Most of you guys have been around all this a lot longer than me, but could somebody comment on the impact of age on the development of PL players?
Was it like this 5-10-20 years ago that guys were getting first team minutes while still in their late teens/early 20's? If there is a measurable transition to younger players, two things occur to me:
> it requires a very well developed sense of self to handle all that goes with being a premier league player at such a young age. Not only the money and trappings, but also the "instant information" environment where every young player is made out to be the second coming of (name your favourite player from 20 years ago).
On the other side, a struggling young player - e.g. Solanke - has to put up with an awful lot of negative scrutiny, which again requires a singularly strong mind to set aside, especially when all you have known is success until now.
> these young players are magnificent specimens, but in some case they are not even fully grown. Can this in part explain the spate of injuries?
It's a disposable world, and I wonder if these guys are being chewed up and spit out far too early in their otherwise burgeoning careers.
* I decided to start a new thread.