If we sign Karagounis, then the Fulham over 30's 1st team would be complete!
Schwarzer 39
Baird 30
Hughes 32
Hangeland 31
Riise 31
Davies 32
Diarra 31
Karagounis 35
Duff 33
Petric 31
Berbatov 31
The average age of this team would be 32.35 years.
I realise this may not be everyone's starting eleven. Jol's starting eleven against West Ham was aged 30.91 years.
If we establish a 1st team selection policy of over 30's it will give time for developing players like Stockdale, Briggs and Kasami to spend more time out on loan, e.g. in Kasami's case that would give him 10 years out on loan before he can qualify for the 1st team.
Perhaps, Jol is attempting to change the negative perceptions people may have of the older professional 1s team footballer?
Last year at this time you could have named an XI with an average age of 31.45 of the oldest players in the squad.
Looking at that team Davies is nowhere near the starting XI and has been told he can leave, Schwarzer is one of the oldest players in the Premier lge so that does not help in any of these type of calculations.Baird is 3rd choice RB now.
How about Richardson, Dejagah & Dave who 27, 26 & 27 years old. What about Kaca & Frei both U21 challenging for the squad. Senderos who some would have starting is only 27.
Your all trying to look for problems wher really its the cirumstances that have made us have to get some older players in. Its almost like for like age wise for some who have left, but a number of those players who have gone had run their course with Fulham, time to move on.
A squad with 11 over 29 is not such a problem as people make out.
With that XI named take out Schwarzer, Davies, Baird and replace with Stockdale, Kaca & Reither the average drops to: 30.7. Thats with out say the 3 others I mentioned who could start which would bring it even lower.
30 is still too high, but I can see what Jol & the club are doing and its a slow process to change the team, but we are waiting (And its two years away) for a couple of the development squad to push on.
That would be a formidable side in an over 30 league!
I am not going to get overly caught up in the average age of this seasons squad as long as it is good enough to keep Fulham in the Prem. There are so many other good things to worry about this year that I think I'll let the over 30 thing slide and spend my worry dollars (pounds/euros/insert currency here) on the following until the January window opens:
1. Do we have the squad depth to survive any injuries to key players? I think we are set at forward but if Diarra or Riise go down it looks troubling to me.*
2. Will we be trying to sign an almost entire new side when all the players who have contracts expiring during the summer of 2013 don't re-sign?
3. How quickly can Fulham push Emmerson Hyndman through the Academy so that we have a Texan in the first team to keep Hatter's cardiovascular system working at a sufficiently high level without the need of any pesky exercise. :005:
The one thing Fulham have seemed to spend a vast amount of time and resources on over the past several years is the Academy so I am going to trust that some youth will either be making their way through or Jol and McIntosh will identify some younger players to sign next summer.
*Caveat - I feel it is my right as a Fulham fan to worry about the Fulhamish things that may never happen.
Have no issue with the ages of the players, they will be replaced. We could happily replace Schwarzer, Hughes, Davies, Duff, and Karagounis with younger options. The average age will have a decent drop over the next 18 months I think. As long as we continue to bring through the likes of Kaca, I have no problems. I'd rather the player be 32 than playing someone young just for the sake of it.
barry, my first thought too, what a team for over 30 league. I think the thread was started tongue in cheek but some younger defenders needed next year. Senderos...25??ish.
It's the massive investment in the academy that is supposed to be the future of the club but that's probably two years away.
Meanwhile the developing kids have wonderful role models to train with and learn from.
None of our older players are unfit and at the end of the road.
Some of these players may very well still have 2 or 3 years at this level. However, even though this is a pretty impressive over 30's team :027: I know that many of these players will not start every game. If Riise has health issues we still have Briggs, and now Richardson can play LB.
Personally I was hoping that we would have brought in a bit of defence this year. Unfortunately, no!
We still have some good prospects, and with some good scouting we could greatly lower the age and improve the squad.
Looks a very good team selection to me.
That is a shockingly strong side.
