Pre-Season 2024/25

Would be interesting to know how many we have sold for the Sunderland friendly. I'm not wasting my time with it, and out of all the City fans I know, I don't yet know of anyone that is attending

Still undecided whether or not to bother with Altrincham

Edit: just been on their website and see they are charging £12. Probably won't bother after all!

 

I am not bothering. Most seasons I turn up to a friendly at VP but nearly always regret it. So this season we are being firm. Plus we don’t really have players we need to see as recruitment has been so low. Hopefully we have got the balance right for the season.

 

I suspect it'll be around 2000ish home fans with around 1000 Sunderland fans. Currently sales look low but I think there will be a fair few people like myself who are going but still not got a ticket or people who make a last minute decision with it the good weather.

 

Just read this Petrov. We actually had two private games against higher level League teams before Austria.

 

Yes, Leeds u23 and Sheffield United I believe

 

Confirmation from their manager that it will be their back up players tomorrow with 9 of the 11 starters from Saturday getting 90 minutes so their team will be the 8 subs plus 3 others. https://www.safc.com/news/2024/july/29/le-bris----/

 

The Altrincham game could be a good game after all it's basically our third and final friendly and we surely have to play a near to full strength starting team otherwise we'll go into the first game cold without having played together. We could end up getting hammered at MK if we're not careful.

 

Ripping fans off yet again who have bought tickets in good faith and the day before the game get told it’s another youth team we’ll be facing.
Looks like we go into the first league game so unprepared that the excuses will just roll off the tongue for GA after a hammering.

 

Who has ripped off fans?

Nobody has said it will be a youth team, there's a step between the first 11 and the youth team. Only 2 of their 8 subs were under the age of 20, between 4 of their subs they made over 120 league appearances last season for Sunderland, 3 others are new signings and the other has come through their academy and was on loan at Hartlepool and Dundalk last season.

 

How is that ripping fans off ? Embarrassing statement! Ffs get a grip man

 

This is the risk you take buying tickets for friendlies, and another reason I've no interest in watching them.

In fact not much interest in the start of the season yet to be honest.

 

Interesting that 9 of their players got 90 minutes whereas I think only Gilliead has for us. 2 different approaches to preseason. I'm going to take a walk down this evening because the weather is good and I want to see whether there are improvements from last season. If we are torn apart at will, I'll be more concerned for the season ahead. The result doesn't matter but the performance does. Not conceding in the first 10 minutes will be a start .

 

Yes of course, but this is our only home friendly and I suppose I wrongly assumed it would be the ‘flagship’ pre season game where we might see something resembling our strongest lineup against a strong side 2 leagues higher. Instead we’re just playing a Sunderland XI to give their reserves some game time. It’s a poor do in my opinion.

 

Best thing to do in future is do what I and many thousands do, don't go to friendlies.

The other thing of course is it isn't City's fault if the Mackems send a weakened team tonight.

 

Anyone who expects a pre-season friendly to even start with two full strength teams, let alone finish with it, doesn't know much about pre-season football.

 

Yes fair point it’s not City’s fault.

 

That’s not what anyone is expecting but that said, there are very many pre season games where near full strength teams are playing.

 

Thats what has always irked me about City's friendlies. Fair enough the early ones are kids, trialists etc, but you would think from a logical point of view that the manager would want the last couple of games to be his preferred starting XI for the league

 

When have you ever been to a City pre-season friendly that has featured a full strength team and had the regulation number of subs, even at this late stage.

 

In the Championship it is becoming more common for teams to do this, most likely as they have big squads. At this stage I don't think it's bad that only Gilliead has 90 minutes, most teams will be at the 60-75 minute stage. Tonight I'd expect the starters to play 75+ with the exception being the ones who've missed some pre-season like Halliday who might get 60 minutes. If that happens then 99% of of the players will have at least 1 60+ minutes then those who start tonight and started in Austria will have 3+ 60 minutes into them. On Saturday I'd then expect 75+ from all starters.
Comparing it to MK they played Wealdstone at the weekend with all players coming off either at half time or 60 minutes and looking at their pre-season they've had a similar one to use in terms of games played and minutes played.