Quote:
Originally Posted by Ekeke
People claim that a player who 'doesnt rely on pace' will play longer. But, just because a striker isnt known for his pace doesn't mean he isn't relying on it. You need a certain amount of speed to be effective, even if its the bare minimum with your other ablities in your arsenal making you the player that you are.
You still need to be first to the ball, you still need to create half a yard of space, you still need to be able to take advantage of that space and be able to move through it at a certain speed, else the defenders will recover. While experience and having a footballing brain aid you in this, speed itself plays an important part too.
So yes, while those players may play a little longer - when the pace starts to go, they will be some way off the best options in their position. At a top club, if your level drops you may find yourself replaced.
As for Villa, even when the pace goes he'll still have a footballing brain and a pass the same way Berbatov will. At half his speed he'd still be a heck of a player. Though once again, at a top club he may find himself replaced.
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Explosive pace is what really takes it out of the body. That wears down the muscles and joints, and these players tend to burn bright but also burn for shorter amounts of time. So these players not only generally rely on their pace more, but they also tend to start losing their pace earlier.
Also, players who rely on their pace will miss it a lot more when it's gone. Look at Scholes. He never relied all that much on pace, so as he lost it he was able to modify his game so that he was still just as effective (06/07 was his best or second best ever season). Teddy, Bergkamp, etc...even though they may still lose a bit of pace, it's generally to a lesser degree and is often offset by the increase in experience and decision-making.
Obviously there is no hard-and-fast rule, but
generally players of Berbatov's ilk do last longer than most other players. So to constantly go on about him being 27 is a bit cringe-worthy, as his 27 is more like most players 25 or so.