How much does a team need older players?

[duffer]

Just saw a list of the oldest players to play for each team in the prem this season and the oldest player for Chelsea is only 27.

I don't like it. I think a team needs a balance. What thinks the Caf?

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Just saw a list of the oldest players to play for each team in the prem this season and the oldest player for Chelsea is only 27.

I don't like it. I think a team needs a balance. What thinks the Caf?

Think the balance all depends on what the older player has experienced. A younger squad that has experience winning trophies etc is fine.

Likewise, just having some older journeyman in the squad I don’t think contributes a ton

 

[sullydnl]

Even leaving aside whatever benefit you do/don't get from older players in the squad, not having any probably speaks to inefficient squad building.

 

[Dominos]

If I can choose whichever players I want, I'm pretty sure I could build a squad of players 27 or under that would win the league.

Experience for the sake of experience is the most overrated concept in football.

The reason you don't exclusively have a bunch of kids in your squad is they're not at their peak yet, and therefore the quality and consistency of performances isn't there. But you don't need to keep players on their last legs because they're experienced. Casemiro's experience right now is doing feck all to help us on the pitch because he can't run. I'd take a player who can run in his mid 20s than a player in his 30s who looks like he's running through cement.

I do think teams can suffer from holding on to players too long for the sake of their experience, we found that out when Ferguson retired and Moyes found that half his squad was way past their prime.

 

[MayosNoun]

We absolutely need experience.

 

[duffer]

I'm pretty sure I could build a squad of players 27 or under that would win the league.

Experience for the sake of experience is the most overrated concept in football.

The reason you don't exclusively have a bunch of kids in your squad is they're not at their peak yet, and therefore the quality and consistency isn't there. But you don't need to keep players on their last legs because they're experienced. Casemiro's experience right now is doing feck all to help us on the pitch because he can't run. I'd take a player who can run in his mid 20s than a player in his 30s who looks like he's running through cement.

I do think teams can suffer from holding on to players too long for the sake of their experience, we found that out when Ferguson retired and Moyes found that half his squad was way past their prime.

Even off the pitch the players in their 30s like Casimero, Evans, Eriksen, Bruno, Maguire, Lindelof have got to be a good influence on the likes of Mainoo, Yoro and the rest of your youngsters.

Chelsea haven't got anyone. Tosin only turned 27 this season and has a fraction of the experience.

We should've kept Azpi and Thiago Silva at the club.

 

[Dominos]

Even off the pitch the players in their 30s like Casimero, Evans, Eriksen, Bruno, Maguire, Lindelof have got to be a good influence on the likes of Mainoo, Yoro and the rest of your youngsters.

Chelsea haven't got anyone. Tosin only turned 27 this season and has a fraction of the experience.

We should've kept Azpi and Thiago Silva at the club.

Again I'm not sure where the evidence for this is? We're 13th in the table. I'm not sure there's anything positive you can assume about our dressing room culture.

Keeping a player who can't run anymore and is a liability to your team when they're on the pitch just so you can say you have an old head in your dressing room, I'm not convinced it's of huge value.

If we replace Chelsea's worst players with the best players in their position in world football who are 27 or younger, who's betting that suddenly you'd shoot up the table? No 36 year olds necessary. It's about quality.