Jason Pearce has been a good player for us, but sorry Jason age and injuries have caught up with you. His performance last season was on the whole poor for us, so hope he is only third choice back up and will be a good mentor to the young defenders.
I also think Pearce got a lot of unfair stick last season. He's still a thoroughly decent defender and better on the ball than our other CBs. Having Naby Sarr around distorted the perception of him as a lump who can't ball but he's really not the worst
You're getting lol'd, and he did have a couple of calamities when he first came back into the team, but then had a number of decent showings after that. Think he might've even got a few MOTM in the statbank or close to. Not saying I want him as first choice, but there's definitely worse back-up defenders and can more than 'do a job' for us in this league. Plus all the other coaching/experience benefits
Happy with this - I would say that in the first half of the season he looked like a bit of a liability (primarily when playing alongside Deji) but towards the end of the season he was solid and earned his contract extension.
It was that mid season period where we needed him to be our main man at the back, but he fluffed his lines. He the came back strongly. 4th choice will suit him but he needs to be focused and firing, not in foul/freekick/grapple mode else he will be a liability.
It was that mid season period where we needed him to be our main man at the back, but he fluffed his lines. He the came back strongly. 4th choice will suit him but he needs to be focused and firing, not in foul/freekick/grapple mode else he will be a liability.
he fluffed his lines coming back from a LOOOONG injury lay off I believe.
Are we going to have a better fourth choice CB (or 2nd choice left footed CB) available to us in this league? Probably not.
Pearce has a limited shelf life as a footballer now and I suspect he has the nous to realise this. He also has an excellent attitude and can only be good for the squad to have around - simply, he seems like a leader.
Glad to have him back and glad the intention is for him to be backing someone up.
Love Pearcey and happy he is staying, I get the coaching role but he’s only 33! Might want to play for another three years!! Does this arrangement roll on if he wants to continue to play? I’m a bit confused tbh.
Love Pearcey and happy he is staying, I get the coaching role but he’s only 33! Might want to play for another three years!! Does this arrangement roll on if he wants to continue to play? I’m a bit confused tbh.
I imagine it's set up in a way where he will/can start to go from a player who can also coach to a coach who occasionally plays. It keeps him on the books as a registered player of we need him but his primary aim will be developing the coaching side, as I believe he already is involved with some academy program already.
Love Pearcey and happy he is staying, I get the coaching role but he’s only 33! Might want to play for another three years!! Does this arrangement roll on if he wants to continue to play? I’m a bit confused tbh.
Like you I also love Pearce he always gives 100%. As for him playing another 3 years I can only see him doing that in league one or two. Should we go up this coming season he will have a decision to make because he would not be good enough even as cover in the championship
Love Pearcey and happy he is staying, I get the coaching role but he’s only 33! Might want to play for another three years!! Does this arrangement roll on if he wants to continue to play? I’m a bit confused tbh.
Like you I also love Pearce he always gives 100%. As for him playing another 3 years I can only see him doing that in league one or two. Should we go up this coming season he will have a decision to make because he would not be good enough even as cover in the championship
Bizarrely him and Pratley were better in the championship then either of them have ever been in league 1 for us.
I don't think Pearce has got significantly worse than he was, he never was THAT good. He is fine if he is playing with another natural center half, he is bloody aweful when he plays with someone who isn't.
Pearce is/was fine (at our level) with Inniss, Famewo, Lockyer, BFG etc. When he plays with someone who isn't a natural center back he seems to spend half his time worrying about what they are doing and that's what leads to his absolute cock ups.
If he’s not going to be starting much as Adkins suggests, does that make him 3rd or 4th choice CB? I guess that depends on who comes in, but I am assuming we’re definitely in for 2 others in this position
Fair play to Pearce, most thought he was past it but he's proving everyone wrong. Having taken my daughter to one of his academy holiday camps and met him I can confirm he's also a top bloke
Pearce is a warrior But we know he's on borrowed time and just like last season when he had a run of solid games, then had a shocker he was criticized big time by our fickle fan base and will be again tomorrow if we concede a few and lose.
He was supposed to be our 4th choice CB this season with his main role off the field but with Ryan Inniss continues to prove he is injury prone, Lavelle's injury and Deji just turned 18 and the suspension of Akin, he is back us number 1 which is a major and unfair burden on Jason.
Pearce didn't like the fact NA tarred him with the same comment as Watson about age. After all he's done at the club, thats more than understandable.
Most people agreed with it at the time.....
I didn't
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
Pearce didn't like the fact NA tarred him with the same comment as Watson about age. After all he's done at the club, thats more than understandable.
Most people agreed with it at the time.....
I didn't
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
It is a big difference but most people were of the mind that he should be "emergency use" only. The fact he and Watson were both back in the team after a handful of games tells a story.
Pearce didn't like the fact NA tarred him with the same comment as Watson about age. After all he's done at the club, thats more than understandable.
Most people agreed with it at the time.....
I didn't
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
It is a big difference but most people were of the mind that he should be "emergency use" only. The fact he and Watson were both back in the team after a handful of games tells a story.
Emergency is too strong. Not first choice maybe, but a useful squad member as it's a position where players will get injuries and suspensions. Especially when one of them is Ryan Inniss...
Gary Cahill, to name another veteran, is 2 years older than Pearce and now first choice at Bournemouth
Pearce didn't like the fact NA tarred him with the same comment as Watson about age. After all he's done at the club, thats more than understandable.
Most people agreed with it at the time.....
I didn't
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
It is a big difference but most people were of the mind that he should be "emergency use" only. The fact he and Watson were both back in the team after a handful of games tells a story.
Emergency is too strong. Not first choice maybe, but a useful squad member as it's a position where players will get injuries and suspensions. Especially when one of them is Ryan Inniss...
Gary Cahill, to name another veteran, is 2 years older than Pearce and now first choice at Bournemouth
Yes it is too strong. I actually agree with you but I am just pointing out it wasn't an unpopular decision at the time.
Pearce didn't like the fact NA tarred him with the same comment as Watson about age. After all he's done at the club, thats more than understandable.
Most people agreed with it at the time.....
I didn't
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
Once a player is into his 30s, he can still maintain a high level of fitness and stamina , more or less at full capacity.
It's his pace, quickness of feet, reflexes and reactions which begin to slow ..... as is now apparent with 36 year old Ben Watson. He still has a sharp football brain, ability on the ball hasn't diminished and fully able to last 90 competitive minutes in League One.
But ....... his slow feet and reactions are often affecting his effectiveness in midfield against a team of younger, sharper players. He's vulnerable, can be an opposition target - and of course a magnet for yellow cards caused by his lateness in the tackle. This season is surely his last at this level.
The same thing is affecting Jason Pearce, aged 34 next month. As a CB though, he can be covered and compensated to a degree by his fellow defenders. But he has attributes which are hugely beneficial to the team: aerial strength, good organisational skills, leadership and a determination to lead by example. He has a tendency to drop too deep because he fears being exposed on the floor, especially on the counter - but otherwise he's sound.
Even though Pearcey is 2 and a half years younger than Watson, I don't believe that is necessarily the major factor and depends on the individual. After all, our old warrior Darren Pratley is the same age as Watson, but can still get all around the park with intensity, where I doubt Watson could still do that. Anyway, IMO ..... if you're going to play a veteran, you need to ensure there's a player with sharp young legs beside him.
Ciellini 35 Bonnucci 37,didnt see them get done very often,experience is just as important at cb as pace,Richard Wood at the Valley recently now 36 hardly put a foot wrong,Pearce has got another 2 seasons in him if managed properly.
Pearce didn't like the fact NA tarred him with the same comment as Watson about age. After all he's done at the club, thats more than understandable.
Most people agreed with it at the time.....
I didn't
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
Once a player is into his 30s, he can still maintain a high level of fitness and stamina , more or less at full capacity.
It's his pace, quickness of feet, reflexes and reactions which begin to slow ..... as is now apparent with 36 year old Ben Watson. He still has a sharp football brain, ability on the ball hasn't diminished and fully able to last 90 competitive minutes in League One.
But ....... his slow feet and reactions are often affecting his effectiveness in midfield against a team of younger, sharper players. He's vulnerable, can be an opposition target - and of course a magnet for yellow cards caused by his lateness in the tackle. This season is surely his last at this level.
The same thing is affecting Jason Pearce, aged 34 next month. As a CB though, he can be covered and compensated to a degree by his fellow defenders. But he has attributes which are hugely beneficial to the team: aerial strength, good organisational skills, leadership and a determination to lead by example. He has a tendency to drop too deep because he fears being exposed on the floor, especially on the counter - but otherwise he's sound.
Even though Pearcey is 2 and a half years younger than Watson, I don't believe that is necessarily the major factor and depends on the individual. After all, our old warrior Darren Pratley is the same age as Watson, but can still get all around the park with intensity, where I doubt Watson could still do that. Anyway, IMO ..... if you're going to play a veteran, you need to ensure there's a player with sharp young legs beside him.
Getting the balance right is key. In the Pizza Cup game, our young centre backs Elewere and Bakrin would really have benefited from an experienced head next to them. And centre backs (and number 9s) are probably the positions where physical strength is most important, something youngsters don't usually have
Last season, the now 39 year old Wes Hoolahan was one of the best players in L2, running the game and scoring and creating loads of goals for Cambridge, but he needed others to do his running and tackling!
Agree, Muttley. Pearce now has a CB on both sides of him, able to cover his lack of pace and the odd error. Like many traditional CBs, Pearce hates players who run at him with the ball.
It's also vital that he has a sharp, quick footed DM in front of him. Dobson has been playing that role well.
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Pearce has a limited shelf life as a footballer now and I suspect he has the nous to realise this. He also has an excellent attitude and can only be good for the squad to have around - simply, he seems like a leader.
Glad to have him back and glad the intention is for him to be backing someone up.
As for him playing another 3 years I can only see him doing that in league one or two.
Should we go up this coming season he will have a decision to make because he would not be good enough even as cover in the championship
I don't think Pearce has got significantly worse than he was, he never was THAT good. He is fine if he is playing with another natural center half, he is bloody aweful when he plays with someone who isn't.
Pearce is/was fine (at our level) with Inniss, Famewo, Lockyer, BFG etc. When he plays with someone who isn't a natural center back he seems to spend half his time worrying about what they are doing and that's what leads to his absolute cock ups.
He was supposed to be our 4th choice CB this season with his main role off the field but with Ryan Inniss continues to prove he is injury prone, Lavelle's injury and Deji just turned 18 and the suspension of Akin, he is back us number 1 which is a major and unfair burden on Jason.
Apart from anything else, Pearce is nearly 2.5 years younger than Watson, that's a big age difference. And CB is a position where legs aren't as important as in the midfield engine room
Gary Cahill, to name another veteran, is 2 years older than Pearce and now first choice at Bournemouth
It's his pace, quickness of feet, reflexes and reactions which begin to slow ..... as is now apparent with 36 year old Ben Watson.
He still has a sharp football brain, ability on the ball hasn't diminished and fully able to last 90 competitive minutes in League One.
But ....... his slow feet and reactions are often affecting his effectiveness in midfield against a team of younger, sharper players.
He's vulnerable, can be an opposition target - and of course a magnet for yellow cards caused by his lateness in the tackle. This season is surely his last at this level.
The same thing is affecting Jason Pearce, aged 34 next month. As a CB though, he can be covered and compensated to a degree by his fellow defenders. But he has attributes which are hugely beneficial to the team: aerial strength, good organisational skills, leadership and a determination to lead by example. He has a tendency to drop too deep because he fears being exposed on the floor, especially on the counter - but otherwise he's sound.
Even though Pearcey is 2 and a half years younger than Watson, I don't believe that is necessarily the major factor and depends on the individual.
After all, our old warrior Darren Pratley is the same age as Watson, but can still get all around the park with intensity, where I doubt Watson could still do that. Anyway, IMO ..... if you're going to play a veteran, you need to ensure there's a player with sharp young legs beside him.
Last season, the now 39 year old Wes Hoolahan was one of the best players in L2, running the game and scoring and creating loads of goals for Cambridge, but he needed others to do his running and tackling!
Like many traditional CBs, Pearce hates players who run at him with the ball.
It's also vital that he has a sharp, quick footed DM in front of him.
Dobson has been playing that role well.