He only turned 27 in May.
There’s an argument that the injuries may have limited his progress, but he isn’t exactly “past his prime” in terms of age.
If anything, as a defender he should be reaching his peak years now.
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Yes the injuries have been holding him back but other than the title winning season, he hasn’t really progressed. He’s been average. Like TAA, he’ll have a banger of a game and then suddenly disappears in the next few.
Last season? He covered a multitude of positions and excelled at most. He was one that many have been picking out as our most improved and even a player of the season candidate.
His injuries have limited how useful he has been to the squad overall but last season he was possibly our biggest asset in the squad due to his versatility and utility.
The question is whether he is happy being a “Swiss army knife” style squad player and whether his current good run of fitness will remain. Personally, I think the utility player role, and the potential for controlled match time, would suit him. If he wants to leave, then that is fair enough. Players only get one career.
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Yes, and I think it’s arguable that his ability to play as a defensive full back, a marauding full-back (maybe more from the right than left) and play the inverting style, adds to that flexibility.
I think I’m trying to say that he is just a really intelligent versatile footballer. I know we don’t like to talk about old whiskey nose, but Alex Ferguson would have absolutely adored Joe Gomez.
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Its time for Joe to go for his sake.
Quansah has now overtaken him at CB
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I think thats the issue - he is a jack of all trades…and not entirely mastered all.
If you listen to TAW show called The Gutter, then yesterday they made some really good points on why Joe probably wont be used a lot this season so he may want to look elsewhere for regular game time.
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He may well have done. A John O’Shea or Wes Brown type player that can do a decent job but isn’t really making a best 11.
Difference is, those guys stuck around as long as they did because they knew their real level was mid to lower premier league but they’d win loads of they stayed as bit part players. I reckon Joe looks at the league and thinks he’d be starting centre half at all but us, city and arsenal. And he’d get paid more elsewhere and increase his England chances too.
His versatility is great but if that’s how the club view him it might be a factor in why he might be eyeing up opportunities elsewhere.
No one mentioned building a team around him, your comment was about his injury record and that he is a liability.
One thing about Joe his injury record has been around serious injuries, not a constant unavailability due to minor muscle ailments like some players
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I never mentioned his injuries were trivial or minor but for several years they have been issues. If he was where we think he should be he would have been in front of Matip, and he clearly wasn’t.
Isn’t Delaney supposed to be 1 of the more…or should I say few half reliable journo’s out there? If we could somehow find it in the next 4 weeks to get Hincapie, Ederson and Bakayoko then dicks will be getting sucked.
Not sure Pacho should be suggested as an upgrade on Sepp. Both had one good year in the Bundesliga and Sepp’s was arguably better. I don’t see the point in using good money to stay “essentially” at the same level.
I’m not sure there is a need for an upgrade on Sepp but rather more, a choice to go with more experience.
Matip was always the better CB. Joe’s form (and Matip’s injury) briefly kept him in the side ahead of Matip so that shouldnt be a criticism of Joe.
The same points are made every summer, not exactly groundbreaking stuff there.
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As far as JG is concerned… let the lad decide for himself whether he goes, or whether he stays - Anyone part of that PL winning squad has more than earned the right to choose their own future -
Wouldn’t like to see him put under any pressure to move on etc.
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I wish our unreliable rumours thread wasn’t a discussion of an excellent player leaving 
.
Hughsey boy, give us a rumour to distract us til the season starts 
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If Joe wants to go, then let him, keep Sepp, buy another CB.
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The lack of recognition for JG is staggering. Good all round defender who gives 100% whenever he is on the pitch and contributes without issues when he is not.
England international. Recently has never had the chance of a run in any position to get rythme or the chance to build partnerships. But still performs well.
If he wants to go then fine but pushing him out of the door for someone who may or may not be better - and can only give the same effort or maybe less not more - is madness.
We need to respect and enjoy what we have - not just look for a shiny new thing.
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Fair enough, the point being, it may be vulnerable in a post-Gomez world if the four options are VVd, Quansah, Konate and VdB.
If Sepp is to be replaced my suggestion is we get someone who is ready to feature in the first team, not a kid to develop. Whoever that is - the names I mentioned weren’t the point as such, but whoever the club likes, and if not Pacho then Hincapie, Guehi, Lacroix, Bremer, Inacio… or any of I’m sure a much better list the club has - we should ‘go big’ and strengthen the back four central defensive options.
I haven’t seen much of Pacho to be fair, so I bow to your better knowledge on him.
I agree with all of this, but the context for discussing Gomez is crucial.
It was reported that he was part of the player plus cash deal to try to sign Gordon earlier in the window. It was also reported that he is considering his options, presumably because he knows he is a versatile back up option here, and he might like to try to play more elsewhere.
I think everyone likes Gomez. Not to the point that he is indispensable, but if he wants to stay and we keep him, great.
But if he wishes move on, especially for a fair price, we see the sense in that too, and he would go with nothing but our best wishes.
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Doesn’t JoGo have his own thread?
I see twenty new posts here and think something has happened. Turns out it’s just a rehash of the same old arguments about Joe.
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