I'm not trying to be insulting in any way to supporters of other clubs we've played preseason, but I can't help but be underwhelmed by the quality of opposition this preseason, with the obvious exception of Newcastle. What can a manager learn from a trialist performance against Rochdale, Nunez performances against Motherwell or Falkirk. Absolutely nothing because every team in the Championship will be a step up from these. personally I would prefer to see us playing lower premiership or half decent European teams. Smacks a little of a cost cutting exercise maybe.
I think you've got a good point Eireleeds-i was thinkin the same thing, altho I dont mind an easy game to get the ball rollin, and the Wednesday friendly should be half decent provided they turn up. The problem this year was not doin a tour where the oppo would be half decent and with respect, I think there's only half a dozen teams in the SPL that could properly test us. I would also like to have seen some games against lower prem oppo, altho with all the tours abroad that the prem teams are doin, i'm sure it would've been too difficult to organise a few games in quick succession
Have to disagree with you, the Motherwell game was actually a good game of football, with some hefty challenges flying in, so I reckon Grayson and the Leeds players got a lot out of it. Motherwell controlled the early part of the 2nd half and put our defenders about, so we learned that they didn't panic this time and we didn't lose a goal. The bigger teams, only use friendlies for fitness, hence little or no tackles and very little football. What fans want & what the team needs at this time of the season, appear to be completely opposite. If you don't appreciate the reasons behind friendlies, then keep your money for the serious games.
We're no different from any other team. So far QPR have played 2 non-league teams I've never heard of.
I say this every season mate but apparently im wrong, Leicester are facing Real Madrid soon ..... were playing Bradford park rangers, its ridiculous. Pre season is mostly about fitness and trying out new systems, but you need a few tough games in there, Rochdale and Motherwell are not tough games
& Real Madrd are going to put out their first team!! Yeah right!! Its all about building up confidence & fitness. Motherwell start their season this weekend. So in fitness & organisation terms, they'd be two to three weeks ahead of us. Not sure why we played Rochdale or what we got out of it. Maybe a gentle jaunt across the pennines against a side who got promoted last season & would be in the mood to give us a good game. We won & it gave SG the opportunity to look at three trialists. We play the neighbours this weekend in what is likely to be, even for pre-season, a feisty affair. Regardless of all of that, let's judge our pre-season on how we do against the barcodes & then, more importantly, how we do against Southampton & our next two or three league opponents.
yea QSS but leicester are paying 1m for the honour, not being funny but i'd keep my money and play lesser opposition, it works better for pre-season friendlies to play lesser opposition mixed with better opposition, i feel anyway
I couldn't give a **** who we play in pre-season. It means nothing, they are only important for the manager and players. To get the fitness levels going and to gel any new players, also to work on tactics and formations.
it's a completely shallow glamour tie that has been set up specifically to get publicity. It completely defeats the object of preseason and will (any luck) knacker a couple of their players when they try too hard. Leicester are trying their hardest to make it appear that they are the big boys in the Championship for as many reasons other than money as they can possibly manage. So far they've managed none of them. Its costing them a few bar to play Real, they have to pay Real a lump sum of 1 mill for occupying their time.
Wouldn't read much into Madrid playing Leicester. Madrid played shamrock rovers here last season in a friendly and I can assure you rovers are far from world beaters
Money talks now. Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City etc are all playing in Asia then the States. 80,000 people turned up in Malaysia just to watch each team train - all in replica shirts. Malaysia All Stars v Arsenal - 80,000 sell out and not an empty seat to be seen 4 hours before kick off. Same with Utd and Liverpool. Napoli offered Man Utd 1m euros to play them in a pre-season friendly - they didn't even get a reply http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...apoli-offer-manchester-united-1m---for-a-game Premiership teams will only play Championship teams in friendlies if they do some transfer business with them, or there fans are given lots of tickets. Football is a changing <sad>
