Harrogate Town (A)

Interesting interview, looks like he is a toughie no excuses. I still think he wanted to see which of these babies could step up, and now he has his answer.

 

I have never got this “worried about injuries” rubbish.

I always think if you place too much emphasis on it you will pick up injuries as the players have in the back of their mind when going in for tackles etc. “Ah might pull out as I need to be fit for first game of season”.

No. We go and play to win and improve match fitness that way. And get the side used to playing together even if it is only for an hour and we change the whole xi and give the fringes and kids a go.

Otherwise don’t bother with pre season friendlies at all as you may get injuries

It’s rubbisb and poor from a professional club. You can get injuries any time anywhere. Shall we just not train in case we get players injured?

I think we need full strength for behind closed doors game and Game next weekend for at least 75 mins in both. Running out of time

 

If they were worried about getting injuries on that pitch, why risk Robinson, Who is recovering from an injury, and indeed the other youngsters, does it not matter if they had have got injured then?

 

WINNER as @Norman Corner would put it:thumbsup:

 

Fair enough we can all single out the exception. We don’t really know if he’s intended for the first 11. We just don’t know what is in MC mind?

 

You know it baby!

 

The development squad is a waste of time, that friendly was only worthwhile as an exercise in illustrating how bad the assembled players really are, and how the pipe dream of signing rejects, magically improving them somehow, then selling them for millions is just that - an immature pipe dream.

The only people linking this result to the season ahead appear to be the eternally outraged and indignant folk who defend the club against attacks I'm not actually sure anyone has made.

Save your sabre rattling for another time.

The point is the development squad is crap, this fixture was not sufficiently marketed as a development squad game until a day or two before, and the fact its Bradford City fielding these sorts of players against semi pro sides and getting utterly humiliated is unacceptable.

Play that shit behind closed doors in future.

 

I loved big Norm.... Ugly tw@t though

 

From the Harrogate Town Site

In May 2017 the pitch was awarded FIFA Quality Pro Status which means the surface is fit for the highest playing performance for professional level football and meets requirements for the following criteria...

• Playing performance
• Safety
• Durability
• Quality Assurance

Hmm so bubble wrap and cotton wool not needed after all.
Much ado about nothing.

 

Over here in Estonia, they are nearly all league pitches artificial surfaces (due to the weather). Decent enough pitches, with definitely no chance of a divet you could catch your ankle on, or too dry/wet to do damage. Obviously slide tackles are pretty much out, unless you want to remove all the hairs from your legs. Playing takes a bit of getting used to, because the ball travels much faster, and the bounce is different.

What I will say though, although this has no relevance to just one game, is that after years of playing on them, my knees and ankles are well and truly fooked

 

It has all those requirements but if they get promoted they either have to rip it up or move grounds

 

Whilst I agree in part, it is worth pointing out that the 1st team will play/train on a similar surface in the winter months when necessary. It isn’t a surface that will cause injuries, although I do understand it doesn’t help if you are carrying a knock.

You say it’s not easy to arrange friendlies so close to the end of pre-season, yet over the weekend, we managed to set one up for Tuesday.

For me, the biggest mistake wasn’t the fact that it wasn’t labelled an XI fixture earlier. It was the fact it was arranged in the 1st place and not questioned (pitch-wise) until a few days before the game

 

But it’s not necessarily about the quality of the opposition Kev. Did the majority of their 1st team take part in some or all of those fixtures? We arranged a friendly against a team with an artificial surface and pulled out our 1st team from playing on it, leaving them with yet another fixture with no game time.

So, we didn’t fulfill the fixture at Farsley because of their pitch, ‘rested’ the 1st team at York and now pulled them out of game time at Harrogate. That’s 3 games where players haven’t been able to ‘get match fit’. It’s not how clubs do things normally

 

You’re missing the point. I think your head is a little ‘fuzzy’ to be honest..!

Nobody is arguing about the number of games arranged. But the 1st team aren’t bloody playing in them. That’s the point..!

Farsley- called off for safety reasons

Guiseley- most players got 45mins

York- a smattering of 1st team got around 60mins. Many 1st team players left out

Blades- most of 1st team played 45-60mins.

BPA- mainly reserves and youth team.

Harrogate- mainly reserves and youth team

Carlisle- to be played

So as you can see, plenty of games, but most 1st team players have had about 90-105mins only so far. I guarantee this wasn’t the case in those seasons you mention

 

Cant argue with that.

 

No different to my local side as I pointed out earlier. Even the fat sod said it’s dependant on the state of the pitch. They h@ve played teams no different to BPA . What has their First 18 done exactly?
Oh yes they played a third div Portuguese team.. let’s be honest, we are NOT the only team to do this type of prep. Why fans make such a big deal of it is beyond me tbh.

It’s been the same for as long as I care to recall. Scotland and Germany etc?

 

Do you like typing To Be Honest

 

But 1st team squad players got minutes in those games. They haven’t so far in this pre-season. That’s the point