gotta think it’s too late for Huggins and Alese to feature but I guess they wouldn’t be in training like this unless there wasn’t a chance. They’d still be just maintaining ahead of preseason
I wasn't convinced this trip was a great idea but it now all makes sense. The manager has obviously asked the club, or even better if he's just done it, to maximise our chances. Going from a 46 game league campaign to more games against the same opposition is just prolonging the season ... ... what he's done is to create an atmosphere like a World Cup when the players all get together and focus. It's never worked for England but lets hope it works for France
Even if they're on the bench at Wembley they could have an effect with ten minutes to go in extra time ... ... at least we have those options when players may be dead on their feet.
Serious set of transferable skills if he just booked it himself without asking club. Could have a promising future at Hays Travel if the coaching doesn’t work out
I think this is an excellent assessment. At the moment it's all about having the options needed for what ever arises. Great if we can win all three games with the same 11 on the pitch but we know it never works like this. These games as well as physically demanding there are as much mentally demanding. Knowing for instance if Mepham got injured and had to go off and you can bring on Ballard or Alese mindset wise is a great comfort. I know RLB has taken some a lot of sh*t for the last six games but to me he has done the right thing. Time will tell right but this trip to Portugal to me is huge to get everything focused for the results we want to see.
Exactly, without them you'd be looking at the bench and wondering what happens next. As for the Portugal trip I really agree with you. Teams like Coventry, Boro, Bristol, whoever will have little time to breath. They'll go straight from an intense league campaign/game, with only four days rest, into the first leg of the playoffs. Talking the players for a break, from the tension, to a pleasant training camp is exactly the right thing to do imo. The players have had to cope with a new manager, new tactics, coaches, etc, since August ... ... this has been a very good exercise in my view.
Aye I know what they're saying. It's more just the realism of bringing in somebody who has had months and months out into 3 fast paced important games. Also we are regularly told players will be back in a week or two and then a week or two later are told they'll be back in a week or two.
A cunning plan? Wouldn’t it be something if these last few games were purposely played as they were to lull the play off opposition into a false sense of how we will play when the games have a real meaning. If we came out of the blocks on play off one the same way as we started the season with the energetic high press and quick flowing football we could easily storm through the play offs and get promoted. No opposition would expect that. There’s no reason we can’t revert our playing style to that which brought success earlier and maybe they are preparing for it in training. They’ve played that way plenty of times but changed once we realised we wouldn’t get automatic promotion so it shouldn’t be too big a change to play that way again. There’s opposition would be totally unprepared for such a change in style from us.
proof will be in the pudding on Friday fact is, as fans we want entertainment and results on demand, Regis is trying to get the upmost out of his side in 2 potentially 3 specific games. if we put in good performances over 2 legs, regardless of result, he’s arguably right.
I’d say he’d be dead right tbh. Making Wembley in his first season, with such a young squad, would be quite an achievement in my opinion. Something Robins, Carrick, Wilder, etc may yet fail to manage. Mind you, whatever he does some will still argue he was wrong and just got lucky.
1 week to go until the first leg. I'm nervous already. Intrigued to see who we end up facing. Pretty sure it'll be Bristol City but the Championship always throws up a surprise. Blackburn Millwall Bristol City Boro Coventry That's how i'd rank my preferences on who we face but I think we can beat all of them.
Had my say on recent performances but now isn't the time for it. Has to be laser focus now from the players and full support from the fans. Really hope we can create a hostile atmosphere for the home leg.
