Squad ages

[billycopper]

I've rounded these up. For example, Baines will be 26 later in the year.

Neville 33
Distin 33
Saha 32
Cahill 31
Howard 31
Yobo 30
Osman 29
Hibbert 29
Pienaar 28
Yakubu 28
Jagielka 28
Arteta 28
Heitinga 27
Baines 26
Senderos 25
Bily 25
Vaughan 22
Anichebe 22
Fellaini 22
Coleman 22
Gosling 20
Wallace 19
Baxter 18
Rodwell 18

Neville might have another couple of years in him. The trouble is where to play him. Fellaini has usurped him in midfield and Coleman is pushing hard for his place at right back. You'd expect him to make an excellent coach for the club.

We're going to have to sell Distin this summer while he's still got some resale value. He'd be fourth or fifth choice centre back behind Jagielka, Heitinga and Yobo in any case, which wouldn't suit him in the twighlight of his career. He's easily replaced by Senderos and Duffy.

It would be good to be able to bring both Saha and Cahill on as impact players. Both over 30, they're going to struggle to complete a full 90 minutes on a regular basis over the coming seasons. Hopefully Yakubu will rediscover his form and fitness to lead the line.

Howard will still have another 5 or more good years ahead of him.

Yobo, Osman and Hibbert are a concern. You'd expect all three to be squeezed out of the side. Are they happy being squad men? Is it in our interests to retain them as back up? Once they get to the other side of 30, their resale value will plummet. Do we cash in now and give players like Duffy, Coleman and Gosling the opportunity to come through in their place?

We do have a really good balance in the squad:

Experienced professionals (age 29+): Neville, Cahill, Saha, Distin, Yobo, Howard, Hibbert, Osman
Players in their peak (age 27-29): Jagielka, Arteta, Heitinga, Pienaar, Yakubu
Players approaching their peak (age 25-27): Bily, Senderos, Baines
Players establishing themselves (age 21-25): Vaughan, Anichebe, Fellaini, Coleman
Young players (age 18-21): Gosling, Wallace, Baxter, Rodwell

I'd personally like to see a little trimming of the experienced professionals, with investment going back in to players reaching their peak.

It is encouraging that we have so many young and emerging players in and around the first team squad.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Strange to see Osman so old. He's like one of those players that should always be in his early 20's. Hopefully some of the younger lads that Moyes has signed will start to challenge for the first team before long.

 

[billycopper]

I was surprised at how old Osman and Hibbert were myself. You expect them to be about 26 and on the cusp of guaranteeing themselves a weekly starting berth, don't you?

Senderos as a replacement for Distin are the types of moves we should be making, I feel. It wouldn't harm signing Senderos on a free and recouping some of the transfer fee that we paid for Distin either. He could still do a job for the likes of Hull or Wolves.

 

[Neiler]

I was surprised at how old Osman and Hibbert were myself. You expect them to be about 26 and on the cusp of guaranteeing themselves a weekly starting berth, don't you?

Senderos as a replacement for Distin are the types of moves we should be making, I feel. It wouldn't harm signing Senderos on a free and recouping some of the transfer fee that we paid for Distin either. He could still do a job for the likes of Hull or Wolves.

Distin was a bit of a mad move considering his age and money we spent - seemed we genuinely beleived Lescott would stay. Still when you see the season Dunne has had a Villa for the same money you woud have to say we could have done better. While its been said we had a choice of Gary Cahill or Distin and plummed for Distin.

I like Senderos and its a big game for him during the week IMO, i think he will prove an excellent snip. That said without doubt Duffy is the future, he has future captain writen all over him, while Mustafi looks like he has settled and is turning in good performences after a rocky start. Elsewhere Garbutt is going tobe international quality and Bidwell has a good chance as does Nsilia IMO. While we were strongly linked to Onuha again today.

Baxter could be the new Osman and Barkley will make the step up too. Hallem Hope is showing he is a good player and i think Akpan has a chance as well when hes on song hes on song.

Luckily these players may be able to step into the breach when the likes of Osman, Nev, Cahill and Distin call it a day.

A summer that may consist of the signing of of Nzogbia, Onuha and Beckford may give the squad another usefull shot of youth in the arm.

 

[spikeman]

I'm always suprised when I see Felli's age. He doesn't look 22 at all.

 

[Philw]

Tbh we need to be looking to the youth players now. The likes of Fellaini and Rodwell are going to be the mainstays of the team by the time we are truly capable of pushing for the top couple positions. By that time even Arteta, Jags, Yak, Pienaar (if he stays) etc will be the wrong side of 30. Being a defender maybe Jags will be more important for a longer time, but the others will be like Neville now, the experienced vets guiding the younger players, and probably not first choice. Thinking of it like that I'd almost be tempted to cash in on Pienaar this summer, and get someone young with potential to be as good as he is or better in 2-3 years.

 

[billycopper]

The concern is that if we lose someone like Neville or Cahill with all their experience, you can't replace them with someone straight out of the academy. You need someone coming into their prime to step into their shoes. We only currently have Bily, Senderos and Baines within that bracket. When that trio of players are reaching 30, the likes of Vaughan and Anichebe will be coming into their prime, which is ideal.

Darren Fletcher is the perfect example at United. At 26 years of age, he's at the ideal stage of his development to take over from Paul Scholes. Behind him is Darren Gibson, who's 22.

Beckford is 26, so he'd bridge the gap between Saha and Vaughan/ Anichebe perfectly. Being on a bosman would make him an excellent signing from a financial perspective too.

I'd like to see N'Zogbia come to us. He's 23, which makes him a 'generation' behind Baines and Bily. He could provide competition for the places of both players. You'd expect him to be fairly pricey though.

 

[Neiler]

The concern is that if we lose someone like Neville or Cahill with all their experience, you can't replace them with someone straight out of the academy. You need someone coming into their prime to step into their shoes. We only currently have Bily, Senderos and Baines within that bracket. When that trio of players are reaching 30, the likes of Vaughan and Anichebe will be coming into their prime, which is ideal.

Darren Fletcher is the perfect example at United. At 26 years of age, he's at the ideal stage of his development to take over from Paul Scholes. Behind him is Darren Gibson, who's 22.

Beckford is 26, so he'd bridge the gap between Saha and Vaughan/ Anichebe perfectly. Being on a bosman would make him an excellent signing from a financial perspective too.

I'd like to see N'Zogbia come to us. He's 23, which makes him a 'generation' behind Baines and Bily. He could provide competition for the places of both players. You'd expect him to be fairly pricey though.

I think you could group our squad into the early 30s, Mid twenties, early twenties and kids. Certainly as time goes by and if the last few transfer windows are anything to go by we have one eye on the future im not to concerned presently.

I have a sneaky feeling Nzogbia may have a buy out clause in his contract, the deal which took him there was very rushed and surprising to be honest.

Who i would go for in the summer:

Beckford
Multari
Shawcross
Nzogbia

Who i think we will get

Beckford
Nzogbia
Onuhua

 

[blue_kate]

I don't think the age of our squad is anything to worry about this season. I can see it happening in the future, but right now we need all the players we can get and by the time all those players reach 32/33, our youngsters will have naturally replaced them in the squad when they are good enough.

 

[billycopper]

I don't think that our situation is as pressing as at a lot of clubs. Chelsea's average age is something like 29, for example. Infact, I think we're in really good shape. There's always room for improvement though, isn't there?

I think we're pretty well covered at centre back. If we sell Distin in the summer and sign Senderos, that will give us Jags and Jonny as the first choice pairing, with Yobo and Senderos as senior back up. We'd still have Duffy and Mustafi to come in behind them. Neville, Rodwell and Hibbert could always cover in an emergency too. We've got about 4 options at right-back. The weakness is at left back, which is where N'Zogbia would come in very nicely, if he was affordable.