OAP Club

[kenada_blue]

The one thing he isn't is a woeful footballer.

He needs runners around him and to be played deep to be effective, but he's shown he can still do it.

Maybe not in the games against the big teams, who play quickly and control the ball, but there's a place for him in this side in the majority of our home games.

And I stress, have a look at where we'd be without his 10 league goals

People have the delusion that Siggurdson would be on 15 goals by now if it wasn't for Rooney

 

[Huyton Layne]

26-30 is a player's prime. Stop being FIFA virgins and calling it old ffs.

 

[GwladysBlue]

The one thing he isn't is a woeful footballer.

He needs runners around him and to be played deep to be effective, but he's shown he can still do it.

Maybe not in the games against the big teams, who play quickly and control the ball, but there's a place for him in this side in the majority of our home games.

And I stress, have a look at where we'd be without his 10 league goals

He is a hinderence. He shouldn't be in the squad and we shouldn't be trying to always find different positions for him because he gets sussed out everywhere he plays.

He is the highest earner at the club, he shouldn't only be played in home games against weak teams.

Someone else would have had the opportunity to score the goals, perhaps Sigurdsson in his actually position. Instead we've had to shoehorn him in at every opportunity.

 

[Toffeelover]

Walcott 29 in March
Rooney 33 this year
Jagielka 36 this year
Williams 34 this year
Sigurðsson 29 this year
Bolasie 29 this year
Schneiderlin 29 this year
Baines 34 this year
Coleman 30 this year
Gueye 29 this year
Martina 29 this year

If you’re not worried by this then well am done.

I have been worried about that for the last couple of seasons, in many cases saying get shut - Jags, Baines, Williams and stop buying 28 year olds to give them a four year deal!

 

[BlueToff]

He is a hinderence. He shouldn't be in the squad and we shouldn't be trying to always find different positions for him because he gets sussed out everywhere he plays.

He is the highest earner at the club, he shouldn't only be played in home games against weak teams.

Someone else would have had the opportunity to score the goals, perhaps Sigurdsson in his actually position. Instead we've had to shoehorn him in at every opportunity.

When he played deep, with two energetic players alongside him in a midfield three, the gulf in class between him and the rest of our side was still apparent to see - and he started linking well with Gylfi.

If we aren't playing that system then I agree entirely he should be a sub, but - in a game like the weekend's where we should have a lot of the ball - I think he should be in there with Gana and McCarthy/Davies, in a deep-lying role.

 

[BlueToff]

People have the delusion that Siggurdson would be on 15 goals by now if it wasn't for Rooney

I like Gylfi. I do think he would be better utilised centrally.

But, that doesn't even definitely mean drop Rooney either - simply move him further back.

But, it has to be done against certain sides.

Gylfi shouldn't be pushed out wide but atm he does a pretty good job of covering for our abysmal left-back (most of the time - Saturday aside).

 

[yakublue]

Walcott 29 in March
Rooney 33 this year
Jagielka 36 this year
Williams 34 this year
Sigurðsson 29 this year
Bolasie 29 this year
Schneiderlin 29 this year
Baines 34 this year
Coleman 30 this year
Gueye 29 this year
Martina 29 this year

If you’re not worried by this then well am done.

Most worrying thing about our club at the moment is signing all these over the hill players on massive contracts. Bolasie, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Rooney, Williams, and now Walcott.

"Oh but Walcott will improve us immediately". Possibly but we aren't competing for anything anymore this season and we should be trying to build for the future. He basically has zero resale value and will be one of our highest paid players.

It's OK to sign players like that if they might be the difference between you and winning a trophy, but when you're doing a rebuilding job like we are, investing all this money in old players is bonkers.

 

[fandjango]

Jagielka
Martina
Schneirderlin
Williams

Those 4 will hopefully be booted out the club in the summer with Baines and golden boy Rooney hopefully reduced to squad players.

I personally think suggesting “booting out of the club” is disrespectful to a long term srrvant as faithful and as awesome as jagielka ha been ... yes he is past his best and yes it’s probably time for him to move on but on the back of a Testimonial and a wholehearted thanks from the club

 

[gav1985]

Most worrying thing about our club at the moment is signing all these over the hill players on massive contracts. Bolasie, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Rooney, Williams, and now Walcott.

"Oh but Walcott will improve us immediately". Possibly but we aren't competing for anything anymore this season and we should be trying to build for the future. He basically has zero resale value and will be one of our highest paid players.

It's OK to sign players like that if they might be the difference between you and winning a trophy, but when you're doing a rebuilding job like we are, investing all this money in old players is bonkers.

I get what you are saying, but to call Sigurdsson, Walcott and Bolasie 'over the hill' is just wrong. They are all the age where they should be in their prime. We need a blend of youth and experience. We currently have that....we just need them to start showing their quality.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Walcott 29 in March
Rooney 33 this year
Jagielka 36 this year
Williams 34 this year
Sigurðsson 29 this year
Bolasie 29 this year
Schneiderlin 29 this year
Baines 34 this year
Coleman 30 this year
Gueye 29 this year
Martina 29 this year

If you’re not worried by this then well am done.

So in one year's time we will have 5 players who are 31 or over (including stekelenberg).

Not really that worried mate tbh. Jags and Williams possibly gone and Rooney contract almost up this time next season. Context.

 

[d4kyxx]

Walcott 29 in March
Rooney 33 this year
Jagielka 36 this year
Williams 34 this year
Sigurðsson 29 this year
Bolasie 29 this year
Schneiderlin 29 this year
Baines 34 this year
Coleman 30 this year
Gueye 29 this year
Martina 29 this year

If you’re not worried by this then well am done.

Spot on

Been saying this for years and years and years

And we wonder why we continue to fail

 

[d4kyxx]

Davies - 20
Vlasic - 20
Lookman - 20
Holgate - 20
DCL - 20
Kenny - 20
Pickford - 23
Keane - 25

And Pickford is the only regular

 

[ToffeeTim]

When he played deep, with two energetic players alongside him in a midfield three, the gulf in class between him and the rest of our side was still apparent to see - and he started linking well with Gylfi.

If we aren't playing that system then I agree entirely he should be a sub, but - in a game like the weekend's where we should have a lot of the ball - I think he should be in there with Gana and McCarthy/Davies, in a deep-lying role.

Rooneys one remaining piece of top quality ability is his passing and vision. It's completely useless when he is right up top. He needs the game in front of him and to make intelligent late runs into the box. It's blatantly obvious for anyone with two eyes and a brain but sadly not BFS.

 

[BlueToff]

Rooneys one remaining piece of top quality ability is his passing and vision. It's completely useless when he is right up top. He needs the game in front of him and to make intelligent late runs into the box. It's blatantly obvious for anyone with two eyes and a brain but sadly not BFS.

I think - in away games - Sam understandably prefers the two DM's structure, which means playing Rooney (if he is going to play) ahead of them in the aim he can at least keep hold of the ball.

Issue is he hasn't been doing that, in the game vs Newcastle aside, and it's a waste having him there instead of Gylfi in that scenario.

At home against the sides that aren't top six should be different. Rooney should be in, deep, either next to Gana or just ahead of Gana, with Davies/McCarthy in there as well. Gylfi slightly left but that obviously requires a full-back to come in who isn't ridiculously bad.

 

[BlueToff]

And Pickford is the only regular

DCL has featured in every matchday squad this season. He has started every league game bar 3, I believe.

Kenny has been in the squad since the end of October.

Holgate is the first pick on the teamsheet in terms of a defender under Allardyce.

Davies, likewise, has featured in most games but has been in-and-out of the side.

Only Lookman and Vlasic on that list haven't been regulars so far this season, and Vlasic was getting a good run under Koeman.