Arsenal does indeed have the youngest squad; average age of 23. At the opposite end of the scale, Chelsea weighs in with an average age of 27. The current Champions, Manchester United, have an average age of 25. Manchester City has an average of 25. This leaves Liverpool to complete the quintet with an age of 24.
So if Hansen's logic is to be believed, then Chelsea have to be the favourites to lift the Premier League crown. It is up to Liverpool to prove Hansen's logic very much wrong!
Senior players such as Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Aurelio, Benayoun, and Kuyt are all above the age of 25 and need to pass on their experience to the younger players in the squad. Slightly younger players such as Torres, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Reina, and Mascherano also have a large amount of experience.
The current playing staffs already have won 10 other league titles between them, so should be able to deal with the pressures of a Premier League title challenge.
Following the departure of Xabi Alonso, the spine of Liverpool's team now consists of; Reina, Carragher, Mascherano, Gerrard and Torres. Rafa has been able to build on this spine with younger additions to the squad, coupled with some more experienced pros.
Andriy Voronin has returned from his loan Spell at Hertha Berlin and is willing to fight for his place in the team. He started off his first season with the club quite well, injury hampered him for the rest of that campaign and he was unable to find his early form. Now however, he has scored in pre-season and is ready to aid the team's challenge.
Ryan Babel is another who is looking to make his mark this year. Big things were expected of him when he first arrived on Merseyside. Rafa has used him as an impact player off the bench until now; if he is going to become a regular fixture in the first team then he must increase the effort he puts in when he plays, and learn when to run at defenders or put a cross in.
Pre-season has seen youngsters Daniel Pacheco, Jay Spearing, Mikel San-Jose, Martin Kelly, Krisztian Nemeth, and Stephen Darby enhance their first team credentials. These players are likely to be given more chances to improve further.
Another of the so called 'younger' players in the squad is Lucas Leiva. The time really has come for him to step up and command a first-team place. Alonso's departure has left a gaping hole in Liverpool's midfield, despite the signing of Alberto Aquilani (unavailable for at least another 4 weeks through injury). Lucas could be the man ready to not only 'plug' the hole, but fill it. Pre-season has seen Lucas play regularly, score goals, and more importantly, improve the quality of his attacking play. He is an entirely different player to Alonso, but this is to Liverpool's advantage. He is more of a box-to-box midfielder, who can use his energy to drive forward and aid Gerrard in developing the team's attacking play.
Many fans view Lucas as a 'figure of fun;' and against Atletico Madrid last weekend, they were certainly mocking him; that is until he scored. That goal is a good pointer to his potential. The shot for the goal was taken calmly; this implies that he is able to cope with the pressure he is under. The fans had been barracking him, and answered in the appropriate way. He is likely to start the next few league games, and this will give him further opportunities to impress; would it be foolish to bet against him taking advantage of this opportunity? Some might well suggest so.
Liverpool fans can expect to see the young players featuring more frequently for the first team this season, as Liverpool aim to knock United "off their perch." It shall be interesting to see how Hansen reacts on his sofa each Saturday night as he reviews Liverpool's games. Can Spearing and Darby lead Liverpool to claim title 19? Perhaps it is time for the other teams to sit up and take note of something special which is developing under Rafa Benitez's leadership; and Liverpool's young stars are willing to lead the charge.