Is age that important?

Following the "performance" at Bolton fans are saying FL should have rested some of the over 30s last SDaturday as they can't play 3 games a week.

I am currently watching Bayern v Ajax. Bayern have six 30 somethings in the starting XI.

Do over 30s need resting a lot in general or just Derby's?

Regardless..it does beg the question why we spent/ wasted so much on Waghorn!

valakari wrote:Regardless..it does beg the question why we spent/ wasted so much on Waghorn!

Waghorn was odd signing in my opinion.

On a serious note I feel SOME over 30's are mentally not prepared for the rigours of the pro game today. The meaning is that at over thirty should have recieved enough money throughout their career to be financially sound for the rest of their lives and therefore not as mentally hungry as those who are striving to reach that peak.

Have those of us more senior on here not lost that bit of ambition to go further in life?

Football is now a young man's game, run by relatively young people (see Lampard) who wants the energy levels and ambition of those young people. More senior players also take more time to recover from small knocks and strains (see Davies) no matter how good they are.

Money is a great motivator.

Wish I could have retired at 35.

outsider wrote:

valakari wrote:Regardless..it does beg the question why we spent/ wasted so much on Waghorn!

Waghorn was odd signing in my opinion.

Frank probably rightly thought that he needed cover for Nugent but did not fancy Martin or Jerome.

Waghorn will get his chance as will Marriott through the course of the season because Nugent cannott play almost 50 games at his best level. In fact, I reckon that we may be one forward short come the final reckoning of this season.

Sawls, I started DJ'ing again 3 years ago and might be having a go at becoming an MEP if I can find an interested party over here. Might even start a new party.......

No great loss of motivation here. Full of ideas and looking at ways to implement them.

Looking at your "sufficiently well off not to need to push themselves" train of thought........... if they don't push, aren't they going to find themselves loaned out to Barnsley or somewhere similar. Replaced by these young guns who are bigger, better, fitter, stronger etc etc etc? Or do they keep their place because they are still a better footballer than Mister 24 year old who still has a lot to learn?

I don't think that there are many managers about who keep the wrinklies on out of a sense of loyalty or nostalgia or sympathy. They are kept on because they still do the job better than the kids can. Now, you might argue that the kids won't improve as they aren't being played enough at senior level but they need to do the business day in and day out in training to impress on the training ground and thereby be ready to step in and do the business when called on to play and then translate the training ground levels to the pitch and leave the gaffer no option but to keep them in.

However, you might also argue that a 23 year old with £10M in the shape of a huge mansion and full bank account and more arm candy than he can eat doesn't have the motivation players of his age used to have.............. and this topic has been debated on here in the past and the concensus was that they don't have the same motivation.

MadAmster wrote:Sawls, I started DJ'ing again 3 years ago and might be having a go at becoming an MEP if I can find an interested party over here. Might even start a new party.......

No great loss of motivation here. Full of ideas and looking at ways to implement them.

Looking at your "sufficiently well off not to need to push themselves" train of thought........... if they don't push, aren't they going to find themselves loaned out to Barnsley or somewhere similar. Replaced by these young guns who are bigger, better, fitter, stronger etc etc etc? Or do they keep their place because they are still a better footballer than Mister 24 year old who still has a lot to learn?

I don't think that there are many managers about who keep the wrinklies on out of a sense of loyalty or nostalgia or sympathy. They are kept on because they still do the job better than the kids can. Now, you might argue that the kids won't improve as they aren't being played enough at senior level but they need to do the business day in and day out in training to impress on the training ground and thereby be ready to step in and do the business when called on to play and then translate the training ground levels to the pitch and leave the gaffer no option but to keep them in.

However, you might also argue that a 23 year old with £10M in the shape of a huge mansion and full bank account and more arm candy than he can eat doesn't have the motivation players of his age used to have.............. and this topic has been debated on here in the past and the concensus was that they don't have the same motivation.

'Ammy it wasn't a blanket post just remarking that some are sufficiently well off not to need to push themselves. A certain 28 year old at Derby appears to fit that bill well, even his loan club didn't want him. It was this type of player that came to mind when I posted (and there are or was a few more at Derby of that Ilk).

Now I'm getting tired and my main ambition is to go to bed!

Face it Sawls, they'll never have the drive we had and still have.