Richard O'Donnell

ROD is fighting for his career. He might just up his game. Possibly needs a bit of help from a sports psychologist because he'd not actually a poor keeper

 

Hes 32. Career pretty much done. Bulk of it anyway...

 

He might up his game?? He’s getting worse. See the flap at their first goal on Tuesday? He was annoyed himself

 

Give over. As a goalie he should have another 5 or 6 years left in him. Assuming he learns how to catch again. Its not age against him, it's confidence

 

That's why I mentioned sports psychology. There is some mental issue in there thats seriously affecting his ability to play.

 

Hes the wrong side of 30. Keepers at this level are usually done by mid 30s. He will be playing NL football beyond that IMO. Hes on a major decline.

Lets agree he doesnt have a lot of his career left. Hes had one. You talk like he is 25.

 

No idea, somethings not right, why stop coming out for crosses and now hardly comes off his line.??

 

nah. most keepers still good enough at 36. The best can go on a couple of years beyond that - Schmeical, Bonetti, Seaman and many others

 

You forgot Big Nev.

 

What about that other er generously proportioned keeper, John Burridge. Wasn’t he older than HRH when he stopped playing?

edit: just had a quick look, my memory is fading, I seem to remember him as fairly hefty build but it seems he wasn’t. Still a helluva character though.

 

ROD is in the last year of his contract and will probably leave at the end of the season, He is a good number 2 and there are much more priorities as regards strengthening the team with another attacking midfielder and a forward needed to complete the squad for what is a long season with the inevitable injuries and suspensions,

 

True…..Leave him as 2 to let the contract run down. Letting him go now means we pay him a year for nothing . As long as he remains largely on the bench and sits as pure back up. I’d be happy with that scenario.

 

Dino Zoff. Duke was 38 when he left us. Shilton was still playing at 40.

 

Age means zilch in goalkeeping terms. At 32, if he hadn't gone downhill so fast, which he might just as well reverse with help, he could have as much of a career left as a 25 year old forward. By all means write him off on performance, and I totally agree with that, but you cant write a 32 year old keeper off on age.

He might just have an issue that none of us know about thats affecting his judgement. Remember Ray Kennedy ? He went downhill very quickly and then discovered he had Parkinsons Disease. Now I'm not suggesting that ROD has an illness but there is something clearly not right and it's got absolutely nothing to do with him being 32.

 

Absolutely… Age bears no relevance at all.

 

Im not writing him off because he is 32. Im simply saying the bulk of his career is over and he is now on a decline. He aint getting any better.

As for age means zilch for keepers, why dont they play into their 40s? Nonsense

 

Buffon @ 43 returning to Parma

 

Many do. Show me a goalie whose retired at 32/33 and I'll show you ten who have gone on at a good level until 38/39

Best Goalkeepers Over 34 (footballtransfers.com)

 

Didn't you have a keeper who went on to play 'til 42 albeit in the PL?