So, when Briatori was in charge of player acquisition (allegedly!) we saw a significant influx of younger players such as Ephraim, Connolly, Taarabt, Faurlin, Ramage, Balanta, Parejo, Alberti, etc. Now it doesn't take a genious to see that that approach did not universally succeed but I do wonder if the pendulum has swung too far the other way what with the recent acquisitions adding to Warnock's first set of buys last year. In age order: Kenny 33 Derry 33 Gabbidon 32 Dyer 32 Hill 32 Smith 31 Hulse 31 ****tu 30 Cambell 29 Orr 28 Bothroyd 28 Vaagan Moen 27 All decent players (with the obvious exception of Hulse) but under Warnock the youth vs experience ratio has clearly completely reversed from the previous philosophy. While getting up and staying up are quite rightly the #1 objectives there seems liitle thought for longer term strategy here with the exception of the Troy Hewitt signing. Is this a worry? Remember also that the youth system appears to continue to be a low priority at the club. NW clearly has his sights set on retirement in the next few years and so, it seems, do the players he has brought in.
As you've already stated, the No.1 priority is to stay up. Once that is achieved, Sir Neil can then look to bringing in some younger talent. If we are an established team in the Prem. it will be easier to attract players in any case. Not too worried about the thirty somethings, fitness levels these days means that they have a good few years left in them yet.
Well observed and said QPAAAAAGH. If, as the Goons says, the idea is to keep us up, there needs to be an investment plan (which doesn't necessarily mean throwing good money after bad for no return). Your study reveals a random short termist approach which works best only if we go back down to lower wage ceilings and live on parachute payments for four years thereafter... You're right, very worrying.
Point taken HE. The worry with 30 somethings is their susceptability to injury and longer recovery times.
Im hoping long term we can do a Stoke. That has to be the aim, they survived on team work and having a great work ethic anlong with being hard to beat. If you look at the calibre of players they attract now, there is no way they would have considered bidding for those types of players a few years ago. Come to think of it - Turn those vertical strpies horizontally, change them from red to blue and you've became a Stoke Ranger..... Simples!
Big problem with that. No space for a run up for the long throw-ins! I'm also not sure the Rs faithful would put up with the sort of football (sic) that first got Stoke promoted and kept them there. Remember what happened to Paul Hart (quite rightly).
The Stoke story: good manager in place supported by a solid board for years now... I remember our home game against them in the early part of our first season in the third tier. 1-1 (Thompson scored for us). Stoke have not looked back since.
I think there is 9 or 10 good years (not the tyres) left in these players at prem level, what's your problem!!!!
Wot was it that Alan Hanson said "you dont win anything with kids" that came back to bite him on the arse, a happy mixture of youth and experience will do the trick
