When our players have a blip or an injury at 29 + yrs old, we wait for 6 months for them to get better. Liverpool & Manure tout there 29 yr olds around to any takers. Should bobby look at younger players rather than pay the money for a players last big transfer.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Answers

I certainly think we should be looking for fairly young players, ie 23-25 year olds. It depends on the position really. A centre back who is 29 may still have a good five years but a pacey striker might not have a long left.

There is so much risk in buying young players though, buying an older one brings experience and the knowledge that they have perhaps already shown they can perform at the highest level. Bellamy was a player who was a big risk we all thought at the start of the season. We wondered what Bobby was doing - he certainly didn't prove himself at Coventry. Although I would give him a fair crack, I wouldn't have really bought him myself. Happily he has proved most of us wrong but it was still a risk.

However, I say young players are risky, but people like Marcelino and Bassedas are 28/29 and these signings haven't really paid off. Some say Bassedas needs a run in the side to improve - as per Juan Pable Angel at Villa, but again this would be a risk where we could lose precious points from it. Marcelino certainly is a signing that didn't pay off. A seemingly established international centre back out of his depth.

The good youngsters generally want to go to the big teams, which means buying the big name players to attract them in. Luckily we have a few, but nowhere near the amount of Manure.

I don't think there is a simple answer, we really need a balance of youngsters and 29 year olds, but finding that balance isn't easy.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

I've said it before, but it's hard to be overly critical of Bobby as far as buying young players is concerned. With the exception of Bassedas most of his signings have been fairly young (Cort, Bellamy, Lua-Lua, O'Brien, Robert, Distin) or on the cheap (Acuna, Gallacher, Cordone, Elliot). I agree we need a balance but that's not an area that overly concerns me - the Cort, Bellamy & Lua-Lua signings (plus Ameobi beingin the first team squad & Offiong/Chopra waiting in the wings) suggest to me that we're making plans for Shearer's eventual retirement. Only other area where we're excessively old is in central midfield (and with Dyer to come back that should push the averag age down some more.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Dyer in the middle? With Robert AND Solano? Are you sure? Would that be with one of our heavy weight tacklers Lee/Speed/Acuna/Badass to boss the midfield? Are you sure?

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

We seem to be playing Solano and Robert with 2 from Lee, Speed and Acuna for the moment & none of them seem to be doing much in the way of bossing the midfield. Are you sure you would play any of that trio ahead of a fit Dyer in any role??? Anyway, my point was more about the age of the squad rather than the composition, I don't think there are many people who disagree about the need for us to boost the central midfield. And I'd better be seeing some bossing of the midfield from you tonight (or the attack of the defence, any would do) or I'll promote someone from the reserves......

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Breakdown of starting appearances:

Managers	U25	25-30	Over30	U25	25-30	Over30
Keegan	532	1980	308	19%	70%	11%
Dalglish	276	825	230	21%	62%	17%
Gullit	231	550	74	27%	64%	9%
Robson	425	1177	332	22%	61%	17%

Average age of benchwarmers:

Manager	Age
Keegan	25.69
Dalglish	26.98
Gullit	25.40
Robson	24.43

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Dyer in the middle with Solano and Robert on the wings AND Bellamy just behind AL and Cort. Now THAT is even scarier...

Ken

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Laurent Robert is 28, not exactly young, just in case you were mistaken. He's at his peak though I suppose.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001