Pre-Season 2024/25

Well despite saying I wasn’t going, I ended up going. Pretty dismal and forgettable game, we looked slightly better after the subs but should have saved my dough

At least I’ve ticked off a ground, that’s one positive!

 

Probably from what he has seen in training. From the little we have seen him he doesn’t look like a grafter probably why Hughes binned him. Of course it might be he just prefers other combinations

 

2 things.

Many there from City?

Also did we dick around with the ball at the back too much?

 

About 500

 

There were 400 from City and it wasn’t quite ‘dicking around’ at the back but more there seemed little ideas up front and I fear a very similar season to last where we just don’t score enough goals and there will be a fair few goalless draws especially at home I fear.

 

I think we'll see next week if Young is 5th choice or not. If he is then he'll find it hard to get on the bench as a I don't see us including 3 strikers on the bench. It's going to be tough for Alexander to keep all 5 happy as there is always likely to be 1 miss out on the 18. If Young does struggle to get into the 18 then I think there's got to be questions asked about him, that would go way past a Hughes problem as Pete Wild signed him then barely played him and questioned his fitness and now it would be Alexander who doesn't rate him enough. He can't keep living off a good few months at Swindon and ignore the rest of his career.

I wasn't at Altrincham today but from what has been said by people who were there is sounds like Tuesday was much better and with that I'd expect the side that started on Tuesday to start next week. The 3 in midfield sounded strange to me when I saw the team so not surprised that hasn't worked out as I don't see Pattison wanting to sit deep.
How did Tyler Cook play? I must have missed that signing

 

Not too bothered about the score in these pre-season friendlies but reading the T&A blog it looks like their keeper only had a couple of shots to save. It's not good enough. Despite all the attacking players we have, we don't seem to be set-up with the tactics or formation to get enough shots on target.

We seem to have gone through pre-season with a phase of giving everyone minutes to get match fit then onto playing a more possible first eleven but we don't seem to have had enough preparation with the first eleven to set up a pattern of play that will get us enough goals.

It feels like we're underprepared and the MK match will either end up goalless (which I assume GA will be happy with) or will lose by a few goals. There seems little evidence that we'll win based on our pre-season games. More to the point, I'm worried we'll fade towards the end due to lack of fitness. I hope I'm completely wrong in all these things though!

 

Time to take the shackles off now. Would be great to get off to a good start and be one of the front runners for a change instead of playing catchup after Xmas.

 

Concede an early goal next week and it will end up like the Notts Co game on tv last season.

I would take a 0-0 now for sure.

 

I don’t understand how you think we will lack fitness in we seemed to have done more fitness work this summer than any other I can remember. Teams hold back in the last game of preseason players don’t want to get injured and miss out. For instance Gillingham drew with Woking today. There may be rustiness from both sides but not lack of fitness

 

Nobody gave Crawley any hope of beating them in the playoffs last season but they just went there , played to their strengths and ended up battering them. We can and probably should be thinking we can do the same.
If we go there and give it a good go and it finishes 0-0 I’ll take it but anything like todays drab affair and I can’t see it getting much better

 

I don’t see us getting thrashed by anybody it’s cresting chances that worries me

 

Because the first eleven (whoever they are) haven't played a competitive 90 minutes together so around the 75 minute mark were going to see us getting leggy and dropping back defensively.

We absolutely shouldn't be holding back in our last pre-season game because we've only really played two - this one and Sunderland, in the others he made so many changes for fitness reasons.

Gillingham is a good comparison though- they've played a lot of pre-season matches, and have had some good results.

 

You’re right, Walsall drew with Solihull, MK lost at home, Vale lost at home, certainly you could expect MK to beat Plymouth who struggled last time, Tranmere conceding goals, that’s pre season, means nothing at 3.00 next Saturday

 

I think your fears are unfounded we will be as fit if not fitter than our opponents. Speaking of which I was reading there match report with Plymouth which they lost 1. 0 they like playing out from the back and seem to slip up a bit I hope we get the high press on as teams did tu under Hughes

 

How did Sars play? I had him down to be our midfield general!

 

So, after less than exhilarating draw with the mighty Altrincham, we good to go, yeah?

 

No your new midfield general was in the stands at VP, waiting for his pre-signing pizza

 

Useless to55er.