Pre season 2025

[Dave]

For Roma I thought #17 Manu Kone looked a very assured player

The main reason Kamara isn’t getting in the France squad.

[PeterWithe]

Malen is great but his game is about his movement and he got bullied last night.

He did indeed, yet we kept playing the same kind of balls to him over and over, and he kept losing the duels. Fair play to him for keeping going but the others behind him needed to be more adaptable to what they were seeing. Whilst being a minor point, it does seed the fear that if we were to miss Ollie for any reason, we would be very at risk of an aggressive press and turning the ball over as we dont have anyone else who can play up top with their back to goal.     

[AV82EC]

Malen is great but his game is about his movement and he got bullied last night.

He did indeed, yet we kept playing the same kind of balls to him over and over, and he kept losing the duels. Fair play to him for keeping going but the others behind him needed to be more adaptable to what they were seeing. Whilst being a minor point, it does seed the fear that if we were to miss Ollie for any reason, we would be very at risk of an aggressive press and turning the ball over as we dont have anyone else who can play up top with their back to goal.   

Enter Evann Guessand.

[paul_e]

Malen is great but his game is about his movement and he got bullied last night.

He did indeed, yet we kept playing the same kind of balls to him over and over, and he kept losing the duels. Fair play to him for keeping going but the others behind him needed to be more adaptable to what they were seeing. Whilst being a minor point, it does seed the fear that if we were to miss Ollie for any reason, we would be very at risk of an aggressive press and turning the ball over as we dont have anyone else who can play up top with their back to goal.     

As i've said somewhere, Guessand seems, in part, to be our answer to that weakness.

[PeterWithe]

OK, from the reels, he looked, to me at least, a Jack/JJ/Rogers type ball carrier from deep, rather than a target man.

[Somniloquism]

What's the deal with the two games over the weekend then - has anything been said about how we are going to split the squad? Assume Unai will nip from France to Spain easily enough.

I expect most of the players will do that nipping. I mentioned earlier it might allow 75-90 minutes for some players with the non subs starting the next match.

[Hookeysmith]

i thought we looked great last night, we had zip and purpose and our breaking of the press was excellent. 2nd half different players but same method of play.
The 2 kids looked very good in spells and Emi II did himself a power of good to either stay or move.
Martinez is just so good with his feet he really is like having a 5th defender at times.

Still have new exciting guy, Garcia and Barclay to come back  - we are not in bad shape

team looks settled, happy and most importantly fit.

[paul_e]

OK, from the reels, he looked, to me at least, a Jack/JJ/Rogers type ball carrier from deep, rather than a target man.

I think he's a bit of both, he definitely likes to carry the ball in the same way as Rogers but he also seems to like the 'battle' a bit more than those guys. I don't think he'll come in and immediately be a target man but I think we'll definitely work on that side of his game and make him someone we can use that way to reasonable success.

[Luffbralion]

I thought Bogarde looked neat and composed last night. Could be an important part of the squad this year.

[saunders_heroes]

Anyone going to Marseille??

[VillaTim]

All about fitness really . Players don't put proper challenges in so the games aren't real in that respect .

[sid1964]

I am flying from Manchester this morning to Marseille- has anyone received their tickets yet for the game?

[usav]

I only just realised we are playing Marseille and Sevilla on back to back days.  Why on earth would we schedule like that?

[Somniloquism]

I only just realised we are playing Marseille and Sevilla on back to back days.  Why on earth would we schedule like that?

To give multiple players more then 45 mins. Plop did similar but played Atletico twice, one after the other with most players getting 75-80 mins in one, and then the 2nd eleven getting similar with lesser players filling in the sub timings.

[usav]

I only just realised we are playing Marseille and Sevilla on back to back days.  Why on earth would we schedule like that?

To give multiple players more then 45 mins. Plop did similar but played Atletico twice, one after the other with most players getting 75-80 mins in one, and then the 2nd eleven getting similar with lesser players filling in the sub timings.

That's great if everyone is fit.  Meanwhile, we already have Garcia, Barkley and Rogers in the treatment room.