Zatara
Player Valuation: £100m
Mods feel free to move/merge into another thread.
I've always been a champion of bringing in young players and now am very happy to see our side under Martinez. I have been thinking on/off about the Man Utd team of 1995/96 and the Leeds side of 2000/01 both of which were heavily praised due to the ages of players in their squads.
So for my own interest i did a comparison...not sure if of interest to anyone but it shows a comparison of the games played and also the ages of the players in these successful teams.
I've only included those 25 or under:
Man Utd
Phil Neville 24 games (18)
Gary Neville 31 games (20)
Nicky Butt 32 games (20)
David Beckham 33 games (20)
Paul Scholes 26 games (21)
Ryan Giggs 33 games (22)
Lee Sharpe (24)
Roy Keane 29 games (24)
Andy Cole 33 games (24)
9 players average age = 21.44
Leeds Utd
Jonathan Woodgate 14 games (20)
Robbie Keane 18 games (20)
Alan Smith 33 games (20)
Stephen McPhail (20)
Paul Robinson 36 games (21)
Rio Ferdinand 26 games (22)
Harry Kewell 17 games (22)
Michael Bridges (22)
Ian Harte 29 games (23)
Lee Bowyer 38 games (23)
Danny Mills 23 games (23)
Eirik Bakke 29 games (23)
Mark Viduka 34 games (25)
13 players average age = 21.84
Everton
Brendan Galloway (19)
Mason Holgate (19)
Tyias Browning (21)
Gerard Deulofeu (21)
Ross Barkley (21)
John Stones (21)
Romelu Lukaku (22)
Muhamed Besic (23)
Ramiro Funes Mori (24)
James McCarthy (25)
10 players average age =21.6
I've cheated a little bit because ive added in Mason Holgate because he's now in the squad and as a "money signing" think he will make the breakthrough very soon.
I've also left out Matthew Pennington (21), Leandro Rodriguez(23) and Conor McAleny(23) as theyre not really 1st team. Also Brian Oviedo (25) as he's not really going to play much of a part this season i think....also Robles as he's clearly not 1st choice and unlikely to ever be so.
Anyway, the comparison shows:
Man Utd = 9 players avg age 21.44
Everton = 10 players avg age 21.6
Leeds Utd = 13 players avg age 21.84
Of course, the quality and positions of the players are different and also the more experienced players around them are vastly different as well(Schmeichel/Howard, Cantona/Naismith).....
But it just shows that we have a number of players in the squad of top quality to compare with these two squads who were heralded for the number and quality of their younger players.
Although alot of people wont have much interest in this, i think it also shows how much Martinez has reshaped the squad since taking over, either with signings or trusting players to come in and get games.
I've always been a champion of bringing in young players and now am very happy to see our side under Martinez. I have been thinking on/off about the Man Utd team of 1995/96 and the Leeds side of 2000/01 both of which were heavily praised due to the ages of players in their squads.
So for my own interest i did a comparison...not sure if of interest to anyone but it shows a comparison of the games played and also the ages of the players in these successful teams.
I've only included those 25 or under:
Man Utd
Phil Neville 24 games (18)
Gary Neville 31 games (20)
Nicky Butt 32 games (20)
David Beckham 33 games (20)
Paul Scholes 26 games (21)
Ryan Giggs 33 games (22)
Lee Sharpe (24)
Roy Keane 29 games (24)
Andy Cole 33 games (24)
9 players average age = 21.44
Leeds Utd
Jonathan Woodgate 14 games (20)
Robbie Keane 18 games (20)
Alan Smith 33 games (20)
Stephen McPhail (20)
Paul Robinson 36 games (21)
Rio Ferdinand 26 games (22)
Harry Kewell 17 games (22)
Michael Bridges (22)
Ian Harte 29 games (23)
Lee Bowyer 38 games (23)
Danny Mills 23 games (23)
Eirik Bakke 29 games (23)
Mark Viduka 34 games (25)
13 players average age = 21.84
Everton
Brendan Galloway (19)
Mason Holgate (19)
Tyias Browning (21)
Gerard Deulofeu (21)
Ross Barkley (21)
John Stones (21)
Romelu Lukaku (22)
Muhamed Besic (23)
Ramiro Funes Mori (24)
James McCarthy (25)
10 players average age =21.6
I've cheated a little bit because ive added in Mason Holgate because he's now in the squad and as a "money signing" think he will make the breakthrough very soon.
I've also left out Matthew Pennington (21), Leandro Rodriguez(23) and Conor McAleny(23) as theyre not really 1st team. Also Brian Oviedo (25) as he's not really going to play much of a part this season i think....also Robles as he's clearly not 1st choice and unlikely to ever be so.
Anyway, the comparison shows:
Man Utd = 9 players avg age 21.44
Everton = 10 players avg age 21.6
Leeds Utd = 13 players avg age 21.84
Of course, the quality and positions of the players are different and also the more experienced players around them are vastly different as well(Schmeichel/Howard, Cantona/Naismith).....
But it just shows that we have a number of players in the squad of top quality to compare with these two squads who were heralded for the number and quality of their younger players.
Although alot of people wont have much interest in this, i think it also shows how much Martinez has reshaped the squad since taking over, either with signings or trusting players to come in and get games.
