Signing older players

[Quickenthetempo]

In the past it has been a success for the club.

Players like Heath and John McGreal really added class to the side.
Recent times and under Dyche the Jury is still out.

Crouch- looks terrible but causes a bit of panic in the opposition box as we're always chasing the game if he comes on.
Bardsley- has come good after looking a poor signing.
Walters- terrible, costly signing mainly through being injured.
Lennon- not had the success most thought he would.
M Taylor- an expensive bit part player.

Anymore that need discussing? Is it the right route to go down for us in the future?

[jedi_master]

Taylor made some crucial contributions in the Championship winning season to be fair.

Reid was pointless.

[CoolClaret]

M Taylor wasn't bit part at all.

Everyone is forgetting how many points he won for us coming on as a sub in the first half of the championship winning season - without his efforts we wouldn't have won the league

[SGr]

Taylor was a good asset at championship level, delivery pretty much unmatched and proved it with some crucial contributions.

I don’t mind experience. You do need some “good lads” But we had ourselves some breathing space in summer where we could for once have prioritised the young “talent” instead. Wasted it.

[Quickenthetempo]

Taylor was 4 goals in 27 apps or 34 with sub apps over two seasons.

Played his first 3 games then had a serious injury. He came back and missed the costliest penalty of all time for Burnley. But did alright in the championship.

[ksrclaret]

Older, experienced players are always valuable additions - providing they can still get out on to the pitch as a regular.

John McGreal in his first season did, his other two seasons not so much. Matt Taylor did in the Championship and was crucial to us picking up quite a few points. Phil Bardsley has done really well this season in difficult circumstances.

One or two in a squad is good, but we've often had way too many in recent times.

[Tall Paul]

Barton?

[Quickenthetempo]

Barton?

First season he did really well.

2nd stint he wasn’t at the races.

[MACCA]

Andy Cole
David May
Mitchel Thomas
Frank Sinclair

All great pros.

With SD its all about character, and it's extremely rare that a premier league club will let a quality experienced pro with a great character swan off on the cheap, if at all.

[ChrisG]

Going back a bit further - Ian Wright pushed us to promotion and statfed this rollercoaster.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Signing any player has pros and cons, but older players can provide the experience and drive that is sometimes missing from younger ones.
Sometimes you just need a steady head in the dressing room, especially at half time if the chips are down.

Crouch looks terrible according to the OP, but set up a goal that earned us a valuable point.

[Chester Perry]

People forget the long discussions on this message board about he improvement in Barnes during Walters first season with us, Barnes started playing like a younger Walters and was on it all the time, it is that contribution on the training ground, mentoring of players , why most managers like to have a few players who have the experience and know how around the squad even if they do not make the team all that often

[Vegas Claret]

ageist

[Darthlaw]

Graham Alexander didn’t turn out that badly.

[Quickenthetempo]

Most of these successes have occurred in the championship or below.

[claptrappers_union]

A bit harsh declaring these signings as terrible.

[willsclarets]

...which I where we've been most of the past 40 years so that makes sense. It's also easier for a player to me be down levels at a ripe old age where mentally you're ahead of the game. No surprise some of the players mentioned above were able to shine for us. I'd add Paul Cook, who completely transformed us in the middle of the park.

[Quickenthetempo]

But it's to decide if you think we should continue with signing older players while in the premier league.

It's not a cheap option by any means.

[gtclaret]

Most of these successes have occurred in the championship or below.

Spot on, older players are vital in a young team, but have too many and we will be relegated

[Quickenthetempo]

Looking at the England team, the youngsters in the country are outperforming the over 25s by a long way.

Never mind the over 30s.

[jrgbfc]

A mix of youth and experience is good, but I think we've swayed too far towards experience under Dyche in recent times. Look at the likes of Mee, Trippier and Ings when we first signed them, they'd all been rejected elsewhere and had a burning desire to prove themselves. Contrast that to someone like Lennon coming in whose best days are clearly behind him, and he'll be financially made for life.

[South West Claret.]

In general you can’t beat experience but as others have quite rightly pointed out in balance with the rest of the team, no history of injuries and no discipline issues.

[bfccrazy]

Taylor was 4 goals in 27 apps or 34 with sub apps over two seasons.

Played his first 3 games then had a serious injury. He came back and missed the costliest penalty of all time for Burnley. But did alright in the championship.

Missed a pen that Ings bottled taking.

Also set up Keanes goals against Boro/Brighton which arguably won us the league.

[Quickenthetempo]

Missed a pen that Ings bottled taking.

Also set up Keanes goals against Boro/Brighton which arguably won us the league.

But he was signed to play in the premier league.

[AlargeClaret]

First season he did really well.

2nd stint he wasn’t at the races.

I think you’ll find he was pretty good right through and a massive influence on the pitch . As for Matty Taylor great player who did his cruciate (I think ) soon as he signed so we missed a year of him and SD also offered him a prem
League contract bug told him oppos could be limited .

[joey13]

Keith Newton

[Chester Perry]

The return of martin Dobson and his impact on that wonderful group of young players

[bfccrazy]

But he was signed to play in the premier league.

When it didn’t work out (Not his fault), he helped to get us back there.

[Woodleyclaret]

Grezza was always a player I wanted us to sign when at PNE
It took several seasons but he was brilliant if only for his penalty taking
The only one I remember him missing was v Bristol City
A great save by City keeper Tom Heaton.

[duncandisorderly]

Grezza was always a player I wanted us to sign when at PNE
It took several seasons but he was brilliant if only for his penalty taking
The only one I remember him missing was v Bristol City
A great save by City keeper Tom Heaton.

It was David James in goal and Alexander actually missed but other than that you're spot on.

[Quickenthetempo]

Grezza was always a player I wanted us to sign when at PNE
It took several seasons but he was brilliant if only for his penalty taking
The only one I remember him missing was v Bristol City
A great save by City keeper Tom Heaton.

Heaton will of still been at United when Grezza played for us.

[jojomk1]

15 of our current senior squad are contracted until they get into their 30's (some a few years into that age)
And that doesn't include people like Crouch, Walters, Bardsley, Lindegaard or Legzdins
I believe we have one of the oldest squads in the Premiership
McNeill has made the breakthrough this year but I wonder if he would have been given the chance had we not had all our wide players injured at the start of the season
Dyche prefers experience but that means most of the squad will see out their playing days with us so no return on any investment in transfer fees/wages

[JohnDearyMe]

Does Lennon count as an older played when compared to the other players mentioned above? He was only 30 when we signed him