Experience & Average Age

[Chali 2na]

After admiring the retained/released list I couldn't help but notice (as I'm sure many of you will have) just how young our new squad are. This prompted me to quickly work out the average age of the squad:

Including transfer listed players:
23.3

Excluding transfer listed players:
22.2

I have included development players, such as DCL, Willis, Brooks, Kelly, Reed & Whiteman on the basis that they are over 18 and one would assume they will figure at some point (If not, why keep them?) unless they go out on loan. Even so this figure is really low. So while I hope we do sign some young and hungry players, we may need a couple of older heads too.

I know a young squad can be successful, Barnsley have proven this, however their slump of winless games at the start of the season is testimony to the fact that young players can be inconsistent.

So thoughts? Comments? And more excitingly who can be our next Short/Shipperly/McCall?

 

[Jonboy60]

Does that include Hammond.

 

[FTPE]

It must do, he's retained but transfer listed.

 

[Gordon cowans]

Good op IMO,a old good pro around young ambitious players is the way foward,sadly every other club thinks the same.
I was surprised when kev nolan went to orient bcos he would have been ideal.
Maybe now we dont need to search and spend as sharp could be the father figure,but on the subject of transfers a centre half is absolute must to have any chance of success this season

 

[Droppingwell]

Agree it may need some experience. A hard as nails centre half with 200+ games under his belt, that will put his body on the line and dish out the necessary bollockings/encouragement when needed would be ideal.

 

[Chali 2na]

Does that include Hammond.

It must do, he's retained but transfer listed.

Hammond is included in the first figure, but not in the second.

 

[Chali 2na]

Agree it may need some experience. A hard as nails centre half with 200+ games under his belt, that will put his body on the line and dish out the necessary bollockings/encouragement when needed would be ideal.

Agreed, definitely in need of a senior, experienced centre half.

 

[FTPE]

I think the spine of your side could be around 30.
An experienced keeper, a solid experienced defender, a Gary Speed type play maker and a Rob Hulse type target man would work great with exciting, fast youngsters surrounding them.

 

[Benny and the Blades]

Easy peazy, now all we need to do is to find one and the jobs a gooden......

Oh hold on a bit isn't that what the last two managers were trying to do......

 

[PokerBlade]

It's a balance. The main benefits of young players are pace and potential. You can get an 18yo Jagielka but good luck to a side like us signing a ready made one. You can get an aged player and you know exactly what you're getting but you also know you're waiting for their pace to go and you won't recoup any money on a transfer later on. Plus the experience goes a long way in getting player through the tougher fixtures and any bad runs of form. Best is to have a limited number of Gillespies and Shipperleys and fill the rest of the side with young talent with big futures.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Wilder's first team at Northampton seemed to have a pretty high average age. So wouldn't be at all to see him pick up a few experienced "been there, done it" types. Difference is, they'll be from this level (or below), hopefully be more what's needed in this division, & won't cost a king's ransom.