[Fillipo Simone]

As every year I'm making this little calculation. I'm not sure many of you are interested, still...

Don't know why, I can't find last years calculations thread. Anyway, note: bold are calculations for this year, and in brackets last years.

Squad size: 29 playes*

*Strasser, Darmain and Viudez included
**Last years team roster counted also 29 players

Team age average (total): 28,24 (29,62)
____________________________
Goalkeepers: 34,0 (35,6)
Defenders: 28,7 (30,5)
*Midfielders: 26,6 (29,0)
Strikers: 27,4 (25,0)

*Kaka marked as midfielder, Ronaldinho as striker

[Fillipo Simone]

Hmh. Very interesting, in many ways, how this discussion went.

I don't think a player average "of those who actaully play" is a good concept. It misses the point. If we're talking about age, it includes all it's perspectives - (soon to be) history, present and future time. Only exemptional players like Pato can be fitted in two cathegories. My goal was to establish a pattern in which we can monitor the teams development, considering all three cathegories. It was maybe a puritan try, a empirical test with no racionalist excusion, but it finally served it's purpose. In other words, it's not that important to just make a calculation of main players, cause then you cover the present, and only the present. If we want to establish all three cathegories we must be equal (in fact, I'm even considering including Gourcuff into that calculation but that would then also mean a shift and disbalance).

Also, playing time isn't everything. I think we made, according to the comparison with last year a positive step forward. As noted by most of you here, our defense is a weak spot, and the age in that department is still high, even if we just recently retired veterans like Sergio and Cafu.