United take on Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
John Carver expects an Aston Villa team with a “new lease of life” to provide a tough test in todays Premier League encounter at St James’ Park.
So another tough test after we were thumped 5-0 by defending champions Manchester City last time out in a game that marked the low point in a run of just one win in their last eight.
A home match against relegation-threatened Villa – who have not won in the league since December 7 – presents a chance for Newcastle to end that dismal streak and repay the fans for last weeks diabolical performance.
Talking ahead of the game JC was quick to point out that “I’ve seen the difference in Villa straight away under Tim,” Carver said. “They are going front to back a bit quicker.”Villa have got a new lease of life, more energy, and it won’t be an easy game for us.”
Jonas Gutierrez is in the senior squad for the first time since recovering from testicular cancer.
And while Jonas could be in line for an emotional return, and give the fans a bit of a boost, United still have a host of injury issues to deal with.
Remy Cabella is a doubt with a knee problem that forced him to miss the drubbing at the Etihad Stadium,( which after revealing that he would miss the game on social media on friday it would seem he isn’t a doubt anymore) while Jack Colback is suspended. Teenage winger Rolando Aarons (hamstring) is still out and is joined on the sidelines by Siem de Jong (lung), Paul Dummett (knee), Robert Elliot (thigh), Steven Taylor (Achilles) and Cheick Tiote (knee).
Newcastle Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini (c), Williamson, Haïdara; Obertan, Sissoko, Abeid, Ameobi; Rivière, Cissé.
Subs Woodman, R.Taylor, Anita, Gouffran, Gutierrez, Armstrong, Perez.
Villa Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Clark, Lowton, Sinclair, Delph, Cleverley, Westwood, Agbonlahor, Benteke.
Subs Given, Bacuna, Weimann, Sanchez, Gil, N’Zogbia, Grealish.
MM I found drinking j/b and coke left a lot more room for more Dickman pies 😀
icedog(Quote)
Ice, Came home Friday night, better thanks. He is very frail though and mum too. Hazel took him out in his wheelchair to see her new car this afternoon, he loved it .
kimtoon(Quote)
KIM cheers at least he’s out mate
icedog(Quote)
Ice, Scotch or Southern comfort was my panacea mate, works every time.
kimtoon(Quote)
Icedog@451, aaah for the good old days eh mate ? :-).
Munich Mag(Quote)
Reet …I’m off…. nighty night 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
😆 bye mm
kimtoon(Quote)
KIM never been a scotch man,I have a lot of friends that own bars in Malta
everyone of them drink JB whisky its white,they say its the best/strongest whiskey on the market,you had any?
icedog(Quote)
MM laters mate
icedog(Quote)
Ice Bush Malt is the best mate 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
DAVE that’s a new one on me mate,I just had one JB it blew my heed off so if that’s stronger I dread to think it might get me thinking jabba is a canny bloke lol
icedog(Quote)
Ice I am not sure if its stronger but Black Bush is the best I have tried and I have been through some amount of whiskey in my time, saying that it’s only at xmas etc that I would have one or 2 now
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave it’s not insulting, it’s childish, which isn’t my speed I guess.
MDS(Quote)
Had to back off the whiskey myself, and most hard stuff really. I enjoy my beer, wine at the odd dinner. Keep the brown stuff for special occasions
MDS(Quote)
MDS I have become a red wine lover over the last yr. 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave always had in it on occasion but learned to really enjou it the last few years
MDS(Quote)
Rumours circulating that profit could have been as much as £65m last year.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy: that could be close. I was figuring about 40 mil however I forgot that the fiscal year ends June 30th when Fatty had trousered 20 mil for Cabaye but had not spent any money on summer recruits. I am wondering if there will be uproar, or if the club will make a statement that some of the profit is earmarked for new players. Whatever they say it is quite an amazing turnaround from relegation and puts us on a good footing if Fatty would only invest some of it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry, meant Stuart, Duh.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
@370
“That’s 11 players that will need replaced and that’s just replacing what leaves. We’re already a striker and centre half shirt today so that’s 13 players that need to be brought in. That’s scanderlous! ”
Brilliant
And when you’ve brought in those 13 players (who I assume will be aged 21 or over) you will need to sit down and count all the over-age players that you’ve ended up with:
4 GK
Krul, Elliot, Darlow, Alnwick
8 DF
Janmaat, Haidara, Dummett, New CB, Colo, Willo, Lascelles, Good
7 MF
Abeid, Anita, Cabella, Colback, De Jong, Marveaux, Obertan
5 FW
New Striker, Riviere, Perez, Gouffran, Sammy Ameobi
11 Replacements for:
Santon, S Taylor, Sissoko, Tiote, Cisse, Jonas, Chucky, Vuckic, Bigirimana, Ferguson, Ryan Taylor
and then you’ll need to work out how you’re going to fit 35 players into a 25 man squad.
Chris G(Quote)
I just lifted this from SSN app and thought it was worth sharing as I know people have had issue with the age of our squad and our need for older players as our young squad needs leaders.
Oldest and youngest XIs
Last Updated: 18:59 01/03/15
Liverpool fielded the youngest starting XI in the Premier League this weekend to beat Manchester City – the oldest side in the division this season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side – which included the likes of Lazar Markovic (20 years old), Raheem Sterling (20), and Emre Can (21) – averaged just 24 years and 100 days but beat reigning champions Man City 2-1 to boost their top-four hopes.
In contrast to their hosts, City began the game with the third-oldest line-up seen in England’s top flight in this round of fixtures.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men – who counted Yaya Toure (31), Pablo Zabaleta (30) and Aleksandar Kolarov (29) among their number – averaged 28 years and 211 days.
City also have the oldest average starting XI over the course of the whole season: 28 years and 283 days.
Tottenham have, on average, the youngest line-up in this campaign at 24 years and 352 days.
After the match at Anfield, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said City must inject youth into their squad to maintain their era of success.
He said: “That’s been a great Man City team we’ve watched for the last three or four years, but where are the young 23, 24-year-olds?
“Who are the players to take this team forward?”
Youngest starting XIs this weekend
Liverpool v Man City: 24years 100days
Arsenal v Everton: 25y 237d
West Brom v Southampton: 26y 73d
Oldest starting XIs this weekend
Liverpool v Man City: 28years 211days
West Brom v Southampton: 28y 344d
Sunderland v Man Utd: 29y 214d
Average age of starting XIs in the Premier League this season
Tottenham: 24 years 352 days
Liverpool: 25y 229d
Southampton: 26y 54d
Newcastle: 26y 56d
Man Utd: 26y 103d
Arsenal: 26y 138d
Aston Villa: 26y 308d
Chelsea: 27y 26d
Swansea: 27y 28d
West Ham: 27y 32d
Burnley: 27y206
Hull City: 27y 207d
Stoke City: 27y 225d
West Brom: 28y 27d
Sunderland: 28y 64d
Crystal Palace: 28y 73d
Leicester: 28y 75d
Everton: 28y 125d
QPR: 28y 216d
Man City: 28y 283d
Interesting, the team that a lot of people think we should be challenging (Spurs) have the youngest squad. Saints who have been great this season, and have a youth system I think we should be adopting are 3rd.
It’s also worth noting that the 3 teams above us are managed by young, modern football managers. Maybe with right manager and a couple of players with leadership qualities in the summer, then this squad isn’t doomed after all.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Chris G
March 2, 2015 at 06:30
That’s not my problem i’m afraid. It’s the gross mismanagement that has left us in this position.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy – How can you come up with that conclusion? You seem to have forgotten that our squad is littered with average players. It’s not age that matters the most, it’s quality.
Also every club would like to emulate Southampton but they have produced international after international and we have produced….
Stuart79(Quote)
Still tight in the fight for the top 8, but I think the top 3 can expect to be there, and the way Inter Yasista are going you’d have to expect they’ll be there as well. Touch and go for the next 4, though.
1 Stripes and no stars 63
2 Solano’s Trumpet 60
3 Haven’t Got a Kalou 55
4 Inter Yasista 51
5 Newbriscastle Roar 49
6 Newkie’s Ale Stars 48
7 Joshua 45
8 WHY SO SERIOUS ? 45
9 Niknak Utd 44
10 Natalie Sawyer No.1 42
brisvegas(Quote)
Stu when did you say the club accounts are released ?
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave – will be released to us minians at tonights pointless fans forum.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – do you believe that all of our players are performing to their maximum ability at the moment mate? – I certainly don’t, and yes I agree that we need to improve, but if we can get the right manager in to get the best out of players we already we’d look a lot better than we do now.
I’ll have that our squad isn’t as strong as the top 7 at the moment – Chelsea, City, Arsenal, Utd, Lpool, Saints and Spurs. West Ham may have greater strength in depth since last summer, but I think our current squad is as good as Swansea, Stoke and the rest of them.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu @ 476 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Well I think our defence is performing as well as it can, as I believe individually we are poor in that area Janmaat aside. Hadaira will be a good player I hope but not yet. As for midfield really apart from Sissoko there’s not much ‘class’ in there. Colback, Obertan, Sameobi and Abeid? Up front there’s literally only Cisse, so all in all, no Sharpy I don’t think we have a good quality squad in my opinion.
Stuart79(Quote)
ICE@458,Sorry got side tracked last night. No never had that mate, I just drink what evers behind the bar 😆 Dad always had mostly blended whiskeys in the house, and the odd bottle of single malt which he’d hide away 🙄 Don’t drink much nowadays as can’t really looking after Lew,as need to stay on the ball. There is a one made called Bruicladdich x4 single malt which is distilled over 10 years from the Isle of Islay it’s 92% proof, said to be the strongest and they say more than 2 spoonfulls will render the average person unconscious 😯 Think I will order a bottle for Jabba with a message attached saying get stuck in.
kimtoon(Quote)
Yet another example of proper football club owners (who are in it for enjoyment) at QPR. They have just wrote off £60m worth of loans to the club. Turned into equity. That’s what owners do who aren’t in it to make money.
We end up with an owner who not only increases our debt but also want it back on top of the profit he makes from selling the club. What chance do we have?
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – are you looking at the squad as a whole, or just the players available to us at the moment?.
Defensively we absolutely need to strengthen, but Colo and Janmaat are good individual players – Dummett and Haidara are good prospects. But as a defensive unit, we are awful at the moment and better organisation is needed. For example, Stoke don’t have world class defenders, but they are well organised and know their role. Pullis has done that with WBA since going there too.
Midfield – I agree that we need to improve the quality, particularly in wide areas. But I think Sissoko, Colback and Tiote/Abied are a decent midfield 3 – again, lacking organisation and consistency.
I think Cabella has shown signs of being class – what the hell has happened to Aaron’s I don’t know?! and Sammy is canny but I worry his Astma may always stop him being as good as we need. – but again, under the direction of a better manager/coaching staff I think we could see better.
Forwards – yes, in terms of goals I think Cisse is it at the moment unfortunately. Perez looks very good, but I’m not sure he’s a 15 goals a season man. Riviere has been disappointing and so far he’s the new Leon Best for me. Armaz hasn’t had his chance and I’m starting to wonder if Chucky is even really a person?!.
I don’t think Stoke or Swansea have quality throughout – but they are coached very well and are really well organised. Each player knows their role and perform constantly – we don’t and that’s down to poor management & coaching.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, I am just saying that I don’t believe our players are that particularly good individually. Especially in key areas. We have such a huge rebuilding job on our squad it’s freightening and they showed last summer they’re not up to it when it comes to improving the squad. We haven’t improved as a whole since we bought Cabaye etc…
Stuart79(Quote)
But on the other hand, Sharpy, it depends where we want to finish. I think we can break into the top 7 if we invested the money we generate and with our much praised scouts. However, to finish mid table then we only need a striker and a centre half. But don’t forget we will also need to replace Sissoko which could take a couple of years as we still haven’t replaced Ba or Cabaye.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – yeah, I was suggesting that this current squad was good enough to compete with those outside the top 7 (barring maybe WHU). After tonight’s announcement, we could well have a kitty to be able to properly improve.
Regarding Sissoko – I’m not sure the clubs he wants to go to will come in for him this summer. I’m not sure he’s top 4 or CL personally, and I think the likes of Arsenal will want more high profile players.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu – re your post on QPR and their management – they have still posted a £9.8m loss though mate – and look highly likely to get relegated this season.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu, Sharpy, I thinmk I’d be somewhere between the two of you – current squad, in order to compete at the top of the mini-league outside the top-6 probabkly needs another reliable striker and centre back, however well coached it is, because if Cisse’s out we lack a goalscorer and we are seeing the deficit in defence. At the least it needs a leader figure, either in defence or centre mid. Saints are falling away again, and for all the hype aren’t all that individually, but they are very well drilled, Stoke even more so. WHU – well, much as I dislike him, I wonder how they’ll do post-Allardyce, and Swans are average, so a bit of investment should get us top-half cemented. Interesting summer ahead – if its a new coahc, Sissoko kept, or at least replaced properly, plus investment in a handful of genuine first team players, then we do have (modest) footballing ambition. If its bargain signings only and a couple of purples out under Carver then I think it’ll be a struggle.
GTE(Quote)
Sharpy – The reason QPR might get relegated is because of gross mis-management by the 2 previous managers, not because of the owners spending money. Let’s be honest, losing £9.8m in football terms is nothing and it’s even less when you have an owner willing to right loans and losses off.
Stuart79(Quote)
I dunno Stu – it was this owner that backed Floppy Chops to buy Rio! I end up seeing a few QPR matches with my boy and it is a lovely club, and the fans I sit with do think the owner means well, but they also think he’s hopelessly out of his depth and that that has wasted a lot of moiney and leaves them deep in the ****, hoping that they can be a few points better than the mackems over the next 11 games 😀
GTE(Quote)
GTE – The big problem in your hope of a new coach is we won’t get one. Ashley doesn’t see th value in paying a good coach good money when there’s a freebie available who will continue to keep the club in th PL without muttering a single thing.
Stuart79(Quote)
But he’s put his money where his mouth was, GTE. He’s not run away from that, he’s actually written off the cash and said we will start again. Fair play in my book.
Stuart79(Quote)
Completely fair play – Fernandex seems to realose that owning a footbakll club brings withnit responsibilities, which almost all of them fail to get.
I’m sure we won’t get a fancy new coach. Well, we might get a new coach if we stop taking flights to away ganes, but we every point dourly ground is another point nearerto Carver’s full time apporinment. Let me dream man!
GTE(Quote)
I’m not having that the measure of a good owner is one that puts his money where his money is like, and the same could be said about Ashley – ‘he meant well’ when he first came in.
I think we will replace Carver, but it will be Garde or McClaren IMO – but Fat Sam could be without a club in the summer too like 😕 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/761029758?-11058:809:t
😯 😯 😯 what the **** do they work on on that training pitch 😳 😳 😳
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy see @ 411
Big Dave(Quote)
I actually can’t get over those comments on Sammy taking corners & set pieces!!.
It actually angers me that JC has been head coach for 4 yrs with Stone having been in there long term as well – and it’s taken a scout that saw Sammy take a corner 10yrs ago – that’s outrageous IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Dave – 😳 :lol:. That is truly ****** up!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Dave – when JC was given the gig til the end of the season, I was ready to give the bloke a chance, and depending on how these few months went I would have got behind his permanent appointment in things were going well …. Now, with admission like that – I don’t want him or Stone in the club at all anymore!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy I am still amazed that he admitted to that, does he not realise how stupid that makes him look ❓ Normally nowt surprises me at our club but this did 😳
Big Dave(Quote)
Sharpy17
March 2, 2015 at 12:07
Of course the measure of a good owner is backing up the words money and actually spending it to improve the club. Look at City, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Stoke and Hull. The owners have all put money in to improve the standard of the club. Has Ashley done that? No is the answer. Even when he first arrived, every player we bought was dependant on a player leaving to fund it. The only money he has ever put into this football club has been to pay of a mortgage on the ground, a overdraft (and by the way he had no choice in paying them of as it was part of the loan agreements that upon sale of the club they would be repaid and finally he put money in to cover losses acrued when we got relegated. His fault by the way.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – City have spent around £250m just in Pelligrinis time there (around 2yrs) and yes they won the league last year – but they are winning **** all this year mate. It showed the list of players on MOTD2 that City have brought in with that money, and they weren’t great.
It’s not just about putting your money where is, it’s about spending it wisely.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy – City’s owners have spent a lot of that money building the best training facility in the world, increasing the capacity of the ground and also regenerating one of the worst area’s of Manchester. They will also be making a profit next year which will mean the owner no longer has to put money in. I would say it’s money well spent when you consider what the club will be worth in a decades time.
Our owner on the other hand has done what? Give us a club that can produce it’s own water!
Stuart79(Quote)
And I don’t think a club has ever won something every single season, but I will have to check. So regardless of the amount of investment made you don’t win everything all the time, but you don’t have have fun competing I imagine!
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – they’ve spent crazy money – and haven’t they been hit by FFP regulations as well?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
But look what they have for their money, Sharpy. They didn’t do it just out of the goodness of their heart to help City. They have got more publicity for Abu Dabi than they could have ever dreamt of. That was a major reason for investing in City. Now they are in a different phase of their investment and it includes the club being self sufficient which they will be next year. The club now have a great foundation to be successfull long after the Arabs guys have left.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – maybe you’re right, but I hate it. I hate hundreds of millions being folked out like that. The fees & wages they are shelling out non world class players makes it impossible for clubs like us to compete for top 4 – and so difficult for the likes of Liverpool & Spurs to compete for top 4 regularly.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy – It is no different to how football has always been. The only difference is the fee’s are higher nowadays, but it’s all relative I suppose.
Many other companies in the business world get taken over and invested in, it’s called free capitalism I suppose.
Stuart79(Quote)
Easy to waste money in football, or get very little return. Look at the net spend per season table over the last five years and its clear that Sunerland, Villa, Hull and QPR have wasred a load of money. Stoke, West Ham, Palace, WBA getting more or less what they ought for the cash, Saints and Swansea moderately overperfoaming, and Everton, Spurs and us massively over-performing. I’m not looking for huge cash investment, just more competitive net spend and to take player (fees plus wages) spend as a % of turnover to low average levels, as opposed to lowest in the league levels.
Per Season
1 Manchester City £65,610,000
2 Chelsea £55,641,800
3 Manchester United £54,740,000
4 Liverpool £26,036,000
5 Arsenal £19,165,000
6 West Ham £16,460,000
7 Queesn Park Rangers £13,620,000
8 Stoke City £10,775,000
9 Hull City £10,185,000
10 Crystal Palace £7,047,000
11 Aston Villa £6,220,000
12 Southampton £6,780,000
15 Sunderland £5,816,000
14 Leicester £5,630,000
15 West Bromwich Albion £5,352,200
16 Swansea £1,293,000
17 Everton £796,800
18 Newcastle £250,000
19 Burnley -£1,490,000
20 Tottenham -£4,370,000
GTE(Quote)
Stu – I agree with that mate, I just find the way Chelsea, City & Utd spend pretty vulgar to be honest. I seriously hope Utd don’t make 4th spot and win nowt – likewise with City.
GTE – I agree with that. That table just shows how ridiculous our spending has (or hasn’t) been.
Sharpy17(Quote)
See the Chron reporting us linked to another trench of cheaper than chips players. Oh joy! Then they tell us that Benitez might leave Napoli in the summer 😆
georgio(Quote)
What the table also shiows, Sharpy, is that lots of clubs make net losses, often big losses, year on year, yet also have sustained net spend on transfers – for the owners presumably the coming TV deal is the bonanza they were waiting for, either to get bought out, or to rake in some profit. Personally I think it’s all a big Ponzi scheme, and we’ll see net spend go through the roof for the next couple of seasons, as the TV money is frittered away on higher fees and wages> at the same time we’ll see a few club sales. I don’t think that we need to,or should, follow the ‘throw money at players’ route – although we will need to increase squad wages and net spend – but sadly I doubt we’ll be one of the clubs on the market.
GTE(Quote)
GTE – Owning a football club is like owning race horses, only the richest are truly successful and they have to invest a fortune to get the infrastructure in place for it to run itself in the end. It’s not all about money with these guys, or they wouldn’t be investing in these sports.
Stuart79(Quote)
For the Qataris and the Oligarchs I agree, Stu, but for the owners from Spurs and Liverpool down, I’m **** sure its at least as significantly about the money.
GTE(Quote)
Most of those owners have taken on debt / organised debt vehicles, as they are called to purchase the clubs in the first place – that’s the case for Man Utd, Liverpool, Spurs, Villa, mackems, Wesh Ham, WBA, Palace, Saints and Hull – so these clubs all need a clear prospect of increased future profits to avoid the debts being called in. Everton, Swansea and Stoke weren’t bought in this manner, but have to maintain debt to fund the playing squad. In a way we have the same situation, in that we owe Ashley, but at least no interest payable. Only Arsenal,having got the stadium built, are a really viable operation, apart from City and Chelsea, with the pumps already primed. **** right its about the money, not the love.
GTE(Quote)
That’s why I said only the rich are truly successful, GTE.
Stuart79(Quote)
GTE – The clubs you say were bought with debt is slightly dissingenious as only Man Utd’s owners used someone else’s money to purchase the club. The rest of the clubs were bought by owners using their own money and that is a huge, huge difference! In fact, some you mentioned now have little to no debt as the owners have converted it into equity.
Stuart79(Quote)
Bris @474 – Appreciate the mind games, let the top 4 get complacent eh? 😆
Sharpy – your team took another battering this week I see, seems I’ve got your place wrapped up 😛
Newkie(Quote)
Also how jammy are Sunderland, Brown card overturned and not given to O’shea? They both fouled him for me, but obviously O’Shea was the one who shouldhave been sent off. How is he not getting the ban instead? 😐 Still, Brucey has a decent record against them I think, fingers crossed he smashes them tomorrow
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie – I made a major **** up this week – I had Costa, Hazard, Kane and Eriksen left in my team – Costa (c) and Kane (vc) as well 👿 I don’t realise until about 1.30pm on Saturday when it was too late to change it 🙁
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kara Mbodji is the real deal, and if we bring him, can honestly say we have a decent future in defense with Dummett Lascelles and him coming, and with Taylor and Coloccini
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
Hilarious comment from Carver, Four years of coaching Sammy and it takes an academy scout to tell him that.
Along with not bothering to watch our players at the ACON or when they are out on loan. He really has made such an effort 🙄
I remember an interview Ferguson did when he was going through his regular routine: On Saturday, Watch early kick off, Man utd Match 3pm, Watch 5:30 kick off, Attend match on Sunday, Attend match on Monday night, Man utd Champions league match on Tuesday, Go to champions league match on Wednesday, Watch Europa league ties on Thursday, Champ/lg1/2 on Friday night. Watch god knows how many dvds of foreign leagues, Jonhsons paint trophy, Internationals, Carling cup he could get his hands on just to keep an eye on potential signings or opposition
Thats along with Tactics, training, dealing with players, attending practically every reserve/youth team match and carrying out his media
duties.
That’s what’s needed and our head coach makes himself look more and more unsuited everytime he opens his mouth…
CC(Quote)
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/761149159?-11058:809
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy17
March 2, 2015
I just lifted this from SSN app and thought it was worth sharing as I know people have had issue with the age of our squad and our need for older players as our young squad needs leaders.
Oldest and youngest XIs
Last Updated: 18:59 01/03/15
Liverpool fielded the youngest starting XI in the Premier League this weekend to beat Manchester City – the oldest side in the division this season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side – which included the likes of Lazar Markovic (20 years old), Raheem Sterling (20), and Emre Can (21) – averaged just 24 years and 100 days but beat reigning champions Man City 2-1 to boost their top-four hopes.
In contrast to their hosts, City began the game with the third-oldest line-up seen in England’s top flight in this round of fixtures.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men – who counted Yaya Toure (31), Pablo Zabaleta (30) and Aleksandar Kolarov (29) among their number – averaged 28 years and 211 days.
City also have the oldest average starting XI over the course of the whole season: 28 years and 283 days.
Tottenham have, on average, the youngest line-up in this campaign at 24 years and 352 days.
After the match at Anfield, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said City must inject youth into their squad to maintain their era of success.
He said: “That’s been a great Man City team we’ve watched for the last three or four years, but where are the young 23, 24-year-olds?
“Who are the players to take this team forward?”
Youngest starting XIs this weekend
Liverpool v Man City: 24years 100days
Arsenal v Everton: 25y 237d
West Brom v Southampton: 26y 73d
Oldest starting XIs this weekend
Liverpool v Man City: 28years 211days
West Brom v Southampton: 28y 344d
Sunderland v Man Utd: 29y 214d
Average age of starting XIs in the Premier League this season
Tottenham: 24 years 352 days
Liverpool: 25y 229d
Southampton: 26y 54d
Newcastle: 26y 56d
Man Utd: 26y 103d
Arsenal: 26y 138d
Aston Villa: 26y 308d
Chelsea: 27y 26d
Swansea: 27y 28d
West Ham: 27y 32d
Burnley: 27y206
Hull City: 27y 207d
Stoke City: 27y 225d
West Brom: 28y 27d
Sunderland: 28y 64d
Crystal Palace: 28y 73d
Leicester: 28y 75d
Everton: 28y 125d
QPR: 28y 216d
Man City: 28y 283d
Interesting, the team that a lot of people think we should be challenging (Spurs) have the youngest squad. Saints who have been great this season, and have a youth system I think we should be adopting are 3rd.
It’s also worth noting that the 3 teams above us are managed by young, modern football managers. Maybe with right manager and a couple of players with leadership qualities in the summer, then this squad isn’t doomed after all.
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And they aren’t afraid to sell top players.
Spurs and Southampton are exactly who we should be emulating. Both clubs know they can’t spend with the big boys so they try to develop their own young players, will sell top players for silly money, and then reinvest the profit on even more up and coming young players. Then hire an innovative manager to coach then up.
MDS(Quote)
Before all hell breaks loose after the publication of the accounts. I have seen quite a few people slate the Toon front office for offering a “derisory” contract to Aarons. He definitely has potential, but why would the club offer a major deal to a 19-year old sicknote? I really hope that he will get over his problems but bad hamstrings tend to follow a player and cause multiple other injuries (Michael Owen). He is only 19 though, so there may be hope, but this one time I think the club are being prudent.
Now watch him leave and become the next Paul Pogba 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oops. Didn’t mean to copy Sharpy’s whole post. Just the last two paragraphs…..
MDS(Quote)