Sir Alex: Chelsea pensioners are past it
Reuters - Wednesday 23 July 2008, 10:41
Manchester United manager Alex
Ferguson has said Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chelsea squad has
already peaked with the new Premier League season less than a
month away.
Scolari, 59, has inherited a squad brimming with experienced
internationals, but with nine of them 30-years-old or over,
including new signing Deco, Ferguson believes there is little
room for improvement.
"Maybe they've plateaued in a way. How can they accelerate
beyond what they've done up to now when you see the ages they've
got?," Ferguson was quoted as saying in The Times on Wednesday.
The average age of United's first-team squad is 25.4
compared to Chelsea's 27.3 and United, League and Champions
League double winners last season, only have five players over
30.
"I'm not saying necessarily they're (an) old (team) because
with the modern-day training methods, you should be playing into
your thirties, but I don't see outstanding progress in a team
that's in their thirties," Ferguson added.
Other than John Obi Mikel, 21, and Salomon Kalou, 22,
Chelsea have no established first-team players under 25, while
United have Anderson, Carlos Tevez, Darren Fletcher, Nani, Wayne
Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo within their ranks.
United are currently touring South Africa while Chelsea are
on a tour of Asia. The title rivals meet at Stamford Bridge on
September 21.
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