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

defence should come down as for keeper it really does not matter

I don't think the team average for Milan is that bad ... Sure having a younger squad means having a team for tomorrow ... But when has Milan ever depended on developing talents ?! In Berlusconi's era, surely this never happened. Milan go into the market, buy what they need and that is it. And in that sense, I don't think it is a reason for alarm to be sensitive about the age pyramid in Milan, rather be comforted in that if an important element like Maldini leaves or Seedorf, rest assured they will be replaced with the best in the market.

If only that were true, we've done quite a poor job in replacing player in recent years.

how many years do you class as recent tho?

3-5, or somewhere there abouts. Our defense from when we won the CL in 2003 compared to what we have now..

maybe the last 2 years but the last 5
players like this have joined in the last 5 years and i don't consider any of these to be 2nd rate
Jankulovski,Kaka,Pato,Ronaldinho,Bonera,Flamini and Zambrotta not that bad i think. as for the defense i understand your point but players like Costacurta and Maldini how do you replace players like these it's almost impossible and there does seem a bereft availability of world-class defenders and to be honest a total lack of world-class defenders all round.

In midfield, to be fair, we've done well. We've kept pretty much the same team and replaced Rui Costa with Kaka', then obviously we've added R80 + Flamini, and got rid of Brocchi, so that's been fairly good.

Up front.. we lost Sheva, and Inzaghi isn't what he used to be. We replaced Sheva with Gila, who we then sold, we bring Sheva back who is no longer what he used to be and bought in Pato. I think our forward are worse now than in 2003, personally. Though I'm sure that will change should Pato keep on developing the way we want him to.

Defense is the worst. Jakulovski is a decent player, but not as good as the 2003 Maldini. Stam has been replaced with an aging Maldini in the middle, huge downgrade. Nesta was awesome, now he's always injured and Bonera/Kaladze take his place, Bonera isn't so bad, but I can't say the same for Kakha. Cafu with the current Zambrotta? I'd probably even take current Cafu over Zabrotta, most disappointing signing of the season, in my opinion. Then we had Billy as backup, now we have Senderos.

lets see the team average for players that actually play regularly...

these statistics are deceiving

Well kurt, that is your opinion

Mine however, which you probably know very well by now, is that of what the club has done in the span of twenty some years under Berlusconi & Co. and will continue on the same course. And, if in their agenda, they have always replaced important elements of the team with new elements in the past, it is a continous trend and though you are of the opinion that the club has failed to reinforce in the correct manner, there will always be top notch players attracted to Milan because of the prestige and allure that this club offsets. In the summer you claimed that Flamini would choose Juve ahead of Milan and that Ronaldinho would not end up with a UEFA cup team .. And this is not me trying to rub it in, per se, rather me trying to prove a point in that players will always be attracted to Milan for many reason, of which you are not even taking into consideration


Lighten up brother ... There is much to look forward too

It's interesting.

I wouldn't include players who have played no real part in our campaign so far [from Kalac to Strasser]. the REAL age average of our team [the age average of those who actually play] is much worse than that.

You have hit the spot.

Abbiati - 31
Favalli - 36
Maldini - 40
Kaladze - 30
Zambrotta - 31

(Our "youngest" first team defender currently playing is 30)

Emerson - 32
Ambrosini - 31
Gattuso - 30 (soon to be 31)
Kaka - 26
Ronaldinho - 28

(Other options rotated include Seedorf (32) Flamini (24))

Pato - 19

(However Inzaghi (35) would be played if fit

So we have an average age of... 30 years. Bear in mind that Pato reduces it somewhat. The average age of other teams lies towards 27 or so, which represents players just entering their best years. Our players are have left their peak (Emo, Favalli) will do so imminently (Ambrosini, Kaladze) or are will do in a season (Seedorf, Zambrotta)

With Inzaghi included it rises to nearly 32.

The oldest squad we could play (realistically)

Kalac - 36
Jankulovski - 31
Maldini - 40
Favalli - 36
Zambrotta - 31

Emerson - 32
Ambrosini - 31
Gattuso - 30
Seedorf - 32

Inzaghi - 35
Shevchenko - 32

Now dont tell me that Carlo wouldnt play this formation, because he easily will if a few players are injured

The youngest

Abbiati - 31

Kaladze - 30
Bonera - 27
Senderos - 23
Antonini - 26

Flamini - 24
Pirlo - 29
Kaka - 26
Ronaldino - 28

Pato - 19
Borriello - 26

That is probably the youngest squad that could be played with the intention to win. I didnt include Primavera boys such as Darmian, Cardacio etc because quite frankly Carlo will do anything to avoid playing them in their positions

I've done a 'players that actually play' average age. Highlighted players are included in the count, un-highlighted ones haven't played enough this season (that I know of).

Keepers: Dida, Abbiati, Kalac.

Defenders: Maldini, Kaladze, Nesta, Zambrotta, Jankulovski, Favalli, Senderos, Bonera, Darmain, Antonini.

Midfielders: Emerson, Gattuso, Seedorf, Cardacio, Pirlo, Kaka', Ambrosini, Ronaldinho, Flamini.

Forwards: Pato, Inzaghi, Boriello, Viudez, Shevchenko.

Keepers: 33.0
Defenders: 31.6
Midfielders: 29.0
Forwards: 25.5
Total: 29.6

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.

I would like to see such a line up to be honest!

-kaladze
-senderos