Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill: "Too many pre-season games could hurt us" please log in to view this image By ANDY STOCKHAUSEN  Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill is planning to keep pre-season friendly fixtures to a minimum this summer. Yet to finalise his first pre-season programme since taking over as Robins boss, Cotterill is aware of the dangers of overloading his players before the League One campaign kicks off on Saturday, August 9. While he is quite prepared to work his charges hard on the training ground after they report back for duty on July 1, he is expected to restrict the number of warm-up matches in a bid to avoid unnecessary injuries. City are already committed to playing two friendly matches against local opposition on their pre-season tour to Botswana in July. And Cotterill has sanctioned warm-up games at Conference South outfit Weston-super-Mare and League Two Cheltenham Town for July 9 and July 29 respectively. Already in the throes of organising a home friendly at Ashton Gate during the first week of August, City's manager may well stick with a quota of five pre-season games. He said: "I'd rather the lads over-train than over-play during pre-season. "We still have to fit in a home game on the new pitch at Ashton Gate and we will make an announcement when everything has been arranged – but that will probably be it. Five games in pre-season will probably be enough." He added: "No matter how many games you play in the summer, players still seem to need six to eight matches before they really get their legs. Plus, you can never replicate competitive match conditions in friendly fixtures, no matter how hard you try. "Play too many games and you risk players picking up knocks or even more serious injuries, and that is the last thing we want. My priority is to get to the first week of the season with everybody available for selection." City are due to play twice in Botswana, but have yet to confirm opposition or dates. Read more: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/...tory-21123588-detail/story.html#ixzz32RFkqyUC
I agree We've played too many pointless friendlies against generally very poor opposition over the last few seasons and we've learned nothing from them.
I agree about poor opposition friendlies but I would like to see the team playing at the Gate and getting used to having no east end stand
