Age vs Experience Debate - FAN VIEW

By Craige Coren

FAN VIEW by SPTC community member Craige Coren

Hi folks and thank you again to Si, for allowing me to pen this article and share some thoughts. My last article THREE YEARS ON - A Personal Perspective from a Supporter of over 50 years seemed to be well received. As a result, here is another under a “View of a Supporter” banner. Again, please can I say that it is not my intent to reach into aspects & areas covered by the better and more knowledgeable writers on this forum.

As many of you know, as perhaps one of the more positive individuals on this forum (although not alone), I am not blind or stupid enough to not recognise and acknowledge everyone’s perspective and points of view, some of which agree with. I have also been watching Chelsea for a long time (very long time) and I am old but not a “grumpy old man” but may stray into “in my day” views here and elsewhere within the forum. Sorry about that but I see more positive than negative having watched us in the old second division, seen us almost get relegated from that to the old third division. I also had the misfortune of spending one Easter watching us lose away at QPR 0-6 and then followed up the same weekend with a home defeat against West ham 0-4. I guess that is why these days I am a glass half full guy.

Leading up to and over the international break I got to thinking about the continual & ongoing conversations that have regularly appeared within this forum, the various thoughts of ex-players & commentators on this subject. This led to me thinking as to what experience actually is. There are many that fundamentally believe that we need 1 or 2 or 3 senior/experience players, similar to Thiago Silva. My purpose is not to particularly put my view forward but look at it from a wider perspective and create conversation and debate.

There are many that believe that the addition of one or some players with experience will have a significant positive effect. However, it has become abundantly clear but the ownership have a different philosophy, whereby they purchase young talented footballers and help them evolve. The plan is that they grow & become critical to the football club and a fundamental part of our future or develop and they are sold at a profit. Some it would seem are definitely purchased with the latter in mind to help cashflow of the club which is obviously affected by the size of the stadium and the years without Champions League football. Added to this, whatever we all think, the Sporting Directors and the supporting cast have been employed with this in mind, and they have been instructed to follow this path. We may not like it but in life when you are employed with a specific remit you either (1) don’t take the job, (2) do what you have been instructed to do or (3) you are shown the door aka Mauricio Pochettino.

I therefore repeat that I have put these thoughts together not to put one argument or another but to create a discussion and obtaining feedback from the wider forum.

Without doubt in the first transfer window at the club was made very difficult and poor decisions on the player purchase front were made but most have now been rectified (Raheem Sterling apart). Some of this was understandable when you evaluate the short period of time, the owners had from buying the club to that first window and having to purchase players in the ever-changing situation that arose over the first few months of their ownership. If any of you have not read “Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC”. It is a very good read, providing a lot of the background to the sale and the problems faced.

There are many that don’t believe in the owner’s current philosophy or cannot see it succeeding. I can 100% see that point of view and perspective. There are those that are more open minded to the whole project and can see how this process has led to the club improving from the season where Pochettino was managing in the club, an improvement on the previous year, to last year where Enzo Maresca definitely improved us again. Now in 2025-2026 we can see further signs of the club moving in the right direction. We are competing better against top teams and also winning potential banana skin games as we did this past weekend against Burnley. This week will give us more of an indication as we watch how we perform against Barcelona and Arsenal, which are then followed by 3 away games. Another big period for Chelsea as we ended this past weekend in 2nd place in the Premier League.

However, I continue with what seems to be the constant and regular conversation on the need for a more experience. However, what is experience and how different is what Chelsea doing to many other clubs in this ever evolving world of football that we now live in and watch?

Having done some evaluation and research, it is interesting to see how this very young squad has played more games at professional level (for all clubs they have represented) than many may realise.

Let’s remember that last year we had the youngest squad both in the Premier League and Europe, and that has repeated this season. In fact, with this summer’s transfer window with the outgoing and oncoming our average age stated this season slightly lower than last year, even with many players being 12 months older. This is likely to continue next year with the known loaned players that are incoming and many are likely to be part of the squad next year.

When you look at the table we have 10 players with 200 plus senior appearances, 12 players with 150 plus senior appearances and another 6 with between 100 & 150 senior appearances. This is with a squad with an average age of under 22.5 years and 11 of them being currently 21 or under.

The question is, is our model unique? I would argue it is becoming the norm with more clubs driving the average age of their squads down. I am not referencing our academy at Brighton but some of the so-called bigger clubs are pivoting to this type of model. Some not to the same extent also but there is clear evidence of a change of direction, again perhaps partly for financial reasons. Hear are some examples.

· PSG – The average age of the squad is 23.5 years and this past window the players in were 18 months younger than those that departed.

· Barcelona – There average squad age has come down for 3 years and is currently 25.5 years old including 2 reserve goalkeepers at 33 and 35.

· Real Madrid – This last window they purchase 5 players. Four were 18-22 and the only player older than this was free, namely Trent Alexandre-Arnold at 26. Players out averaged 27.7 years old. Surprisingly their squad is now down to 26 years old with 5 players over 30 of which 3 have contracts expiring this year and all likely to leave.

· Liverpool – In the past window the incoming players averaged 22.1 years old, and the current squad has an average age of 25.8. This includes Sal and Van Dyke who were give new 2-year contracts (expire 2027) and are 34 & 33 respectively and on their way out as probably are two of their other players Alisson and Endo (33 & 32) whose contracts also expire in 2027.

· Manchester City – They have already started a refresh of their squad. Last season the average age was reduced by 18 months with all the ins and outs in 2024/25 and this past summer window reduced the squad age by a further 2 years. the average is now 26 years old, and they have only 6 players over 30. 4 of these have contracts expiring in 2026 and 2 in 2027 and it is possible all will leave.

The exceptions seem to be Arsenal/Atletico Madrid/Inter/AC Milan/ Juventus. Of those, perhaps Arsenal have made the proactive choice to have several slightly older players but even their squad has an average age of below 26 years old, and they have a pool of young players as well. The others tend to be led by their own financial constraints rather than any preference or proactive squad development. In leagues such as France / Portugal / Belgium they have become feeder leagues for the top 10/15 clubs in the world, and many have young talented players or domestic players at the end of their careers.

In conclusion, it will be interesting to see where all these clubs are in 12-24 months and how this, seeming process, has developed. I was surprised with this data when I researched it but there does seem tom be a trend to younger squads. Again, this is only meant to create a conversation, but I will be transparent that I now understand the philosophy of the new owners (are they still new) and I actually buy into it having initially been very frustrated by it.

Over to you all.

#OnwardAndUpwards #ComeOnYouBlues

Craige Coren