As far as I'm aware neither of them were midfielders. Anyway I didn't say he was too old. I said he was getting too old, which I think in most peoples understanding of the phrase means he's not too far off being too old, which was kind of what I was saying. Vrancic has done well for us in the past and is doing well in the present when used correctly, but I'm not convinced he will play a significant role in the future. Most, not all, football careers start winding down between 30 - 32 with most footballers retiring between 32 & 35, . Older players tend to be CB's & GK's not midfielders and not play in the PL or Championship. Cureton is a fantastic example of a player that can continue playing way past the average age by being willing to drop down the leagues. He left Norwich at the age of 33 I believe. Vrancic's contract ends on the 30/06/21 for a reason, about a month after his 32nd birthday. So I would think it's fair to say he's in the twilight of his career, but if my definition of twilight doesn't match other peoples then I'm comfortable with that.
Your right, although we were playing in division 1 for his final year. Currently playing for Enfield FC aged 45
I guess you could intend passing it to one player, but it goes to another or you could aim to pass in front of a running player and it goes behind them so they have to stop to get it. I'm not sure how you can tell the difference without knowing what is in the mind of th passer beforehand.
Absolutely, as CC's examples (several instances of which occurred yesterday) illustrate. Accuracy is to do with the pass being perfectly executed in the context of the developing play, e.g. Emi's through ball for Pukki from which Pukki scored. One way of putting it would be to say that accurate passes are made FOR the recipient, rather than TO the recipient. A player making a run doesn't want the ball played to him, he wants it played to where he is running. Another quote from DF yesterday: "We were not concentrated enough in our passing". And by the way, a pass can be unsuccessful yet accurate! For example, a player may pass to where his intended recipient SHOULD be if the latter does what he should do in the situation. If the intended recipient doesn't do what he should, it doesn't make the pass inaccurate. There was an example of this involving Pukki, who failed to make the run he should have made, being caught on his heels (ruefully acknowledged by Pukki at the time).
I think it's fair to say that Vrancic's career as an NCFC CM in a 4-2-3-1 system is over. He doesn't have the defensive nous, strength or stamina to reliably play that role at our level. McLean or Rupp are better options. But as a CAM, which apparently is where Farke is considering him these days, I think he still has a lot to give. The obvious/lazy comparison is Wes, who still offered plenty in that role long past 31, primarily down to his intelligence as a footballer, and non-reliance on physical traits. I'd say that's similar for Vrancic. The difficulty for Farke/Vrancic is whether it's a smart decision to use a 31 year old as your creative fulcrum, someone who is probably at the ceiling of his ability, and their ability to contribute long term is questionable. With that said, long-term thinking is a luxury and we have to deal with the short-term first. Dowell's long-term injury means he can't take the CAM slot, and Hernandez being out leaves us short in wide areas, almost precluding trying Emi or Todd at 10. So if short term options are Pukki, Stiepermann, McLean or Vrancic, I think it's fair to say Vrancic is worth a shot. He's got as many league goals as he has starts in 2020, our top scorer after Pukki and Cantwell. He's making things happen despite limited minutes, and we've seen from him in the past that he takes a few games to really look match fit. If in a couple of months time it's not working, we can look at other options, and hopefully Dowell can be a long-term successor, but for now I'd give him a chance.
Hanley is nowhere near Premier League standard but good enough at this level. It would be good to see him and Gibson get a partnership going, sounds as if we were lucky to not have one of them sent off.