Paulo1975

I'm managing england and i'm doing very well. I had steven gerrard, frank lampard and michael owen in the squad and they are around 32 and they all say in description 'experienced player'. I've also got ledley king still in my squad at 34 and john terry at 34 and in their description it says 'commanding centreback'

Now i might be wrong but as soon as a player's description turns to experienced, does it mean that they are automatically passed their best and on their way down?

What do people think about this?

retired_janae55

Er maybe it's just me, but what I observe is that it takes longer for defenders to have their description changed to "Experienced" as compared to the other outfielders, maybe because defenders stay longer in their prime?

And yea, I always have the notion that "Experienced" players are usually starting to decline.

retired_hope

I believe this is purely related to age. Players from different positions with have their description change when they reach a particular age, this being different for defenders, keepers, strikers, etc.

I would only consider a player past it when they cannot perform in a match.

As their physical stats start to decline you will find they are less likely to recover from matches and so you may find that you either have to sub them or bring them on a subs.

Don't stop playing them thought, as this will accelerate their rate of deline by not playing competitive football.

retired_Siwash

Just have a look at their physical stats, mainly stamina, pace, accleration and maybe natural fitness. It's when those drop too far that they're "past it". Their technical, mental and tactical attributes won't drop much, if at all. Older players with good leadership qualities are also good to keep around if your squad in general is young, or lacking a good captain. I've turned around losing streaks by starting an old leader ahead of a younger, better, player. The old guy himself might play worse than the former starter, but the 10 guys around him will play better.

And yes, defenders can play for longer. If they have good stats in other places, then they can play even at a very high level as long as their pace/acceleration is 8+ or so. Nesta has been superb in every game I've played so far even when he's 36, and that's just one example.

The ingame hints and tips list the approximate peak ages for players. This is what the file says:

Now I think that players can get the "Experienced" as soon as they hit 30, and since goalkeepers and defenders are in their peak at that age I think it's safe to say that the "Experienced" label is *not* the kiss of death, so to speak.

To re-iterate: A player isn't past it until his physical stats decline severely. Also note that past his best doesn't have to mean past it. Fat Ronaldo is past his best, but still an excellent striker. There's plenty more examples out there.