Are we potentially in danger of looking at too many "old Men"??

[Deadlydave]

I know we have only signed 2 players so far and generally the Walters deal looks OK too me. However in light of the rumour that we could well be looking at signed Glen Whelan; whose's also 33 these are hardly players to build a future upon. I get it that players are insanely expensive and wages crazy, but do you think we should be looking at players with more potential /future resale value should we uncover someone with real quality such a Keane.

[sinkov]

I'm not too worried about resale value, staying in this division for another season will make us more than selling four Michael Keanes would, so signing players who can keep us up should be the priority, regardless of age. Buying to sell on at a profit is for cash-strapped clubs, and we aren't one of them any more.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I'm with you on this one sinkov. At the top table of English football experience is everything.

If we get two good seasons out of Walters and Whelan that will ensure we stay in the EPL. £5 million plus wages for those two will be chicken feed.

Sean Dyche and Martin O'Neill will never be off the 'phone!

[In Dyche We Trust]

Don't panic Mr Mainwaring.......the old guys did a good job keeping the enemy at bay.......but PL football is slightly different. Walters and Whelan goes against SD's view of signing players in that he looks at age, skill, potential and sell-on values. Taylor falls into that category but these 2 and Barton break that mould. Barton did a job for us when most of us were very sceptical when he first arrived. I can see where TBT is coming from and whilst I am dead against the 2 grandpa's from Stoke coming in, I guess we are not competing with other top clubs like Bournemouth and Huddersfield who are flashing the cash.

It's just a pity that Steve Claridge is not Irish as he would be next one in....

[sinkov]

We need players who can do a job for us, who can keep us up, there's no point signing young players with potential for say £10m, with a view to maybe selling them on for £20m. Why gamble on making £10m when we can make ten times as much by staying at this level for another season ? Sell on value was important when we were a cash-strapped Championship club, in the position we are now it's almost an irrelevance. The short term, the season ahead is now everything.

[Supersub6]

Don't panic Mr Mainwaring.......the old guys did a good job keeping the enemy at bay.......but PL football is slightly different. Walters and Whelan goes against SD's view of signing players in that he looks at age, skill, potential and sell-on values. Taylor falls into that category but these 2 and Barton break that mould. Barton did a job for us when most of us were very sceptical when he first arrived. I can see where TBT is coming from and whilst I am dead against the 2 grandpa's from Stoke coming in, I guess we are not competing with other top clubs like Bournemouth and Huddersfield who are flashing the cash.

It's just a pity that Steve Claridge is not Irish as he would be next one in....

I think that it is very much another season for consolidation and we need a good mixture of experience and youth and that seems to be the way that we are going. If we can stay up again this will be progress made.

Just a thought about the last sentence you wrote -- Walters and Whelan can deliver the goods, Claridge is just a good talker!

[In Dyche We Trust]

We should not be looking to stay up season by season but for the long term, like Stoke, West Brom have done. In a couple of years time, we are looking again for players when these 2 have picked up their pension. How many other PL teams pay 2 or 3 million for 33 year olds, best years behind them and discard a 31 year old....?

[The Bedlington Terrier]

We should not be looking to stay up season by season but for the long term, like Stoke, West Brom have done. In a couple of years time, we are looking again for players when these 2 have picked up their pension. How many other PL teams pay 2 or 3 million for 33 year olds, best years behind them and discard a 31 year old....?

The Development squad has one or two who might just make it in the big time. The Academy is full of talented young hopefuls and we could probably field a decent Championship side out of the reserves.

Boyd chose not to stay and there was not much we could do about it. He fancied a change and off he went.

Whelan and Walters are tried and tested and I think we need to ensure we stay up this season and move forward with younger players who are coming through in another season or two.

For now, just sit back and enjoy the ride!

[thedonz]

I prefer the term experienced pro to old men

And the answer to the question is No. We are replacing Boyd Barton and Robinson with other senior players.

We have already sign a young player to step into Ward's boots when the time comes and other young players are being lined up.

Astute management and progress definitely being made with the standard of player being signed.

I would be happy if we also didn't make any loan signings

[sinkov]

We should not be looking to stay up season by season but for the long term, like Stoke, West Brom have done. How many other PL teams pay 2 or 3 million for 33 year olds, best years behind them and discard a 31 year old....?

Errrr....... Stoke ? Who are apparently discarding the 33yo Whelan and replacing him with the 33yo Fletcher, on a free from WBA.

I can't see any point in getting hung up about the age of players, surely Dyche has done enough at this club to be trusted on this, and if he thinks a player can do a job for us then I'm happy to accept he probably can. Besides age doesn't seem to have stopped West Ham signing Zabaleta or Everton signing Rooney.

And while I agree we should plan for the long term, there'll only be a long term at this level if we stay up this season, so that simply has to be the priority.