everton this season and DCL playing with City ?

Lanolin · April 17, 2018

d4kyxx said:
take the defence as an example

Jags Williams and baines all need replacing. However you can’t replace all three in the summer. Maybe one. Due to lack of finances and the fact it has to be used throughout the team

So you replace one and your left with two who are getting worse weekly, meaning performances suffer

Whereas if you’d have signed younger defenders from the start you wouldn’t need to replace all in one go as the other two would still be capable

Except we have signed younger players with a view to replacing them. Stones was bought for that reason, but has now left, Keane and Funes Mori were both 24 when we brought them in, and theoretically should have been key first team players for 6-8 years, while Holgate is now at an age where we would expect him to be becoming a first team fixture. As is always the case with these things, the issue we have is the quality of player we have signed, not the age of them.

Raino85 · April 17, 2018

Lanolin said:
Exactly, it's an easy strategy in theory, but it's extremely difficult to make it work.

Not really, we've carried on trying it and have actually spent (relatively) big money on the likes of Lookman and Vlasic.

And then not played them

Raino85 · April 17, 2018

blueblue said:
I wonder how Jesus would have done with Everton this season and DCL playing with City ?

Calvert Lewin would have atleast 15 playing upfront for city, no worries about that

Lanolin · April 17, 2018

blueblue said:
I wonder how Jesus would have done with Everton this season and DCL playing with City ?

Impossible to know for certain, but it seems fairly clear that Jesus is currently a lot, lot better than DCL so that's all that matters in the comparison really.

blueblue · April 17, 2018

Lanolin said:
Impossible to know for certain, but it seems fairly clear that Jesus is currently a lot, lot better than DCL so that's all that matters in the comparison really.

Jesus is playing in one of the best and most creative teams in Europe... there is an argument that with the players they have and the number of chances they create that he should have a lot more.

I am not trying to say that DCL is better or as good as Jesus, I am saying it is a silly comparison.

Lanolin · April 17, 2018

blueblue said:
Jesus is playing in one of the best and most creative teams in Europe... there is an argument that with the players they have and the number of chances they create that he should have a lot more.

I am not trying to say that DCL is better or as good as Jesus, I am saying it is a silly comparison.

It's not a silly comparison in the context of this thread though is it? It's not only relevant, it's the entire crux of the point at hand.

These creative players you're talking about include the likes of Sterling, Sane, and Bernardo Silva who are also young players. The point is, they are top class young players, just like Jesus and we struggle to attract those. It seems perfectly logical to me to say that a £1.5m signing from Sheffield United may not be as good as a £27m signing who was already a full Brazilian international, just like a £5m signing from Malaga would have done extremely well to get anywhere near the output of a £37m German international or a £44m England international.

Raino85 said:
Calvert Lewin would have atleast 15 playing upfront for city, no worries about that

He wouldn't have played a single game for them mate, so no he wouldn't.

riddick · April 17, 2018

Going back to what @Eggs said about "Proven" and "Potential", we've spent soooooo much money on "Proven" only for them to be complete and utter abject failures. We're not going to get almost any money back from the outlays we've spent on "Proven".

Gladystweet · April 17, 2018

I reckon they should all be fitted with one of these....

Nymzee · April 17, 2018

Lanolin said:
It's not a silly comparison in the context of this thread though is it? It's not only relevant, it's the entire crux of the point at hand.

These creative players you're talking about include the likes of Sterling, Sane, and Bernardo Silva who are also young players. The point is, they are top class young players, just like Jesus and we struggle to attract those. It seems perfectly logical to me to say that a £1.5m signing from Sheffield United may not be as good as a £27m signing who was already a full Brazilian international, just like a £5m signing from Malaga would have done extremely well to get anywhere near the output of a £37m German international or a £44m England international.

He wouldn't have played a single game for them mate, so no he wouldn't.

Pep always name drops DCL so I reckon he would have.

Eggs · April 17, 2018

riddick said:
Going back to what @Eggs said about "Proven" and "Potential", we've spent soooooo much money on "Proven" only for them to be complete and utter abject failures. We're not going to get almost any money back from the outlays we've spent on "Proven".

..which really is a reflection of those identifying and acquiring targets. The squad is lacking balance, quality, athleticism (power, pace, mobility), attitude etc.

riddick · April 17, 2018

Eggs said:
..which really is a reflection of those identifying and acquiring targets. The squad is lacking balance, quality, athleticism (power, pace, mobility), attitude etc.

Another problem is like you said, it's who we are targetting. Take the bolded. We went for Moussa fn Sissoko and Bolasie to "fill that bill". Two of the most unconvincing players in the Premier League.

SerenityNigh · April 17, 2018

Would you like to see a fun idea with dumb application? See the OP’s suggestion.

ilikecheese · April 17, 2018

Funny how last season's League Champions have been 'replaced' in the top 4 according to the OP. Something tells me Chelsea will be back.

As for Everton. It's gonna take some luck. Spurs developed Kane from age 11. We've got some young talent that might reach that next level, but I think we will struggle to buy top young proven talent.

In terms of recruitment under Koeman I think it was obvious it was all about a short term solution. Looking to win now with little focus on the future.