Pre Season Friendlies. What have we learnt?

[Finchley Seagull]

The end of last season was good. However, we largely played teams who also had little to play for. I would argue that we have strengthened despite the loss of a couple of key players, Croft & Lua Lua particularly. However, which club in our league hasn't improved their squad?

Our forward line up is weak & a challenge for the title is only a possibility if we have that elusive 25+ scorer, which we haven't.

I expect the 3 clubs who came down to be challenging, alongside Swindon, Southampton, Notts C, Charlton, MKD & Huddersfield.

On paper are we better than these teams?

And so to our friendly games that some feel are irrelevant & others not.
Whichever camp you are in, one cannot be inspired as to what has been churned out so far on the field?

Sorry are you really that negative that you ignore facts. We got 38 points from the second half of the season, this means that we played each team once in that time. How can you write that off as largely playing teams with nothing to play for. It is a better way to decide on our form than pre season friendlies.

Also, Swindon and Charlton, two of the teams you mention as challenging, have both been weakened over the summer as things stand in my view.

 

[dazzalewis1968]

Sorry are you really that negative that you ignore facts. We got 38 points from the second half of the season, this means that we played each team once in that time. How can you write that off as largely playing teams with nothing to play for. It is a better way to decide on our form than pre season friendlies.

Also, Swindon and Charlton, two of the teams you mention as challenging, have both been weakened over the summer as things stand in my view.

I agree with finchely here though we till need that big GOAL SCORER!

 

[Steve Foster]

Sorry are you really that negative that you ignore facts. We got 38 points from the second half of the season, this means that we played each team once in that time. How can you write that off as largely playing teams with nothing to play for. It is a better way to decide on our form than pre season friendlies.

Also, Swindon and Charlton, two of the teams you mention as challenging, have both been weakened over the summer as things stand in my view.

If we got 38 points having played 23 games, then replicated over a season we would have finished 7th. Good, but not good enough.

So, with the departures & new signings - is the current squad, able to hit that elusive 6th spot (or even better?).

Do you honestly believe that our pre-season performances/results suggest that we can finish higher than 7th?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Sorry Steve - but when you look at performance from January onwards (not simply multiplying the points) we were 5th in the form table. ie if the season had started in January we would have finished 5th.

Feel free to revisit your point.

 

[Rookie]

I expect the 3 clubs who came down to be challenging, alongside Swindon, Southampton, Notts C, Charlton, MKD & Huddersfield.

On paper are we better than these teams?

Charlton skint and don't think they have strengthened at all. MK Dons very young inexperienced manager and don't appear to have much money to throw around and collapsed end of last season. Swindon, lost their captain and one of their top strikers. Notts C who knows not they money around that they were throwing early last season.
So erm what exactly is your point based on?

 

[Mellotron]

If we got 38 points having played 23 games, then replicated over a season we would have finished 7th. Good, but not good enough.

So, with the departures & new signings - is the current squad, able to hit that elusive 6th spot (or even better?).

Do you honestly believe that our pre-season performances/results suggest that we can finish higher than 7th?

So you believe 7th would be deemed as FAILURE, after finishing the last two seasons at 16th (I think) and 13th respectively?

What do you mean, "not good enough"? Why do you seem to think we have a divine right to get to the playoffs? What is all of this based on?

 

[Steve Foster]

So you believe 7th would be deemed as FAILURE, after finishing the last two seasons at 16th (I think) and 13th respectively?

What do you mean, "not good enough"? Why do you seem to think we have a divine right to get to the playoffs? What is all of this based on?

If we finished 7th, I suspect Tony Bloom, more importantly, would deem our seasons results a failure. After all would he want us to be starting off at Falmer in League 1?

I don't for one minute believe that we have a divine right to reach the playoffs.

Simply put: Are our pre season results & performances testamount to a playoff challenge this year? It's a question. No more, no less!

 

[Mellotron]

Simply put: Are our pre season results & performances testamount to a playoff challenge this year? It's a question. No more, no less!

It's an entirely meaningless, pointless question.

ONCE AGAIN:

Newcastle 1 - 7 Leyton Orient.

 

[Acker79]

It's an entirely meaningless, pointless question.

ONCE AGAIN:

Newcastle 1 - 7 Leyton Orient.

Aw, man! you're gonna have so much egg on your face when Newcastle lose every game they play this season, and orient piss this division and beat Man Utd in the FA cup final.

 

[Easy 10]

Simply put: Are our pre season results & performances testamount to a playoff challenge this year? It's a question. No more, no less!

Its a stupid question though.

As has been mentioned ad-infinitum, pre-season is a time for getting back to fitness, putting out a few trialists, and generally having a bit of practice with players and formations in preperation for the season. The games arn't played at full-pelt, its merely an exercise in getting some sharpness back.

Do you not think you are reading a TINSY bit too much into these games ? Even if we'd torn up Bognor, Eastbourne and Whitehawk, would you then be thinking "blimey, Swindon will REALLY be for it on August 7th" ? Its IRRELEVENT !

Whatever happens this season, come November/December when we're 15-20 games IF we're (shock-horror) mid-table or worse, nobody is going to be looking back to a tap-about in the July sunshine at Eastbourne and thinking "Hmmm...yeah. Thats where is all started going wrong..."

Well YOU will I suppose.

 

[Spiros]

Aw, man! you're gonna have so much egg on your face when Newcastle lose every game they play this season, and orient piss this division and beat Man Utd in the FA cup final.

But wasn't the Newcastle-Orient result a friendly before last season? The one which Newcastle then went through dominating the championship to get back to the prem, while Orient struggled near the wrong end of League 1?

 

[Acker79]

But wasn't the Newcastle-Orient result a friendly before last season? The one which Newcastle then went through dominating the championship to get back to the prem, while Orient struggled near the wrong end of League 1?

Possibly. I was asusuming it was a recent friendly, pointing out how freaky results are.

Boy, is my face red now.

 

[Acker79]

Even if we'd torn up Bognor, Eastbourne and Whitehawk, would you then be thinking "blimey, Swindon will REALLY be for it on August 7th" ? Its IRRELEVENT !

No, if we tore those teams up, I suspect Steve would be saying how irrelevant the results are, how it's just non-league teams, and we're going to be over confident and get a shock when we play proper teams in the league, when points are on the line.

 

[Marshy]

A proper pre season under Gus will gets its rewards i have no doubt, continuing to improve our style and pattern of play.

We will sign a couple more players that i have no doubt.

I really cant see how anyone can be anything but positive at present.

 

[Mellotron]

Aw, man! you're gonna have so much egg on your face when Newcastle lose every game they play this season, and orient piss this division and beat Man Utd in the FA cup final.

Except it's a pre-season result from LAST season, when Newcastle DID piss the division, proving the point entirely that pre-season results DO NOT MATTER.

 

[Acker79]

yes, spiros corrected me.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

If we finished 7th, I suspect Tony Bloom, more importantly, would deem our seasons results a failure. After all would he want us to be starting off at Falmer in League 1?

I don't for one minute believe that we have a divine right to reach the playoffs.

Simply put: Are our pre season results & performances testamount to a playoff challenge this year? It's a question. No more, no less!

Explain to me in simple terms, because obviously I am a bit thick, why is it that we should use recent friendly results as more of a marker of how we will do this season than how we did in the second half of last season. I am struggling to work out whether you honestly believe the stuff you write or you are just trying to irritate people.

As for finishing seventh, it wouldn't be a bad season but we have also strengthened over the summer. I do think we need two or three more players to give us a real chance of a top six finish but you seem to think we are going to be struggling in the bottom half, which I think is ridiculous.

 

[Sheebo]

Shouldn't the last game read A-A as it was abandoned or does the 2 - 0 stand?

 

[Notters]

I'm starting to love this thread.

Can anyone dig out some crap pre-season results that we had before the championship seasons?

 

[Notters]

OK, here's an example:

1st August 2003 - Yeovil 2 Brighton 1
30th May 2004 - playoff final Brighton 1 Bristol C 0