FC Groningen vs Aston Villa

[PeterWithesShin]

As I said yesterday, losing a pre-season doesn't bother me. What does is that 2 weeks before the season starts we looked slow, fitness didn't look great, we were disjointed and tactically poor.

[peter w]

I think the important thing there is "2 weeks before the season starts".

[PeterWithesShin]

I think the important thing there is "2 weeks before the season starts".

Yes because it only takes 2 weeks to get players fit, playing like a team and not a bunch of strangers, and to get tactics right. That we look none of those and have looked worse with each game rather than improving isn't worthy of comment I assume?

[peter w]

I think the important thing there is "2 weeks before the season starts".

Yes because it only takes 2 weeks to get players fit, playing like a team and not a bunch of strangers, and to get tactics right. That we look none of those and have looked worse with each game rather than improving isn't worthy of comment I assume?

yes, you're right. A defeat in a friendly is worth a comment. Over analysis and panic stations are not.

[Nastylee]

I don't think tactics can ever be right when you have so many substitutions in a game. Fitness does look way off but that will improve in the next two weeks.

[PeterWithesShin]

I think the important thing there is "2 weeks before the season starts".

Yes because it only takes 2 weeks to get players fit, playing like a team and not a bunch of strangers, and to get tactics right. That we look none of those and have looked worse with each game rather than improving isn't worthy of comment I assume?

yes, you're right. A defeat in a friendly is worth a comment. Over analysis and panic stations are not.

I'm pretty sure a two line post saying it bothers me is neither over analysis or panic stations.

[silhillvilla]

I'd like to see us go like this next season, with everyone fit;

--------------Guzan-----------------
----Vlaar---Senderos---Okore------
-Bacuna----------------Richardson-
--------Delph-----New Player------
---------------Cole------------------
--------Benteke----N'Zogbia-------

Joe Cole and Senderos should be nowhere near our first team.

[tomd2103]

I think the important thing there is "2 weeks before the season starts".

The slightly concerning thing is we've seen this kind of performance in pre-season before though.  I remember in Lambert's first pre-season, we took about 3000 fans to Forest and the performance was absolutely awful.  It was clear then that there were major problems, which were highlighted very clearly in the first few games of that season.  Although we won the Malaga game last season, there were again problems
which were apparent throughout the season.   

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If we'd won all our games so far then people wouldn't be expecting anything other than a struggle, saying the opposition are rubbish or what can you learn from playing a League 1 side. The fact is we got beat by Chesterfield fielding a side that no way resembles our first team yet some fans are intent on making a big issue from it. Yesterday, we got beat by a side that looked much fitter and further down the line in their pre-season preparations. Like winning the friendlies wouldn't make us world beaters, losing a few doesn't make us shite either. Some of the comments on here are laughable, may I suggest Prozac.

I didn't watch the game but did read some comments from their manager yesterday morning saying that they would be fitter than us they started training earlier and had already played a competitive game so the outcome was to be expected. These games are entirely about fitness, results one way or another are irrelevant.

If you're claiming that these games are absolutely nothing to do with football then I agree with you. Not expecting a team to be able to pass a ball when they're not 100% fit however is a lame argument. I know you never saw the game, Chris but we were extremely poor. Extremely.

[pauliewalnuts]

If we'd won all our games so far then people wouldn't be expecting anything other than a struggle, saying the opposition are rubbish or what can you learn from playing a League 1 side. The fact is we got beat by Chesterfield fielding a side that no way resembles our first team yet some fans are intent on making a big issue from it. Yesterday, we got beat by a side that looked much fitter and further down the line in their pre-season preparations. Like winning the friendlies wouldn't make us world beaters, losing a few doesn't make us shite either. Some of the comments on here are laughable, may I suggest Prozac.

I didn't watch the game but did read some comments from their manager yesterday morning saying that they would be fitter than us they started training earlier and had already played a competitive game so the outcome was to be expected. These games are entirely about fitness, results one way or another are irrelevant.

If you're claiming that these games are absolutely nothing to do with football then I agree with you. Not expecting a team to be able to pass a ball when they're not 100% fit however is a lame argument. I now you never saw the game, Chris but we were extremely poor. Extremely.

I am usually in the "it is pre season, it doesn't matter" camp, but I have to say, I agree with you on this.

The "two weeks till the season starts" thing is one thing, but we looked every bit as desperately poor as we have for the last two years. Not only that, in the previous friendlies I've seen, we've looked similarly poor.

We'll see how things go when the season starts, but at the moment I see a really, really poor squad which is barely better than the one which did so badly last year, playing the way it did last year - like they were strangers.

Groningen have played a competitive game - in which they got their arses handed to them by Aberdeen, mind - but the degree to which we were second best yesterday was somewhat worrying.

I can't remember the last time we entered a season with spirits so low. That's not all Lambert's fault, but a decent chunk of it is.

[silhillvilla]

Owner wants out.CEO is out. Key players contracts up in the air. It's hardly surprising is it that we look so out of sorts . This could be one horrific season on a scale we haven't seen before I fear.

[Ron Manager]

Just watched the lowlights. Gronigen have a nice stadium,I must say.You would think some of our lot would be 'busting a gut' to impress Roy Keane but that didnt appear to be the case from what  previous posts have said.

[ChicagoLion]

I see Moggodon Man has blamed jet lag, we can look forward to a new season of excuses. That squad does look shit.

[London Villan]

Not sure that excuse is going to work in November...

[villan from luton]

Terrible result and they should be up to some fitness now