Pre-Season Friendlies

[aj2k77]

I see no reason why we won't be competitive in the League this season. No need to "panic Mr Mainwaring"

Is that what we've downgraded our expectations to now? Being competitive in the Championship?

[olaftab]

Oh hold on let me check again....yes we are in the Championship.

[Ads]

It might be the same players as last season but it's not the same result, boring your way with defensive organisation and capitalising on a set piece.

Not that it matters. This isn't the final squad that will be available for the Wednesday game and even that won't be the squad we take into September.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

i never pay a lot of attention to friendlies however when i see largely the same team doing (or not doing)  the same things as last season then i start to worry

hoping to see a cm and a forward in this week

[Clampy]

I see no reason why we won't be competitive in the League this season. No need to "panic Mr Mainwaring"

Is that what we've downgraded our expectations to now? Being competitive in the Championship?

What league are you expecting us to be competitive in from now until next May?

[Nastylee]

i never pay a lot of attention to friendlies however when i see largely the same team doing (or not doing)  the same things as last season then i start to worry

hoping to see a cm and a forward in this week

Last season we'd have lost this game with two late goals. There seemed to be a lot more defensive cohesion even if the forward play needs some work. Then again, that's what preseason is for - working out your strengths and weaknesses. If we had won all our friendlies 3-0, you'd still be moaning we hadn't played anyone of any standard. Remember, we won't be playing Manchester, Chelsea and Spurs next season and I doubt the likes of Bristol and Burton carry the same threat.

[Ron Manager]

Very interesting that Agbonlahor did not travel.Is something happening with him? Perhaps Xia is considering paying his contract up..... or perhaps not.

[Nastylee]

Apparently, he's injured.

[Ron Manager]

Apparently, he's injured.

Cheers Any idea what the injury is?

[peter w]

The comparisons between 87-88 and now are fair given that they are relegation seasons. If you look at the players available to both teams there is better quality now although the defence then was a lot stronger on paper - Spink, Evans, Dorigo, Keown, Elliott (can't remember the right-back). Admittedly they weren't the settled defence for the full season but the point being that across the starting 11 we should have had a stronger unit last season than 87-88. And yet we were still a lot worse last season.

Di matteo talking about rebuilding from top to bottom resonates with what Sir Graham said when he came in, and something that he did with brilliance in one season. Again, things that went for him were the lack of a transfer window and that he had a defence to build on. Also, there was less of a club to have to rebuild - as in less academy teams, youth teams, and buying players was cheaper and easier. Against Di matteo is the size of the club and the teams that he has to rebuild and the coaching, scouting etc He has to get to know the whole set-up that even though a couple of hundred have been laid off is probably still 300% more than when Sir Graham was in charge.

So rebuilding is not really feasible as seen under the 88-89 season. Di matteo is likely to need a lot more than a month or so to know his players, to see what he's got and how they perform under competitive games. Thankully the transfer window has still got 5 or so weeks to run and despite how it may seem with a bad start no side is promoted or relegated by the end of August.

I don't want to and will be as peeved as any by defeats in the early games but am prepared to write them off so Di matteo sees exactly what we need, where we are, and what we need to do. I'm already expecting a defeat at Sheff Wed and by something convincing (comfortable 2 or 3-0). That will be probably better for us than a scrappy 1-0 win with a Cissokho goal in the 78th minute if it means it helps the manager see in baseball bat round the head terms as being a short sharp shock.

[Chris Smith]

I didn't watch the game yesterday but it seems obvious to me where the manager is going wrong. In his naivety born from inexperience in the is industry he is using the pre season games to assess the squad and work out what works and what doesn't ahead of the varied challenges that the season will bring. This kind of joined up thinking will get us nowhere.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

i never pay a lot of attention to friendlies however when i see largely the same team doing (or not doing)  the same things as last season then i start to worry

hoping to see a cm and a forward in this week

Last season we'd have lost this game with two late goals. There seemed to be a lot more defensive cohesion even if the forward play needs some work. Then again, that's what preseason is for - working out your strengths and weaknesses. If we had won all our friendlies 3-0, you'd still be moaning we hadn't played anyone of any standard. Remember, we won't be playing Manchester, Chelsea and Spurs next season and I doubt the likes of Bristol and Burton carry the same threat.

you miss the point entirely

pre season results mean nothing either way but we are still playing the same midfield, sideways sideways tippy tappy, still lacking a cutting edge, still fucking up throw ins

the next two games i would like to see our first 11 start

and yes burton and bristol city will be no great shakes but newcastle, norwich, derby, sheff wed possibly wolves with new owners wont

[Clampy]

The thing is we were so diabolical last season, it's possibly going to take time to repair the damage and for RDM to get his idea's across. I didn't expect us to play free flowing football 4 games into his reign and we might even have a slow start to the season. The most important thing is that we rebuild the team spirit, which according to Spink is what played a massive part in getting us back up last time.

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Not losing games and putting a couple of results together back to back will.likely lift the squad in the same way a £15 million striker would.

I've said that the first two home games are key. Don't get beat at Wednesday, but look at Rotherham and Huddersfield as a massive opportunity to get back to back home wins. (Yes I am aware what I've just typed).

I'm fairly sure we will see a new forward in the next week or so to aid us in that task.

[paul_e]

i never pay a lot of attention to friendlies however when i see largely the same team doing (or not doing)  the same things as last season then i start to worry

hoping to see a cm and a forward in this week

Last season we'd have lost this game with two late goals. There seemed to be a lot more defensive cohesion even if the forward play needs some work. Then again, that's what preseason is for - working out your strengths and weaknesses. If we had won all our friendlies 3-0, you'd still be moaning we hadn't played anyone of any standard. Remember, we won't be playing Manchester, Chelsea and Spurs next season and I doubt the likes of Bristol and Burton carry the same threat.

you miss the point entirely

pre season results mean nothing either way but we are still playing the same midfield, sideways sideways tippy tappy, still lacking a cutting edge, still fucking up throw ins

the next two games i would like to see our first 11 start

and yes burton and bristol city will be no great shakes but newcastle, norwich, derby, sheff wed possibly wolves with new owners wont

And what you're forgetting is that the 2 of those who we played last season resulted in a win, 2 draws and a loss so we've shown we can compete with them at our worst.  The only other side we faced last year who we'll be playing this year we also beat 1-0.

I'm not saying we don't need to work on the squad but this idea that Newcastle and Norwich are going to completely turn their form around and destroy everyone but we're incapable of it seems to be people trying to find negatives rather than being based on anything measurable.