Fulham finished an impressive 11th place in the Premier League this season, but face the recurring prospect of going into the new campaign with an ageing squad.
The West London side, who have enjoyed their third season back in the top flight, have an average squad age of 28 years old according to stats published by Transfermarkt.
This sees them top of the rankings, followed by league counterparts Everton and West Ham, but far ahead of Chelsea who have the youngest squad, averaging younger than 24.
Ahead of the 25/26 season Fulham will be delighted by their form, but by the fact that a lion’s share of teams with an excessively high average squad age have eventually struggled if not rectified.
The fear is that a side that goes for players who are more senior will only make an impact on a short-term basis, and despite the clubs transfer market formula a lot of Fulham’s players might be past their peak quality.
Long time match-goer Seb Voysey shared his concerns ahead of their last game of the season against Manchester City where the Cottagers fielded one player under the age of 24, to City’s five.
He said: “Fulham’s ageing squad is a concern.
“The average squad age is 27.9, one of the oldest in the league. Older players bring experience, but they’re more injury-prone, have little resale value, and often lack intensity in the latter stages of games.
“We’ve lost 28 points from winning positions this season (second-most in the league), which could point to a lack of energy and control late in games.”
Unavoidable circumstances occur in the form of injuries, suspensions and potential outgoing that erode at the sides younger crop.
It could however be an indication that Silva needs to try his hand with more academy/ young players due to the acknowledged dangers older squads are presented with.
Voysey believes incorporating this into Fulham’s approach in this summer market could be pivotal for next season’s success.
He added: “There’s also a risk that if several key older players leave in a short space of time, we’ll face a sudden drop in leadership.
“It is clear that Fulham need to shift their transfer strategy – focusing more on younger, high-potential players who can grow at the club or be sold for profit, rather than looking to ‘revive’ older players such as Raheem Sterling.
“Blending youth and experience is fine, but right now the balance is off.
“We need to be brave and invest in young, hungry players – not fall back on safe, short-term fixes for players nearing the end of their careers.”
Beyond suggestions Fulham are weighing up whether to take on Chelsea outcast Sterling, they have been linked to Josip Juranovic, 29, Kasper Dolberg, 27, and Joe Willock, 25, perhaps indicating that there will be no major reformation of their previous approach.
The Cottagers should remain wary considering the other sides that have the higher average squad ages have been West Ham and Everton over the past two seasons, sides that have slumped from heights of previous seasons.
Featured image courtesy of Unsplash
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