Which Kind of Experience Does Pochettino Value for Spurs?

Do Spurs need veteran experience or first-team experience?

If experience is very valuable for a young squad whose average age in the starting eleven against Swansea City was 24-years-old, then is experience actually overrated in Mauricio Pochettino’s eyes? Or rather, is there a slight difference between which kind of experience that Pochettino values most for his team?

On one hand, there’s the most obvious experience that a young team needs: veteran experience. Established players that are already in their prime from the age of 27-years-old and above. These players have played for many years now since their youth academy days and played with different clubs. While Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen, both 28 and the oldest starters on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, are looked at as the two main veterans with leadership qualities at both goalkeeper and center-back respectively. They were signed four seasons ago, making them 24 (Hugo Lloris) and 25-years-old (Jan Vertonghen) at the time, not exactly veterans but they certainly grew into that role four years later which is now.

Perhaps, what Pochettino sees more in experience has everything to do with players who have played plenty of first team football over the years but still be at a relatively young age. The age limit for Mauricio Pochettino and Paul Mitchell seems to cap at 27-years-old for any player that they want to sign. Although players that will be signed are of course younger than that age limit.

Looking back at this past summer, when you take away Toby Alderweireld whose age is 26, the other four summer signings were all 24-years-old and younger. Kieran Trippier is now 25, but when he was signed, Trippier was just 24. For Kevin Wimmer, Heung-Min Son and Clinton N’Jie, their ages are 22, 23 and 22 (N’Jie was 21 before Spurs signed him on his birthday).

View image | gettyimages.com

More from Tottenham News

When Spurs signed Dele Alli, 19, and DeAndre Yedlin, 22, this past winter and Eric Dier, 21, last summer Mauricio Pochettino valued first team experience more. It helped they they happened to play in positions that Pochettino and Pual Mitchell needed to improve.

If Pochettino decided that this young squad needed a couple more veterans to help teach the younger players on some of the finer points of the game and how to deal with certain situations, none of these veteran players were signed during the summer. In fact, all of the players that were linked to Spurs happened to be anywhere from the ages of 19 to 26, hardly veterans.

The next time that Spurs will look at players in the transfer window which will be this January, if Pochettino and Mitchell finds someone who could help them during this season or for the next few years. They’ll be a young prospect who will most likely start at the age of 19. Anthony Martial is 19, Timo Werner is 19. Victor Wanyama and Christian Benteke are both 24-years-old, none of these players who were linked to Tottenham this past summer were veteran players by any means. They have had their fair share of first team football, more so than others.

Basically whichever players that Spurs will be looking for in transfer windows, it is most likely going to be young players. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s mostly a preference by Mauricio Pochettino and Paul Mitchell to target young talent, that within a few years will be very good for the club.

A Dele Alli and Eric Dier double pivot comes to mind, that will be better within a few seasons due to their ages 19 and 21-years-old respectively. On the off chance that a player in the age range of Toby Alderweireld (26) is looked at and possibly signed this winter or next summer, it’s merely an indication of a player who encompasses a signing that fits three certain requirements: position of need, not too young but not too old and plenty of first team experience. Signing Toby Alderweireld was more of an exception to the rule than anything else.

Next: Tottenham Player Power Rankings: Fifth Edition

More from Hotspur HQ

Home/Tottenham News