the Generation Game....

[david in sweden]

looking at yesterdays start line-up we see the extent of the generation change taking place at SMS, and the continued influx of younger players.

 

Gazzaniga 20

Clyne 21

Fonte 28

Yoshida 24

Fox 26

Schneiderlin 22

S.Davis 27

Ramirez 21

Lallana 24

Lambert 30

Puncheon 26

....and we were without Jack Cork 23, but still had Mayuka 21, and Rodriguez 22 on the bench and then we brought on Ward-Prowse - amazingly still only 17 (!)..

 

Of course we still need the experience of a few older players to hold things together, but the prospect of this young squad playing together in the next 2-3 seasons is awesome .

[shurlock]

Mayuka's really 45

[Cheam Saint]

I love this philosophy of buying young and hungry players to compliment our home grown players. They're only going to get better. However, if the worse happens and we get relegated (not that I think we will) we can sell some of them for at least what we paid for them, if not for more, replace them with up and coming players from the Academy and have another crack, learning from the experience each time.

 

If you compare this to say, Stoke, who buy players that are past their best but still able to play in the premiership (e.g. Crouch & Owen), they will need to make wholesale changes and struggle to recover. Whereas we could probably sell the likes of Lallana and Ramirez for £30+ million and with the parachute money still be able to keep a strong squad.

 

Of course we're not going down so it won't happen!

[Avenue Saint]

Mayuka's really 45

 

Somewhere around early to mid 20's i'ld say.

 

If I had to guess I'd say he's 24.

[david in sweden]

I love this philosophy of buying young and hungry players to compliment our home grown players. They're only going to get better. However, if the worse happens and we get relegated (not that I think we will) we can sell some of them for at least what we paid for them, if not for more, replace them with up and coming players from the Academy and have another crack, learning from the experience each time. If you compare this to say, Stoke, who buy players that are past their best but still able to play in the premiership (e.g. Crouch & Owen), they will need to make wholesale changes and struggle to recover[/b QUOTE]

 

 

 

this is exactly the scenario that Lawrie McMenemy used in the early 1980's......Saints already had 45 caps England stalwart Mick Channon on the books, but after we signed Kevin Keegan...other internationals followed in a stream ...and we had the now famous phenomenon of being able to field a side with 5 England captains ...(that is 5 players who had captained the national side - at one time or another). The list of international talents is much longer than many people can ever imagine;

 

Even before the famous five games, we'd had Channon, Peter Osgood, Alan Ball and Phil Boyer and Eng. CH Dave Watson in the side, but after the KK signing in came England's LB Mick Mills, who captained the 1982 World Cup side, then MF David Armstrong, and the " jewel in the crown " legendary goalie Peter Shilton (who won 49 England caps - just in his 5 years with Saints).

We had also signed Charlie George and Frank Worthington in this period - although their stays were less spectacular. It was also a great period for the development of younger players such as; Steve Williams, Mark Wright and Danny Wallace who all started their international careers with Saints - before moving on to " bigger clubs " (as was the ill-chosen phrase used in those days).

But other, equally famous Saints' names had also blossomed along the way and come into this memorable period. McMenemy had introduced teenage talents like; Graham Baker, Nick Holmes, Bobby Stokes and Steve Moran into his sides, which were liberally spiced with experienced players like; Phil Boyer, Ted MacDougall, Peter Rodrigues and Jim McCalliog.

 

We were never short of a few internationals in the side with players like Yugoslav RB Ivan Golac, Welshman Alan Curtis and Northern Ireland CH (later manager) Chris Nicholl, who succeeeded L. Mc. as manager and brought in tough Scots striker Joe Jordan and built a new, younger side around the legendary former Liverpool captain Jimmy Case, who was to be the mainstay of his side for the next 6 years.

Case, a tough, no-nonsense midfielder yet one of the most dynamic players of this period was (sadly) never capped at full level - more's the pity.

 

Chris Nicholl 's sides never had McMenemys' English Army of players, but he did strengthen his line-up with the likes of N.I. striker Colin Clarke, ex England defender Russell Osman and Welsh MF Barry Horne. However, Nicholl's management period, whilst less successful than McMenemy, also saw the introduction of younger talents (dutifully coached by Dave Merrington), and Saints fans had new heroes including several teenagers with names like; the Wallace brothers (all 3 of them), Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier, and rising youngsters like future England goalie Tim Flowers, and RB Jason Dodd.

 

 

Stoke (who at one time had 4 or 5 former Saints Prem. players on their books) may indeed being repeating that scenerio of famous " has-beens", but the real proof of their survival will be WHO will replace their Famous Five - when they eventually finish in the game.

Edited 24 September, 2012 by david in sweden

[Ken Tone]

I love this philosophy of buying young and hungry players to compliment our home grown players.

!

 

 

Seems rather an expensive way of boosting a few egos!

[chocco boxo]

The club's blueprint from bottom to top seems spot on. No more old timers coming for one last pay day!

[david in sweden]

The club's blueprint from bottom to top seems spot on. No more old timers coming for one last pay day!

 

I think you're right there, old players only bring bad habits with them, but I'm delighted to see that Rickie Lambert has improved so much - and not just in goal-scoring ability. Attitude-wise of course but

he's leaner and hungrier..and after all these years... surely not a million miles away from an England call-up either (?), that's if he continues to score regularly. With Rooney still out ..who knows ?....

 

.and I agree about overall blueprint. In the future, it'll be young players who can be coached properly...but I still don't rule out the addition of a " football legend "..who knows who NC is after... next time ?

Edited 25 September, 2012 by david in sweden