Inter Milan (A) Champions league Tuesday 9th Dec 20:00

[Paul12]

No Endo?

Where's Rhys Williams when you need him?

Oh....

[Sus]

That gets said a lot.

Just had a look at Slot's title winning team at Feyenoord (Season beginning August 2022) and a big chunk of his regulars are only turning 23 to 26 now in 2025 so he would have had a lot of young players playing week in week out for him.

He had no regular (anyone that played more that 20 times in the league) that was 30 or over, the closest being Alireza Jahanbakhsh who turned 29 during that season.

The more I read through the squad listing for that league winning season it is starting to look like a very young title winning team as it looks to be mostly made up with players that in 2022 were between 21 and 24 with one guy being 29.




Link to where I got the squad listing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E...Player_details

I took it from an Athletic article where they interviewed Feyernood staff and fans, and that was one of the messages that came through.

Not sure how fair or unfair it is in terms of data, just that it was one of the perceptions around Slot

[Doc_Piptorious]

I took it from an Athletic article where they interviewed Feyernood staff and fans, and that was one of the messages that came through.

Not sure how fair or unfair it is in terms of data, just that it was one of the perceptions around Slot

When I went to look through his title winning squad from back then I was also expecting there to be a lot of players either in their prime years or closer to 30. Was very surprised to see that a big chunk of that squad from three years ago were only in the 23 to 26 age group now.

And the fact that the oldest regular player he had back then was 29 at the time was a surprise too.

Does suggest if Feyernood had been able to keep most of them, that they would have a hell of a squad (in terms of the Dutch league) now.

I wonder if the talk of him not having a young squad and not trusting young players comes from maybe there being a different perception as to what is seen as a young first team player in the Netherlands compared to what we would call young in the PL?

If we won the league with a first team made up of mostly 20 to 24 yo's, as Feyernood did, we would be calling that a very young team but maybe in the Dutch league they are more used to players in their late teens being established players so a 20 or 21 yo might not seem as young to them?

[Sus]

When I went to look through his title winning squad from back then I was also expecting there to be a lot of players either in their prime years or closer to 30. Was very surprised to see that a big chunk of that squad from three years ago were only in the 23 to 26 age group now.

And the fact that the oldest regular player he had back then was 29 at the time was a surprise too.

Does suggest if Feyernood had been able to keep most of them, that they would have a hell of a squad (in terms of the Dutch league) now.

I wonder if the talk of him not having a young squad and not trusting young players comes from maybe there being a different perception as to what is seen as a young first team player in the Netherlands compared to what we would call young in the PL?

If we won the league with a first team made up of mostly 20 to 24 yo's, as Feyernood did, we would be calling that a very young team but maybe in the Dutch league they are more used to players in their late teens being established players so a 20 or 21 yo might not seem as young to them?

It also might be that these young players were the first team replacements for that players sold, so while being young they were clearly first team investments

That would be different to 18-20 year olds coming through the academy, even if the age gap was only a couple of years at time

No idea if backed up by data, just a guess

[Doc_Piptorious]

It also might be that these young players were the first team replacements for that players sold, so while being young they were clearly first team investments

That would be different to 18-20 year olds coming through the academy, even if the age gap was only a couple of years at time

No idea if backed up by data, just a guess

The season before they brought through or bought some of the same players so all would have been another year younger then.

What Slot seems to have done is lower the average age from when he started there to when he won the title.

But the fact remains that his title winning team was quite a young team across the board with very little by way of senior players (age wise) in it.

[peterbread]

I'd like to see something similar to West Ham away but with Ekitike instead of Gakpo. Also, Bradley at right back with Gomez instead of Konate please. And maybe Robbo at left back but it might also be nice to see Kerkez play without Gakpo ignoring his good runs.

Something like

Becker

Bradley Gomez Virgil Robbo

Szoboslai Gravenberch Jones Wirtz

Isak Ekitike


I don't know what slot will do sub wise. Whichever left back gets left out will no doubt come on at some stage and it wouldn't surprise me to see both Robbo and Kerkez play on the left side at the same time in the second half.

It's a pity none of our 3 big attacking signings seem to be able to play 90 minutes yet. Which is ****in disgraceful when we are into December.

Would be beautiful to Isak touch the ball more than 20 times tomorrow

........

I like that team. A bit of freedom for Szoboslai and Wirtz and the fullbacks providing width.

Hopefully a good win tonight and we see the three of Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike all start and show what the new look attack can be.

[danperkins]

Very interesting to see how the team responses to all the **** going on

[Catrin]

A controlled win, clean sheet and no injuries would be so good tonight.

[Tatterdemalion]

I won’t be watching. Going out on the lash seemed like a much better idea. However my mate is a blue so he might want to watch it in a pub, just to piss me off. Sorry to say I suspect we will get beaten.

[kingfunk]

Team to face Inter: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, Ekitike, Isak

[Tatterdemalion]

In theory, that is a decent team
So does that mean Ekitike is left forward? Is he right or left footed? Hopefully provides a bit more width

[peterbread]

Subs - Mamardashvili, Woodman, Kerkez, Wirtz, Bradley, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Lucky

Not much on the bench. Shame Wirtz picked up a knock and cant start. The fullbacks should be more solid defensively but he didn’t have much else to choose from.

[Paul12]

4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2 or what? Maybe it'll be for the players to guess. Should be fun!

[frank the tank]

If Konate fecks up again then it is on Slot imo.

Definition of insanity!!!

Bradley is suspended for Sat anyway so surely it is a game to play Gomez central and Bradley right back

[frank the tank]

I'd say with all the stress of the last few days, Slot was up all night.......to get Lucky