Match Thread City at Oldham Athletic - Friendly

I wouldn't be surprised if a few were subconsciously holding back a bit for fear of picking up an injury that would cause them to miss out in the opening game of the season.

 

True. It doesnt help GA pick his starting 11 against Wycombe mind. All he has to go on is the 5 games we have played.

He wasnt happy with Kavs efforts against Middlesbrough. That said looks like he was carrying an injury.

 

I think i'd caveat that with it being less about the result. The result aspect is what would worry him less but what he wants to see is what is being worked in in training being put into practice so on that side of things I agree with you.

 

Take Cook out of that team before Xmas and we would have been in a relegation battle or was someone else gonna come in and do what he did ????
Was a NON scoring midfield gonna start scoring goals ????
Was an non existent strike force gonna gonna step up.

Btw i didnt hear everyone getting all giddy when he got injured at Barrow i seem to recall that most on here thought we where fooked.

Btw after his injury we stood a huge massive 3 points off the automatics which puts your bottom half of the table to bed doesnt it.

Bleeding restricting our players what players ????
It turned around once Pattison and Sarc became fit and i doubt Cook was keeping them on the treatment table

I know folk dont like it but the reason we ended up there was down to Cooks goals given us a chance while in a nutshell nobody was doing nothing

 

1990
Bradford City 2-1 Red Star belgrade

End of that season we finished 7th in league one as it is now and they went on to win the European cup.
I learned then that friendlies mean nothing at all.

 

Ironically he was playing really well and scored that wordly at home before the Barrow divot trip ….

 

I remember a few years ago, Mansfield doing so well in friendlies, the bookies made them 2nd favourites to win league 2. They actually went out of the league that season.

 

I remember us touring Sweden ???? Before the 89/90 season battering teams for fun and yet we struggled for goalsand went down that season ...........thats why i cannot get my head around gwtting upset during pre season ..........had we gone out and battered everyone does that mean we are nailed on to win the title ?????
Me i think its been ok on paper beat a championships club beat a league 2 club that will do ok next season so not been al bad as it .............decent signing along the way players that have proven that they can do it in league one ...........hopefull next season that we will have more than enough to stay in league one anything else is a huge bonus

 

Why is everyone getting so het up….preseason games mean little to the supporter, they arnt a guide to future team performance , never have been never will be? They are a player management tool , nothing more .Since which league fixture can anyone name where we have fielded 18-22 players , playing two or three different formations , with subs coming on every 15 -30 mins or so?
Such disjointed fixtures, other than in preseason, to get different players in different set ups , do not exist.

Anyone watch the Boro with the same players as midweek play Rangers yesterday? Rangers playing a mix of squad players made Boro look like PSG in the first half . Watching Boro midweek I thought they may struggle in the CC , yet yesterday they looked really good. Preseason is a hopeless guide let’s be honest .

 

What's your prediction for this season based on your outing to the mighty oldham athletic?

 

Yes no problems in the end

 

I think he was dropped to teach him a lesson, particularly after the way Kav was having a go back at him. He'll be on the bench at the weekend.

 

You still want to see positives out of preseason games, but agree they are largely about fitness and tactics. Saying that getting stuffed by Harrogate during the Collins reign (I think), was a precursor to how the season would pan out.

 

Yes it’s always possible to name precursors , but just measuring “results” it’s been a decent preseason . We know it’s meaningless really ? If you want a laugh have a read of the Hudders forum > preseason.

The not so smart are having a right go after all that money they have shelled out.

 

Kavanagh didnt feature as he has knackered his shin, set to miss Saturdays game according to GA.

 

I am pleased GA was annoyed at the Oldham performance. I didnt see it so cannot judge but it shows how serious our manager is when it comes to games - friendly or not. That game was an opportunity to show the boss that all his hard work over the last 5 weeks was in place for Wycombe, and also finalise his ideas on his starting 11.

Completely different occasion this Saturday though so I am not concerned.

Be interesting to see how many start the Wycombe game that started the Fleetwood game. Walker and Sarcevic look shoe ins....Pattison if fit and potentially Bobby but it will be 3 or 4 at the very most.

 

My biggest fear at the end of last season was that the starting line up against Fleetwood would be very similar to next weekend. Fortunately it looks like we've got the right recruitment in terms of quantity. Hopefully the quality is also sufficient. I'm pretty optimistic. Whatever happens against Wycombe it'll be that 10 game cliche that will dictate when we can start making some clear predictions. I'm impatient to find out where we will be but I haven't felt this uncertain about how we will perform going into a season for as long as I can remember. I'd take lower mid table by October if it was offered now.