Morning all.
If Arsenal manage to tie Aubameyang down to a new three year deal, he’ll be 34 years old going into his final year. If Willian arrives this summer on a three year deal, he’ll be 35 years old as his last season with us kicks off. Cedric Soares will be 29 in a couple of weeks and as for David Luiz, who has just signed a contract extension, he’s ancient.
It wasn’t that long ago when Dennis Bergkamp was strutting his stuff in an Arsenal shirt in his mid to late 30’s, it wasn’t that long ago that Arsenal fans couldn’t understand why the club were letting good players go because of a daft over 30’s policy.
Top footballers are athletes, pure and simple. Long gone are beer swilling days or a crafty fag every now and again. Footballers are as fit, they focus on diet, training and every thing else required to remain at the top. Look at Ronaldo now at 35 years old. He’s still rated as one of the best, if not the best in the game. On a similar level is Messi who is just two years his junior. Teddy Sheringham played into his thirties, as did Ryan Giggs and as already mentioned, our own Dennis Bergkamp. Mark Schwarzer, Frank Lampard was well into his thirties I think when he retired and I’m sure if I goggled the subject, I could come up with many more but my point is, age is just a number in sport as it is in life. Just ask Roger Federer.
There’s a big difference between signing an ageing football who has not kept himself in good shape, like Santos and signing someone like Willian who is clearly in good condition. Willian knows what the Premier League is all about as he’s been performing for Chelsea since 2013 and last season played over thirty games for his old club. Lampard has suggested the player is injured but we all know injuries can often be used to defend a decision not to play a particular player which is why I’m not wholeheartedly convinced Willian has any problems. NN headlines suggest he’s already passed a medical at Arsenal but I know that means very little. Well know soon enough.
As for his age, I’m not bothered at all. If his arrival helps us to achieve better things and his experience benefits our younger players, then it’ll be money well spent I think.
See you in the comments guys.
Rico.. in the picture, the guy stood up (in what looks like a cowboy hat, to me anyway!!) is it RA?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Morning all
Not so much about today’s post, although age does come into it, a bit. Nobody mentioned Alex James! The wizard of an inside forward, a ‘schemer’! The stories of his dribbling skills back in the day, were the main stays of many of the old guard that inhabited the North Bank in the sixties! Sadly he died young, after he’d retired he was 40something! But by repute a fabulous footballer.
Stan. Matthews was fifty when he finished. I saw him play in his last game for Blackpool at Highbury. He had a few nice touches but not a lot of pace!
Letting players go when they reached 30 was Wenger’s mantra. Stupid really, but it was a generally held belief that at 30 years and 1 day, you were finished as a pro footballer! Nonsense of course.
History is littered with old players making a real difference to their club’s successes. Dave MacKay at Derby, Tony Book at Citeh, George Eastham at Stoke, etc etc.
Nothing wrong with playing a few wily ‘old men’ providing they are an improvement on what you already have! Just hope the don’t arrive at the Arsenal just to top up their pension pots!
The old and the wise, now there’s just so many people on here who that could refer to, but I won’t go there as much as I’d love to….
AC Milan used to have a medical centre, thought to be the best in football and very secretive, that played a big part in extending the careers of the Rossinieri players well into their 30’s.
Of course Serie A isn’t as physical as many other big leagues so wear and tear might not be as big an issue plus you have all that fresh pasta. Players like Cafu, Maldini, Costacurta, Albertini, Inzaghi, Pirlo, Gattuso and more played well into their mid and late 30’s.
Hi Rico and all sounds like Ramsey’s up for sale all ready I hope we don’t try for him,
Interesting photo Rico , do you know where it was taken it looks remarkably like a town in Catalunya I once lived in but then again many villages have grown alike nowadays.
Age :- I take your point is not in itself a barrier. Man as in the male reaches his physical peak about 28 years old I believe females a little bit earlier. As you have pointed out we are getting a squad where the average age is tempered by the number of kids we have around the early twenties ,I just hope that we are not producing a team that runs out of steam after about an hour.
I didn’t realise he was that old Sue. Lol
Morning all.
Injuries-that’s what ages a player imo.
They’re so well looked after before, during, after and in between games now, it’s not the issue it once was.
Hi Geoff.
Andalusia Potter.
I think so too Scott, and the type of injury sustained.
I read Willian has had an Achilles problem which is a bit of a red flag after Koscielny, but it was two years ago according to transfermarket…
Hey Rico I worked out who the 2 old men are in your photo it’s Raul and Edu in 10 years time still making there mind up as to who we should sell and buy for the start of the 2020/2021 season
Geoff, you sure it’s not Wenger and Gazidis?
Hey Potter, I reckon if I met my 28 year old self he would gasp and probably say………….”tell me, me, how do I get that fantastic physique?……………..when do I get that good?” hahaha
I think Linford Christie ran his quickest 100 meters when he was 36!……………although he was probably on drugs!……………………………………..Personally I dont care about the drugs in sport, infact the more the better as I think it would be more exciting seeing someone run the 100 meters in 3 seconds and then do the high jump at 10 meters and then run the marathon in 26 mins before dying of accelerated old age as they pick up their medals!
Rico I sticking with Raul and Edu looking at the bar in the background I would say that’s were The have been trying to see if a few wines will help them make a decision
Surely Willian will finally be unveiled today???
LC,
My 28 year old self would look at my 50
Year old self and say “you were a shit player player back then, and even worse now but you’re still doing it”.
Morning all.
I am a closet Ramsey fan, which may come as a surprise to you lot, especially Cicero, but no.
He’s gone.
There is no point going backwards.
Hahaha Scott and you will probably be a shit player when you reach my age! 😆
I`m not a closet Ramsey fan as I was never in the closet to begin with!………………….closets are only good for clothes and hiding in when someone`s partner comes home to early!……………….you can always tell something from someones clothes…………….. like the size of them and whether you should be terrified! hahaha
Onya LC hahaha
Yep was always a massive fan of Rambo, but we just can’t look back.
If he did come back, I’d be ecstatic but I just want the club to move forward.
New blood, Arteta joining, Stan leaving and we are set 🙂
So Wenger was too slow in the transfer market now we have a new coach, fairly new chief negotiator still the same old arsenal when it comes to buying and selling players far to slow can not even get a player for free over the line quickly nothing changes
New post up guys.
Don’t be so grumpy Geoff.. 😂