Average age

[Cocacolajojo1]

Here's the stats for the average age of the premier league squads, in a weird order. I nicked it from transfermarkt.

Manchester City 27,7
CHelsea 28,3
Manchester United 27,4
Arsenal FC 26,5
Liverpool 26,1
Tottenham 26,4
Everotn 27,1
Newcastle 26,4
Swansea 26,8
Southampton 26,1
West Ham 28,1
Sunderland 26,6
Aston Villa 24,7
Stoke 27,8
Fulham, 28,2
West Brom 28,5
Cardiff 26,1
Crystal Palace 28,1
Hull City 28,3

Although average age is a very rough estimate and doesn't single out the most important players' ages compared to the less important, I'm surprised by three things

1. Manchester United's squad is on average younger than than ours, not older. Not by much but still.
2. Arsenal's squad is not that young. In fact, of the top teams Newcastle, Tottenham and Liverpool out-age them. Or whatever you call it. Again, not by much but still. Considering Arsenal has this myth of producing youngsters on a regular basis you expect them to be further up than seventh in the league.
3. Aston Villa have by far the youngest squad, which makes me like them even more as underdogs. Oneill's Aston Villa always seemed so old (although I don't know if that was an impression matched by fact).

We have the twelth youngest squad, which is not necessarily bad but not good either. We were buying them young or youngish but of the players that came in this summer, only one wasn't 28 and that was Jovetic.

Cause for concern or nothing to worry about? For me, it's all about what the transfer window this summer brings and how many youngesters get the chance for sub apperances next season.

[Tesl]

Not very interesting, apart from Villa who are slightly younger almost every other squad is more or less the same on average.

And in what league position are Utd 3rd? For "in order of league position" almost every team is in the wrong position.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Not very interesting, apart from Villa who are slightly younger almost every other squad is more or less the same on average.

And in what league position are Utd 3rd? For "in order of league position" almost every team is in the wrong position.

Haha, yeah now that you say so... I just assumed but clearly didn't think it true.

There are differences on almost two years between a lot of clubs so not exactly "more or less the same on average".

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Average age means nothing; it's the age of the core best 15 that counts, the rest can be young kids or old pros in their last year and have little impact either way.

[blue-nova]

And how many times has Mourinho whined about his team being young, while ours is experienced?

[Chad]

I think this shows that over the next four transfer windows the squad needs to be freshened with younger players or they will get old together which slowed Chelsea down for at least two seasons.

The only player we bought in the summer who wasn't a finished product was Jovetic.

Going to be an interesting balancing act trying to get younger players, then trusting them enough to throw into the first team so they improve sufficiently.