Ongoing Defensive Frailties

[Ron Manager]

I think our big hope as a centre half pairing will be Baker playing the tough man role and Okore playing the clever stuff.

Vlaar is an average bog standard Championship centre half.

Jaap Stam he aint!

[Jimbo]

If it's just about fitness levels why is there a charge on the door?

Because it helps clubs like Wycombe, Luton and Crewe out financially.

So the Malaga game is free?

[Concrete John]

I think our big hope as a centre half pairing will be Baker playing the tough man role and Okore playing the clever stuff.

Vlaar is an average bog standard Championship centre half.

Jaap Stam he aint!

I think he'll start with Vlaar and Okore and see how they get on.  I do like Baker though.

While I'd be more confident if we brought in a Lescott or similar, I very much doubt we'll see anymore CBs signed now.

[Clampy]

If it's just about fitness levels why is there a charge on the door?

Because it helps clubs like Wycombe, Luton and Crewe out financially.

So the Malaga game is free?

Unfortunatley not.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't really see why there should be no charge because these games are about fitness, mostly.

Everyone knows the score before they buy tickets, that there will be 2,000 substitutions, that it's going to be very casual, that it's a non-competitive match.

I do think we should try to play more home friendlies, though. We seem to have at the very most one every other summer or something. Don't know if maybe that's to do with policing levels / other external factors, though.

[Jimbo]

Perhaps they shouldn't be free, after all there's stewarding and other costs to take into account. But fans don't turn up in their hundreds/thousands to watch training sessions at Bodymoor Heath, which really are all about fitness. There must be some small element of competition in these friendlies, no matter how we like to dress up a defeat. Otherwise few people would turn up and there wouldn't be 20-page plus match threads on here.

[fredm]

"Lambert wasn't concerned about the loss, insisting the game was about fitness levels going into the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season."

Feck me - what about the pride in wearing the shirt  Paul?

As stated, our reserves or even youth team should be beating Luton.

Cut out the poor excuses about injuries etc and just sort out that defence otherwise there will be a repeat of the hammerings from last year.

Still - we will be fine and we go again

It might only be about fitness levels, but surely by now the "second" team, who knew they were on the pitch for only the last half hour, should be able to go flat out for 30 minutes.  That, added to their supposed superior ability being PL players, should surely be enough to put a Conference team to bed.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm sure there is some competition involved, deep down, really, but you won't find any manager admitting it when they've just lost to a bunch of fat blokes from the conference.

[pauliewalnuts]

"Lambert wasn't concerned about the loss, insisting the game was about fitness levels going into the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season."

Feck me - what about the pride in wearing the shirt  Paul?

As stated, our reserves or even youth team should be beating Luton.

Cut out the poor excuses about injuries etc and just sort out that defence otherwise there will be a repeat of the hammerings from last year.

Still - we will be fine and we go again

It might only be about fitness levels, but surely by now the "second" team, who knew they were on the pitch for only the last half hour, should be able to go flat out for 30 minutes.  That, added to their supposed superior ability being PL players, should surely be enough to put a Conference team to bed.

Maybe the team that played the first 60 mins consisted of those he felt needed the extra fitness work most (Benteke), plus a few he wanted a longer look at (hence there being lots of kids in it).

I don't really care too much about the result. I'd rather we won - I want us to win every game we play - but losing doesn't really mean that much in the bigger picture.

It was the sight of the defence blundering around *still* that worried me, and our run of matches without a clean sheet hitting 32, and going back to the start of December last year.

[peter w]

Plus teh sides we are playing start their season earlier than ours don't they? So they will be ahead of us in terms of fitness.

[UK Redsox]

I don't really see why there should be no charge because these games are about fitness, mostly.

Everyone knows the score before they buy tickets, that there will be 2,000 substitutions, that it's going to be very casual, that it's a non-competitive match.

I do think we should try to play more home friendlies, though. We seem to have at the very most one every other summer or something. Don't know if maybe that's to do with policing levels / other external factors, though.

Yep, just be grateful that its not like the NFL where Season Ticket holders have to buy there seat for pre-season games at the full price.

[TonyD]

I am all for his buy em young policy. But in the case of the central defence I think he should spend a bit and bring in some experience.   The final piece if the jigsaw.

[warleyboy]

Plus teh sides we are playing start their season earlier than ours don't they? So they will be ahead of us in terms of fitness.

Sorry Peter, do not agree with that.
Aston Villa have well paid, full time athletes that train everyday.

I would think that Luton players also have full or part time jobs as well as getting into shape.

There can be no excuses, we lost to a non league outfit. Again highlighting our poor defending, which has no detriment to our fitness levels, it's just pure and simply bad defending and not good enough.

[PeterWithesShin]

As far as I know Luton are full time professionals.

[dave.woodhall]

As far as I know Luton are full time professionals.

Most Conference clubs are full-time. Luton certainly are.