Pre-season Friendlies Match Thread

[carlos the third]

Heskey was good tonight, he linked up play well and set up chances for others and we looked brighter when he came on. We always seem to play more attractive football with him in the team instead of Carew. Also good performances from Albrighton, NRC, Petrov, Luke Young and Beye.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

And with that tatoo on Sidwell's back? My god...

I think its his wedding vows, Fair play you seen his bird? He has to do something to keep her, I mean he's ginger and shit at football

[Mazrim]

Well, I'm fairly encouraged by what I saw tonight. I'm also confident that the kids can step up. Albrighton is going to be a star for us as I've said for ages now. clark looks the part and will only get better. Fonz will prove to be a top striker and the likes of  Weimann, Lichaj, Lowry and Bannan will be around the squad.
I'd also like to see NRC, Luke Young and Beye stay.
In fact, its only really Sidwell, Shorey and Heskey I'd like to see move on.

We still have Delph, Gabby, Cuellar, Collins and Davies to come back into that group tonight and I'm sre we'll get some quality players in.

Milner is off then and the sooner we spend the money from that ugly twat on buying that bit of magic we clearly lack, the better.

Plenty to be cheerful about.

[richard moore]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

And with that tatoo on Sidwell's back? My god...

I think its his wedding vows, Fair play you seen his bird? He has to do something to keep her, I mean he's ginger and shit at football

Maybe he thinks he's invisible without it? Though why he would think that I've no idea...

[dave.woodhall]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

And with that tatoo on Sidwell's back? My god...

I think its his wedding vows, Fair play you seen his bird? He has to do something to keep her, I mean he's ginger and shit at football

Yes, it's a real mystery what she sees in him.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Well, I'm fairly encouraged by what I saw tonight. I'm also confident that the kids can step up. Albrighton is going to be a star for us as I've said for ages now. clark looks the part and will only get better. Fonz will prove to be a top striker and the likes of  Weimann, Lichaj, Lowry and Bannan will be around the squad.
I'd also like to see NRC, Luke Young and Beye stay.
In fact, its only really Sidwell, Shorey and Heskey I'd like to see move on.
We still have Delph, Gabby, Cuellar, Collins and Davies to come back into that group tonight and I'm sre we'll get some quality players in.

Milner is off then and the sooner we spend the money from that ugly twat on buying that bit of magic we clearly lack, the better.

Plenty to be cheerful about.

Spot on there mate

[Phil from the upper holte]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

And with that tatoo on Sidwell's back? My god...

I think its his wedding vows, Fair play you seen his bird? He has to do something to keep her, I mean he's ginger and shit at football

Yes, it's a real mystery what she sees in him.

Maybe its his huge ....bank balance

[Dante Lavelli]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

Sorry - I missed the post-match interviews as my stream was pretty bobbins.  Who did MON criticize and what did he say?

[Legion]

1st half was dull. 2nd was pretty good. Impressed with Carew, Albrighton, Clarke and NRC.

[luke25]

I know it was only a friendly but we just look so stale and limited, just totally predictable

[ozzjim]

The football was utterly predictable for much of it.

Although, I did feel that Gabby and Young together up front may have resulted in goals when useful creative touches from Young in the centre resulted in Carew being through but not having the pace to take it away.

Beye should play next week on his performance at right back, and if Warnock is not right Young should play left back, both were good and neither would l;et us down, indeed if Davies is off to Spurs in any deal for Keane, then Cuellar should be competing to be alongside Dunne, while the full back should be set with Beye, Young and Warnock covering the 2 roles.

Dunne looked a stone heavier than last year to me.

NRC looked great, as he did a lot of the time last season when played, must stay and be in the side if we are not going to be over run in the centre of the midfield.

Albrighton looks ready to play some games, and will hurt sides as he has no fear of running at people.

Downing meh  -pretty man - no substance.

Clark still looks to be coming through well.

Lots to be positive about then, but that creative edge through the spine is missing, and Keane/ Ireland/ Bentley could well do us the power of good. More so than Milner in the side, who essentially is a much better version of the energetic NRC.

Final point. A week before the season starts, if we have to tape Ashley Young's knee up to get him through a fecking friendly don't bloody play him. He is far too important to piss about with, an a major frustration over the last 2-3 years with O'Neill is him playing players who are clearly carrying a knock, but doing it pre season is lunacy.

[OCD]

I wonder if MON plans on playing Fonzy out on the right whenever he plays - like he did in Gabby's first season.

[Legion]

Great post, ozzjim.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'd also like to see NRC, Luke Young and Beye stay.
In fact, its only really Sidwell, Shorey and Heskey I'd like to see move on..

I would agree with that, but with the caveat that if they're going to get frozen out / dumped in the reserves / ignored all season then we might as well sell them and get them off the wage bill.

Beye and NRC were excellent tonight, I thought. Good show.

[curiousorange]

Having just got back from the game I would say that Reo-Coker just needs to get his head up more - a few times he dawdled on the ball and got caught. But the player that surprised me most tonight was Heskey. I'm no fan of his but when he came on he really tied the front line together with what creativity there was in midfield and before that we hadn't looked dangerous.

Positives: Albrighton looked brilliant yet again. Some of the fringe players look pretty sharp. Kids are getting a decent run.

Negatives: Ash was crap tonight. His pre-season form's gone right downhill imo. Lack of threat up front. Midfield is crying out for some new ideas. Hopefully at least two of those will be solved in the next few days.