Ageing squad?

Pogue Mahone

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Anyone else worried about the age profile of our squad? Just read a tweet (which is probably nonsense) about how we don’t want to sell McT because he’s our youngest central midfielder. He’s 26!

In terms of young talent coming through we’ve really only Garnacho who’s been trusted with many minutes this season. I’m sure we’re all enjoying Liverpool’s age related decline but they’ve given a fair bit of game time to the likes of Elliot, Carvalho and Bajcetic. We have a bunch of key players all around the big Three Oh without any obvious successors at the club.

As well as the usual shopping list (CF, CM, RB, GK) in the summer do we need to also work on lowering the age of our squad?
 
A good oldie will always be much better to have than a bad youngie.
 
It depends on what we want to do, doesn't it? If the manager and the directors believe that we are three key additions away from a proper title challenge, they should go all out to get the best available players in the market. The ones who will, most likely, have an immediate impact on the side. If you think you're ready to win the big ones, you go after for the likes of Kane. If the desired target happens to be entering his prime, like De Jong, all the better. But you don't focus on buying "future prospects". Remember when we had Rio/Vidic/Scholes/Giggs/Evra, all on the wrong side of 30 but with bags of experience and quality, plus Rooney and Carrick just about to turn 30? That's when you go and sign the best striker in the land. Which we did.

Right now, we have De Gea (32), Bruno (soon to turn 29), Eriksen (31), Varane (30), Casemiro (31), Shaw (soon to turn 28). That's six first team players. When you look at that, what worries you most? The average age of the squad, or the fact that we need to get our shit together asap? This squad needs to compete sooner rather than later. That should be its focus. Although, i wouldn't put it past the brilliant minds that run the club to take a U-turn next summer.

And it's not that much of a problem, more likely the tweet is ridiculous. Martinez (25), Malacia (23), Dalot (24), Marcus (25), Antony (23), Garnacho (18), Pellistri (21), Sancho (23), AWB (26). All these are players who have featured this season under ETH and, should they stay at the club, they all have more than 5 seasons ahead of them to perform at their very best of their abilities.
 
Ageist much?

Because the starting XI from the past regime is too shite, we need established players in their prime to settle the starting XI. Those happened to be our best players too. Varane, Casemiro, Eriksen.

Goalkeeper, CB, CM. Those positions usually have older average age too. Fernandinho, David Silva in their 30s used to be starters in City midfield along KDB, and Gundogan in their later mid 20. Now KDB Gundogan are in their 30, Rodri, Bernardo Silva are in later mid 20. RM was a bit more extreme with Modric longevity.

The issue with Liverpool is all their key players are pretty much in same age group. They burned out at the same time. Matip VVD Fabinho Henderson Thiago/Wjinaldum Firmino Salah Mane Ox Milner. Even Robertson and Naby Keita are not far away from 30. Even when they buy replacement, the matter is too urgent for the successor to have time to bed in and maintain smooth transition.

We're not there to start worry about it.
 
We are in excellent condition regarding age.
Attack- Rashford is 25, Antony and Sancho 23, Garnacho is under 20. Martial is oldest with 27.
Midfield- ok, they are all around 30 but 30 for midfielders is not a big deal.
Defence- whole defence is in the best football age. Younger than 27. Varane is close to 30 but he can still play next 4 or 5 years.
Gk- 30 is nothing for gk.

We are in perfect condition. Better than any of our rivals
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Anyone else worried about the age profile of our squad? Just read a tweet (which is probably nonsense) about how we don’t want to sell McT because he’s our youngest central midfielder. He’s 26!

In terms of young talent coming through we’ve really only Garnacho who’s been trusted with many minutes this season. I’m sure we’re all enjoying Liverpool’s age related decline but they’ve given a fair bit of game time to the likes of Elliot, Carvalho and Bajcetic. We have a bunch of key players all around the big Three Oh without any obvious successors at the club.

As well as the usual shopping list (CF, CM, RB, GK) in the summer do we need to also work on lowering the age of our squad?
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We've got plenty of young talent either on the fringes or cusp of the first team squad (a lot being on loan).

Mainoo, Hannibal, Garnacho, Pellestri, A. Fernandez, Amad I expect will all feature in some capacity next year after the second clear out this summer. You could probably add Laird to that list too if Dalot/AWB goes.
 
it’s a squad that needs to be in a position to challenge before Varane and Casemiro fall off a cliff physically, I’d guess in the next two years
 
Andycoleno9 said:
We are in excellent condition regarding age.
Attack- Rashford is 25, Antony and Sancho 23, Garnacho is under 20. Martial is oldest with 27.
Midfield- ok, they are all around 30 but 30 for midfielders is not a big deal.
Defence- whole defence is in the best football age. Younger than 27. Varane is close to 30 but he can still play next 4 or 5 years.
Gk- 30 is nothing for gk.

We are in perfect condition. Better than any of our rivals
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Totally agree. It’s all about balance. United are where they should be and we’ve only had one window under EtH.

I imagine he’ll again target a mix of established and younger players.
 
I think the reason Varane, Casemiro, Eriksen came in was to bring an influx of immediate quality so that we could even attempt to look like Man Utd again. I guess a signing like Kane would be a similar thing, except with the aim of winning major trophies in the short term. The problem with young players is you don't really have any guarantee of consistency or being ready. We needed those signings to reach a baseline level that allows us to be a top 4 club, and my God are we seeing how important they are at the moment.

But at some point we have to look at things. There's a reason Ferguson always spoke about different age profiles within the squad. That's certainly not a concept that is ever going to be outdated. It's just common sense in terms of succession planning, while maintaining enough experience within the squad.

The midfield is a particularly worrying spot. There's a danger we could head Liverpool's way if we don't address that soon. I would say strikers is nothing to do with age, we simply have nobody, we need somebody quality whether they're 42 or 22. Across the backline I would say quality is the issue more than age. A lot of prime players but backup CBs are not good enough, RBs probably not good enough, keeper probably not good enough. So there is an opportunity here to address this with sensible aged players given Varane is getting on.
 
  • Rashford - 24/25
  • Antony - 22/23
  • Sancho - 22/23
  • Garnacho - 18
  • Pellistri - 20/21
  • Martinez - 24/25
  • Shaw - 26/27
  • Malacia - 22/23
  • Dalot - 23/24
  • Wan bissaka - 24/25
All our flanks are young, central spine is 27+ bar Martinez. GK and ST is needed new anyway. Casemiro fine but we need younger and relevant backup. Midfield partner needed due to age.

Swap McTominay for someone like Lavia, swap Maguire for a young CB like Ahmedhodzic or Scalvini or Bella Kotchap, get Osimhen to go up top, and suddenly it all looks very healthy.

More of an issue if we sign Kane instead of Osimhen and don't address Casemiro/Varane backup
 
GlasgowCeltic said:
it’s a squad that needs to be in a position to challenge before Varane and Casemiro fall off a cliff physically, I’d guess in the next two years
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Yeah I think perhaps the issue is not that all your players are ancient, more that the players standing in the way of a return for say, McFred are both 31. If you solve that issue I think Utd have a pretty good balance of ages.
 
I'm worried about midfield because it's not physical enough for EPL, but don't think it's because of Casemiro and Eriksen getting old.
For Casemiro age seems to be a bit of a problem, but he was always surrounded by two excellent midfielders and only now has been paired with Eriksen (who isn't even a CM, and has always been a bit slow) in midfield two in the most physically demanding league.

It's not really a problem because we need to get Casemiro cover anyway. The problem though is what do we do with Casemiro partner in midfield because we're not buying two class midfielders on top of striker and GK (far more pressing issues). I think if Eriksen is still only ball-playing midfielder next season, we will get bullied regularly.

So yeah I am worried about not having any midfielder at the age of 20-25. McTominay can play in midfield just as in any other position on the pitch from CB to no10, so I don't really count him as a central midfielder.

Apart from midfield 2, we're pretty good and probably can do with Kane if he stays fit.
 
Borys said:
I'm worried about midfield because it's not physical enough for EPL, but don't think it's because of Casemiro and Eriksen getting old.
For Casemiro age seems to be a bit of a problem, but he was always surrounded by two excellent midfielders and only now has been paired with Eriksen (who isn't even a CM, and has always been a bit slow) in midfield two in the most physically demanding league.

It's not really a problem because we need to get Casemiro cover anyway. The problem though is what do we do with Casemiro partner in midfield because we're not buying two class midfielders on top of striker and GK (far more pressing issues). I think if Eriksen is still only ball-playing midfielder next season, we will get bullied regularly.

So yeah I am worried about not having any midfielder at the age of 20-25. McTominay can play in midfield just as in any other position on the pitch from CB to no10, so I don't really count him as a central midfielder.

Apart from midfield 2, we're pretty good and probably can do with Kane if he stays fit.
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Personally think we need to be looking at a Caicedo/Lavia type and then maybe look at a free agent like Kroos/Tielemans to provide that technical ability on the ball too
 
I alluded to this recently when I said I'd rather get a younger striker than Kane as we'd be having to replace the whole spine of the team over the next 2-3 years - De Gea, Varane, Casemiro, Eriksen and Kane
 
Teams are running through our midfield with absolute ease these days. I'd absolutely love both Caicedo and Mac Allister for their legs in there. Casemiro looks like he's aged 5 years in about 5 weeks and Eriksen can't run at all
 
Cutch said:
Teams are running through our midfield with absolute ease these days. I'd absolutely love both Caicedo and Mac Allister for their legs in there. Casemiro looks like he's aged 5 years in about 5 weeks and Eriksen can't run at all
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And we've all aged 5 years too watching it. Casemiro/Eriksen is OK for a 30-game season. Same with Varane. However, we play 60.
 
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