Oh no I meant I'm not worried at all. No player wants to get crocked 20 minutes into a game in pre season and then miss the games that actually matter. The splitting of the squads made it quite clear what the starting formation will look like; the squad vs Cambridge were shop window/off you go players (barring maybe Elder and Williams) and the other one was what our first team will probably look like. Still unsure on the formation, can't see why we NEED to play wing backs as opposed to 4-2-3-1, unless we're playing the two up front because we couldn't fit Tetteh, Oscar and Ally into the same formation.
I just don't think they looked that bothered, these games are worth precisely nothing and I think these players know they're going to be in the starting XI, it's more about fitness than anything else. I mean if they play like that on Saturday, yeah we've got a massive problem but I don't think they will.
You honestly think these players come here to give the fans that surely even in pre season they would want to show at least something they can do, as for getting fit how does that work standing around. And as for play like that next Saturday.. what play?, there was none.
Why? They won't have been told to go out and suck, but likewise they won't be throwing themselves into tackles and exerting themselves a week before the actual season begins.
I know you're probably one of the dullest clubs in the country to support, from a dull town in a dull part of the country, but gloating over a friendly. Dear me.
The players didn't look bothered,enthused or anything and they stayed that way for the majority of the game. I must admit they need to offer so much more next week. I'm more than a little worried
Hopeful is not a word to be bandied ‘round here mate – way too contentious and complex – even if it's written incorrectly. I know you must get a bit giddy beating the bigger clubs in practice matches, but even the most fatalistic of fannies on here don’t actually think we’ll go down. We even stayed up last year, by a good few points, with a much weaker squad. That said, you’d have to be an absolute dog mess of a club to have got relegated last year I suppose.
Peterborough is a lovely town. Enjoyed my visit last season with my mate. We joined a couple of Peterborough fans around the real ale pubs around the town, finishing at the river and a boat that sold every type of beer, plus some. Can't wait to go again. Meanwhile i wish you well with grant and his staff and hope you bounce straight back up
Seems every team we play preseason takes the games seriously to work on their game and fitness, don't know why we have to be different. Get a winning mentality from the off.
Exactly same holds true for Peterborough yet they totally outplayed us!! We offered virtually nothing. I'm old enough to know pre season results don't count for anything but that was appalling. I'm not flapping but my previous optimism is wavering a tad after watching that! Even our existing players (Greaves, Coyle, Fleming, Allayhar, McLoughlin, Slater) were gash. And it's no good some of those showing effort, as they do, if there's not a bit of quality and product to go with the effort. You can play at less than 100% and avoid getting injured whilst still showing some quality with the ball. We just didn't, again. As said, not flapping, just now a tad concerned that we look SO far off it when the season kicks off next weekend!
To a man we've looked a yard off the pace against both Leicester and Peterboro. Having defenders marking space and gifting the extra man in midfield isn't helping, but they look a long way off competitive. All of them. Hope you're right. Find out next week. But if we're poor in the first 2 games then we could be right up against it after that run of games in August and September against some of the better sides in the division.
It's a bright sunny evening on the travel back to the base. The team coach tirelessly trundles slowly down the motorway carrying forlorn figures inside it's mass of mettle. Tetteh looks aimlessly out of the window, while Tufan sleeps his excertions off next to Seri who wipes his eyes from the tears running down his cheeks wondering what he has done to his family. The phone rings everyone looks at their phones but it is Shota who says hello, a voice bellows down the phone it is Acun, Acun "Can you explain what just happened" Shota "well boss we just went out there knowing we should save ourselves for next week when it matters" Acun "that was a **** show we brought so much talent in and that was a **** show i got players texting me when is the dream starting as they think they are in a nightmare" Shota " i can change it don't worry Acun i know what i am doing" Acun " do you think you could actually tell me what your doing" Shota "well Boss this is my plan i worked it out last night if you go get me another 8 new players when these one's you just got get tired at halftime in my fav formation i can bring the new one's on again and we be fresh again it will be just like kicking off again with a new team every game" Phone goes down , the coach continues to slowly trundle down the motorway.
Same for both sides. Leicester and Peterboro looked bothered. Why not us? Cant polish a turd, and the last 2 games have been, albeit they are only friendlies.
Lets give the guy 10 games and see how were doing.......didn't we lose a friendly 4-0 to the *****s a few years ago....and won promotion to the prem
Fitness is a concern. Some of our new signings have not had a full pre-season, and one of them has had fitness issues over the past season. Gelling as a team also naturally will take time. I don’t recall seeing a City side who have made 8-10 signings in one pre-season ‘do well’. Think under Little we signed a shed load and were expected to romp Div 4 – didn’t happen. Realistically, and utterly regardless of how well we did and didn’t during preseason, I expect it might be a difficult first few weeks. We might have to accept that points might be scant. But I do expect we’ll make some decent progress from September onwards when fitness and bonding improves. Looking on here, and Twitter especially, expectation has been way too high for a project at this stage. Perhaps these pre-season results will bring this expectation to a more realistic level, and one that won’t undermine supporter or team morale if the season starts slowly.
Good post leon but i doubt very much it was in peoples plans to have scant points at the start, no other team will expect that and i certainly do not believe these people will think that either.
Syd should be able to have a field day with all these Neg heads who were shouting it from the rooftops You mention our existing players Wonder what their thoughts are on still been on a low wage while their new teammates are on ?? 5 6 times as much? The two main leaders gone Honeyman and smallwood Maybe wondering when they're going to be getting shipped out? Creates discontent such a huge wage disparity
