THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT? (OR) AGE BEFORE BEAUTY?

T_Side's getting old. Not only can I handle much less drink than in my formative years, I also had to spent vast tracts of time over the weekend recovering from this very sad fact. I'm tired more often, my views are becoming more staid and rather than rush out to buy the new Coral record, I'll put a pipe to my lips, cogitate and declare that they're no Husker Du (which is rather a good thing, as it happens).

In reality, of course, I'm resisting my lapse into middle age. Why would I spend so much time working on a Championship Manager site if not to be with the kids? Why edit a site dedicated to Middlesbrough (not this one, despite what you might think)? I don't want to enter a world of doing the garden, having friends round for dinner and believing that Charlie Dimmock is an attractive young lady just yet, and this is reflected in the CM teams I try to put together. In my first season in charge I may snap up the odd 29-year old or above who can add value to the side, but my commitment is to youth. Whether it's Rivaldo against Cole, Estabaranz versus Kallstrom or Batistuta challenging Saviola, I will take the younger model every time.

Am I right? Not everyone thinks so. At White Hart Lane, Glenn Hoddle has constructed a side that relies on the well-honed skills of veteran players. Teddy Sheringham, Gustavo Poyet and Les Ferdinand are the wrinklies who feature alongside youngsters like Simon Davies and Matt Etherington as a blend of seasoned and fresh-faced. The Hod's message is clear enough. The younger players will only ever improve over time, and how better to do this than to have them learn off their aged teammates?

David O'Dreary saw things quite differently at Leeds United. His idea, which seemed a fair one on paper, was to put out a very young XI that could grow together and eventually become great. The ratio of men to kids is sharp here, with Nigel Martyn, Lucas Radebe and David Batty three of the few older notables in a decidedly baby-faced line-up. It is daunting to think that already well-known stars like Kewell, Harte, Mills, Smith and Keane have years of football left in them, though the theory hardly worked out in practice. You could see it happen when the team went behind. There was an obvious drop of the heads with few authorative 'seen it all before' long-tooths to get them back into it.

But of course, this facet of the game is never fully explored within Championship Manager. Although statistical scores improve in players over time, it is still possible to field a young team that can win games just as capably as older lags. I for one am yet to see Tonton Zola Moukoko do anything when he is 27 and with years of experience behind him that he can't achieve as a plucky 17-year old. Or is he? The truth is that both schools of thought have their pros and cons, leading to the sort of inevitable and obvious conclusion that doesn't need a 1,000-word article dedicating to it (but hey, it's a bare week)…

One obvious benefit to using younger players is that they have better stamina. In an intensive season - particularly if you are playing the 46-match grind of the Nationwide - you need your men to be able to play as many games as possible, unless you are blessed with the sorts of resources gifted to the likes of Rexach and Capello, and even they have their preferred starters. Ageing players tire quicker. If you are happy to rotate your squad with impunity, then fine, select veterans. Otherwise, you had better find those untapped gems who are just learning to shave.

As your men progress through their career, they are more prone to pick up injuries, aggravating old knocks that have never quite gone away. Think about Paul Gascoigne, who is forever haunted by his knee troubles, or - at the time of writing - Boro trialist Jesper Blomqvist, who still gets gip from his major past injuries. Stephen Gerrard is the exception to this rule, a gifted midfielder who must have the most famous developing body this side of Lindsay Dawn McKenzie. How many times are you likely to sign a 29-year old star, only to find him succumb to some recurring war wound that has your physio shaking his head and stating that six months of rehabilitation is strongly recommended. This is less likely to occur with your kids, who are yet to take on the battle scars gained from years of football.

But therein lies the problem with your youngsters. As well as collecting injuries and swapping treatment table yarns, they are not yet in a position to recollect their part in the game's past. Back to Spurs, and I was able to see the obvious benefits of having someone like Sheringham in the side. Okay so he was 35, but the number of tricks and skills he knew from his accumulated years were invaluable to unlocking the opposition. This is reflected in CM in the way that older heads are not about to be daunted by facing that tough Italian side in the Champions League, and they are also mature enough not to lose themselves when playing a minnow they are tipped to beat in the FA Cup third round. Experience therefore, is invaluable.

And so, I have learned many times to my cost, are older players. There is little wonder, after all, that Kevin Keegan chose to make Stuart Pearce such an integral part of his promotion-winning Manchester City side last season. 'Psycho' has seen it all, and was invaluable in keeping heads cool and the defence - never KK's strongest point - rigid. He played alongside younger players like Simon Colosimo, Nicky Weaver and Danny Granville, and had a great deal of responsibility in forming a line for the future. This then, is the key, a combination of the two. There are great sides out there with years of playing together to come, but most have the gently guiding hands of veterans at their backs. For Fergie's Fledglings, see Eric Cantona and Steve Bruce. When Liverpool won their treble, Gary McAllister was crucial. Getting the balance is a hard thing to do, it would seem, and something I am just coming to terms with in my own CM gaming.