In our weekly EPL newspaper there was an article, Chris Graham, about when and how often to play young players as their bodies develop physically so as to limit the chances of injury, and curtailing a long career.

It raised some good points, using current players around the world as examples.

For instance, how Owen and Ronaldo continue to suffer from injury. Highlighting the fact that they had been playing a physically demanding sport at the top level since their late teens, while their bodies still developed. That serious injuries that occur at this stage will never really heal properly becuse the physical demands of the sport, the desire of managers and fans for the player to return to action quickly, often don't allow the injury to fully heal.

It also cited Harry Redknapp's approach to Joe Cole. Keeping the player back, only giving limited playing time etc, when Cole was considered to already have the skill for the EPL, and when the fans were desperate for the lad to play.

Tre

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2000

Answers

Alex Fergsuon's handling of his kids this time round has been like that. When he was at Aberdeeen he produced a a superb team, that won the Cup WInners Cup in 1983 and had an average age in the early 20s. Ten years later I think only Jim Leighton of them was playing professional football, the rest had burnt out.

You need to be strong manager, completely confident in your position to manager to control your own short term desire to succeed and look after the long term good of a young player

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2000

Giggs has had his fair share of injuries, as has Scholes, both from MU's system. Worse though was Roy Evans insitence on playing Owen week-in-week-out as a kid, I wondered at the time if he's be injury prone by the time he was 20. I'm inclined to think better of Harry Redknapp, he does hold Cole, and before him Lampard and Ferdinand back to stop burn-out. Cole is still not playing every match.

What about Kieron Dyer?

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2000